"Blyton, Enid - Naughtiest Girl 01 - The Naughtiest Girl in the School" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)
"She spent the money her uncle gave her on buying that big birthday cake for Joan, and other presents and cards," said Miss Belle. "That is where the money went, Rita!" "But why didn't Elizabeth say so?" asked Rita, puzzled.
"Because if she explained that, the school would know Joan's unhappiness at being forgotten by her mother," said Miss Best. "If Elizabeth had been longer at Whyteleafe School, she would have gone to you, Rita, or to one of the monitors she trusted, and would have asked their advice-but she has been here such ~ short time, and is such a headstrong, independent child, that she takes matters into her own hands-and gets into trouble!" "All the same, she has the makings of a very fine girl m her," said Miss Belle, "She is fearless and brave, kind and clever, and although she has been the naughtiest, rudest girl we have ever had, that only lasted for a little while." "Yes," said Rita, "I liked her almost from the beginning, although she has been very difficult. But she really is the sort of girl we want at Whyteleafe. I'm afraid now, though, that she will go home, for we have promised that she shall, if she wants to." "You must send for her and have a talk with her, Rita," said Miss Best. "She was supposed to come and tell you when she had an answer to her letter to Mrs. Townsend, wasn't she? Well-we know the answer now-and it is not an answer that can be explained fully to a School Meeting. Have a talk with Elizabeth, and then decide what to do. I think you will feel that although Elizabeth did wrong, the kindness that was at the bottom of it more than makes up for the upset she caused!" "Yes, I think so too," agreed Rita, who had been very interested in all that Miss Belle and Miss Best had told her. She was glad to know that Elizabeth had spent the pound on somebody else, glad that it was only kindness that had caused such a disturbance! She went out to look for Elizabeth.
It was after tea. Elizabeth was running to see if Matron would let her sit with Joan again. She bumped into Rita round a corner.
"Good gracious! What a hurricane you are!" said Rita, her breath bumped out of her. "You're just the person I want to see, Come to my study." Rita had a little room of her own, a study all to herself, because she was Head Girl. She was very proud of it, and had made it as nice as she could. Elizabeth had never been in it before, and she looked round in pleasure.
"What a dear little room!" she said. "I like the blue carpet-and the blue tablecloth-and the pictures and flowers. Is this your very own room?" "Yes," said Rita, "William has one too. His is just as nice as mine. He is coming here in a minute. Have a sweet, Elizabeth?" Rita took down a tin from the small cupboard and offered it to Elizabeth, who at once took a toffee. Elizabeth wondered what Rita and William were going to say to her. There was a knock at the door, and William strolled in.
"Hallo," he said, smiling at Elizabeth. "How's the Bold Bad Girl?" Elizabeth laughed. She liked William calling her that, though she had hated the name not so very long ago.
"Elizabeth, William and I know now what you spent that pound on, and why you did it," said Rita, "And we want to say that we quite see that you couldn't tell the Meeting." "And we shan't tell the Meeting either," said William, sitting down in Rita's cosy arm-chair.
"But won't you have to?" asked Elizabeth in surprise.
"No," said William. "Rita and I are the judges of what can be told the Meeting, and what need not be explained, if we think best. We shall simply say that we have had a satisfactory answer and explanation, and that the matter is now finished." "Oh, thank you," said Elizabeth. "It wasn't really myself I was thinking of, you know, it was Joan." "We know that now," said Rita, "You tried to do a right thing in a wrong way, Elizabeth! If you had been at Whyteleafe a little longer, you would have done things differently-but you haven't been here long enough." "No, I haven't," said Elizabeth. "I do see that I have learnt a lot already, but I haven't learnt enough. I wish I was wise like you and William." "Well, why not stay and learn to be?" said William with a laugh. "You are just the sort of girl we want, Elizabeth, You would make a fine monitor, later on." "Me! A monitor!" cried Elizabeth, most astonished, "Oh, I'd never, never be a monitor! Good gracious!" "It may sound funny to you now, Elizabeth," said William. "But in a term or two you would be quite responsible and sensible enough to be made one." "I'd simply love to be a monitor, and sit in the jury!" said Elizabeth, "Whatever would Mummy say-and Miss Scott, my old governess, would never, never believe it. She said I was so spoilt I would never do anything worth while!" "You are spoilt!" said Rita, smiling. "But you would soon get over that. What about staying on, Elizabeth, and seeing what you can do?" "I'm beginning to feel it would be nice," said Elizabeth. "But I can't change my mind, I said I meant to go home at half-term, and I'm going to. It's only feeble people that change their minds, and say first one thing and then another. I'm not going to be like that." "I wonder where you got that idea from?" said William, "I mean, the idea that it's feeble to change your mind once it's made up? That's a wrong idea, you know," "Wrong?" said Elizabeth, in surprise.
"Of course," said William. "Make up your mind about things, by all means-but if something happens to show that you are wrong, then it is feeble not to change your mind, Elizabeth. Only the strongest people have the pluck to change their minds, and say so, if they see they have been wrong in their ideas," "I didn't think of that," said Elizabeth, feeling puzzled, "Well, don't puzzle your head too much about things," said William, getting up. "I must go. Think about what we have said, Elizabeth. The next Meeting will be your last one, if you are leaving us-and we shall keep our word to you and let you go if you want to. You can tell your parents when they come to see you at half-term, and Miss Belle and Miss Best will explain everything to them. But we shall be sorry to lose the naughtiest girl in the school !" Elizabeth left the study, her head in a whirl. She did like William and Rita so much. But she couldn't change her mind-she would be so ashamed to climb down and say she had been wrong! CHAPTER 23.
Elizabeth fights with Herself.
THE next day or two were very pleasant. Elizabeth was allowed to see Joan whenever she liked, and she took her some more flowers from John. She also took her a jigsaw puzzle from Helen, and a book from Nora.
Joan was looking very pretty and very happy. Her mother had gone, leaving behind her a big box of velvety peaches, a tin of barley sugar, and some books, But best of all she had left Joan a promise that never, never would she let Joan think she was forgotten again.
"It's all because of you, Elizabeth," said Joan, offering her friend a barley sugar to suck. "Oh, Elizabeth-do please stay on at Whyteleafe. Don't make me unhappy by leaving, just as I've got to know you!" "There are plenty of other people for you to make friends with," said Elizabeth, sucking the barley sugar, "I don't want them," said Joan. "They would seem feeble after you, Elizabeth. I say-have you been looking after my rabbit for me?" "Of course," said Elizabeth. "Oh, Joan, it's the dearest little thing you ever saw! Really it is. Do you know, it knows me now when I go to feed it, and it presses its tiny woffly nose against the wire to welcome me! And yesterday it nuzzled itself into the crook of my arm and stayed there quite still time the school bell rang and I had to go." "Harry came to see me this morning and he said he wishes you were not leaving, because he wants to give us two more baby rabbits, to live with my tiny one," said Joan. "He said they could be between the two of us." "Oh," said Elizabeth, longing for the two rabbits. "Really, if I'd known what a nice place Whyteleafe School was, I'd never have made up my mind to leave it!" She had to go then, because it was time for her music-lesson. She rushed to get her music. Richard was in the music-room, waiting for her with Mr. Lewis.
The two were getting on well with their duets. Richard was pleased with Elizabeth now, for he knew that she really loved music, as he did, and was willing to work hard at it. They played two duets very well indeed for Mr. Lewis.
"Splendid!" he said. "Elizabeth, I'm pleased with you. You've practised well since your last lesson, and got that difficult part perfect now. Now-play Richard your sea-piece that you love so much." Elizabeth was proud to play to Richard, for she thought him a wonderful player. She played her best. Mr. Lewis and Richard listened without a word or a movement till she had finished.
"She ought to play that at the school concert at the end of the term," said Richard, when the piece was ended. "It's fine!" Elizabeth glowed with pleasure. She liked praise from Richard even more than praise from the music-master.
"That's what I suggested to her," said Mr. Lewis, sitting down at the piano and playing some beautiful chords. "But she doesn't want to." "I do want to!" cried Elizabeth indignantly. "It's only that I'm leaving soon." "Oh-that silly old story again," said Richard in disgust. "I thought better of you, Elizabeth. You can stay here if you want to-but you're just too jolly obstinate for words. Your music may be good-but 1 don't think much of your common sense." He stalked off without another word, his music rolled under his arm. Elizabeth felt half angry, half tearful. She hated being spoken to like that by Richard.
"I expect Richard is disappointed with you because I know he hoped that you and he would play the duets in the concert this term," explained Mr. Lewis. "He'll have to play them with Harry now-and though Harry likes music, he's not a good player." Elizabeth finished her music-lesson without saying very much. She was thinking hard. She was in a muddle. She wanted to stay-and she wanted to go, because her pride told her to keep her word to herself, and leave.
She went out to do some gardening when her lesson was over. She and John had become very friendly indeed over the garden. Elizabeth did not mind working hard with John, and he was pleased.
"So many of the others like to pick the flowers, and trim the hedges when they feel like it," he said, "but hardly anybody really works hard. When the tiny plants have to be bedded out, or the kitchen garden has to be hoed, who is there that offers to do it? Nobody!" "Well, aren't I somebody?" demanded Elizabeth.
"Don't I come?" "Oh yes-but what's the use of you?" said John.
"You're leaving soon, aren't you? You can't take a real interest in a garden that you won't ever see again.
If you were going to stay I would make all my plans with you-I believe Mr. Johns would let you take part-charge of the garden with me. It really would be fun." "Yes-it would," said Elizabeth, looking round the garden. "Are you the head of the garden, John?" "Yes-under Mr. Johns," said John. "Nobody needs to garden unless they like, you know-but if it's anyone's hobby, as it is mine, they are allowed to spend most of their spare time here. I've had charge of the garden for two years now, and it's pretty good, don't you think so?" "Oh yes, I do," said Elizabeth, looking round it, "It's lovely. I could think of lovely things for it too, John. Don't you think a row of double pink hollyhocks would be nice, looking over that wall?" "Fine!" said John, standing up from his hoeing. "Fine! We could get the seeds now and plant them- and we could set out the new little plants this autumn, ready to flower next summer, Let's ask for money for the seeds at the next Meeting, shall we?" "Well-you can, if you like," said Elizabeth. "I'm afraid it will be my last Meeting, John." "Your inst Meeting!" said John scornfully, and he dug his hoe into the hard ground as if he were digging it into a Meeting. 'What a feeble goose you are, Elizabeth." "Feeble!" cried Elizabeth angrily. "I like that! Just because I'm keeping my word and sticking to what I said, you call me feeble." "Well, it is feeble to give up everything you like so much here-your gardening-your riding-your friend -and your music-just because you're too proud to climb down and change your mind," said John. "I'm disappointed in you." Elizabeth stamped off in a rage. She hated to be called feeble. It was the one thing she had always thought that she wasn't.
"Now let's get things clear in my own mind," said Elizabeth to herself. "First of all-i didn't want to come here, and I vowed to myself, to Mummy and Miss Scott that I'd get sent home as soon as possible. Well, I got the Meeting to say I could leave at half-term, and I was jolly pleased. I'd got what I wanted!" Elizabeth swung high, and the swing creaked as it went to and fro.
"Yes-I'd got what I wanted," said Elizabeth. "I needn't even stay a term at this horrid, hateful school. That was what I called it." "And now I find it isn't horrid or hateful. I can't help being happy here, The others seem to like me now that I've given up being so awful. I have a friend who is longing for me to stay and will be unhappy when I go. I've disappointed Richard, who wants to play with me at the concert. I've disappointed Mr. Lewis. John is angry with me because I don't like his garden enough to stay-though really I do like it awful ~y. And Harry wants to give me those lovely rabbits." She swung even higher as her thoughts sped along.
"And why am I going? Now I'll just be really honest with myself. I'm not going because I'm unhappy. I'm very happy now. I'm going simply because I can't bear to change my mind and say I'm wrong. I'm too proud to say I'll stay, when I've said i'll go. I'm not strong enough to change my mind, and own up I'm wrong!" Elizabeth slowed down the swing and put her feet on the ground. She frowned and looked at the grass.
She had never thought so hard in her life. She spoke to herself sternly.
"Elizabeth Allen, you're feeble! Richard is right and Harry is right. You're feeble! You're a coward! You don't dare to stand up at the next Meeting and say you're too happy to leave! You aren't strong enough to change your mind! You're proud and silly! Elizabeth Allen, I'm ashamed of you!" Elizabeth spoke these words to herself more sternly than anyone had ever spoken to her, She stopped for a moment, thinking deeply.
"But am I really so silly? Am I really so feeble? Can I really spoil my happiness here, and Joan's too, by being so stupid and proud? No, I can't! I'm stronger than I thought. I can change my mind! I will change my mind! What did William say? He said that only the strongest people could change their minds when they saw they were wrong-it was the feeble ones who couldn't! She began to swing again. "Well, I'm strong!" she sang, as she swung. "I can change my mind! I can say I'm wrong! Elizabeth Allen, you're not such a poor thing as I thought! Just wait till the next Meeting-and I'll give them the biggest surprise they've ever had!" The little girl laughed as she swung. She felt very happy. She was no longer obstinate and proud, She was strong enough to change her mind.
"I wish the next Meeting would come soon!" she said to herself. "What a shock I shall give them!" CHAPTER 24.
A Surprise for the School.
THE last Meeting before half-term met at the same time as usual in the gym. Everyone was there except Joan, who was in the San. rapidly getting better.
Elizabeth sat on her usual form, between Harry and Belinda, feeling rather excited. What a surprise she was going to give everyone! The ordinary business of the Meeting went through as usual. Money was taken from the box, but none was put in. Most of the children were expecting money from their parents when they saw them at half-term, and the next week the box would be very full again! A few complaints were made, and one or two reports. Doris, who owned the guinea-pigs, beamed when her monitor reported that she had not forgotten her pets once.
"And," said the monitor, "they look the finest guinea-pigs I've ever seen now." "Good," said Rita.. "See that they keep like that. Doris!" Then Elizabeth's turn came, at the end of the reports.
Rita knocked on the table with the mallet, and every~ one was silent.
"I haven't much to say about Elizabeth Allen this week," said Rita. "But I must just say this-both William and I know now why Elizabeth spent so much money and what she spent it on. We are quite satisfied about it, and we hope that the jury and the rest of you will accept our word when we say that we can only say that we are satisfied, and not tell you any more. Elizabeth was wrong to do what she did, but she was right not to tell us about it. Now the matter has come right, and we have no more to say." "Wait, Rita," said William. "We have more to say! This is the Meeting at which we were to ask Elizabeth if she wanted to leave us-it is our half-term Meeting.
Well-we are keeping our word to you, Elizabeth. If you want to go, and you have made up your mind to do so, we give you our permission. Miss Belle and Miss Best will tell your parents, and if they agree, you may go back with them when they see you to-morrow." Elizabeth stood up. Her cheeks were flaming red, and her voice was not quite the same as usual.
"I've got something to say," she said. "It's not very easy-and I don't quite know how to say it. But anyway, it's this-I'm not going!" "Not going!" cried everyone in surprise, turning to look at Elizabeth.
"But why not?" asked Rita. "You said you had -made up your mind to go, and that you never changed your mind." "Well, William said that only feeble people never change their mind if they know they are wrong," said Elizabeth. "And I know I was wrong now. I only made up my mind to be as naughty as possible because I was angry at being sent to school when I didn't want to go, and I vowed I'd go back home as soon as possible, just to show I'd have my own way. Well, I like Whyteleafe. It's a lovely school. And I want to stay. So I've changed my mind, and though you've said I can have what I want, and it's very nice of you, I don't want it now! I want to stay-that is, if you'll let me after all I've 1" Everyone began to talk at once. Harry thumped Elizabeth on the back. He was very pleased. John nodded at her in delight. Now she could help him with the garden! Richard actually left his place and came to whisper to her, "You're a good sort," he said. "You can play the game as well as you play the piano." William banged with the mallet. "Richard, go back to your place!" Richard went back, grinning. Belinda and Helen smiled at Elizabeth, trying to catch her eye. Everyone seemed as pleased as could be, "Elizabeth!" said William, "we are very pleased with you. You've made a lot of silly mistakes, but you have made up for them all-and we admire you for being able to change your mind, admit you were wrong, and say so to us all! You are the sort of person we want at this school. We hope you will stay for years, and do your very best." "I will," said Elizabeth, and she meant it. She sat down, looking happy and excited, It was lovely that everyone was pleased. She wasn't the Bold Bad Girl any more-she was Elizabeth Allen, the sort of person that Whyteleafe School. wanted, She was proud and happy.
The Meeting ended soon after that-and Elizabeth sped off to the San. to find Joan. Joan was sitting up in a chair, reading.
"Halo!" she said. "What happened at the Meeting? Anything exciting?" "Well-the Meeting said I could go home with my parents to-morrow," said Elizabeth, "So I got my own way, you see." "Oh, Elizabeth-I shall miss you so!" said Joan.
"You won't!" said Elizabeth. "Because, you see, I'm not going! I'm staying on! I've changed my mind, Joan. I love Whyteleafe, and I won't leave it for years and years and years! Oh, what fun we'll have together! We'll be monitors one day-think of that! Shan't we be grand?" "Good gracious!" said Joan, so delighted that she hopped out of her chair, and flung her arms round her friend. "I can't believe it! Oh, I do feel so glad." Matron came into the room and looked horrified to see Joan out of her chair.
"What are you doing?" she said sternly. "I shan't let Elizabeth come in here if that's the way you behave, Joan!" "But, Matron, I was so pleased because Elizabeth is staying on instead of leaving," said Joan, sinking back into her chair.
"Dear me! Fancy being pleased because a bad girl like this is staying with us!" said Matron, with a twinkle in her eye.
The girls laughed. They liked Matron-she was cheerful and friendly, though strict, She gave Joan some medicine, and went out.
"We shall have a lovely half-term now," said Joan.
"My mother's coming to take me out. Is yours coming too?" "Yes, I had a letter this morning," said Elizabeth. "Oh, Joan-let's ask our mothers to take us out together! That would be much more fun than going alone." "Yes, we will," said Joan happily. "I am sure I shall be well enough to-morrow to get up properly.
| © 2025 Библиотека RealLib.org (support [a t] reallib.org) |