Read Online The Moffat Museum by Eleanor Estes - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Eleanor Estes
Tags: Ages 8 & Up
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now," said Ray. "He can practice in his knickers, pull them down a little at the knees. By tomorrow, I'm sure this problem will be solved. By then he will have long pants. He could probably fit into an old pair of mine. I'm putting on weight!"
As she left the church, Jane thought,
Wait till I tell Joey about the long pants!
She grew pensive when she envisioned how Joey was going to take all of this. The man who giveth his sister away was next in importance to the bride, the groom, and almost the minister, certainly more important than her, just a little flower girl!
She'd put it to him this way. "When you think about it, Joey, isn't it nice that three of the Moffats, Sylvie, Joey, and myself, will be in the wedding?" But Rufus ... well ... Rufus ... well ... petals ... Then an idea about the connection between Rufus and petals began to simmer in her mind.
Now, as she rounded the corner into Ashbellows Place, she spotted her two brothers coming from the other direction. She could tell they were happy. Joey was riding with one hand, holding something carefully in the other, a little polliwog, maybe. Perhaps this one will turn itself into a frog. Rufus was holding something in his tight little fist, but she couldn't guess what. He was on the handlebars.
Jane ran to meet them. "Guess what, Joey!" she said as though a wonderful surprise awaited him. "Guess what! You are going to be in Sylvie's wedding. They weren't going to have anybody in it at first. Then they added me and now you. Isn't that nice?"
No answer from Joey.
"You're going to be the man who 'giveth' his sister away!" Jane added. "How do you like that?"
A terrible cloud settled over Joey's face. He still said nothing.
Jane said pleadingly, "It has to be you, Joey, it has to be you!"
"I'm not giving my sister away," said Joey. "Once a sister, always a sister."
"It's just for the wedding that you give her away. It's part of the wedding, like a play. You have to," said Jane desperately. "They're waiting for us..."
"I'm not old enough," said Joey. "I'm not even sixteen. Get Sam Doody, a friend, a tall friend, who can give sisters away better than me."
"No!" said Jane. "Ray Abbot asked the Reverend Gandy. He said you can be the giver-away because you will be sixteen in September. They like a member of the family, a relative, not a friend, not even a tall friend. Only thing is, you have to wear long pants."
"Well, ha-ha!" said Joey. "That really lets me out. I don't own any long pants. Go away. Ask Sam Doody. Pretend he is a distant relative. He might be for all we know..."
Jane felt near to crying. She visualized Sylvie, Ray Abbot, and Mr. Gandy standing at the door of the church, peering out, scanning all roads, impatient. She said, "Joey, forget Sam Doody. He has to take Mama and other people in the wedding to the church."
Rufus had listened to all this in silence. Then he said calmly, "I'll do it. I'm a brother, a real brother, not a made-up relative from ancient times. Besides"—he laughed—"I own long pants. My sailor suit pants that Mama made for the boys of the Junior Naval Reserve. I was too little to be in that, but she made me a sailor suit, anyway. I can be a midget giver-away of my big sister named Sylvie Moffat."
Jane laughed. Even Joey had to laugh. But Jane said, "Well, Rufus, you really are too little. There's no way out, Joey. We have to hurry. They're there, waitin', hearts pounding..."
"I'll go along with you," said Rufus. "I'll help you, Joey. Do anything you say. Could be worse, you know. Could be you was the one that was getting married. Instead, you're just giving Sylvie away. It's as though it's in the syllable at school."
"Syllabus," corrected Joey.
Rufus continued as though he had not been interrupted. "And I'll stand right beside you and help you hand her over, if you want me to. Sylvie weighs ninety-eight pounds. Between the two of us we can manage."
Joey was silent. Then he said, "What about long pants?"
Jane said, "Ray
As she left the church, Jane thought,
Wait till I tell Joey about the long pants!
She grew pensive when she envisioned how Joey was going to take all of this. The man who giveth his sister away was next in importance to the bride, the groom, and almost the minister, certainly more important than her, just a little flower girl!
She'd put it to him this way. "When you think about it, Joey, isn't it nice that three of the Moffats, Sylvie, Joey, and myself, will be in the wedding?" But Rufus ... well ... Rufus ... well ... petals ... Then an idea about the connection between Rufus and petals began to simmer in her mind.
Now, as she rounded the corner into Ashbellows Place, she spotted her two brothers coming from the other direction. She could tell they were happy. Joey was riding with one hand, holding something carefully in the other, a little polliwog, maybe. Perhaps this one will turn itself into a frog. Rufus was holding something in his tight little fist, but she couldn't guess what. He was on the handlebars.
Jane ran to meet them. "Guess what, Joey!" she said as though a wonderful surprise awaited him. "Guess what! You are going to be in Sylvie's wedding. They weren't going to have anybody in it at first. Then they added me and now you. Isn't that nice?"
No answer from Joey.
"You're going to be the man who 'giveth' his sister away!" Jane added. "How do you like that?"
A terrible cloud settled over Joey's face. He still said nothing.
Jane said pleadingly, "It has to be you, Joey, it has to be you!"
"I'm not giving my sister away," said Joey. "Once a sister, always a sister."
"It's just for the wedding that you give her away. It's part of the wedding, like a play. You have to," said Jane desperately. "They're waiting for us..."
"I'm not old enough," said Joey. "I'm not even sixteen. Get Sam Doody, a friend, a tall friend, who can give sisters away better than me."
"No!" said Jane. "Ray Abbot asked the Reverend Gandy. He said you can be the giver-away because you will be sixteen in September. They like a member of the family, a relative, not a friend, not even a tall friend. Only thing is, you have to wear long pants."
"Well, ha-ha!" said Joey. "That really lets me out. I don't own any long pants. Go away. Ask Sam Doody. Pretend he is a distant relative. He might be for all we know..."
Jane felt near to crying. She visualized Sylvie, Ray Abbot, and Mr. Gandy standing at the door of the church, peering out, scanning all roads, impatient. She said, "Joey, forget Sam Doody. He has to take Mama and other people in the wedding to the church."
Rufus had listened to all this in silence. Then he said calmly, "I'll do it. I'm a brother, a real brother, not a made-up relative from ancient times. Besides"—he laughed—"I own long pants. My sailor suit pants that Mama made for the boys of the Junior Naval Reserve. I was too little to be in that, but she made me a sailor suit, anyway. I can be a midget giver-away of my big sister named Sylvie Moffat."
Jane laughed. Even Joey had to laugh. But Jane said, "Well, Rufus, you really are too little. There's no way out, Joey. We have to hurry. They're there, waitin', hearts pounding..."
"I'll go along with you," said Rufus. "I'll help you, Joey. Do anything you say. Could be worse, you know. Could be you was the one that was getting married. Instead, you're just giving Sylvie away. It's as though it's in the syllable at school."
"Syllabus," corrected Joey.
Rufus continued as though he had not been interrupted. "And I'll stand right beside you and help you hand her over, if you want me to. Sylvie weighs ninety-eight pounds. Between the two of us we can manage."
Joey was silent. Then he said, "What about long pants?"
Jane said, "Ray
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