_How Peter Paul Rubens Goes to School._
In the morning of to-day, when I was come part way to school, when I
was come to the ending of the lane, I met a glad surprise. There was
my dear pet pig awaiting for me. I gave him three joy pats on the
nose, and I did call him by name ten times. I was so glad to see him.
Being as I got a late start to school, I did n’t have enough time
to go around by the pig-pen for our morning talk. And there he was
awaiting for me, at the ending of the lane. And his name it is Peter
Paul Rubens. His name is that because the first day I saw him was
on the twenty-ninth of June. He was little then--a very plump young
pig with a little red ribbon squeal and a wanting to go everywhere
I did go. Sometimes he would squeal and I would n’t go to find out
what he wanted. Then one day, when his nose was sore, he did give
such an odd pain squeal. Of course I run a quick run to help him.
After that, when he had a chance he would come to the kitchen door
and give that same squeal. That Peter Paul Rubens seemed to know
that was the only one of all his squeals that would bring me at once
to where he was.
And this morning, when I did start on to school, he gave that same
squeal and came a-following after. When he was caught up with me he
gave a grunt, and then he gave his little red ribbon squeal. A lump
came up in my throat and I could n’t tell him to turn around and go
back to the pig-pen. So we just went along to school together.
When we got there school was already took up. I went in first. The
new teacher came back to tell me I was tardy again. She did look out
the door. She saw my dear Peter Paul Rubens. She did ask me where
that pig came from. I just started in to tell her all about him,
from the day I first met him. She did look long looks at me. She did
look those looks for a long time. I made pleats in my apron with my
fingers. I made nine on one side and three on the other side. When
I was through counting the pleats I did make in my apron, I did ask
her what she was looking those long looks at me for. She said, “I’m
screwtineyesing you.” I never did hear that word before. It is a
new word. It does have an interest sound. I think I will have uses
for it. Now when I look long looks at a thing I will print I did
screwtineyes it.
After she did look more long looks at me, she went back to her desk
by the blackboard. She did call the sixth grade fiziologie class.
I went to my seat. I only sat half way in it. I so did so I would
have seeing of my dear Peter Paul Rubens. He did wait at the steps.
He looked long looks toward the door. It was n’t long until he
walked right in. I felt such an amount of satisfaction having him
at school. Teacher felt not so. Now I have wonders about things. I
wonder why was it teacher did n’t want Peter Paul Rubens coming to
school. Why, he did make such a sweet picture as he did stand there
in the doorway looking looks about. And the grunts he gave, they
were such nice ones. He stood there saying: “I have come to your
school. What class are you going to put me in?” He said in plain
grunts the very same words I did say the first day I came to school.
The children all turned around in their seats. I’m sure they were
glad he was come to school--and him talking there in that dear way.
But I guess our teacher does n’t have understanding of pig-talk.
She just came at him in such a hurry with a stick of wood. And when
I made interferes, she did send us both home in a quick way.
We did have a most happy time coming home. We did go on an exploration
trip. Before we were gone far, we did have hungry feels. I took
the lid off the lard-bucket that my school lunch was in. I did
make divides of all my bread and butter. Part I gave to Peter Paul
Rubens and he did have appreciations. He did grunt grunts for some
more. Pretty soon it was all gone. We did go on. We went on to the
woods. I did dig up little plants with leaves that do stay green all
winter. We saw many beautiful things. Most everything we did see
I did explain about it to Peter Paul Rubens. I told him why--all
about why I was digging up so many of the little plants. I did want
him to have understanding that I was going to plant them again. When
I did have almost forty-five, and it was come near eventime, Brave
Horatius and Lars Porsena of Clusium did come to meet us. When I did
have forty-five plants, we all did go in the way that does lead to
the cathedral, for this is the borning day of Girolamo Savonarola.
And in the cathedral I did plant little plants as many years as he
was old. Forty-five I did so plant. And we had prayers and came home.