16 A Little Princess-(Bedtime Story) Stephanie Poppins

Imagine if you can what the rest of the evening was like.

How Becky and Sarah crouched by the fire,

Which blazed and leaped and made so much of itself in the little grate.

How they removed the covers of the dishes and found rich,

Hot,

Savoury soup,

Which was a meal in itself,

And sandwiches and toast and muffins enough for both of them.

The mug from the washstand was used as Becky's teacup,

And the tea was so delicious that it was not necessary to pretend it was anything else but tea.

They were warm and full-fed and happy,

And it was just like Sarah that,

Having found her strange good fortune real,

She should give herself up to the enjoyment of it to the utmost.

She had lived such a life of imagining she was quite equal to accepting any wonderful thing that happened,

And almost to cease in a short time to find it bewildering.

I don't know anyone in the world who could have done it,

She said,

But there has been someone,

And here we are sitting by their fire,

And it's true.

Whoever it is,

Wherever they are,

I have a friend,

Becky.

Someone is my friend.

It cannot be denied that as they sat before the blazing fire and ate the nourishing food,

They felt a kind of rapturous awe,

And looked into each other's eyes with something like doubt.

Do you think,

Becky faltered once in a whisper,

Do you think it could all melt away,

Miss,

And we better be quick,

And she hastily crammed her sandwich into her mouth.

If it was only a dream,

Kitchen manners would be overlooked.

No,

It won't melt away,

Said Sarah,

I am eating this muffin,

And I can taste it.

You never really eat things in dreams,

You only think you're going to eat them.

Besides,

I keep giving myself pinches,

And I touched a hot piece of coal just now on purpose.

The sleepy comfort which at length almost overpowered them was a heavenly thing.

It was the drowsiness of happy,

Well-fed childhood,

And they sat in the fire glow and luxuriated in it,

Until Sarah found herself turning to look at her transformed bed.

There were even blankets enough to share with Becky.

The narrow couch in the next attic was more comfortable that night than its occupant had ever dreamed it could be.

As she went out of the room,

Becky turned upon the threshold and looked about her with devouring eyes.

If he ain't here in the morning,

Miss,

She said,

He's been here tonight anyways,

And I'll never forget it.

Through the mysterious agency which works in schools and among servants,

It was quite well known in the morning that Sarah Crewe was in horrible disgrace,

That Ermengarde was under punishment,

And that Becky would have been packed out of the house before breakfast,

But that a scullering maid could not be dispensed with at once.

The servants knew she was allowed to stay because Miss Minchin couldn't easily find another creature helpless and humble enough to work like a bound and slave for so few shillings a week.

The elder girls in the schoolroom knew if Miss Minchin did not send Sarah away,

It was for the practical reasons of her own.

She's growing so fast and learning such a lot somehow,

Said Jessie to Lavinia.

She'll be given classes soon,

And Miss Minchin knows she'll have to work for nothing.

It was rather nasty of you,

Lavi,

To tell about her having fun in the garret.

How did you find it out?

I got it out of Lottie.

She's such a baby,

She didn't know she was telling me.

There was nothing nasty at all in speaking to Miss Minchin.

I felt it my duty,

Said Lavinia.

What were they doing when Miss Minchin caught them?

Pretending some silly thing.

Ermengarde had taken up her hamper to share with Sarah and Becky.

She never invites us to share things.

Not that I care,

But it's rather vogue of her to share with servant girls in attics.

No wonder Miss Minchin didn't turn Sarah out.

Even if she does want her for a teacher.

If she was turned out,

Where would she go?

Inquired Jessie,

Her trifle anxiously.

How do I know?

Snapped Lavinia.

She'll look rather queer when she comes into the schoolroom this morning,

I should think.

After what's happened.

She had no dinner yesterday,

And she's not to have any today.

Jessie was not as ill-natured as she was silly.

She picked up her book with a little jerk.

Well,

I think it's horrid.

She said they've no right to starve her to death.

When Sarah went into the kitchen that morning,

The cook looked askance at her and so did the housemaids,

But she passed them hurriedly.

She had in fact overslept a little and as Becky had done the same,

Neither had time to see the other and each had come downstairs in haste.

Sarah went into the scullery.

Becky was violently scrubbing a kettle and was actually gurgling a little song in her throat.

She looked up with a wildly elated face.

It was there when I awoken Miss,

The blanket,

She whispered excitedly.

It was as real as it was last night.

I was mine,

Said Sarah.

It's all there now.

All of it.

While I was dressing,

I ate some of the old things we left.

Oh,

Laws,

Becky uttered the exclamation in a sort of rapturous groan and dug her head over the kettle just in time as the cook came in from the kitchen.

Miss Minchin had expected to see Sarah when she appeared in the schoolroom.

Very much what Lavinia expected to see.

Sarah had been an annoying puzzle to her because severity never made her cry or looked frightened.

When she was scolded,

She stood still and listened politely.

When she was punished,

She performed her extra tasks or went without her meals,

Making no complaint.

The very fact she never made an impudent answer seemed to Miss Minchin a kind of impudence in itself.

But after yesterday's deprivation of meals,

The violent scene of last night and the prospect of hunger today,

She must surely have been broken down.

But Miss Minchin saw her for the first time when she entered the schoolroom and heard the little French class's lessons as Sarah came in with such a springing step and colour in her cheeks and a smile hovering about the corners of her mouth.

That Miss Minchin was astonished.

You do not look as if you realise you're in disgrace,

She said.

Are you absolutely hardened?

The truth was that when one is still a child and has been well fed and slept long and softly and warm,

When one has gone to sleep in the midst of a fairy story and has waken to find it real,

Or even look as if one were.

Miss Minchin was almost struck dumb by the look of Sarah's eyes when she lifted them.

I beg your pardon,

She said.

I know I'm in disgrace.

Be good enough not to forget it and look as if you'd come into a fortune.

It is an impertinence,

Said Miss Minchin,

And remember you're to have no food today.

Yes,

Miss Minchin,

Sarah answered,

But as she turned away,

Her heart leaped with a memory of what yesterday had been.

If the magic had not saved me just in time,

She thought,

How horrible it would have been.

She can't be very hungry,

Whispered Lavinia.

Just look at her.

Perhaps she's pretending she's had a good breakfast.

Miss Minchin was different from other people,

Said Jessie.

Sometimes I'm a bit frightened of her.

Ridiculous,

Ejaculated Lavinia.

All through the day,

The light was in Sarah's face and the colour in her cheek.

The servants cast puzzled glances at her and whispered to each other,

And Miss Amelia's small blue eyes wore an expression of bewilderment.

One thing Sarah knew for sure,

She must keep it a secret,

If such a thing were possible.

If Miss Minchin should choose to mount to the attic again,

Of course,

All would be discovered.

But it did not seem likely she'd do so for some time.

Whatever happens,

Sarah kept saying to herself,

Whatever happens,

Somewhere in the world there is a heavenly kind person who is my friend.

I shall never feel quite so lonely again.

Oh,

The magic was good to me.

If it was possible for weather to be worse than it had been the day before,

It was worse.

Wetter,

Muddier and colder.

There were more errands to be done,

The cook was more irritable,

And knowing Sarah was in disgrace was more savage.

But what does anything matter when one's magic has proved itself one's friend?

It was quite late when she was at last allowed to go upstairs after a hard day's work.

She'd been told to go into the schoolroom and study until ten o'clock,

And had become interested in her work and remained over her books.

Later.

When she reached the top flight of stairs and stood before the attic door,

It must be confessed that her heart beat rather fast.

Of course,

It might have all been taken away,

She whispered,

Trying to be brave.

It might only have been lent to me for just that one awful night.

She pushed the door open and went in.

Once inside,

She gasped slightly,

Shut the door and stood with her back against it,

Looking from side to side.

The magic had been there again,

But this time it had done even more than before.

The fire was blazing,

In lovely leaping flames,

And a number of new things had been brought into the attic which so altered the look of it,

That if she had not been past doubting she would have rubbed her eyes.

Upon the low table another supper stood,

This time with cups and plates for Becky as well as herself.

A piece of bright,

Heavy,

Strange embroidery covered the battered mantle,

And on it were some ornaments.

All the bare,

Ugly things which could be covered with draperies had been concealed and made to look pretty.

Some odd materials of which colours were fastened against the wall with fine,

Sharp tacks.

Some brilliant fans were pinned up,

And there were several large cushions,

Big and substantial enough to use as seats.

A wooden box was covered with a rug and some cushions lay on it,

So it wore quite the air of a sofa.

Sarah slowly moved away from the door and simply sat down.

It is exactly like something out of a fairy tale,

She said,

There isn't the least difference.

I feel as if I might wish for anything,

Diamonds or bags of gold,

And they would appear.

That wouldn't be any stranger than this.

The one thing Sarah always wanted to see was a fairy story coming true,

And now she was living in it.

She rose and knocked upon the wall for the prisoner in the next cell.

And the prisoner came.

When Becky entered,

She almost dropped in a heap upon the floor.

Oh,

Laws!

She gasped.

Oh,

Laws,

Miss!

On this night,

Becky sat on a cushion upon the hearth rug and had a cup and saucer of her own.

When at last Sarah went to bed,

She found she had a new thick mattress and big downy pillows.

Her old mattress and pillow had been removed to Becky's bedstead,

And consequently with these additions,

Becky had been supplied with unheard of comfort.

Where does it all come from?

Becky broke forth.

Who does it,

Miss?

Don't let us even ask,

Said Sarah.

If it were not that I want to say,

Oh,

Thank you,

I'd rather not know.

It makes it so much more beautiful.

From that time,

Life became more wonderful every day.

The fairy story continued.

Some new comfort or ornament appeared every time Sarah opened the door.

The ugly walls were gradually entirely covered with pictures and tapestries.

Ingenious pieces of folding furniture appeared.

A bookshelf was hung up and filled with books.

New comforts and conveniences appeared one by one,

Until there seemed nothing left to be desired.

When Sarah went downstairs in the morning,

The remains of the supper were on the table,

And when she returned to the attic in the evening,

The magician had removed them and left another nice little meal.

Miss Minchin was still as hard and persevering as ever.

Miss Amelia as peevish,

And the servants were as vulgar and rude.

Sarah was still sent on errands in all weathers,

And still scolded and driven hither and thither.

She was scarcely allowed to speak to Ermengarde now and Lottie.

Lavinia sneered at the increasing shabbiness of her clothes,

And the other girls stared curiously at her when she appeared in the schoolroom.

But what did all this matter,

When she was living in this wonderful,

Mysterious story,

More romantic and delightful than anything she'd ever invented to comfort her starving young soul and save herself from despair?

If only you knew,

She said to herself,

If only you knew.

After a while,

The comfort and happiness she enjoyed made her stronger,

And she always had them to look forward to at the end of a long day.

Sarah Crewe looks wonderfully well,

Miss Minchin remarked disapprovingly to her sister.

Yes,

Answered poor,

Silly Miss Amelia,

She's absolutely fattening.

She was beginning to look like a little starved crow.

Starved,

Exclaimed Miss Minchin angrily.

There was no reason why she should look starved.

She always had plenty to eat.

Of course,

Agreed Miss Amelia humbly.

There is something very disagreeable in seeing that sort of thing in a child of her age,

Answered Miss Minchin with a haughty vagueness.

What sort of thing,

Miss Amelia ventured.

It might be called defiance,

Answered Miss Minchin.

She was annoyed because she knew the thing she resented was nothing like defiance at all,

And she didn't know what other unpleasant term to use.

The spirit and will of any other child would have been broken by now.

But upon my word,

Sarah Crewe seems as little subdued as if she were a princess still.

Do you remember,

Put in the unwise Miss Amelia,

What she said to you that day in the schoolroom about what you would do if you found out she was?

No,

I don't,

Said Miss Minchin,

Interrupting.

Don't talk nonsense.

But Miss Minchin remembered very clearly indeed.

Becky also was beginning to look plumper and less frightened.

Then one day it came about another wonderful thing happened.

A man came to the door and left several parcels.

All were addressed in large letters.

To the little girl in the right hand attic.

Sarah herself was sent to open the door and talk them in.

She laid the two largest parcels on the hall table and was looking at the address when Miss Minchin came down the stairs and saw her.

Take the things to the young lady to whom they belong,

She said severely.

Don't stand there staring at them.

They belong to me,

Answered Sarah quietly.

To you,

Exclaimed Miss Minchin.

What do you mean?

I don't know where they come from,

Said Sarah,

But they're addressed to me.

I sleep in the right hand attic.

Becky has the other one.

Miss Minchin came to her side and looked at the parcels with an excited expression.

What's in them,

She demanded.

I don't know,

Replied Sarah.

What's in them,

She ordered.

Sarah did as she was told.

When the packages were unfolded,

Miss Minchin's countenance wore suddenly a singular expression.

She saw pretty and comfortable clothing of different kinds.

Shoes,

Stockings,

Gloves and a warm and beautiful coat.

There was even a nice hat and an umbrella.

They were all good and expensive things,

And on the pocket of the coat was pinned a paper on which were written these words.

To be worn every day,

Will be replaced by others when necessary.

Miss Minchin was quite agitated.

This was an incident which suggested strange things to her sordid mind.

Could it be she'd made a mistake after all,

And the neglected child had some powerful eccentric friend in the background?

Perhaps some previously unknown relation who had suddenly traced her whereabouts and chose to provide for her in this mysterious way?

Relations were very odd,

Particularly rich old bachelor uncles who did not care for having children near them.

A man of that sort might prefer to overlook this young relation's welfare at a distance.

Such a person,

However,

Would be sure to be crotchety and hot-tempered.

It would not be very pleasant if he should learn about the truth of the thin shabby clothes,

The scant food and the hard work.