The Wish Giver Read Free Page A

invisible or something. Mrs. Peabody carried on something fierce just because I said her cookies tasted like biting into a sofa pillow.”
    The twins giggled. Then Lenora stuck her nose in the air and stuck out a limp-wristed hand. “I suppose,” she said, trying to act real fancy, “that Agatha Benthorn and Eunice Ingersoll were there.”
    “Stop that, Lenora!” Polly snapped. “Just because I’m trying to make friends with Agatha and Eunice, you’ve got no call to make fun of me.”
    “Them two ain’t nothing but frilly little skunkweeds,” said Leland. “If we show ’emsomething we found in the woods, or just walk up and talk to them, they get all high-and-mighty and treat us like we were nothing but a bushel of dirt.”
    “Do you think they’d want to see that frog you found?” added Lenora. “I guess not. One look, and they’d go scooting off with their noses in the air and holding their lacy skirts high so’s not to get any dirt on them. You just ain’t their kind, Polly. And you should be thankful for that.”
    “They never so much as give you the time of day,” said Leland. “So why you keep chasing after those stuck-up little prigs is beyond me.”
    “They’re quality folks!” said Polly. “And rich, too. I plan to be just like them someday. I’ll live in the biggest house in Coven Tree and buy everything I ever wanted and—”
    “I think you’ve gone fuzzy in the head,” Leland declared.
    “I ain’t. You’ll see.”
    “Agatha and Eunice are too dumb to enjoy the woods and the crick and the things we like,” snorted Lenora with a toss of her head. “All they like to do is sit on silk pillows and talk about the latest fashions and drink weak tea and…Yucck! Come on, Leland. Let’s go home.”
    Off they went, leaving Polly standing in the red twilight.
    It was dark by the time Polly got home. She entered the living room, and her mother looked up from the lapful of clothes she was sewing and mending for the Coven Tree ladies who had neither the time nor the skill.
    “You’re late,” Mrs. Kemp said. “How are Leland and Lenora?”
    “Consarn those two. I don’t care what they think. I don’t care what anybody thinks. I’m going to make friends with Agatha and Eunice if it kills me. Then folks will sit up and take notice of me, all right!”
     
    The next day—Sunday—everybody in Coven Tree was all togged out in fine fashion for going to church. The women had on bright dresses, and the men wore suits and ties, sometimes tugging at collars that were too tight.
    Agatha Benthorn looked pretty enough to gladden the heart of an angel. Her hair was curled, and she wore a new dress covered with lace. Around her waist was a wide pink ribbon, tied in back with a bow.
    The service went just fine, with the Reverend Terwilliger preaching a sermon that must have had the Devil shaking in his boots. It wasn’t until afterward that the trouble started. When Agatha came outside, Polly was right behind her.
    Agatha rushed down the steps to greet Eunice Ingersoll. At the same time Polly reached out and took hold of one of the loops of the pink ribbon bow. There was a loud ripping sound. Agatha stood at the bottom of the steps with the bow of her dress all ragged and torn. Polly was at the top, with a big piece of ribbon in her fist.
    One look at Polly and you could see how sorry she was for what she’d done. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.
    Then Agatha ran up the steps to Polly and slapped her right across the face—hard!
    “Agatha, I…I…”
    If Polly didn’t have any words, Agatha sure did. “You wretched thing!” she spat. “You tore my beautiful dress, you…you ragamuffin! Of all the spiteful—”
    “Agatha, if you’ll just—”
    “No!” Agatha leveled a finger at Polly the way she might have pointed a pistol. “You are dirt, Polly Kemp! You are dirt, and everything that’shorrid. There’s not a person in town who wants anything to do with you. So just