role model for mothering? I’m supposed to exposemy little child to the worst behavior in the world and see what happens?”
“Oh, no, that’s not the point at all,” said Stevie. “You mean you missed all the wonderful things my mother did?”
“I liked the part about hugging in her room that first night,” said Deborah. “I can do that.”
“Good idea,” said Lisa. “Hugs are always good.”
“So’s encouragement,” Carole agreed. “Be sure to tell your kids when they’re doing something right, not just when they make mistakes.”
“But there’s more,” said Stevie. “Lots more. First of all, my mother took me to a place where there was a kid who was so much worse than my brothers that she made them look good. There’s a little reality check. Next, the part about reading out loud: Remember how much we all loved that and I especially loved the Uncle Remus tales? Remember the story about Brer Rabbit who gets caught by Brer Fox, and Brer Fox is trying to figure out the most painful way to finish off Brer Rabbit? Brer Rabbit keeps saying that Brer Fox can roast him or skin him or hang him or cut off his legs, but no matter what, he shouldn’t throw him into the briar patch. Of course, that makes Brer Fox decide to throw Brer Rabbit into the briar patch. Brer Rabbit outfoxedBrer Fox that time, because rabbits were born to live in briar patches. So he runs away, laughing at Brer Fox, and Brer Fox gets furious at him. See, that’s why I begged Madeleine and Maggie not to make me go past the haunted house—because it was the one thing I wanted the very most. So be sure to read good stories about clever characters to all of your children, okay?”
“Well, I do love to read, so that will be easy,” Deborah promised Stevie.
“And next, what my mother did that was wonderful was put me with the Miserable Madeleine, who was such an awful person that the only way to get back at her was to play a practical joke. I’d never played a practical joke on anyone before. Madeleine was the inspiration I needed to take up the fine art of practical joking. It’s a skill I’ve been honing ever since.”
“I’m not sure the rest of us should thank her for that,” Carole said dryly. Lisa just groaned.
“And there’s one more thing,” said Stevie.
“Yes?” Deborah asked expectantly.
“Well, when we got back to Willow Creek, my grandmother told my mother that the best thing she could do for me was to find something that Icould do that my brothers wouldn’t do, something that would be mine and mine alone, something where I wouldn’t be competing with my brothers at all.”
“Let me guess,” said Deborah. “Riding?”
Stevie smiled proudly.
“A perfect mother,” Lisa said. Carole nodded. There was no disputing that.
Deborah’s eyes rolled up to the ceiling. “There’s no stopping you girls, is there?” she asked. “No matter what I ask you to do, you are completely incapable of telling a story that doesn’t actually have to do with horses and riding.”
“Well, we are The Saddle Club,” Carole said. “Horses are what we like the best.”
“But there was all this talk about how The Saddle Club can do anything when its members work together. So, what’s so hard about just telling me a little story that isn’t about riding? I’m here, doing something that’s very hard for me. Seems to me that you ought to be able to do that, even though it’s hard for you. It’s not that I haven’t enjoyed the stories you’ve told me, Lisa and Stevie. It’s just that, well, a promise is a promise. Now I want to hear a story from Carole that doesn’t even mention oneword that has to do with horses.” She grinned proudly because she knew it was going to be a gigantic challenge.
Lisa and Stevie both looked at Carole. Telling stories that didn’t have much to do with horses had been very hard for each of them. Telling one that didn’t have anything to do with horses might prove to be absolutely
“Oh, no, that’s not the point at all,” said Stevie. “You mean you missed all the wonderful things my mother did?”
“I liked the part about hugging in her room that first night,” said Deborah. “I can do that.”
“Good idea,” said Lisa. “Hugs are always good.”
“So’s encouragement,” Carole agreed. “Be sure to tell your kids when they’re doing something right, not just when they make mistakes.”
“But there’s more,” said Stevie. “Lots more. First of all, my mother took me to a place where there was a kid who was so much worse than my brothers that she made them look good. There’s a little reality check. Next, the part about reading out loud: Remember how much we all loved that and I especially loved the Uncle Remus tales? Remember the story about Brer Rabbit who gets caught by Brer Fox, and Brer Fox is trying to figure out the most painful way to finish off Brer Rabbit? Brer Rabbit keeps saying that Brer Fox can roast him or skin him or hang him or cut off his legs, but no matter what, he shouldn’t throw him into the briar patch. Of course, that makes Brer Fox decide to throw Brer Rabbit into the briar patch. Brer Rabbit outfoxedBrer Fox that time, because rabbits were born to live in briar patches. So he runs away, laughing at Brer Fox, and Brer Fox gets furious at him. See, that’s why I begged Madeleine and Maggie not to make me go past the haunted house—because it was the one thing I wanted the very most. So be sure to read good stories about clever characters to all of your children, okay?”
“Well, I do love to read, so that will be easy,” Deborah promised Stevie.
“And next, what my mother did that was wonderful was put me with the Miserable Madeleine, who was such an awful person that the only way to get back at her was to play a practical joke. I’d never played a practical joke on anyone before. Madeleine was the inspiration I needed to take up the fine art of practical joking. It’s a skill I’ve been honing ever since.”
“I’m not sure the rest of us should thank her for that,” Carole said dryly. Lisa just groaned.
“And there’s one more thing,” said Stevie.
“Yes?” Deborah asked expectantly.
“Well, when we got back to Willow Creek, my grandmother told my mother that the best thing she could do for me was to find something that Icould do that my brothers wouldn’t do, something that would be mine and mine alone, something where I wouldn’t be competing with my brothers at all.”
“Let me guess,” said Deborah. “Riding?”
Stevie smiled proudly.
“A perfect mother,” Lisa said. Carole nodded. There was no disputing that.
Deborah’s eyes rolled up to the ceiling. “There’s no stopping you girls, is there?” she asked. “No matter what I ask you to do, you are completely incapable of telling a story that doesn’t actually have to do with horses and riding.”
“Well, we are The Saddle Club,” Carole said. “Horses are what we like the best.”
“But there was all this talk about how The Saddle Club can do anything when its members work together. So, what’s so hard about just telling me a little story that isn’t about riding? I’m here, doing something that’s very hard for me. Seems to me that you ought to be able to do that, even though it’s hard for you. It’s not that I haven’t enjoyed the stories you’ve told me, Lisa and Stevie. It’s just that, well, a promise is a promise. Now I want to hear a story from Carole that doesn’t even mention oneword that has to do with horses.” She grinned proudly because she knew it was going to be a gigantic challenge.
Lisa and Stevie both looked at Carole. Telling stories that didn’t have much to do with horses had been very hard for each of them. Telling one that didn’t have anything to do with horses might prove to be absolutely
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