It seems like no time at all since I came to Green Gables,
but spring is over, and I've turned twelve.
Today ends the school term.
Tomorrow begins summer vacation.
I never thought you were so fond of Mr. Phillips.
I wasn't really so very fond of him.
I just cried because all the others did.
The time has come for us to part.
Ruby Gillis has always declared she hated Mr. Phillips,
but just as soon as he got up to make his farewell speech, she burst into tears.
Oh, aren't partings heartrending?
But one can't feel quite in the depths of despair
with two months vacation before them, can they?
And besides, we met the new minister and his wife coming from the station!
The new minister looks ever so kind.
His wife is very pretty!
She was dressed in blue muslin with lovely puffed sleeves.
Jane Andrews said she thought puffed sleeves were too worldly for a minister's wife,
but I know what it is to long for puffed sleeves.
I certainly don't.
Well, I'm glad you like the look of the wife.
We must have them both up to tea some day soon.
Oh, how lovely!
But don't say a word to Matthew about it.
He'd find some excuse to be away that day.
A new minister's wife will frighten him to death.
I'll be as secret as the dead.
And we'll have a new teacher this fall.
Isn't it wonderful meeting new people!
Chapter 5
Let Us Look on the Bright Side of Things
Wait!
I've got you!
I can't run another step.
Me neither.
Then let's play dares next.
Dares?
The rules are simple.
You dare someone to do something.
If they do it right, they win. If they can't, whoever dared them wins.
That sounds like fun.
Who will start?
I will.
And I dare... Diana!
Hop on your right leg around the garden without stopping once!
You lose if your left foot touches the ground at all.
I'll do it!
You can do it, Diana!
Look at that. She'll win if she keeps this up.
I don't know about that.
I guess I lose.
That wasn't so hard.
I'll dare you next, Josie!
Walk the top of that fence!
That dare wasn't so hard at all.
I don't think it's such a very wonderful thing to walk a little, low, board fence.
I knew a girl who could walk the ridgepole of a roof.
Did you? But you couldn't, anyhow.
Couldn't I?
Anne!
Then prove it.
Anne Shirley,
I dare you to climb up there and walk the ridgepole.
Don't you do it, Anne.
You'll fall off and be killed!
Josie, it isn't fair to dare anybody to do anything so dangerous!
But Anne doesn't have to take the dare.
She could always refuse.
I'll do it.
Anne!
Please, Anne! Don't do it!
I must do it.
My honor is at stake.
I shall walk that ridgepole, Diana, or perish in the attempt.
Anne!
Anne! Wake up!
Anne! Anne!
Oh, Anne.
Anne, are you killed?
I am not certain. I think I am rendered unconscious.
Do you hurt anywhere?
My ankle.
Matthew! It's Anne!
Anne!
What has happened to her?!
I think she was walking our ridgepole and she fell off.
Don't be very frightened.
I expect I have sprained my ankle.
But I might have broken my neck.
Let us look on the bright side of things.
B-Bring her in here!
We must send for a doctor!
Anne?
Anne?! Anne!
Her ankle is broken.
Give it six weeks of rest.
Take care.
Thank you.
I think I have been punished so much that you needn't be very cross with me, Marilla.
Aren't you very sorry for me?
It was your own fault.
But what would you have done, Marilla,
if you had been dared to walk a ridgepole?
I'd have stayed on good firm ground and let them dare away.
I won't be able to go around for six weeks.
Isn't it fortunate I've got such an imagination?
It will help me through splendidly, I expect.
What do people who haven't any imagination do when they break their bones?
It isn't very pleasant to be laid up;
Anne!
but there is a bright side to it.
Oh, don't give me such a fright, child!
How do you feel, Anne?
You find out how many friends you have.
Everyone has been worried about you.
It was my fault, Miss Cuthbert! I started the daring.
I dared her to walk the ridgepole.
So don't punish Anne any more!
If you must be cross at someone, be cross at me!
Why, Anne,
what have you been putting into these girls' heads?
Ta-da!
I-Is that what I think it is?
Mrs. Morgan's latest!
You won't believe the reversal at the end!
I can't wait!
You've been over every day, and I can read all the books I like.
Invalid life isn't all bad, is it?
Of all the absurdity!
School is back in session.
What about that new teacher?
Miss Stacy is perfectly sweet.
She has the loveliest fair curly hair and such fascinating eyes!
Every week she has a recitation
or takes everyone to study flowers and birds in the woods.
And they have physical culture exercises every morning and evening.
Have you ever seen a teacher half so splendid?!
There's one thing plain to be seen, Anne,
and that is that your fall off the Barry roof hasn't injured your tongue at all.
We've gotten up to learning this poem.
Good morning, everyone.
Good morning.
Well? Isn't she pretty?
Yes.
Anne Shirley's ankle has healed, and she's come back to school today.
It's a pleasure to meet you, Anne.
No, the pleasure is mine!
You made all this, Miss Stacy?
Yes, I did.
How splendid!
I'll follow your rules and share.
Now, eat up.
Oh, thank you!
Scrumptious!
Please, have some of mine.
And mine.
In that case, I don't mind if I do.
Wait, where is Miss Stacy?
That concludes our lesson for today, but I have a suggestion to make.
Why don't we all get up a concert this Christmas
to help raise money for a schoolhouse flag?
You can see the school doesn't have one.
And besides, I'm sure a concert will be fun for everybody.
That sounds wonderful!
Simply lovely!
I'd like to join in.
And me!
Then let's decide on a program at once.
I love Miss Stacy with my whole heart!
She has such a sweet voice.
When she pronounces my name I feel instinctively that she's spelling it with an e.
Well now, that's nice.
And I'm going to recite at the Christmas concert!
I only hope it does more than take time that ought to be put on your lessons.
If you have time for gadding about, better spend it improving your geometry.
I don't approve of children's getting up concerts and racing about to practices.
Well now, I reckon it's going to be a pretty good concert.
And I expect you'll do your part fine.
Thank you, Matthew.
"Dear native brook!"
"Wild streamlet of the West!"
Splendid, Anne!
Say, Anne, what will you wear to the concert?
What will I wear?
This, I suppose.
They all have puffed sleeves! All but Anne!
What can I do for you this evening, Mr. Cuthbert?
Have you any—
any—any—well now, say any garden rakes?
Why, yes.
Anything else tonight, Mr. Cuthbert?
Well now, I might as well—take— that is—look at—buy some...
some hayseed.
We only keep hayseed in the spring.
Oh, certainly—certainly— just as you say.
Mr. Cuthbert! You haven't paid.
Oh.
Sorry about that.
Well, now...
Yes, Mr. Cuthbert?
if it isn't too much trouble,
I might as well—that is— I'd like to look at—at—some...
Brown sugar!
And we have plenty of rakes in the barn.
I thought it might come in handy sometime.
Pick out a dress for you to give Anne?
I couldn't ask Marilla, you see.
Have you something particular in mind?
I dunno. The sleeves...
Puffs? Of course!
I have just what you ordered.
And what did you order?
So this is what Matthew has been grinning about to himself for two weeks, is it?
Merry Christmas, Marilla!
Merry Christmas, Matthew!
Isn't it a lovely Christmas? I'm so glad it's white.
What is the matter?
Here, Anne.
Why, Matthew, is that for me?
Open it and see.
You can wear it to your concert tonight.
Why—why—Anne, don't you like it?
Like it! Oh, Matthew!
Matthew, it's perfectly exquisite!
Oh, I can never thank you enough.
Oh, it seems to me this must be a happy dream.
I must say, Anne, I don't think you needed the dress;
but since Matthew has got it for you, see that you take good care of it.
Of course I will.
I swear by these sleeves that I'll make a success of it.
So you must come watch me recite.
We will.
That was Ruby and Jane in The Faerie Queene.
Good luck.
Thank you.
Next, a recitation of "To the River Otter."
Anne Shirley, please step forward.
Dear native brook!
wild streamlet of the West!
Thy crossing plank, thy marge with willows grey,
And bedded sand that, veined with various dyes,
Gleamed through thy bright transparence!
On my way,
Visions of childhood!
oft have ye beguiled
Lone manhood's cares,
yet waking fondest sighs:
Ah! That once more I were a careless child!
Oh, Anne! That was simply splendid.
I couldn't have done without all of you.
Next, Diana Barry will sing "The Island Hymn."
Oh, dear. I feel so nervous.
Can I really go up and sing like this?
Find your mother and father in the audience.
That should steady your nerves.
I could never!
Looking at all the people watching would only make it worse.
Then look at me.
You should be able to do that, since I'll be in the front row.
Now, look at me—nowhere else—and sing.
All right. I'll try.
I know you'll bring down the house.
Hasn't it been a brilliant evening?
Yes. I guess we must have made as much as ten dollars.
I meant your solo, Diana.
I felt prouder than you did when it was encored.
I just said to myself, "It is my dear bosom friend who is so honored."
You deserve all the praise, Anne.
You never took your eyes off me.
And you said something, didn't you?
What was it?
What did I say?
You'll do fine.
I think I said, "You'll do fine," although I can't be certain.
Can't you?
I understand, "You'll do fine," but don't you know what you said?
I said I can't be certain because I can't.
Speaking of uncertain things,
just before I got on stage...
Anne?
I saw Gilbert pick up a rose off the floor.
I think it was the rose you wore in your hair.
I-It's nothing to me what that person does.
Wait, Anne!
I can't be certain, but I think Gilbert is...
Well now, I guess our Anne did as well as any of them.
Yes, she did.
I've been kind of opposed to this concert scheme, but I was proud of Anne tonight.
She's brighter than we give her credit for.
Yes, she'll need something more than Avonlea school by and by.
We must see what we can do for her some of these days.
Matthew, I guess the best thing we can do for her will be to send her to Queen's.
Well now, it'll do no harm to be thinking it over off and on.
Mrs. Lynde made that dress a mite too long, and it makes Anne look so tall.
Next Time
I Thought Nothing Could Be as Bad as Red Hair