"Robert F. Young - Little Red Schoolhouse" - читать интересную книгу автора (Young Robert F)

horrible dream, filled with stork trains and strange people and unfamiliar
places. And the worst part of it was, it could be true. Nora had told him many
times that some morning, when he awoke, he would be on the stork train, bound
for the city and his parents.
He fought harder and harder, kicking at the covers and trying to open his
eyes.
тАЬRonnie,тАЭ Nora called again. тАЬHurry up or youтАЩll be late for school!тАЭ
His eyes opened then, of their own accord, and instantly he knew that
everything was all right. There was the bright morning sunlight streaming into
his attic bedroom, and there were the nostalgic branches of the backyard maple
gently brushing his window.
тАЬComing!тАЭ He threw back the covers and leaped out of bed and dressed,
standing in a warm puddle of sunlight. Then he washed and ran downstairs.
тАЬItтАЩs about time,тАЭ Nora said sharply when he came into the kitchen. тАЬYouтАЩre
getting lazier and lazier every day!тАЭ
Ronnie stared at her. She must be feeling ill, he thought. She had never
spoken to him like that before. Then Jim came in. He hadnтАЩt shaved and his
eyes were bloodshot.
тАЬFor PeteтАЩs sake,тАЭ he said, тАЬisnтАЩt breakfast ready yet?тАЭ
тАЬIn a minute, in a minute,тАЭ Nora snapped back. тАЬIтАЩve been trying to get
this lazy brat out of bed for the last half hour.тАЭ
Bewildered, Ronnie sat down at the table. He ate in silence, wondering what
could have happened in the brief span of a single night to change Nora and Jim
so. Breakfast was pancakes and sausage, his favorite dish, but the pancakes
were soggy and the sausage was half raw.
He excused himself after his second pancake and went into the living room
and got his books. The living room was untidy and had a moldy smell. When he
left the house, Jim and Nora were arguing loudly in the kitchen.
Ronnie frowned. What had happened? He was sure that things hadnтАЩt been this
way yesterday. Nora had been kind then, Jim soft-spoken and immaculate, and
the house neat.
What had changed everything?

HE SHRUGGED. In a moment, he would be in school and see Miss SmithтАЩs smiling
face and everything would be all right again. He hurried down the bright
street, past the rustic houses and the laughing children on their way to
school. Miss Smith, his heart sang. Beautiful Miss Smith.
The sun was in her hair when he walked in the door and the little bun at
the back of her neck was like a golden pomegranate. Her cheeks were like roses
after a morning shower and her voice was a soft summer wind.
тАЬGood morning, Ronnie,тАЭ she said.
тАЬGood morning, Miss Smith.тАЭ He walked on clouds to his seat.
The lessons beganтАФarithmetic, spelling, social studies, reading. Ronnie
wasnтАЩt called upon to recite till reading class, when Miss Smith told him to
read aloud from the little red primary reader.
He stood up proudly. The story was about Achilles and Hector. Ronnie got
the first sentence off fine. He didnтАЩt begin to stumble till the middle of the
second. The words seemed to blur and he couldnтАЩt make them out. He held the
primer closer to his eyes, but still he couldnтАЩt read the words. It was as
though the page had turned to water and the words were swimming beneath the