tom-girl

Updated: June 15, 2025

“Why not?” Maida asked. “She’s a tom-boy,” Mabel informed her. “What’s a tom-boy?” Maida asked Billy that night at dinner. “A tom-boy?” Billy repeated. “Why, a tom-boy is a girl who acts like a boy.” “How can a girl be a boy?” Maida queried after a few moments of thought. “Why don’t they call her a tom-girl?” “Why, indeed?” Billy answered, taking up the dictionary.

Inez Haynes Gillmore - Maida's Little Shop