The Wish Giver Read Free

of the time. But if an argument or a fight started, you couldn’t take on just one of the twins without having to answer to both of ’em. And Lenora was just as handy with either words or fists as her brother.Usually, though, they kept apart from other people, content with one another’s company. Polly was proud and happy that she’d been able to make friends with them several months ago.
    It had all started the day Polly found the crow with the broken wing. She was carrying it home when she met the twins on the path.
    “Whatcha got there, Polly?” Leland asked.
    “A crow that’s been hurt. I’m going to figure some way to fix its wing bone. Then I’ll split its tongue and—”
    “Split its tongue?” Leland exclaimed. “What for?”
    “I’ve heard tell that when you split a crow’s tongue, it’ll talk real words. I’m going to try it.”
    “No bird’ll talk when you split its tongue,” scoffed Lenora. “Most likely you’ll kill it. Leland, show Polly how to set that wing bone.”
    The twins helped Polly set the wing and bandaged it tight to the crow’s body before leaving for home. The following day, much to Polly’s surprise, Leland and Lenora showed up bright and early, asking about the bird. In the weeks that followed, they took Polly along on their treks through the woods, one day searching out fiddlerferns, and another locating a bee tree. Lenora even showed Polly how to catch a trout with just a few pieces of yarn tied to a hook. By the time the crow was ready to be returned to the wild, Polly and the twins were close friends.
    Sometimes, however, Polly’s mouth got in the way of their friendship. But unlike the village children, the twins didn’t just walk off when Polly’s mouth got the best of her. Leland and Lenora believed in getting even.
    Once Polly was yammering at Leland for pretending they’d gotten lost in a deep part of the forest. Right in the middle of her angry shouting, Lenora sneaked up and dropped a little green snake down the collar of her shirt. Another time, when a wasp stung Lenora and Polly jeered at her cries of pain, the twins picked her up and tossed her in the crick, clothes and all.
    This time they’d thrown mud. Now they stood at the edge of the woods, and Leland grinned at his sister.
    “Ain’t it nice, being way out here, Lenora?” he said. “Just the two of us.”
    “It sure is,” Lenora replied. “No Polly Kemp around with her infernal jabbering.”
    “You’re talking like I was a mile away,” said Polly angrily. “I’m standing right here talking to you.”
    “Did you hear something, Lenora?” Leland asked.
    “Yeah,” said his sister. “It must have been an ol’ froggy down in the swamp.”
    “I ain’t no…” howled Polly. But then the tone of her voice changed. “I don’t want you to stay mad at me,” she went on softly.
    “That frog’s sounding more human all the time,” said Leland.
    “I…I’m sorry I talked that way. Please come back.”
    Lenora turned about. “Well I’ll be…That ain’t no frog, Leland. It’s Polly Kemp. What are you doing out here, Polly?”
    Polly knew the twins were teasing her, but she didn’t say a word. She didn’t want them to walk away again.
    “I didn’t see either of you at the Church Social,” she began finally. “I looked everywhere for you.”
    “We didn’t go,” Leland told her. “Everybody expects you to spend money there. I feel funny when I don’t have any to spend.”
    “And I don’t like all the girls in their fancy dresses laughing at me ’cause all I’ve got to wear is overalls,” said Lenora.
    “We’ll listen if you want to tell us about it.” Leland tried to act bored, but Polly could tell that both twins were eager to hear what went on.
    “It was fair to middling,” she began. “The booths were real pretty, and there was lots of nice things for sale. But most folks acted like they usually do, either real uppity or else staring right through me like I was