Karen's Doll Hospital Read online

  The Lost Maypole

  Boo. It was raining again Thursday morning.

  I had to put Pudding way down in my knapsack where she would not get wet. I did not want her to be a soggy mess with frizzy hair when Natalie saw her.

  “Here you go, Pudding,” I said, when we got to school. “You sit in Natalie’s chair. She will be here very soon. And she will have our Maypole with her. I know you will like that.”

  Ms. Colman wanted us to bring in everything we were working on. She wanted to see it all before we made our presentations the next day.

  In a few minutes, Natalie walked in. She was carrying her notebook, her lunch, and a dripping umbrella. But that was all. I did not see the Maypole.

  “Thank you for bringing Pudding,” said Natalie. She sat down at her desk and faced the front of the room. She did not even look at me.

  “Where is it, Natalie? Where is the Maypole?” I asked.

  “I don’t have it,” mumbled Natalie.

  “What? Don’t tell me you forgot it. I did not forget to bring the report. Or Pudding,” I said.

  “I did not forget the Maypole,” replied Natalie. “It … it was thrown out.”

  “How could someone throw out our beautiful Maypole?” I cried.

  “I wrapped it up yesterday after school because it was going to rain today. I didn’t want the ribbons to get wet,” explained Natalie.

  “So?” I said.

  “So I put it in the kitchen where I would remember to get it when I fixed my lunch this morning. But I guess I left it too close to the garbage. My daddy did not know what it was. He threw it out by accident,” said Natalie in a choked up, teary voice.

  Oh, no, I thought. This cannot be happening. Not to my first grown-up project.

  “Now what are we going to do?” I moaned. “Ms. Colman expects a report and a Maypole.”

  “We will just have to tell her the truth,” said Natalie.

  “I guess so,” I said. “Maybe she will give us some extra time. If we work really hard over the weekend, maybe we can make a new Maypole.”

  We ran to Ms. Colman as soon as she walked in. We told her what had happened to our Maypole.

  “It was thrown out by accident. Things like that could happen to anyone. Even a grown-up. That is why they are called accidents,” I explained.

  “You are absolutely right, Karen,” said Ms. Colman. “These things can happen to anyone.”

  We asked Ms. Colman if we could have more time.

  “You may have until Monday,” she replied.

  The Maypole Dance

  On Saturday morning, I woke up in my room at the big house.

  “Good morning, Moosie. Do you want to hear a funny May Day rhyme?” I asked.

  I made Moosie nod his head. Then I recited the rhyme I found in a book about May Day.

  “Tomorrow’s the fair, and I shall be there, stuffing my guts with gingerbread nuts.”

  Moosie and I laughed at the poem. Then I ate breakfast and Daddy drove me over to Natalie’s house. We wanted to get started on our Maypole right away.

  “Hi, Karen,” said Natalie. “Come look. I have everything we need.”

  Natalie showed me a broom, ribbons, a box of gold foil, a hammer, and nails.

  “How much did everything cost?” I asked. “I want to pay my share.”

  “Oh, no,” replied Natalie. “Daddy wanted to pay for it because he threw out the other Maypole.”

  “But it was only an accident. So we should pay,” I insisted. It seemed like the grown-up thing to do.

  But Natalie would not take the money.

  “Please tell your daddy thank you from me and Hyacynthia,” I said. “This money will buy Hyacynthia her new dress.”

  We worked all morning long. Natalie’s mommy helped us when we needed to use the hammer and nails.

  When we had finished, our Maypole was beautiful! Three gold foil balls sat at the top. Eighteen colored ribbons hung down. That would be just the right number if every one — even Ms. Colman — decided to join our May Day dance.

  On Monday morning we arrived at school early.

  “This Maypole was certainly worth waiting for, Karen and Natalie. It is beautiful,” said Ms. Colman.

  Yes! Natalie and I felt gigundoly proud of ourselves.

  After attendance Ms. Colman announced, “We have two more presentations this morning. First we will hear from Hank and Bobby.”

  Hank had been absent on Friday. That is why he and Bobby were making their presentation today. They shuffled to the front of the room. They were dressed as two cardboard trees.

  “Our holiday is Arbor Day,” said Hank. “It is a day for planting trees in the spring.”

  They recited a poem called “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. I could tell they were embarrassed. But I thought their presentation was very nice. Of course, it was not as nice as our presentation was going to be. And we would give ours next.

  “Psst! Natalie, your socks,” I whispered.

  Natalie bent down and pulled up her socks, while I began reading our report.

  “May Day is a celebration of spring,” I said. I told the class about Flora, the goddess of flowers. I told them about May baskets and May parties.

  “And people of the villages gathered together and danced around a beautiful Maypole, just like this one.” I said. “Who would like to come up and dance with us?”

  “There are ribbons for everyone,” added Natalie.

  No one went to the front of the room. I could not believe it. I would have danced if someone had invited me. I gave Hannie and Nancy a Three Musketeers you promised look. It worked!

  Hannie, Nancy, Natalie, and I each held onto the end of a ribbon. Then we danced around and around. We weaved our ribbons in and out, wrapping them around the pole.

  While we were dancing, Natalie and I sang a spring song. “Oh, the green grass grows all around, all around. The green grass grows all around!”

  You know what happened next? The rest of our classmates started singing with us. They sang as we danced around our Maypole. I felt as if we were back in olden times.

  When we finished, the class clapped and clapped. And Ms. Colman gave us an A –.

  Now that is a grown-up grade.

  The Doll Wizard

  “Attention, all dolls!” I said to my doll hospital. “I, Karen Brewer, got an A minus on my May Day research project.”

  The dolls clapped loudly.

  I had already told everyone at the little house my news. And at the big house. I had called Mr. Kelly, too.

  “That is wonderful news, Karen,” he said. “On your next visit, will you show me your May Day dance?”

  “Yes,” I said. “I will even bring the Maypole.”

  We made our date for Thursday. Mommy drove me over to Mr. Kelly’s house. This is who went with me: Andrew, Hannie, Nancy, Natalie (I wanted her to meet the person who had fixed Pudding), and Hyacynthia (I wanted Mr. Kelly to see how well his former patient was doing).

  Ding-ing-ing-ing. Dong-ong-ong-ong.

  We waited for Mr. Kelly to come downstairs. He was feeling much better and was working on the toys and dolls all day.

  “Welcome, everyone,” said Mr. Kelly when he opened the door.

  I introduced Natalie. Then after everyone said hello, we went inside and did our Maypole dance. (Andrew held the pole.)

  “Bravo! Bravo!” cried Mr. Kelly, when we had finished. “And now would you like to give Natalie your tour?”

  “Yes, Natalie, come on,” I said.

  I showed her Mr. Kelly’s repair shop and the doll hospital where he had fixed Pudding. She was impressed, just like everyone else.

  After the tour, we went downstairs for juice and cookies.

  “You know what, Mr. Kelly,” I said. “Ms. Colman gave us a new assignment. We have to write a report independently. That means we do it by ourselves. It’s all very grown-up.”

  “Yes, I see,” said Mr. Kelly. “What do you have to write about?”

>   “We have to write about someone important in our lives. And guess who I picked? You!” I said.

  “I am very honored,” said Mr. Kelly. “I hope I am worthy of a whole report.”

  “Oh, you are!” I exclaimed. “I am going to interview you. I will write about your repair shop and all the dolls you have saved in your doll hospital.”

  “I will be happy to help in any way I can,” replied Mr. Kelly.

  “I already thought of a title for my report. I am going to call it The Doll Wizard,” I said.

  Mr. Kelly looked very happy. His eyes began to twinkle.

  “Come, everyone. We have had a nice long visit. It’s time to let Mr. Kelly get back to work,” said Mommy.

  Mr. Kelly walked us to the door.

  “I think my dolls are all well now,” I said. “They are going to go back to school in Nancy’s room.”

  “You have made your dolls feel better, Karen. And you have made me feel better, too,” said Mr. Kelly.

  “I guess one doll wizard in Stoneybrook is plenty. But if you ever need an assistant wizard, call me, okay?” I asked.

  “I sure will,” replied Mr. Kelly.

  Karen Brewer, Assistant Doll Wizard. That would be neat.

  But for now I was Karen Brewer, writer of an independent school report. How grown-up could you get?

  I hurried down the steps and hopped into Mommy’s car. I waved to Mr. Kelly as we drove away.

  “See you soon, Doll Wizard,” I said. “See you soon.”

  About the Author

  ANN M. MARTIN is the acclaimed and bestselling author of a number of novels and series, including Belle Teal, A Corner of the Universe (a Newbery Honor book), A Dog’s Life, Here Today, P.S. Longer Letter Later (written with Paula Danziger), the Family Tree series, the Doll People series (written with Laura Godwin), the Main Street series, and the generation-defining series The Baby-sitters Club. She lives in New York.

  Copyright © 1993 by Ann M. Martin

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  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  First edition, 1993

  e-ISBN 978-1-338-05644-0