"HISS! HISS!"
Now it isn't pleasant to try to make a good speech, and have some one
hiss you when they ought to be clapping their hands. But that is just
what The Foolish White Geese were doing to Jehosophat.
Once more he picked up his reader, and marched way up the Brook. He
had just begun the lines all over again when Miss Cross Patch the
Guinea Hen ran out from behind the barn and screeched horribly--just
as he was making that fine gesture, too.
"GAWKE'E!--GAWKE'E!--GAWKE'E!"
Now to be called gawky when he thought the gesture was particularly
graceful, was indeed discouraging. And, to add to his discomfort, when
he tried it again--for the hundredth time, it seemed--the cows in the
pasture stretched their red muzzles over the bars and called:
"BOOOOOOO!"
--just as if they wanted him to stop. And the horses whinnied:
"FUNN-NN-NN-NNY!"
It was no use, so Jehosophat rushed into the house again, stuffed some
cotton in his ears, and went up in the attic, where he was sure he
wouldn't be disturbed.
Here he succeeded pretty well, and had learned two verses, and the
name--which was quite important--when the supper bell rang. So he felt
he had earned that nice glass of creamy milk, and the big slice of
gingerbread, especially the thick chocolate icing on top. It was an
extra thick piece, too, which Mother gave him, probably as a prize for
all his hard work.
Next morning, on the way to school, he was reciting Casabianca for
practice. He tried it on the Purple Crackles that flew in the fields
by the blackberry bushes; the little Gold Finches that swayed on the
grasses; and the topknotted Kingbirds on the telegraph wires overhead.
And he thought he was getting on pretty well with "The boy stood on
the burning deck," when a voice took the second line right out of his
mouth:
"Eating peanuts by the peck!!!!!"
Angrily he turned, and there were Fatty Hamm and Reddy Toms, Dicky
Means too, and Lizzie Fizzletree, all making faces at him and mocking
him with funny gestures. Surely no teacher ever taught gestures like
those.
They began it all over again, reciting together. And this is the piece
they made of it--you never would have recognized poor Casabianca at
all:
"The boy stood on the burning deck
Eating peanuts by the peck.
His father called, he would not go
Because he loved his peanuts so!!!"
"Stop," yelled Jehosophat, "that isn't it at all."
"'Tis, too," shouted Fatty and the others together, and they repeated
in one breath, as fast as they could:
"'Sfathercalled andewouldn'tgo
Causeeloved 'ispeanutsso."
Yes, every time Jehosophat tried to tell them what it _really_
was, they kept shouting in singsong voices, faster and faster:
"Fathercalled 'ewoodengo
Causeeloved 'ispeanutsso."
And every once in a while that little imp Lizzie Fizzletree would make
outrageous bows, almost down to the ground, in imitation of
Jehosophat.
Next day was _the_ day, the _great_ day. And all the boys
came dressed in new suits, or suits made over from Father's old
trousers, with stiff collars, and ties of red, or blue, or brown; and
the girls had pretty white dresses with sashes sticking out like
butterflies' wings.
Jehosophat thought they did resemble butterflies until he looked down
at their feet; and then very crossly he decided that those feet
spoiled "the _effect_." You see, he was getting to use and to
think in big words now.
But while he was looking at the regiment of feet, along came Mr.
Humbleby, the Presidentboardofeducation, and all the County Trustees,
and the proud parents from near and from far. You could see a long
line of buggies and surries and carryalls lined against the fence.
Then the signal was given, and the Teacher took her pointer and rose,
and the scholars smoothed their sashes, or their hair, and rose, too;
and one and all sang,--
"My country, 'tis of thee."
Then there were more songs by Theentireschool and pieces by the
scholars. Lizzie Fizzletree tried one all about flowers. "The Fringed
Gentian," it was called, and it was very pretty. But when Lizzie got
through with it, Jehosophat didn't think it was so beautiful. She
recited it something like this:
"Dear flo'wr so cal'm and pu're and bri'ght That op'nest in' the
qu'i-et nig'ht."
And as she recited it she made gestures in all directions, first to
one side, then to the other, just such floppy gestures as Ole Man
Scarecrow would have made. That is, sometimes they looked like that,
and sometimes her arms looked like the arms of a windmill. And her
frizzy pigtails swished around with her arms--just like the sails of a
windmill that had suddenly gone mad. The people started to titter, and
Jehosophat started to giggle with them, when suddenly he thought of
his own plight, and little shivers ran up and down his back, and his
face felt very flushed and warm.
Then there were more songs by "Theentireschool"--and more pieces. My,
would they never end! And then there were speeches by the
Presidentboardeducation and the Trustees, who seemed to appreciate the
privilege more than most of the pupils, Jehosophat thought, for they
never stopped when they had the chance.
He looked out of the window. Over by the orchard, he could hear a
flicker go "Rat-a-tat-tat," boring away at the old apple tree. The sun
was shining nice and warm, and he wondered if he couldn't climb up on
his seat, and drop out of the open window, and run away ever so far.
He was supposed to "do his parents proud"; and if there was anything
he hated, it was "doing somebody proud." Oh, golly!
"The boy stood on the burning deck."
Once or twice he repeated it to himself. Yes, he knew it all right.
But just then Fatty Hamm, who sat behind him, leaned over and
whispered,--
"Don't forget the peanuts, Joshy!"
Jehosophat frowned and tried not to pay any attention, but the
Presidentboardeducation had taken out his spectacles and was reading
from a paper.
"Recitation by----." He couldn't seem to understand the name and put
on his glasses a little nearer the end of his nose,
"Recitation by _Je-hos-o-phat Green_!"
How loud it sounded!
The Presidentboardeducation was looking all over the room.
"Come, come," he said, "_where_ is Jehosophat?"
Now that boy couldn't rise, for the tail of his jacket had slid down
in the crack of the seat, and Fatty Hamm was holding it tight so he
couldn't even move.
Again the spectacles of the Presidentboardeducation looked over the
children in grave surprise. They lighted on Jehosophat.
"Come, come, my little man, there's nothing to be afraid of."
And the Presidentboardeducation smiled on him, with that sort of smile
"grownups" always put on when they're going to "do something for your
good," like pulling a tooth, for instance, or offering you castor oil.
There was a drone, too, of voices like the bees outside, and all eyes
were looking at him. He didn't dare look at his mother, who was hoping
so hard that he would "do her proud," or at his father, either. But he
did glance once at the Toyman, who was sitting, looking very
uncomfortable, in a boiled shirt and a stiff collar that almost choked
his adam's apple. His hair was slicked down extra tight, too, and he
kept gazing down into his new store hat. He felt very sorry for
himself, and even sorrier for Jehosophat.