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Show Daddies Kpfi Fair" Tale jT -TAAHy-GRAHAM -EONMER FIRST SCHOOL DAY It was Janet's first day ln school. She got up very early that morning, would be helped School Bag All Bu ,)Cr Packed. rea scnool would be the big school where many girls went. Some of the girls were very grownup grown-up In the school, and others were as young as she was. She had her school bag all packed j the night before. There were copy books and blank books ln which she would write, and there were the books out of which she would study. Then there was her pencil box, ln which were three pencils one red, one lavender, one yellow. But all of them had black lead. She had a pen, too, and a large red eraser. She had also taken a little lunch In her bag which she ,was to eat at recess time. When she got to school there were I hardly any children there. They were I so used to It that they knew just how much time it took to get there. But Janet did not want to be late the very first day of all, so she arrived only a few minutes after the door was opened. She had been brought this far by her father. He had spoken to one of the other children. "This Is a new pupil," he said. "Her name is Janet. . Will you show her where rhe puts her things?" They had shown her the cloakroom, but after they had shown her they went off ln a corner, and from the way they whispered and laughed Janet knew they were talking about her. Whenever she looked at them they turned away, but when she did not seem to be looking they whispered and laughed again. She stood leaning up against her coat, feeling very miserable. If only she did not have to go to school. And there would be no escape from it for years. If only her school days were ending instead of beginning! It seemed a long time before any other children arrived. And when they did they paid no attention to her at all. They did not seem to mind school. They laughed and made plans and acted just as naturally as possible. Still Janet stood over by her coat. Sometimes they looked at her, but they did not speak to her. Quickly they went back to their own talk and plans. Then a tall teacher came into the cloakroom and came straight over to Janet. "You're the new pupil," she said. And when Janet nodded she led her Into a classroom which was very large and which had many windows. In the windows were geranium plants and on j the walls were pictures and drawings. There were a great many desks. Lessons began after a short time, and all the talking. laughing children seemed now to be so clever. Janet was not asked many questions. ques-tions. She felt very lonely. Even her beautiful new pencil box did not seem to comfort her. But she was bound she would not cry. During recess one little girl came over and took her hand and made friends with her. Janet knew she should be grateful. grate-ful. But she wasn't. The little girl evidently felt superior to all of the others and It was plain to be seen she was not popular. "The children here are very rough," she said, "but we'll be friends." Janet liked the I roughness of the for she was much excited at the thought. A fter a time she supposed she would become quite used to school. Everyone seemed to become used to It after a little while certainly. cer-tainly. Eut the first day was different. dif-ferent. No more would she have ' lessons at home. She would study at home and she AY II 'fc I others. They were , . , . "You're the New ' paving games ., , ,, . . . , Pupil," She Sa d. and having just r the sort of a time Janet 7?uld have liked. j Then one of them came forward and asked Janet If she would like to play Prisoner's Base, i "But we can't have you on our Bide i If you don't play weli," she was told, I quite frankly. i Janet liked this little girl. She ' seemed sorry for her loneliness, and ' et she, too, had been a little shy j uhout making friends. I Janet went home with her Prison- er's Base friend. Dorothy was her I name. "I hated my first day here, I too, but I love It now," was all she said in sympathy, but Janet felt she hud made a real friend. |