So, what is the surprise? You may ask. Well, I'll tell you. Bella had this awesome idea to take a book and have us dolls act it out. (If you have any book or short story suggestions, comment below.) Bella originally wanted to do the Secret Garden, but it was going to be a little hard. (She still wants to do it.) So the book that we have today that we are acting out is called..... In Grandma's Attic by Arleta Richardson! All writing goes to her. I am not taking credit for the writing. In this book; there are short stories with a girl called Mabel and her friend called Sarah Jane. Here is the poster and casting list. Enjoy!
"The Dishes"
(From Mabel's POV)
"It happened one day when I was about... the age old enough to know better. Right after breakfast, Ma was called to see a neighbor who was sick.
"Mabel," she said, "I'm afraid you will have to do the dishes alone. I'll have to hurry because I want to be back before dinnertime. They won't take long if you get right at them."
"Oh, Ma," I moaned, "Sarah Jane is coming this morning, and we wanted to take our dolls down to the creek to play. Do I have to?"
"I'm sorry," said Ma, "But it can't be helped. You're a big girl, and you can help out a little. Finish your breakfast now, and get started on the dishes."
I slowly finished my bread and jam, thinking how unfair life was, while Ma went to get ready. I was still sitting at the table when she left in the buggy for the neighboring farm.
Reluctantly I got up and began to clear the table. I hadn't moved very many dished before Sarah Jane appeared at the door. She carried her doll and was ready.
"Come on, Mabel," she said. "Let's hurry. We have to make our playhouse."
"I can't, Sarah Jane," I said. "I have to do the dished first. Ma had to got away."
"Do them when we come back," Sarah Jane suggested. "They'll wait until then. I can only stay 'till dinnertime."
"Oh, I couldn't do that," I said. "Ma wouldn't like it. She wanted her kitchen cleaned up first thing in the morning."
Sarah Jane came in and stood by the table.
"These will take you all morning," she said. "Couldn't you pile them in a pan and put them out of sight until we came back?"
"Well," I said doubtfully, "where would I put them? The oven is too hot, and I can't put them in the cupboard with the clean dishes.
We thought for a moment; then Sarah Jane had an idea
"How about the root cellar?" she said. "No one would see them there. And we could get back in time for you to do them before your ma gets home."
It seemed like a reasonable idea. I stacked the dished in a big pan, wiped off the table, and started for the root cellar. It took both of us the open the big door, but after much pulling it swung back. I went down and out the dished on the shelf.
Sarah Jane and I played under a tree by the creek.
The thought of the dishes never entered my mind again.
At noon, Sarah Jane had to leave, so we picked up our things and returned to the house. Ma was back and was busy getting dinner.
"Ring the dinner bell, Mabel," she said to me. "Pa and the boys (Mabel's brothers) are way at the back lot today. They'll need to get ready to eat."
I rang the bell, then washed and helped Ma set the table. Pa and the boys came, and we sat down to eat. About halfway through the meal, Ma went to the cupboard for the dish.
"Now where is that little platter?" she said. "It must have something on it in the pantry."
I stopped with the fork halfway to my mouth. The dishes! I forgot them in the root cellar. Now that Ma was back, how could I get them washed? I suddenly had no appetite.
"What's the matter, Mabel?" Ma said. "Are you sick? You hardly touched your dinner."
No, I'm not sick," I said. "I'm not very hungry. That's all.
"You probably spent too much time in the sun this morning," said Ma. "You'd better stay in the shade this afternoon."
I intended to stay in the shade-the shade of the root cellar, as soon as I could get there without being seen. Perhaps while Ma was in another part of the house I could do the dishes.
I hadn't counted on the fact, however that I couldn't open the cellar door by myself. Now what could I do? I couldn't ask Pa or the boys to do it; they would ask why and then I would be in trouble.
All afternoon I moped around the porch, wishing the cellar door would open and swallow me up.
By suppertime, Ma was alarmed by my actions. When I couldn't eat, she was sure I was sick. Directly after the family prayer... Ma hurried me off to bed. She was sure I was coming down with something.
I tossed and turned in my bed. Why had I listened to Sarah Jane? What would happen when Man found out?
After what seemed hours to me, I could stand it no longer. I crept down to the kitchen, threw myself into Ma's lap, and sobbed loudly.
Ma was startled. Whatever was the matter? With much sniffling, I told her the story. Those dreadful dishes were still in the root cellar, and I couldn't get them out.
Ma took me into her lap. She was sorry to hear that I had been disobedient. However, I seemed to have suffered enough over it, so she wouldn't spank me. I did have to be punished though. I would not play with Sarah Jane anymore that week.
My heart was so much lighter that the punishment didn't seem too bad. I returned to bed with a clear conscience and a resolve to be a better girl in the future. You really do feel better when you obey your father and mother, like the commandment says."
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What do you think? That was a bit longer than I was hoping for, but I couldn't make it any shorter. Do you think that we should continue Mabel and Sarah Jane? Do you have any books that you would like to see us do? We'd love to hear your ideas even though we might not be able to do them.
Have you ever hid something like Mabel?
See you on Monday!
