get much of a charge out of them.” She turned toward another part of the store.
Carole was about to follow her when a strangely familiarshape caught her eye. “Wait!” she cried. “There’s Pegasus!”
The girls peered at the figurines again. Sure enough, at the very back was a small crystal horse rearing on its hind legs, just about to spread its wings and fly.
“Isn’t he fantastic?” Carole said.
Lisa nodded. “He’s beautiful!”
Carole looked at the price tag attached to Pegasus. Though he was expensive, he was on sale, and she had just enough money to buy him and still contribute to Jamie’s gift. She knew it would wreck her budget, but maybe she could do some extra chores around the house for her dad to make up the difference. Pegasus was worth it. Creatures that beautiful didn’t come along very often.
“I’m going to buy him,” Carole announced decisively. “I’m going to take him home and look at him every day. That way I’ll be inspired when the time comes to do my project.” She dug in her purse for her wallet. “Why don’t you two go look for a gift for Jamie while I pay for Pegasus. That way we can save some time.”
“Okay,” Stevie agreed. She and Lisa sauntered off to browse through the gift shop while Carole paid for Pegasus. By the time the clerk had wrapped him securely in bubble wrap and given Carole her change, Stevie and Lisa reappeared, their faces flat with disappointment.
“We’ve looked at everything they have.” Lisa sounded frustrated. “And it’s either too babyish or too grown up.”
“Unless Jamie would like some rose-scented potpourri,”griped Stevie. “There’s just not much here for a six-year-old with chicken pox.”
“What shall we do?” Carole asked as she put Pegasus safely inside her purse.
“Maybe we could just go over to Jamie’s house for a visit,” suggested Lisa. “Since we’ve all had chicken pox, we could talk to him and maybe help cheer him up.”
“That’s a good idea,” said Stevie.
“Fine with me.” Carole happily patted her purse.
The Bacons’ house was not far away. The girls crossed the street in front of TD’s, then turned down a little side street that curved along a small creek. Soon they were standing on Jamie’s front porch, ringing the doorbell.
For a long moment no one answered. Then Mrs. Bacon opened the door.
“Why, Lisa, Stevie, Carole! What a surprise!” She smiled, but there were deep lines of fatigue around her mouth, and her face looked pale and tired. The girls had seen the same signs on Max and Deborah, and they knew exactly what had caused them—a small child with chicken pox.
“Hi, Mrs. Bacon.” Lisa spoke for the group. “We finished with our Horse Wise class and wondered if we might come over and say hello to Jamie. You know, to try to cheer him up.”
“Well, how nice of you girls. Please come in.” Mrs. Bacon held the door open. Her normally spotless living room was cluttered with the morning paper, a half-empty cup of coffee, and a scattering of Jamie’s crayons and coloring books.
“I’m sorry the house is such a wreck. It seems like I spend all my nights trying to keep Jamie comfortable and all my days trying to keep him entertained. I’m afraid I’m way behind on my housekeeping, and I don’t know when I’m going to catch up.”
“That sounds a lot like what our friends went through when their baby girl had chicken pox,” Lisa said.
“Well, it’s not that chicken pox is all that dangerous. As childhood diseases go, it’s usually not serious at all. But it just makes whoever has it so cranky. It breaks my heart to see Jamie lying in there so itchy and miserable.” Mrs. Bacon gave a heavy sigh. “Now he’s awake from his nap and I’m so tired I can barely keep my eyes open.”
“Why don’t you go and rest for a couple of hours and let us take care of Jamie?” Stevie said. “Lisa can read him a story and Carole can play charades with him and I can teach
Carole was about to follow her when a strangely familiarshape caught her eye. “Wait!” she cried. “There’s Pegasus!”
The girls peered at the figurines again. Sure enough, at the very back was a small crystal horse rearing on its hind legs, just about to spread its wings and fly.
“Isn’t he fantastic?” Carole said.
Lisa nodded. “He’s beautiful!”
Carole looked at the price tag attached to Pegasus. Though he was expensive, he was on sale, and she had just enough money to buy him and still contribute to Jamie’s gift. She knew it would wreck her budget, but maybe she could do some extra chores around the house for her dad to make up the difference. Pegasus was worth it. Creatures that beautiful didn’t come along very often.
“I’m going to buy him,” Carole announced decisively. “I’m going to take him home and look at him every day. That way I’ll be inspired when the time comes to do my project.” She dug in her purse for her wallet. “Why don’t you two go look for a gift for Jamie while I pay for Pegasus. That way we can save some time.”
“Okay,” Stevie agreed. She and Lisa sauntered off to browse through the gift shop while Carole paid for Pegasus. By the time the clerk had wrapped him securely in bubble wrap and given Carole her change, Stevie and Lisa reappeared, their faces flat with disappointment.
“We’ve looked at everything they have.” Lisa sounded frustrated. “And it’s either too babyish or too grown up.”
“Unless Jamie would like some rose-scented potpourri,”griped Stevie. “There’s just not much here for a six-year-old with chicken pox.”
“What shall we do?” Carole asked as she put Pegasus safely inside her purse.
“Maybe we could just go over to Jamie’s house for a visit,” suggested Lisa. “Since we’ve all had chicken pox, we could talk to him and maybe help cheer him up.”
“That’s a good idea,” said Stevie.
“Fine with me.” Carole happily patted her purse.
The Bacons’ house was not far away. The girls crossed the street in front of TD’s, then turned down a little side street that curved along a small creek. Soon they were standing on Jamie’s front porch, ringing the doorbell.
For a long moment no one answered. Then Mrs. Bacon opened the door.
“Why, Lisa, Stevie, Carole! What a surprise!” She smiled, but there were deep lines of fatigue around her mouth, and her face looked pale and tired. The girls had seen the same signs on Max and Deborah, and they knew exactly what had caused them—a small child with chicken pox.
“Hi, Mrs. Bacon.” Lisa spoke for the group. “We finished with our Horse Wise class and wondered if we might come over and say hello to Jamie. You know, to try to cheer him up.”
“Well, how nice of you girls. Please come in.” Mrs. Bacon held the door open. Her normally spotless living room was cluttered with the morning paper, a half-empty cup of coffee, and a scattering of Jamie’s crayons and coloring books.
“I’m sorry the house is such a wreck. It seems like I spend all my nights trying to keep Jamie comfortable and all my days trying to keep him entertained. I’m afraid I’m way behind on my housekeeping, and I don’t know when I’m going to catch up.”
“That sounds a lot like what our friends went through when their baby girl had chicken pox,” Lisa said.
“Well, it’s not that chicken pox is all that dangerous. As childhood diseases go, it’s usually not serious at all. But it just makes whoever has it so cranky. It breaks my heart to see Jamie lying in there so itchy and miserable.” Mrs. Bacon gave a heavy sigh. “Now he’s awake from his nap and I’m so tired I can barely keep my eyes open.”
“Why don’t you go and rest for a couple of hours and let us take care of Jamie?” Stevie said. “Lisa can read him a story and Carole can play charades with him and I can teach
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