Chapter 7
Jennifer's Mom Mom and Pop Pop lived on two hundred acre farm, across the railroad tracks, at the other end of town. Pop Pop had many animals to care for. There were cows, sheep, chickens three pigs and especially, Betsy and Chubby, the two work horses. They helped Pop Pop to plow the fields in the Spring, gather the hay in the summer and pull the wagon of turnips in the Fall. Pop Pop did not have a tractor for a long time. He didn't need one as long as Betsy and Chubby worked as a team. They could pull as much weight as a small tractor could.
One day when George and Jennifer were down at the farm, George got an idea. "Hey, Jennifer, let's take Betsy and Chubby out for a ride to the back pasture? I don't think your Pop Pop will mind do you?"
"I don't think so George, but we better ask first. What if Pop Pop needs them for some work today?" suggested Jennifer.
"I don't think he will need them today, Jennifer. He is picking apples in the orchard and the horses are loose in the barn yard."
George convinced Jennifer that it would be all right. So the children made saddles out of grain bags, stuffing them with hay, threw them on the back of the two horses, and rode off to the back pasture.
"Isn't this the greatest fun Jennifer? The saddle isn't that comfortable, but it is better than nothing. How is Betsy doing? Chubby is so slow," said George.
"Betsy is great! No problem. I can handle her. She is very gentle, George."
What the two children did not know was that just that morning, Pop Pop had let out Goliath to gaze in the back pasture. Goliath was a mean, ugly bull, that Pop Pop had agreed to keep on the farm for a short time. At first the children did not see Goliath gazing, but the two horses did. Betsy and Chubby did not like Goliath. They were afraid.of him. The horses were determined to go back to the barn, but the children were just as determined to stay! The horses started to go around and around in circles. Just than Jennifer saw Goliath up on the hill.
"Oh no, George. It is Goliath. He sees us. We better get out of here".
So the two children let Chubby and Betsy have their reins and headed back for the barn. As the horses started to run back home, Jennifer lost control of Betsy and fell off landing on her right arm on the ground. Betsy kept racing for the barn and left Jennifer crying.
George was almost back to the barn when he noticed Jennifer wasn't on Betsy back! Where was Jennifer? George knew he could not get Chubby to go out there again, so he grabbed his bicycle and heading out to the pasture. Jennifer was able to to crawl her way back to the gate, open it and lock it behind her before Goliath saw her. When George found her she was exhausted , with tears running down her face. She was in a great deal of pain.
"Oh George, I am so glad to see you, I think I broke my arm." cried Jennifer through her tears.
"Jennifer, do you think you can ride on my cross bar? I will give you a ride home"I know that it isn't the safest place of ride, but I think it will be o.k. just this time. George had a boy's bike, which made it very convenient for Jennifer to ride on.
When Pop Pop saw the two children and especially Jennifer riding on the cross bar, he called out, "What are you two kids doing? Jennifer, you know that you are not to ride on the cross bar."
George stopped his bike and explained to Pop Pop what had happened and without saying another word, Pop Pop went into the house, called Jennifer's mother, told her about the broken arm and to meet him at the emergency room.
Yes, her arm was broken all right. Jennifer had to wear a cast for six months. She wasn't very happy about that. Bedtime that night wasn't very pleasant for either George or Jennifer. Both their parents were quite upset with their disobedient children.
If you were their parents, what punishment do you think they deserved? I hope all Mom Mom's story time friends will always remember how important it is TO ASK TO PERMISSION FIRST BEFORE DECIDING TO DO SOMETHING THAT YOU DON'T THINK YOU SHOULD.
Chapter 6
 |
| Lady Jane |
Jennifer's grandmother had given her a beautiful china doll for her birthday. She called her "Lady Jane". She was a very beautiful, special and very fragile doll. Her grandmother had made a whole suitcase full of doll clothes just for "Lady Jane" Often she would change her outfits two or three times a day.
 |
| Lady Alice |
Her best friend Maria had a china doll too. Her doll's name was "Lady Alice". Together the two little girls loved to play dolls and sharing their outfits. One afternoon, while they were playing with their special dolls, Anna, the little girl with crippled feet called and asked if they could come over to her house for some homemade ice cream. Before they left, Jennifer's mother warned them, "You better put your dolls in your bedroom Jennifer and close the door before Tucker gets up from his nap." But, the girls were so excited about eating ice cream that they didn't listen to Jennifer's mother's warning, and left the dolls on the couch in the family room.
No sooner had they left when little Tucker was up from his nap, heading down stairs to find his mother. On the way to the kitchen, he noticed the two dolls sitting on the couch. Without thinking Tucker picked up Maria's doll by the neck and starting walking to the kitchen. On the way, in his socking feet, he slipped and fell to the floor. The doll went flying out of his hands and landed on the hard tile floor The head of the china doll was severely cracked. His mother heard the accident and came running out of the kitchen.
"Oh NO! Tucker, what have you done?". She picked up the doll off the floor and rescued Jennifer's doll on the couch. She was not so much upset with Tucker as she was with Jennifer. She didn't listen to her warning to put the dolls in a safe place and now look what happened.
Later in the afternoon, the girls arrived back at Jennifer's to finish their play. When they saw their dolls were missing Jennifer called out to her mother, "Where are our dolls, Mommy"
"Jennifer", responded Mommy, "You don't have to yell, I am right in the kitchen. You can come in here and talk with me. What is the problem?." Of course, Mommy knew what the problem was, but she wanted to hear it from the girls.
"We can't find....our....." Before she could get the words out, Jennifer noticed Maria's "Lady Alice" laying on the counter with her head cracked.
When Maria saw her "Lady Alice's head cracked", she was so upset. She started to cry and ran home to tell her mother. Jennifer was MAD at Tucker. "Now, look what you did! You ruined our play. Can't you leave anything alone?"
"Jennifer" exclaimed her mother, "Didn't I warn you to put her dolls in your room and close the door? Why should you be mad at Tucker."
"But Mommy, does Tucker always have to ruin our fun? I think Maria is going to mad at me and she will never play with me again. Can't you keep Tucker tied up?"
"Young lady,it is NOT Tucker's fault. How many times have I told you to keep your most valuable and breakable toys up high and away from Tucker. I think you should think about how you can earn some money to help Maria buy a new doll."
"But, Mom, it isn't my doll."
"I know, but when your friends are over to your house, you are responsible to do what is right. If you know that your doll should be out of Tucker's reach, don't you think your best friend's doll should be also? It could have been your doll's head that was cracked."
"Gee, Mom there goes all my birthday money," complained Jennifer.
From that day on, Jennifer always remembered to keep her most important things up high and away from 'little fingers'.
I
