pieces, and loved her music-lessons. She and Richard practiced their duet together, and had such fun that they asked Mr. Lewis for an even harder piece.
“I’m glad you chose me to play with you instead of Harry,” said Elizabeth to Richard. “I do love the way you play, Richard. You are as good as Mr. Lewis.”
“No, I’m not,” said Richard. “But some day I shall be far, far better, Elizabeth. Some day you will come to London to hear me play at a great big concert! And some day you will hear the music I make up, played all over the world!”
It didn’t seem like boasting when Richard spoke like this. Elizabeth didn’t mock at him or laugh at him. She believed him, and although he was sometimes very moody and bad-tempered she grew to like him very much.
“I always hated boys before,” thought Elizabeth, surprised at herself. “I do seem to be changing. I’d better be careful, or I will be different when I leave here, just as Miss Scott said!”
So, to show that she really did still hate boys she played a trick on Harry. She knew that he would have to go to the music-room to fetch some music he had left behind. Elizabeth took a sponge, filled it so full of water that it dripped, and then, climbing on a chair, she balanced the wet sponge on the top of the door.
She arranged the sponge so that anyone who opened the door would move the sponge, which would at once drop down on to the surprised person’s head! Then Elizabeth hid in a cupboard in the passage outside, and waited for Harry. He soon came along, rushing to fetch his forgotten music before the bell rang.
He pushed open the door-and down fell the sponge on top of his head, squelch, squash!
“Oooh!” said Harry, in the greatest astonishment, “Whatever is it?”
He soon found out! He took the sponge off his neck and threw it down on the floor in a rage.
“Now I’ve got to go and change my coat!” he said. “Who did that?”
Nobody answered, of course, but as Harry knew quite well that people who set traps for others usually like to hide somewhere near to see what happens, he guessed that the joker was in the passage cupboard! He stole up to the cupboard, and flung the door open. Inside was Elizabeth, trying her best not to laugh loudly. Her handkerchief was stuffed into her mouth and tears of laughter were trickling down her cheeks.
“Oh, it’s you, is it?” said Harry, hauling her out. “It’s the Bold Bad Girl! Well, I’ll just stuff this wet sponge down your neck, see!”
But he didn’t have time to, because the bell rang and he had to run.
“I’ll pay you out for that!” he yelled.
But Elizabeth only laughed mockingly.
“I hate boys!” she shouted. “They’re silly! Ha ha! I tricked you properly. Harry!”
But Harry soon paid Elizabeth back for her trick. He waited until the painting class, and then, when Elizabeth was quite lost in her work, bending over her painting, he stole up behind her. In his hand was a large sheet of paper. He neatly pinned it to Elizabeth’s back. The little girl felt something and shook herself- but the paper was safely on, and she didn’t know it. She went on with her painting.
Harry went back to his place giggling. The class was nearly over, and if Miss Chester, the art mistress, did not notice what he had done, there was a good chance of Elizabeth going about with the paper on her back.
Everyone saw the paper and giggled. On it was printed in big letters: “I’M THE BOLD BAD GIRL! BEWARE! I BARK! I BITE! I HATE EVERYBODY!”
Joan was not in that painting class or she would have told Elizabeth what Harry had done. All the others thought it was very funny, especially as Elizabeth was known as the Bold Bad Girl.
The bell rang. Everyone cleared up their things. Miss Chester began to prepare for the next class, and did not notice Elizabeth’s paper. The children went out of the art-room, and went to their own classrooms.
Once in her classroom all the others there saw the paper;
“I’m glad you chose me to play with you instead of Harry,” said Elizabeth to Richard. “I do love the way you play, Richard. You are as good as Mr. Lewis.”
“No, I’m not,” said Richard. “But some day I shall be far, far better, Elizabeth. Some day you will come to London to hear me play at a great big concert! And some day you will hear the music I make up, played all over the world!”
It didn’t seem like boasting when Richard spoke like this. Elizabeth didn’t mock at him or laugh at him. She believed him, and although he was sometimes very moody and bad-tempered she grew to like him very much.
“I always hated boys before,” thought Elizabeth, surprised at herself. “I do seem to be changing. I’d better be careful, or I will be different when I leave here, just as Miss Scott said!”
So, to show that she really did still hate boys she played a trick on Harry. She knew that he would have to go to the music-room to fetch some music he had left behind. Elizabeth took a sponge, filled it so full of water that it dripped, and then, climbing on a chair, she balanced the wet sponge on the top of the door.
She arranged the sponge so that anyone who opened the door would move the sponge, which would at once drop down on to the surprised person’s head! Then Elizabeth hid in a cupboard in the passage outside, and waited for Harry. He soon came along, rushing to fetch his forgotten music before the bell rang.
He pushed open the door-and down fell the sponge on top of his head, squelch, squash!
“Oooh!” said Harry, in the greatest astonishment, “Whatever is it?”
He soon found out! He took the sponge off his neck and threw it down on the floor in a rage.
“Now I’ve got to go and change my coat!” he said. “Who did that?”
Nobody answered, of course, but as Harry knew quite well that people who set traps for others usually like to hide somewhere near to see what happens, he guessed that the joker was in the passage cupboard! He stole up to the cupboard, and flung the door open. Inside was Elizabeth, trying her best not to laugh loudly. Her handkerchief was stuffed into her mouth and tears of laughter were trickling down her cheeks.
“Oh, it’s you, is it?” said Harry, hauling her out. “It’s the Bold Bad Girl! Well, I’ll just stuff this wet sponge down your neck, see!”
But he didn’t have time to, because the bell rang and he had to run.
“I’ll pay you out for that!” he yelled.
But Elizabeth only laughed mockingly.
“I hate boys!” she shouted. “They’re silly! Ha ha! I tricked you properly. Harry!”
But Harry soon paid Elizabeth back for her trick. He waited until the painting class, and then, when Elizabeth was quite lost in her work, bending over her painting, he stole up behind her. In his hand was a large sheet of paper. He neatly pinned it to Elizabeth’s back. The little girl felt something and shook herself- but the paper was safely on, and she didn’t know it. She went on with her painting.
Harry went back to his place giggling. The class was nearly over, and if Miss Chester, the art mistress, did not notice what he had done, there was a good chance of Elizabeth going about with the paper on her back.
Everyone saw the paper and giggled. On it was printed in big letters: “I’M THE BOLD BAD GIRL! BEWARE! I BARK! I BITE! I HATE EVERYBODY!”
Joan was not in that painting class or she would have told Elizabeth what Harry had done. All the others thought it was very funny, especially as Elizabeth was known as the Bold Bad Girl.
The bell rang. Everyone cleared up their things. Miss Chester began to prepare for the next class, and did not notice Elizabeth’s paper. The children went out of the art-room, and went to their own classrooms.
Once in her classroom all the others there saw the paper;
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