"What ails3 you, child, and where did you get that money?" was the ready inquiry4, while Mrs. Thayer's admiring eyes followed her daughter's graceful5, swift-moving figure.
All of a sudden Penelope's rosy6 face, flushed with exercise and radiant with happiness, burst into a merry laugh—one of the laughs that ripple7 all through the atmosphere, and prove so contagious8 that everybody within hearing of it laughs also.
Then stopping just before her mother, and again rustling9 the crisp bills, for they were bran-new, she this time teasingly said, "Guess."
"But I cannot."
"Well, then," and dragging a chair so as to be opposite[Pg 76] both her mother and Cousin Blanche—this cousin has been a young lady for over ten years, and makes her home with them—Penelope sat herself down, and with the tantalizing10 manner that she could assume on occasions, slowly counted, "One—two—three—four—five," and so on, laying one five-dollar bill over the other while doing so, until they numbered ten. Then satisfactorily surveying the pile before her, she raised her eyes, and looking full into the earnest faces of her listeners, exclaimed, with a wave of her hand in the money direction, "All mine!"
"You tantalizing, tormenting—" and Penelope's mother, trying to look severe, rose, and threw on the blazing log fire a paper which, until her daughter's entrance, she had been reading, and then with a swift backward turn of her head she concluded, "mischievous girl."
Mrs. Thayer was rarely known to have administered anything but caresses11 on any of her children, much less to her only daughter and youngest child. "Mother's pet," the boys called her, but people called her everybody's pet, for from her youngest brother to her eldest12, and she had five of them, their first question was, "Where's Penelope?"
Therefore Mrs. Thayer was not at all surprised when her daughter finally told her that the money was a present from Uncle Dan. Uncle Dan was Mrs. Thayer's bachelor brother, and lived with them off and on, and Penelope farther explained, while delight streamed from every feature of her mobile face, "that uncle had given her the money to spend on a party"; and having told her story, she raised her gray-blue honest eyes to her mother, and asked,
"I could give a party for fifty dollars, couldn't I?"
"Of course you can! the loveliest sort of a party, too," was the assuring answer. Then, as that matter was arranged, Mrs. Thayer turned towards Blanche, who was quietly watching the interview but saying not a word. "Have you any scheme to suggest?" But before Blanche had an opportunity to reply Mrs. Thayer interjected, suddenly rising to give her dress a fresh smooth out, "Penelope, how would you like to give the party on your birthday?"
"I'd love to, mother," and very rapidly her little hands were clasped together while she added, "May I?"
"I don't see why not; your birthday is—let me count—just three weeks hence;" and with the most satisfied air Mrs. Thayer exclaimed, "Plenty of time. But run away now, dear, for we want to plan your party when you're not around."
And after a slight demur13, for Penelope was thirteen years old and thought she should be taken into the consultation14, she rose and gayly tripped out of the room.
"Now, Blanche," and Mrs. Thayer wheeled about to face her.
"You amuse me. What should I know about children's entertainments?"
"You're the very one that does know. Haven't you been all over the world nearly? Of course you know."
"Well, how do you think Penelope would enjoy a Delft party?"
Shaking her head slowly, Mrs. Thayer replied, "I never heard of one."
"Nor have I, and I am astonished that it has not been introduced long ago. As New York was settled by the Dutch, a Delft party could partake of the real Knickerbocker flavor—none of the sham15 kind;" and with this last word Cousin Blanche rose and walked nearer to the fire, adding, with a slight shiver, that she was cold.
Mrs. Thayer thereupon rang for the maid, who received orders to bring more wood, and as the fire crackled and blazed, Cousin Blanche talked steadily16.
"Of course the word Delft suggests Holland, and we right away think of the large windmills everywhere visible. Some of these are built of stone, others of brick, and still others of wood. Many of them are thatched. Now my idea would be for the boys—Penelope's brothers, I mean—to form a tableau17 in which they would build windmills. The windmills could be cut out of card-board and pasted together. They could be painted to represent stone or brick. Ordinary straw could be used for thatching, and two or more of the boys might be putting the straw on. These windmills should be stood back of that large screen at the north end of the parlor18 before the children arrive."
"Then you wouldn't use a curtain?"
"No; we could arrange all the tableaux19 back of the screen, and so save a great deal of annoyance20."
"How many tableaux do you think would be nice?"
"Three or four." And Cousin Blanche thoughtfully continued: "I would show only those that are thoroughly21 indicative of our Holland Dutch ancestors." And Blanche scrutinized22 Mrs. Thayer's face while she concluded, "Entertainment is always better when it is instructive."
"But I'm afraid"—and Mrs. Thayer acted fearful while she explained—"that the tableaux would be a terrible trouble."
"On the contrary, nothing could be easier;" and with a good-natured smile rippling23 over her face, Blanche continued, "Why not let me help you?"
"Help me? I expected you would. Why, Blanche!" and the forlorn tone of Mrs. Thayer's voice decided24 matters.
"I am thinking"—and Cousin Blanche's face was very bright, showing that her thought was satisfactory—"that it would be a good idea to show the tulip craze. This tableau would require girls and boys. Penelope could be one of the girls, and Fannie and Julia Mobray the others."
"They are quite getatable."
"That was my reason in selecting them. Living across the street as they do, they could easily run over for rehearsals25."
"I did not know that the Hollanders were interested in tulips especially," Mrs. Thayer responded, slowly, and lifting her eyes so that they met the astonished ones of Cousin Blanche.
"Why," and without waiting for an explanation Cousin Blanche continued, "you've forgotten about it. The Hollanders spent immense sums of money in ornamenting26 their gardens with tulips; every new variety of the flower was sought for. They were produced in various shapes and unexpected colors. Indeed, a new color meant a fortune."
"Oh!" and Mrs. Thayer seemed greatly surprised. "But how would you show it?"
"I would group the children so that they looked pretty. They could wear green clothes to represent stalk and leaves, and have large colored-paper petals27 fastened to their waists, and with wire shaped and bent28 upward they[Pg 77] would look like veritable tulips. Then a few others could, in a previous tableau, show the act of planting tulip bulbs and watering some growing tulips."
"Suppose that you cannot get the tulips?"
"I can get tulips of some sort," was the assured response. "If I cannot buy natural ones, I can make paper ones."
Mrs. Thayer looked pleased, and then a pink flush suffused29 her face, while she replied, "I cannot frighten you, can I?"
"Not this time. Indeed, no one can afford to quietly accept things when arranging entertainments;" and Blanche rose and paced several times up and down the room. While she walked she added: "As for the other tableaux, one should certainly show a group of girls knitting and crocheting30, and others painting pottery31, tiles, etc. And then there should be a representation of storks33 and their nests."
"Borrow one from a museum, if there is no other way. But I have friends who have fine specimens34 of storks, and stork nests also."
"Well, but what about the rest of the party?" And with a swift glance at her watch, Mrs. Thayer added, "I have an engagement."
"Delft games should be played. For example:
FIVE.
"select a boy and hand him a knotted handkerchief. He must throw the handkerchief at a player, and before he can count aloud five the person to whom it is thrown must mention a round thing, such as an apple, a globe. If that person fails, he must change places with the one who has caught him, and throw the handkerchief at another. As no repetitions are allowed, it will soon be difficult to find an object that is round.
BREAKFAST.
"Every player is seated. Turn to the person at your right, and ask, 'Will you come to breakfast?' To which the answer is, 'Yes.' When that question and answer have gone around the room, the first one must ask, 'What would you like for breakfast?' Perhaps the reply would be, 'Milk'; and he then puts the question to his right-hand neighbor, who perhaps would say, 'Oatmeal,' and so on, until no sensible answer can be made, for no repetitions can occur in this game, also. As the different players fail to respond they must stand.
ALPHABET.
"Give any letter of the alphabet—for example, S—to the company, also some paper and pencils. In five minutes' time they should write the names of three celebrated35 men, and also three sensible sentences, one for each man's name, as Shakespeare was born in Stratford on the Avon. Forfeits36 are required for failures.
"As you describe it, Blanche, I'm afraid the children wouldn't get home until morning."
"I am sure they will not want to. And, besides, it will be such a pretty party."
"That is so; but you haven't suggested any decorations."
"No, nor told you what you are to wear."
"I to wear?" and Mrs. Thayer almost screamed the words.
"Why, the party wouldn't be anywhere without costumes. You must"—and Blanche met Mrs. Thayer's face smilingly—"look over some Dutch portraits or photographs and decide which you will copy. Besides, you must wear a gown of Delft blue, as, indeed, I must also. And all the girls must wear Delft-blue colored frocks, and fashion them as closely as possible after the style of the young Dutch girls. Their hair should be worn flowing, and tied by the same colored ribbon, or worn in braids down their backs; and the boys must get the color in too some way; of course they could all wear Delft scarfs. And all the decorations should be of the same blue shade. That can readily be arranged by draperies and crêpe paper. And don't forget to have the caterer39 serve all confections and ices in form of dikes, windmills, ships, storks, etc. Indeed, we must have everything as Delft as possible."
When Penelope heard the scheme she could scarcely wait for her birthday night to come. But the days passed rapidly, after all, because everybody was very busy, and the night of all nights arrived at last.
And Uncle Dan, who did not enter the parlor until the games were in progress, exclaimed in amazement40, as he turned towards Penelope,
"Well, if it be I, as I suppose it be,
I have a little dog at home, and he knows me."
And drawing his hand across his forehead in a dazed sort of way, he inquired: "Am I dreaming, child? I thought I was in America, but it seems I am in Holland, or perhaps time has gone backward, and it's the old Knickerbocker period."
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收听单词发音
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1
mischievous
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| adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的 | |
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2
rustled
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| v.发出沙沙的声音( rustle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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3
ails
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| v.生病( ail的第三人称单数 )；感到不舒服；处境困难；境况不佳 | |
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4
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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5
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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6
rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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7
ripple
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| n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进 | |
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8
contagious
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| adj.传染性的，有感染力的 | |
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9
rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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10
tantalizing
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| adj.逗人的；惹弄人的；撩人的；煽情的v.逗弄，引诱，折磨( tantalize的现在分词 ) | |
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11
caresses
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| 爱抚，抚摸( caress的名词复数 ) | |
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12
eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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13
demur
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| v．表示异议，反对 | |
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14
consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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15
sham
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| n./adj.假冒(的)，虚伪(的) | |
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16
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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17
tableau
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| n.画面，活人画（舞台上活人扮的静态画面） | |
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parlor
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| n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅 | |
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19
tableaux
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| n.舞台造型，（由活人扮演的）静态画面、场面；人构成的画面或场景( tableau的名词复数 )；舞台造型；戏剧性的场面；绚丽的场景 | |
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20
annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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21
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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22
scrutinized
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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23
rippling
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| 起涟漪的，潺潺流水般声音的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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rehearsals
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| n.练习( rehearsal的名词复数 )；排练；复述；重复 | |
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26
ornamenting
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| v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的现在分词 ) | |
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27
petals
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| n.花瓣( petal的名词复数 ) | |
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28
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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29
suffused
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| v.（指颜色、水气等）弥漫于，布满( suffuse的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30
crocheting
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| v.用钩针编织( crochet的现在分词 )；钩编 | |
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31
pottery
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| n.陶器，陶器场 | |
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32
stork
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| n.鹳 | |
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33
storks
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| n.鹳( stork的名词复数 ) | |
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34
specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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35
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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36
forfeits
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| 罚物游戏 | |
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37
interspersed
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| adj.[医]散开的；点缀的v.intersperse的过去式和过去分词 | |
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38
vocal
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| adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目 | |
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39
caterer
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| n. 备办食物者，备办宴席者 | |
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40
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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