Read Online Penny and Peter by Carolyn Haywood - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Carolyn Haywood
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long way to go before it would be finished. Peter stood off and admired it. "It's going to look awfully pretty," he said.
Penny picked up another box of balls. He removed the lid and began to hang golden stars on the tree.
"I'm thirsty," said Peter. "I'm going to get a glass of milk."
"So am I," said Penny. "Come on, Patsy, let's get a glass of milk."
The three children traipsed out to the kitchen. Minnie poured out three glasses of milk and the children returned to the living room. They each carried a glass of milk in one hand and a cookie in the other.
"Now, don't sit on any balls," said Peter.
They all sat down without sitting on any balls. They sat munching their cookies and drinking their milk and admiring the Christmas tree.
"I'm going to get another cookie," said Peter, putting his glass on a small table.
"Bring me another, too," said Penny. "And one for Patsy."
"Okay!" replied Peter, as he left the room.
Tootsie, who had been asleep in front of the fireplace, got up and followed Peter to the door of the living room. There, just inside of the door, she lay down.
In a few moments, Peter came back with the cookies. As he passed Tootsie, he tripped over her big paw. Peter didn't fall but he kept right on tripping and he tripped all the way through the living room and headed right for the alcove and the Christmas tree.
Penny and Patsy sat watching this performance in amazement. It didn't seem possible that Peter was going to crash into the Christmas tree. But he went right on tripping, straight into the alcove. And then,
Crash!,
down came the tree, balls, Peter, cookies, and all.
The children were so surprised that they were speechless. Peter lay on the floor, not knowing exactly what had happened.
Just then, Daddy appeared in the doorway.
"Great snakes!" he cried. "What is going on?"
When he saw Peter lying under the Christmas tree, he couldn't help laughing. This made Patsy and Penny laugh, too.
"I don't think it is funny," muttered Peter from under the tree. And then Peter did something that he hardly ever did. He began to cry.
"Oh, come!" said Daddy, picking up the tree. "You're not hurt, are you?"
"No," said Peter, "but I made such an awful mess of the Christmas tree. Look at all of the balls I broke."
Daddy stood the tree upright. By a miracle, there were still a lot of balls that had not broken.
Peter brought the dustpan and brush and swept up the broken balls. Every once in a while he had to wipe away a tear.
The children finished the tree by dinnertime. Not once did anyone say, "Be careful. Don't drop the Christmas tree balls."
The following day, Daddy and Mother, Peter and Penny left for the cabin. Peter sat in the back of the car in the midst of packages of all sizes and shapes. There were also boxes and the big picnic basket, bulging with everything for Christmas dinner.
The ride up into the mountains was very different from the last time. Now, in place of the yellow, orange, pink, and red of the leaves, the bare branches of the trees showed gray against the paler gray sky. They passed brown fields with patches of snow, left over from the last snowstorm. The only bright color was the green of the fields sown with winter wheat.
"That sky looks full of snow," said Daddy. "We'll probably have snow before morning."
"Oh, goodie!" cried Penny.
"I hope so!" said Peter.
Sure enough, by the time they reached the cabin, it was snowing very hard.
"Oh, I hope I am going to get those skis I asked for," said Peter, looking at a very long package that stuck way up inside of the car.
"No fair guessing," said Daddy. "You are supposed to be looking out of the window, Peter."
Peter laughed. "All right," he said.
When they drove up to the cabin, the roof and the steps and the pine trees looked as though they had been dusted freely with powdered sugar. The snow was falling so hard that it hid the lake from view.
"Now, you wait here a few minutes," said Daddy, "while I unlock the door and light the
Penny picked up another box of balls. He removed the lid and began to hang golden stars on the tree.
"I'm thirsty," said Peter. "I'm going to get a glass of milk."
"So am I," said Penny. "Come on, Patsy, let's get a glass of milk."
The three children traipsed out to the kitchen. Minnie poured out three glasses of milk and the children returned to the living room. They each carried a glass of milk in one hand and a cookie in the other.
"Now, don't sit on any balls," said Peter.
They all sat down without sitting on any balls. They sat munching their cookies and drinking their milk and admiring the Christmas tree.
"I'm going to get another cookie," said Peter, putting his glass on a small table.
"Bring me another, too," said Penny. "And one for Patsy."
"Okay!" replied Peter, as he left the room.
Tootsie, who had been asleep in front of the fireplace, got up and followed Peter to the door of the living room. There, just inside of the door, she lay down.
In a few moments, Peter came back with the cookies. As he passed Tootsie, he tripped over her big paw. Peter didn't fall but he kept right on tripping and he tripped all the way through the living room and headed right for the alcove and the Christmas tree.
Penny and Patsy sat watching this performance in amazement. It didn't seem possible that Peter was going to crash into the Christmas tree. But he went right on tripping, straight into the alcove. And then,
Crash!,
down came the tree, balls, Peter, cookies, and all.
The children were so surprised that they were speechless. Peter lay on the floor, not knowing exactly what had happened.
Just then, Daddy appeared in the doorway.
"Great snakes!" he cried. "What is going on?"
When he saw Peter lying under the Christmas tree, he couldn't help laughing. This made Patsy and Penny laugh, too.
"I don't think it is funny," muttered Peter from under the tree. And then Peter did something that he hardly ever did. He began to cry.
"Oh, come!" said Daddy, picking up the tree. "You're not hurt, are you?"
"No," said Peter, "but I made such an awful mess of the Christmas tree. Look at all of the balls I broke."
Daddy stood the tree upright. By a miracle, there were still a lot of balls that had not broken.
Peter brought the dustpan and brush and swept up the broken balls. Every once in a while he had to wipe away a tear.
The children finished the tree by dinnertime. Not once did anyone say, "Be careful. Don't drop the Christmas tree balls."
The following day, Daddy and Mother, Peter and Penny left for the cabin. Peter sat in the back of the car in the midst of packages of all sizes and shapes. There were also boxes and the big picnic basket, bulging with everything for Christmas dinner.
The ride up into the mountains was very different from the last time. Now, in place of the yellow, orange, pink, and red of the leaves, the bare branches of the trees showed gray against the paler gray sky. They passed brown fields with patches of snow, left over from the last snowstorm. The only bright color was the green of the fields sown with winter wheat.
"That sky looks full of snow," said Daddy. "We'll probably have snow before morning."
"Oh, goodie!" cried Penny.
"I hope so!" said Peter.
Sure enough, by the time they reached the cabin, it was snowing very hard.
"Oh, I hope I am going to get those skis I asked for," said Peter, looking at a very long package that stuck way up inside of the car.
"No fair guessing," said Daddy. "You are supposed to be looking out of the window, Peter."
Peter laughed. "All right," he said.
When they drove up to the cabin, the roof and the steps and the pine trees looked as though they had been dusted freely with powdered sugar. The snow was falling so hard that it hid the lake from view.
"Now, you wait here a few minutes," said Daddy, "while I unlock the door and light the
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