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Updated: May 6, 2025
"I know I don't ought to," mused the child; "I'm a-goin' to do wicked, and get punished; but I want to do wicked, and get punished. I've been goody till I'm all tired up!" Having made this decision, she went to Prudy's closet, and looked at the dresses hanging wrong side outward on the pegs. "This is a booful one," said she, pulling down a scarlet merino.
But as soon as Susy's parents discovered that her young head had been stored with such worse than foolish ideas, they were not slow to teach her better. She had a great fright, about this time, concerning Freddy Jackson. He was one of the few children who were allowed to play in "Prudy's sitting-room."
It was a wonder that Prudy's candy had not spoiled some of the nice presents. Susy received several pretty things; and though she did not talk quite so much as Prudy, she was just as happy. For one thing, she had what she had not dreamed was possible for a little girl a bottle of otto of rose; "just like a young lady."
Prudy's heart was swollen so high with tears that there would have been a flood in about a minute; but Horace exclaimed suddenly, "O, mother, may I tell a story? Once there were two old two maiden ladies in Nantucket, and they earned their living by going round the island picking up the 'tag-locks' the sheep had left hanging to the bushes and rocks.
"What have you been doing to this little child?" Nancy came out, with her fingers in her mouth, but did not speak. "Answer me; did you drop a toad into Prudy's mouth?" "Yes," replied Nancy, sulkily; "but she stuck a knitting-needle into my ear fust!" "For shame, you wicked child," said Miss Parker. "Take up that toad, Nancy, and carry it out of doors; then come to me, for I must punish you."
"But I hop on one foot, too," said little Prudy, "and you don't laugh at me." "This is a droll little head for fancies," said Mrs. Parlin, patting Prudy's curls, and looking at grandma Read. "Do you know, mother, that for several days she has made believe she was lame Jessie, and has hobbled about whenever she could think of it."
Her heart swelled with pride when admiring ladies took the unconscious little creature in their arms, saying, "Really, it is a remarkably pretty child. What starry eyes! What graceful little fingers! Isn't her mouth shaped like Prudy's?" Mrs. Parlin did not approve of cradles, and the nurse had a fashion of rolling the baby in a blanket and laying her down in all sorts of places.
"Have you seen anything of a stray child?" was his first question. "My little sister," cried Prudy, in breathless haste. "She had on a pink dress, and curls bareheaded." "We have seen no such child pass this way," replied the girl, civilly. Prudy's eager face fell. "I supposed likely as not you hadn't," said the soap-man; "so now we'll proceed to business.
"O, it's enough to break anybody's heart!" "Be you goin' to cry?" said Dotty, in a soft voice, kneeling, and peeping up into Prudy's eyes, with some curiosity. Prudy was obliged to smile but hid her face in the sofa-pillow, and hoped Dotty did not see her. She found she must hit upon some other plan. Dotty could not be made to feel the terrors of growing up a dunce.
"O dear!" groaned Prudy, getting tired, "I never did see such fishes. I guess they don't want to be catched." "There, now you've spoke again, and scared one away," said Horace. "If it hadn't been for you I should have got, I don't know how many, by this time." Prudy's lip began to tremble, and two big round tears rose to her eyes.
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