The Popovers had a visitor. He lived in a hand-painted yellow box and the cover of the box was fastened down tightly by a neat little clasp. To look at the box you would never dream of a visitor inside. You would probably think it a doll's trunk or a box to hold marbles or beads.
But once unfasten the clasp — back flew the cover and whish! up jumped the visitor in a way that would give anybody a start.
It startled the Popovers, every one. It even startled Ellen, though she had seen Jack jump out of his box several times before. For that was the name of the visitor, Jack-in-the-Box, and a funnier-looking visitor the Popover family had never seen.
His face was red and it wore a broad smile. His blue eyes were opened wide in a look of surprise. His soft white hair stood out all round his head. But strangest of all was his long crinkly body, ten times as long as a body ought to be, that shot up out of the box with Jack's head on top of it every time the clasp was unfastened and the cover flew back. To put Jack in his box again you must press him down, down, down until the cover could be fastened over the top of his head, and there he would stay until you gave him a chance to jump out of his box again.
You might think that such a long body would grow tired of being squeezed in a box, and that a head would not like being pressed down by a hard wooden cover. But never in the world did any one look more happy and gay than Jack-in-the-Box. Indeed he was such a comical, bright little fellow that no one could look at him without smiling and often laughing out loud.
Now you must know why Jack-in-the-Box had come to visit the Popovers. Ellen had a cousin named Tom, a little boy four years old. He lived just around the corner from Ellen and he and Ellen played together every day. But Tom fell ill. He had scarlet fever. And the very day that this was known Ellen's mother told her that she was to go and visit Aunt Amelia and Uncle Henry and not come home until Tom was well again.
Poor Tom had been very ill indeed. Ellen knew this because her mother wrote to Aunt Amelia almost every day. But he was now so much better that he could sit up in bed and even play with some of his toys once more.
'Wouldn't you like to send Tom a present?' Aunt Amelia had asked when she had read this.' We will choose something that he can play with in bed.'
So that very day Aunt Amelia and Ellen had walked out together to 'the village,' which was really a street with shops on either side of the way. And there in a store that had a whole table full of toys Ellen had chosen Jack-in-the-Box because she knew it was just the toy that would please Tom best.
"He will laugh and laugh when Jack jumps out,' said Ellen, 'and Jack will be company for Tom, too, when there is no one in the room.'
So Jack-in-the-Box was bought and carried home. He was not to be sent away until Uncle Henry had seen him that night.
The Popovers were much excited when Ellen brought the yellow box into the play-room. They were still more excited when back went the clasp, up flew the cover, and out jumped Jack-in-the-Box and gave them all a start. They were so surprised that they fell down flat on the floor, but that was partly because Ellen jumped too, and they were standing in a row against Ellen's lap.
But they were not frightened, not in the least. They liked Jack's smiling face and thought him a funny fellow. Ellen made him jump and jump again, and each time the Popovers liked him better still. At last when Ellen went away and left Jack-in-the-Bcx, with the cover off, standing in the Little Red Doll House, the Popovers and Jack-in-the-Box smiled at one another and it was not long before they were talking together.
'I was made in a toy factory,' began Jack-in-the-Box, smiling as if a toy factory were the pleasantest place in the world. 'There were rocking-horses and jumping-jacks and carts and trains and all kinds of toys being made when I was there. Next I was sent to the shop in ' the village ' here. I liked the shop. I liked to see the people walking in and out. But I am glad Ellen bought me. She says I am going to live with a little boy named Tom who has been very ill.'
The Popovers were interested in all that Jack- in-the-Box had to say. And, in turn, they told him about little Amelia and living in the attic and being brought downstairs when Ellen came to visit. They told him, too, about Peanut, their good little friend, and how he came so seldom now to see them because he was afraid of the kitten Blinky.
'We miss Peanut more than we can tell,' said the Popovers, shaking their heads , 'and Peanut is so lonely without us that often he feels very sad.'
'This kitten Blinky,' asked Jack-in-the-Box, "is he a great friend of yours, too?'
' Oh, no ! ' exclaimed the Popovers. ' We don't like Blinky at all. He is rough and scratches. We wish Blinky would go away and never come back again!'
'Do you think Blinky will be up here in the playroom this afternoon?' asked Jack-in-the- Box in a low voice, so low that the Popovers were obliged to lean forward in order to hear. 'You do think he will? Then come closer and let me whisper in your ear.'
And Jack began to laugh to himself until his head shook wildly about on top of his long crinkly body.
The Popovers laughed too when once they had heard what Jack-in-the-Box had to say. They nodded and laughed and nodded again.
Then they did a strange thing. They began to push Jack down into his box. Mr. and Mrs. Popover climbed up on the edge of the box and pushed and tugged until Jack was nicely down inside. While they held him there, Velvetina, standing on the diningroom table, let down the cover which Mr. Popover quickly fastened in place. All the while they were shutting Jack in, he laughed and talked as if it were great fun.
Then the Popovers hurried off about their work, just as if the yellow box were not there at all. Mrs. Popover and Velvetina began to make the beds and to dust the furniture. Mr. Popover rocked Loo-Loo who was so waked-up by seeing Jack-in-the-Box jump that it seemed as if he never would fall asleep.
Downstairs Blinky had begun the morning well. He had sat on the steps, sunning himself, as happy as could be, until Ellen and Aunt Amelia had come home from 'the village.' Aunt Amelia had then settled herself on the porch with her sewing and Blinky had begun to amuse himself by climbing over the rockers of her chair.
Now Aunt Amelia did not know that Blinky was playing behind her chair. She sewed and sewed and Blinky climbed and climbed, under and over the rockers, each in his and her way having a pleasant time, until Aunt Amelia, remembering a message for Caroline, suddenly stood up.
Down came the rocker on the tip of Blinky's tail!
'Me-o-ow ! ' cried Blinky, frightened and hurt. 'Me-o-ow!'
He dashed into the house under Aunt Amelia's feet. She almost tripped and fell.
Ellen stood at the foot of the stairs. Up Ellen's dress went Blinky, up, up to her shoulder, where he arched his back and dug in his claws and spit for all the world like a real, grown-up cat.
Of course Ellen did not know what had happened to Blinky. And, like him, she was both frightened and hurt to have him pounce upon her shoulder in that sudden way.
So Ellen began to cry. She not only cried, she screamed. Aunt Amelia, who had already been startled by Blinky's behavior, was still more startled by Ellen's screams. And for a moment or two there was great confusion in Aunt Amelia's hall.
But Aunt Amelia soon pulled Blinky from Ellen's shoulder and set him down hard upon the floor. Then she turned to comfort Ellen, and Blinky shot like an arrow up the stairs.
He raced into the playroom, all quivering and excited, his tail throbbing and waving to and fro. And there the first thing he saw was a strange yellow box.
What was that box? What would it do to him? Would it rock on his tail? He must find out.
So Blinky began to play with the box. He touched it gently with his paw. He slapped it. He pushed it to and fro. He rocked it from side to side. He played with something shiny and bright that sometimes seemed to move when he pressed it with his paw. Blinky grew bolder and rougher in his play. He forgot his throbbing tail. He grew almost happy again.
Then suddenly the top of the box flew up and out sprang something at Blinky, something that shook and nodded and waved and that frightened Blinky almost out of his wits.
This was much worse than having the rocker come down upon his tail.
' Perhaps it will chase me and eat me up' thought Blinky in his fright.
Out of the playroom door, down the stairs shot Blinky. Into the library he raced, and there, instead of sensibly hiding under the table or squeezing behind Uncle Henry's desk, up the silk curtains climbed foolish Blinky, the amber silk curtains that both Aunt Amelia and Ellen thought the prettiest curtains ever seen. And every place that Blinky put his claws he left a hole. There were little tears straight up the curtain to the top that showed you just where Blinky had climbed.
Now we have already said that Aunt Amelia was not fond of cats. So when, before long, she discovered what Blinky had done to her amber silk curtains, it is not hard to guess what Aunt Amelia said.
'He must go home,' said Aunt Amelia. 'He must go home at once.'
So into a basket went Blinky, and Caroline and Ellen carried him home to the house where Caroline's friend Sarah lived.
Ellen almost cried when she said good-bye to Blinky. She forgot the scratches on her shoulder. She forgot a long scratch on her hand.
'Blinky didn't know any better,' said Ellen.
And no more he did.
But oh! how happy the Popovers were when they learned that Blinky was gone. And how Jack-in-the-Box did smile when Ellen carried him off to show him to Uncle Henry and then to send him away to little Tom.
But you know who was happiest of all. Why, yes, of course, it was Peanut.
About This Web Journal
- Home
- About Us
- Come Let Us Play
- Little Mothers
- The Doll Coloring Book Index
- Name Your Doll
- Bookshelf
- Little Songs and Poems
- Doll Lapbooks
- Over 300 Doll Links!
- Listening and Imitating
- Dollhouse Decorating
- Doll Furniture, Accessories and Toy Crafts
- New Arrivals
- Internet Doll Guide
- Paper Doll Workshop
- Learn To Sew Doll Clothes
- The Doll Quilter's Corner
Friday, May 5, 2023
The Popovers' Visitor
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for your thoughts. All comments are moderated. Spam is not published. Have a good day!