Welcome to the cherished story of Anne of Green Gables.
This is a six-series bedtime story about Anne Shirley,
A wildly imaginative,
Outspoken,
Stubborn orphan girl who tended to find herself in sticky situations.
Anne's School Days,
Inspired by Lucy Maude Montgomery,
Adapted by Callie George.
As you tuck in tonight,
Take a deep breath in and a smooth breath out.
Say goodnight to your thoughts and let your imagination wander to colorful trees and a silvery stream.
The beauty of autumn is on display at Green Gables,
A humble home in Avonlea on the enchanting Prince Edward Island.
Everyone loved autumn in Avonlea,
Especially Anne of Green Gables.
What a splendid day,
Said Anne to Diana Barry as they walked to school.
Isn't it good to be alive on a day like this?
Three weeks of school had gone by,
And so far,
Anne loved it.
She loved walking to school through Lover's Lane.
She loved all the new friends she had made.
Prissy Andrews even said Anne had a pretty nose.
Anne was very sensitive about her looks,
Especially her red hair.
Most of all,
Anne loved sharing these moments with her best friend,
Her bosom friend,
Diana.
Today,
Diana had news.
Did you hear,
Said Diana,
Gilbert Blythe is coming to school.
He was away visiting cousins,
But he's back now.
Gilbert Blythe asked Anne.
He's very handsome,
Anne,
Said Diana.
He's smart,
Too,
Just like you.
Anne didn't care that he was handsome,
But she was glad that he was smart.
Good,
Said Anne.
She was top of their class,
Though she would like a little challenge.
The Avonlea schoolhouse was a white building with one big room.
The desks had lids that opened and shut.
Behind the school,
There was a silvery stream where all the students put their milk to keep it cool and sweet until lunch.
Anne sat with Diana.
Gilbert sat nearby.
What do you think of him,
Anne?
Whispered Diana.
Anne looked at Gilbert.
He had curly brown hair and hazel eyes that twinkled with trouble.
He was busy pinning Ruby Gillis's braid to the back of her seat.
When he saw Anne looking at him,
He winked.
He is handsome,
Anne whispered back to Diana,
But he's very bold.
It isn't good manners to wink at a strange girl or pin a girl's braid.
Anne turned away and quickly forgot about Gilbert.
Instead,
She gazed off and started imagining.
Anne loved imagining.
This time,
She dreamed she was a fancy lady with puffed sleeves and glossy black hair.
All of a sudden,
She was tugged out of her daydream.
It was Gilbert.
He had slid over,
And now he was pulling her braid.
Carrots,
He whispered.
Anne's eyes went wide.
Anne's red hair was her lifelong sorrow.
That was the worst name Gilbert could call her,
The worst name anyone could call her.
Carrots,
Gilbert teased louder.
How dare you,
Anne cried.
You mean boy.
Anne jumped up,
Holding her writing slate.
In the blink of an eye,
She was behind Gilbert and crack.
She hit him over the head with the slate.
Oh,
Everyone gasped.
Gilbert gasped the loudest.
He wasn't hurt,
But he was surprised.
Anne froze.
Their teacher,
Mr.
Phillips,
Was furious.
It was my fault,
Said Gilbert quickly.
I teased her.
Mr.
Phillips did not listen to Gilbert.
He made Anne stand in the front of the class.
Then he wrote on the board,
Anne Shirley has a very bad temper.
And he forgot the E.
It was horrible.
But Anne did not cry.
She did not hang her head.
She was too angry.
Her heart was hurt to its core.
After school,
Anne marched home with Diana.
Gilbert caught up to them.
I'm sorry I made fun of your hair,
He said.
Honest,
I am.
But his smile still teased.
Anne swept silently past him.
Diana followed.
Gilbert makes fun of all the girls,
Diana whispered to Anne.
But I've never heard him apologize before.
You should forgive him.
Anne shook her head.
My feelings have been hurt excruciatingly.
I will never forgive him,
Never.
Anne didn't think things could get worse with Gilbert,
But they did.
The next day at lunch,
All the students were playing in the spruce grove near the school.
The boys climbed trees.
The girls played below.
Anne was daydreaming as usual.
She put lilies in her hair and made up poems as she wandered through the woods.
When the bell rang,
Anne was late along with the boys.
Mr.
Phillips didn't want to punish everyone.
Instead,
He decided to punish only Anne.
After all,
She had caused trouble the day before.
Anne,
Since you are so fond of the boys' company,
You will have to share a desk with one,
He said.
Go sit next to Gilbert.
Anne went pale.
Did you hear me,
Anne?
Asked Mr.
Phillips.
Yes,
But I didn't think you really meant it,
Said Anne.
I did,
Said Mr.
Phillips sternly.
That is your new seat for the rest of the year.
It was so unfair.
The boys had been late too,
And to have to sit with Gilbert Blythe,
Anne could not bear it.
She flopped her head on the desk.
She didn't even want to look at Gilbert.
What could Anne do?
When school was over,
Anne took her books and her pen and ink and piled them on her broken slate.
What are you doing?
Asked Diana.
I am not coming back to school,
Declared Anne.
Diana gasped.
What will I do without you?
Anne didn't know.
She would miss Diana too,
But her mind was made up.
At Green Gables,
Anne made the same announcement.
Nonsense,
Said Marilla.
Marilla and her brother Matthew had adopted Anne not so long ago.
Matthew was shy and understanding,
While Marilla was stern.
It isn't nonsense,
Said Anne stubbornly.
I will do my lessons here and be a good girl,
But I am not going back.
I was insulted.
Insulted fiddlesticks,
Exclaimed Marilla.
But when Marilla heard the whole story,
She took Anne's side.
It wasn't fair what Mr.
Phillips had done.
Matthew thought so too.
So Marilla decided Anne could stay at home,
At least for a little while.
Sooner or later,
Anne will want to go back,
Thought Marilla.
Marilla was right.
As much as Anne disliked Gilbert,
She loved Diana.
She just couldn't be apart from her.
Eventually,
Anne went back to school.
She did not talk to Gilbert.
Many months passed.
Mr.
Phillips left for a new job,
And Miss Stacy took his place.
Right away,
Anne felt she was a kindred spirit.
When the new teacher said Anne's name,
Anne just knew she was saying it with an E.
Still,
Anne did not talk to Gilbert.
She did not even look at him.
Until one day.
It was hot,
And Anne,
Diana,
And two other schoolmates,
Jane and Ruby,
Were standing at the bank of the pond.
They were play-acting a poem about a beautiful maiden,
Elaine,
Who lived in the lilies.
She was called the Lily Maid.
In the poem,
Elaine floated down a river in a boat.
It was so romantic.
Anne and her friends didn't have a river or a boat,
But they did have a wooden raft and the pond.
You should be Elaine,
Anne,
Said Diana.
I'd love to,
Said Anne,
But Elaine didn't have red hair.
Your hair is ever so much darker than before,
Said Diana.
It's practically auburn.
Really,
Anne blushed with delight.
She climbed on the raft.
She lay down just the way she imagined Elaine would lie down with her hands clasped on her chest.
The other girls pushed the raft into the water.
For a few moments,
Anne drifted across the pond.
She was enjoying how romantic it was.
Then something happened that wasn't romantic.
The raft began to leak.
Elaine,
Anne,
Set up in a hurry.
She gazed blankly at the big crack.
Where were the oars?
Left behind.
What was she going to do?
She would sink before she made it to shore.
There was one chance,
Just one.
The bridge was near.
When the raft floated under the bridge,
Anne jumped onto one of the bridge's posts.
She clung onto the post and watched as her wooden raft sank.
Diana,
Jane,
And Ruby saw the raft disappear,
But they didn't see Anne.
They shrieked and ran for help.
Meanwhile,
Anne clung to the post for dear life.
Why didn't someone come?
How long could she hang on?
At first,
Anne thought she imagined Gilbert,
But he was really there,
Rowing under the bridge in a boat.
Anne,
Surely,
How on earth did you get there?
He exclaimed.
Gilbert didn't wait for an answer.
He put out his hand.
Anne had no choice.
She reached for it and scrambled into the boat.
What happened?
He asked,
Taking up the oars.
Anne explained.
To her surprise,
Gilbert didn't make fun of her.
Instead,
When they landed on shore,
He said,
Look here,
Anne,
Can't we be friends?
I'm so sorry I made fun of your hair that one time.
Please don't stay mad.
For once,
He didn't look like he was teasing.
Anne paused.
Maybe Gilbert did deserve a second chance.
She had made lots of mistakes before,
Too.
She wasn't sure what to say.
I have to go,
Gilbert,
She answered at last.
Everyone will be worried about me.
Okay.
Gilbert waved as she left,
And Anne waved back.
As Anne ran to her friends,
She knew something had changed.
She might not ever be able to fully forgive Gilbert.
After all,
He had called her carrots.
But she wasn't mad anymore.
Back at Green Gables,
Anne told everyone what had happened.
Thank goodness you are all right,
Marilla clucked.
How romantic,
Gushed Diana.
Anne did not think so.
Still,
She smiled.
As much as she wasn't sure about Gilbert,
She was sure of one thing.
She loved her kindred spirits and Green Gables very much.
But she didn't say it aloud like she usually did.
Instead,
She kept the dear,
Pretty thought in her heart like a treasure.
Maybe Anne had changed just a little.
But she'd always be Anne with an E.
