Calico Illustrated Classics: Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farms
Rebecca clapped her hands Her journey to Riverboro had started About a mile in Mr Cobb heard a small noise He turned his head over his shoulder He saw a small shape hanging as far out of the window as safety allowed A long black braid swung with the motion of the coach Please let me speak Rebecca called Does it cost more to ride up there with you The stage is too big for me The windows are so small I can only see pieces of things Mr Cobb smiled You can come up if you want to There ain’t no extra charge He helped boost her up to the front seat Rebecca sat down carefully Oh This is better I’m a real passenger now I hope we have a long way to go Mr Cobb nodded It’s about two hours Only two hours she sighed She looked forward to a long journey one full of new sights and smells She breathed in deeply It’s a good growing day isn’t it 6
Certainly is said Mr Cobb But it’s a tad too hot Why don’t you put up your parasol Oh dear no I never put it up when the sun shines Pink fades terribly I only carry it on cloudy Sundays It’s the thing I care most about except my large family of course How many are there asked Mr Cobb Well there’s Mother and seven children Hannah is the oldest I come next Then John Jenny Mark Fanny and Mira Well that is a big family Everybody says it’s too big said Rebecca Hannah and I haven’t done anything but put babies to bed and wake them up in the morning It’s been that way for years and years But we’re fi nished with babies now Mother says so She always keeps her promises There hasn’t been any since Mira and she’s three She was born the day Father died on the farm Oh you live on a farm do you Where is it asked Mr Cobb What’s your folks name 8
Randall My mother’s name is Aurelia Randall Your farm ain’t the old Hobbs place is it No it’s just Randall’s Farm At least that’s what Mother calls it I call it Sunnybrook Farm I guess it doesn’t make any difference what you call it as long as you know where it is remarked Mr Cobb Rebecca frowned Oh Don’t say that Don’t be like all the rest It does make a difference what you call things When I say Randall’s Farm do you see how it looks No I can’t say I do said Mr Cobb Now when I say Sunnybrook Farm what does it make you think of I suppose there’s a brook somewhere near it he said Rebecca looked disappointed That’s pretty good she said encouragingly There’s a brook It has young trees and baby bushes on each side of it It has a white sandy bottom and lots of shiny pebbles Whenever there’s a bit of 9
