Afternoon
Treat
This morning, Meg and Ben Yes, Chip was not behaving again.
were happy because now they He came running into the room,
were going to do a clay project. saw the pinch pot Ben had made,
Mother said, “Ben, look through took it in his mouth, and went
the Clay Fun book and pick out a running off with it! Ben was very
project.” upset and angry. Mother got the
clay away from Chip, and put him
Ben got his book and looked in another room with the door
through it. He decided to make a shut. “Maybe he thought it would
pinch pot. be good to eat,” said Mother.
Mother laid newspapers down
first. She took the lid off the
box of clay and cut a piece of
clay for Ben and another piece
for Meg. They began to make
their pinch pots. They both like
to work with clay. Do you? But
can you guess what happened
next?
This made Meg laugh, and even After lunch, Mother took Ben
Ben felt a little better. He and Meg to the Putney Bakery
decided to make another pinch for a treat. They were sitting on
pot. the porch eating cookies when
all of a sudden, they saw a little
When Meg and Ben were bird hopping right under their
finished, Mother told them to feet. It was so little and it didn’t
wash their hands. Mother put seem to know that it could get
the lid on the box of clay so it stepped on. It came right over
would not dry out. to Meg’s shoe and sat there
looking at her.
Meg broke off a piece of cookie
and threw it down for him to
eat. The little bird didn’t eat the
cookie. Mother broke off a piece
of bread and threw it down for
him and he picked it up and ate
it right away.
Meg and Ben wondered where Today, John, the owner of the
the mother bird was. They didn’t bookstore, is having a special
have to wait too long before she sale, 25 cents for a used book.
came hopping towards her baby. Mother said they could each pick
She seemed to be saying, “Come one and she would buy it. It was
with me,” but the baby didn’t very hard to choose one book
seem to want to listen. Finally, each. Finally, Meg and Ben each
the baby bird hopped off with chose a book and took it up to
its mother. Ben and Meg were the counter for Mother to pay
happy it was safe. for it. John greeted them at the
front desk. Mother took out her
After their treat at the bakery, wallet and paid for the books.
Mother let Ben and Meg go
into the bookstore next to the
bakery. The bookstore has
rocking chairs and toys for
children. They sat for a long
time looking at new and used
books.
Then they went to the Putney Inside, the floors are made of
General Store across the street. wood so old that it is uneven.
Ben, Meg, and Mother have to
A general store in Vermont is watch how they walk or they
not like most stores. The Putney might trip. Everything is very
General Store is very old. There crowded, and in the summer it
is a little of everything in it. The is very hot in there. I am sure
Swings rent their videos, buy the store must be at least one
their groceries, buy bolts and hundred years old. If you ever
screws, and sometimes even get take a trip to Putney, Vermont,
gifts at the General Store. you should visit the General
Store. I think you will find it
interesting.
When Ben, Meg and Mother
came out of the General Store
they saw the school sign across
the street. The school is on
the second floor above the
bookstore and bakery.
Ben and Meg love to visit the Ben and Meg decided they
school. They have a lot of toys would play store. They wanted
for children to play with and to pretend they were at the
the people are friendly. Today General Store. “May we have
Mother says they do not have some food to sell?” they asked
time to visit the school. She Mother. Mother said she would
says she thinks it is time to go fill a bag with food and give them
home. Mother said, “After we some change to play with.
get home, I have a lot of work
to do. I need you to play by
yourselves.”
Meg and Ben said they would
be happy to play by themselves
all afternoon so Mother could
The End
do her own work. “It will be
fun,” said Meg. Mother was
glad the children like to play by
themselves sometimes.
