07 - Eight Girls and a Dog by Carolyn Wells

Eight girls and their dog Timmy Loo take a summer break filled with cooking, self-discovery, and hilarious misadventures in this delightful vacation story. Discover hundreds of ad-free audiobooks, soothing sounds for sleep and meditation, and more—unwind and learn at www.adfreebooks.com!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Domain the Indian collar. The veranda at Hilarity Hall was
a most attractive place. Hammocks, rockers, and wicker studies abounded,
and pillows whereas sands of the seashore for multitude. Marjorie
threw herself into a hammock and declared that she should

(00:21):
just stay there. The matron settled her small person in
the biggest rocking chair, and, with an air of weighty responsibility,
frowned over her account books. Nana appropriated a wicker couch
and announced that she was going to dream dreams and
sea visions. Betty and Jessie sat together in another hammock,

(00:44):
swinging themselves by vigorous kicks, which scratched much paint off
the piazza floor. Hester sat bolt upright in a small,
straight backed chair and crocheted lace from a gently bobbing
spool of thread. Helen was trying to write a letter,
but was much hampered by Millicent's teasing. It pleased the

(01:07):
ingenuous lamplighter to substitute various articles in place of Helen's inkstand,
and that preoccupied scribe had dipped her pen successively into
an apple, a hat, a slipper, and finally into Mellicent's
own curly top head. Long suffering Helen smiled good naturedly

(01:29):
at each prank and patiently set her inkstand in place again.
So Millicent declared it was no fun to tease her
and transferred her attention to Timmylou. Taking a sheet of
Helen's paper, she made a cocked hat for him, and,
with a paper cutter for a sword, he posed successfully

(01:50):
as Napoleon. The applause at this performance was so great
that it caused Aunt Mollie to appear at her window.
Come over, called Marjorie. Yea come fairy godmother chimed in Millicent,
and well pleased Aunt Mollie trotted over and joined the
merry group. They had a good time telling her all

(02:12):
about their most recent fun For what is nicer than
a really interested listener. Marjorie read the White Cap to her,
which she declared was the work of a genius. Why,
said the Duchess as she reached the end of what
they had written the night before, Here's another page? Who

(02:32):
wrote it? Read? It? Said Betty, and Marjorie read, There's
something gone wrong in Hilarity Hall. There's something awry, I
guess for the scullery maid to the parlor has strayed,
and the stoker is mending her dress. The wandering minstrel
is cooking the soup. The peeler is writing a poem.

(02:54):
The lamp letters painting a sunrise at sea, resplendent with
matter and chrome. The dignified duchess is washing the hearth,
the matron's embroidering a scarf, while the peler is writing
this lyrical ode in hopes that others will laugh. Why
that's fine, Betty, I'm proud of you, cried Marjorie. But

(03:18):
Betty only said, pooh, that's nothing. Read the next page,
so Marjorie read to Nan. Our poet writes such clever verse.
I'm sure no one writes prettier, And though some poets
have done more, I know that she is wittier. Of course,
our poet fair is young, although she is not quite

(03:41):
a child, And if in years to come she's gray,
she never never will be wild. She almost always is
all smiles and of her kind heart. I speak highly,
but on occasions she is stern, and when she's nervis
she is riley. Our poet wants to be a cook,

(04:04):
and turns her mind to ruskin jelly. She's very, very
fond of crab, indeed of anything that is shelley. She
yearns for browning, fears not burns, and for a piet
times his side. But yesterday she had a pain, and
the day before an akinside. She scorns the words worth

(04:28):
of her brain, though she is as wise as forty owls.
But when her muse once gets a start, look out
for great Scott. How it Towels who wrote it? Who
wrote it? Queried the girls in chorus, And then each
one tried to blush and pretend to look conscious, and

(04:49):
Hester said, suddenly, Oh, look at that queer man coming
up the road. The queer man, who carried a large
pack on his back, came nearer, turned in at the
cottage gate, and paused at the foot of the veranda steps.
He was evidently a foreigner, a great gaunt creature with

(05:09):
swarthy skin, coarse black hair, and black beady eyes. He
wore a long mantle heavy with embroidery, and on his
head was a gay colored turban like arrangement. He looks
like a supplement to an art magazine, whispered Milicent to Marjorie.
He is something to sell, returned Marjorie, and indeed he

(05:31):
had beautiful Oriental fabrics were quickly spread out before the
eyes of the delighted girls. Scarves, handkerchiefs, embroidered jackets, and
spangled sashes were shaken out one after another by the
long bony fingers of the East Indian. He had two,
a lot of fancy baskets, and some hideous little idols.

(05:54):
His talk was a queer kind of half foreign jargon,
but he addressed himself principally to Aunt Mollie. But Jesse
and Marguerite were so dazzled by the glory of his
wares that he turned his attention to them as more
likely purchasers. Ach miss very fine, very fine, he would say,

(06:16):
clasping his not over clean hands and rolling his eyes.
Then catching up a white and gold scarf, he deftly
twisted it into a turban, which he placed on Marguerite's
curly head, and then struck a little attitude of mute adoration.
Very fine, very fine, he repeated, which phrase seemed to

(06:38):
be his entire stock of English. Then, seeing Millicent's eyes
wander toward the grotesque images, he picked up a snake,
which uncoiled itself in such a realistic way that the
girls squealed. This seemed to amuse him very much, and
he began to tell a horrible snake story. Only a

(06:58):
few words were in intelligible, but his gestures were so
dramatic that he was easily understood, and the girls were
thrilled at the pantomimic relation of his fearful encounter with
the rattlesnake in the wildness of his own country. The
prices of his goods were exorbitant, but Aunt Mollie had
dealt with his kind before, and by reason of her

(07:22):
sagacious hints of the girl's limited means, he was induced
to accept about half of what he at first asked,
and the bargains were finally concluded to the satisfaction of
all concerned. Then the picturesque peddler departed with gestures of
respectful admiration and regretful leave taking. Jesse had bought a

(07:44):
scarf of exquisitive broidery on a pale blue gauze, which
was very becoming to her pretty girlishness. Hester and Betty
bought baskets of bright colored sweet grass, and Hester put
hers at once to use by dropping her crochet work
into it. Millicent bought a bolero jacket, which she put

(08:06):
on at once, and catching up the red fez which
was on Marjorie's purchase, she perched it sideways on her
saucy head and began to dance a fandango, while Hester
played a tinkling air on her banjo. He was a
funny old chap, said Nan, looking at the curious little
idol she had bought. Let's right him up in the

(08:29):
white cap, do, said Millicent, and I'll draw his portrait
to illustrate it. He looked like an ancient mariner. The
hint was enough for Nan, and while Millicent drew a
startling looking sketch, which the girls declared was exactly like him,
the club poet produced the rhyme of the Indian peddler.

(08:53):
Ye Indian intervieweth ye maidens. He displayeth his wares, He
seeth snake all see snakes, ye maidens buy his wares
seventy five cents reduced from one fifty. It is an
ancient Indian, and he stoppeth here by we by thy

(09:14):
swarthy face and cold black hair. Now wherefore lord ear
he He takes his pack from off his back, displaying
costly wears, while the girls his movements watch with interested stares.
Then many a creepy tale he tells of snakes and
sick like cattle, dramatically showing forth their snarky curve and

(09:38):
kredel ye maidens by his gaudy wares. His price is
crying down, and slowly and reluctantly he wends his way
to town. This was hailed with enthusiasm, and Betty declared
they really ought to write an account of Hester's dinner.
Seizing the white cap, she began a fresh page with

(09:59):
a grit and flourish reading. As she wrote, on Friday,
the hilarious populace gathered round their festal board partook of
a dinner which was of the most successful, served by
the stoker and the wandering minstrel. At all we didn't
eat all, said Helen, laughing. That's Latin, said Betty, and

(10:23):
it means that Marguerite helped you. Then she proceeded to
write the dinner menu. Soup Nata bennet tomato, soup allah
deficiate fish fish a la nn roast beef cost two

(10:43):
dollars and ten cents, salad tomatoes peeled by the peeler mayonnaise,
stirred by the stoker, dressed by the matron dessert fruit
alla kerosene, dressed by the lamp lighter girls, said Hester.
Suddenly there's a fine light just now. I'll take your

(11:05):
pictures if you like. This speech had several different answers,
all at once, but they were all acquiescent. So Hester
went out to get her camera. But let's go down
to the beach, she said, returning, it's so much more
picturesque than the piazza. In a moment of inspiration, Betty

(11:27):
sees the white cap and wrote a stanza, The camera fiend,
The camera fiend is abroad in the land. Her tripod
beareth she and she lureth us all with a beckoning
hand toward the blue and shining sea. Tis little we
wreck of the fate that impends as we follow her

(11:48):
hurrying feet, till she catches the crowd with a Kodak snap,
And the photograph is complete, of course, said Hester, after
they had laughed Betty's effort. I can't be in the
picture because I'll have to take it, you know. Oh,
it's no fun if we can't have the eight together,

(12:10):
said Helen. Let me snap it off, said Aunt Mollie. Kindly.
I don't know anything about a camera, but couldn't you
show me? Yes? Indeed, said Hester, that will be jolly
of you, and I'll take your picture afterwards. So they
all went down to the beach and pictures were taken
of the most fantastic groups and duets and solitaires, as

(12:33):
Millicent called them. Last, but not least, they took a
very fine solitaire of Timmy Leo in one of his
fits of good behavior, and Hester declared she must save
the rest of her plates for another day. Do you know,
said Nan in her slow dreamy way, if Marguerite and
I are to get supper to night, I really believe

(12:55):
it's time we began to think about it. Oh, do
something more than think about it, groaned Betty. I'm as
hungry as if I hadn't attended that grand and elegant dinner,
are you, dear, said Marguerite with mock solicitude. Well, you
shall be fed soon. Come on, Nan, The path of

(13:17):
glory leads up to our cottage, and we must tread
it like the brave heroes that we are. When may
we hope supper will be ready? Called out Jesse, as
the matron and the poet wandered off, twill be served
at six thirty, precisely, replied Marguerite, with one of her
unsuccessful attempts at a dignified mien. Brush your hair and

(13:40):
put on clean pinafores, and be prompt When the bell rings,
Aye Aye called out Hester, and the group on the
beach watched the departing pair and chuckled as they wondered
what the two rattle pates would give them to eat.
End of Chapter seven