Patsy.
Penny felt his cheeks grow hot. "I am so Mother and Daddy's real little boy," he replied.
"Oh, no you're not!" cried Patsy. "You're just 'dopted."
"I know I'm 'dopted," said Penny. "My mother told me so. But I'm her real little boy."
"No, you're not," said Patsy. "You can't be. Not really truly."
Penny turned away from Patsy and ran. He wanted to get away from her as fast as he could.
"Not really truly!" cried Patsy. "Not really truly!"
Penny ran faster. Patsy was way behind him now but he could still hear her calling, "Not really truly!"
Penny's little legs flew. His cheeks were hot and his ears were bright red. He never looked back to see where Patsy was.
When he reached the school, he went right into his classroom. He didn't even stop to say good morning to Miss Roberts, his teacher. He went right to his desk and took out his scrapbook. He made believe that he was very busy. He was really blinking his eyes to keep back the tears. He had to bite his lip to keep it from trembling.
When Patsy came in, Penny didn't look at her. He didn't look at her once all morning. Over and over in his head he could hear her calling, "Not really truly! Not really truly!"
Once Miss Roberts said, "What is the matter with Penny today? He doesn't look very shiny."
Penny didn't look up. He just hammered a nail very hard. He was building a bed for Judy, the big doll that belonged to the first grade. He could hardly wait for school to be over. He wanted to go home to Mother. He wanted her very, very badly.
At last the bell rang. Penny was the first one out of the door. He didn't wait for Patsy. He ran faster and faster and faster all the way home.
The back door was open. Penny dashed in. Minnie, the cook, was baking cookies. "Land sakes!" she cried. "You look ready to burst."
"Where's Mother?" gasped Penny.
"Upstairs," said Minnie.
Penny stomped up the stairs. "Mother," he called. "Mother, where are you?"
Mother was sitting in the study, darning Daddy's socks. When she saw Penny's face, she dropped the sock. Penny threw himself into his mother's arms. The tears that he had kept back all morning rolled down his cheeks. His mother's arms held him tight. "There, there," she murmured. "Tell Mother what's the matter."
It was a long time before Penny could speak. He just cried and cried and the tears made his
mother's neck all wet. She held him close and said in a very soft voice, "Tell Mother, Penny. Tell Mother what it is."
At last Penny seemed to run out of tears. "Patsy says I'm not your really truly little boy," he gulped.
"Patsy is mistaken," said his mother, wiping his eyes.
"She says when you're 'dopted you can't be really truly," said Penny.
"Nonsense!" said Mother. "There is only one thing that makes a little boy 'really truly."'
Penny sat up and looked at his mother. His blue eyes were big and round. Teardrops still hung on his eyelashes. "What does, Mother?" he said.
"Why, his mother's love for him," said Mother. "His mother's love for him makes him her really truly little boy."
"And does his daddy's love for him make him his really truly little boy?" asked Penny.
"It certainly does," replied Mother.
Then his mother told him how she and Daddy had talked about him long before he arrived. How they looked for just the little boy they wanted, with red hair and freckles on his nose.
Penny snuggled into his mother's neck. "Did you look at other little boys?" he asked.
"Indeed, yes," said Mother.
"But they didn't suit, did they?" said Penny.
"No. They were very nice," said Mother, "but we waited until we found you. And you were just what we wanted."
"That's the way I'm going to 'dopt my kitten," said Penny. "I'm going to wait until I find a black one with a white nose and white paws. And I'll love him so much that he'll be my really truly kitten."
"Of course," said Mother.
"I guess I'll go get a cookie," said Penny, as he slid off of his mother's lap.
When he reached the door he turned around. "I guess
Penny felt his cheeks grow hot. "I am so Mother and Daddy's real little boy," he replied.
"Oh, no you're not!" cried Patsy. "You're just 'dopted."
"I know I'm 'dopted," said Penny. "My mother told me so. But I'm her real little boy."
"No, you're not," said Patsy. "You can't be. Not really truly."
Penny turned away from Patsy and ran. He wanted to get away from her as fast as he could.
"Not really truly!" cried Patsy. "Not really truly!"
Penny ran faster. Patsy was way behind him now but he could still hear her calling, "Not really truly!"
Penny's little legs flew. His cheeks were hot and his ears were bright red. He never looked back to see where Patsy was.
When he reached the school, he went right into his classroom. He didn't even stop to say good morning to Miss Roberts, his teacher. He went right to his desk and took out his scrapbook. He made believe that he was very busy. He was really blinking his eyes to keep back the tears. He had to bite his lip to keep it from trembling.
When Patsy came in, Penny didn't look at her. He didn't look at her once all morning. Over and over in his head he could hear her calling, "Not really truly! Not really truly!"
Once Miss Roberts said, "What is the matter with Penny today? He doesn't look very shiny."
Penny didn't look up. He just hammered a nail very hard. He was building a bed for Judy, the big doll that belonged to the first grade. He could hardly wait for school to be over. He wanted to go home to Mother. He wanted her very, very badly.
At last the bell rang. Penny was the first one out of the door. He didn't wait for Patsy. He ran faster and faster and faster all the way home.
The back door was open. Penny dashed in. Minnie, the cook, was baking cookies. "Land sakes!" she cried. "You look ready to burst."
"Where's Mother?" gasped Penny.
"Upstairs," said Minnie.
Penny stomped up the stairs. "Mother," he called. "Mother, where are you?"
Mother was sitting in the study, darning Daddy's socks. When she saw Penny's face, she dropped the sock. Penny threw himself into his mother's arms. The tears that he had kept back all morning rolled down his cheeks. His mother's arms held him tight. "There, there," she murmured. "Tell Mother what's the matter."
It was a long time before Penny could speak. He just cried and cried and the tears made his
mother's neck all wet. She held him close and said in a very soft voice, "Tell Mother, Penny. Tell Mother what it is."
At last Penny seemed to run out of tears. "Patsy says I'm not your really truly little boy," he gulped.
"Patsy is mistaken," said his mother, wiping his eyes.
"She says when you're 'dopted you can't be really truly," said Penny.
"Nonsense!" said Mother. "There is only one thing that makes a little boy 'really truly."'
Penny sat up and looked at his mother. His blue eyes were big and round. Teardrops still hung on his eyelashes. "What does, Mother?" he said.
"Why, his mother's love for him," said Mother. "His mother's love for him makes him her really truly little boy."
"And does his daddy's love for him make him his really truly little boy?" asked Penny.
"It certainly does," replied Mother.
Then his mother told him how she and Daddy had talked about him long before he arrived. How they looked for just the little boy they wanted, with red hair and freckles on his nose.
Penny snuggled into his mother's neck. "Did you look at other little boys?" he asked.
"Indeed, yes," said Mother.
"But they didn't suit, did they?" said Penny.
"No. They were very nice," said Mother, "but we waited until we found you. And you were just what we wanted."
"That's the way I'm going to 'dopt my kitten," said Penny. "I'm going to wait until I find a black one with a white nose and white paws. And I'll love him so much that he'll be my really truly kitten."
"Of course," said Mother.
"I guess I'll go get a cookie," said Penny, as he slid off of his mother's lap.
When he reached the door he turned around. "I guess
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