Maida Is Back! Maida's Little House (Chapter 5 & 6)

Tonight we embark on another enchanting journey as we continue with a few more chapters from the 2nd book of the beloved Maida Series called "Maida's Little House". We will go on a magical journey with Maida and all of her friends, while they spend a happy summer together in a sweet little house in the country that has everything a child could wish for. So lie back and relax as we continue our journey once more into Maida's little world! Wishing you the sweetest of dreams...

Your friend,
Joanne

Transcript

Welcome back sleepy listeners,

To a relaxing evening here at Drift Off,

Where I whisk you away to the land of dreams with Sleepy Tales.

I'm your host Joanne,

And tonight we continue our journey with Maeda,

As I read a few more chapters from Maeda's Little House,

The second book from the beloved Maeda series.

We will embark on a magical journey with Maeda and all of her friends,

Where they spend a happy summer together in a sweet little house in the country that has everything a child could wish for.

This book highlights themes of friendship,

Independence,

And the joy of simple pleasures in a young girl's journey towards health and happiness.

Now,

Let's take a moment together to unwind and settle into a state of relaxation.

Close your eyes.

Take a deep breath in,

And exhale slowly.

Feel the tension melting away from your body as you prepare to drift off into a world of wonder and imagination.

My friend,

Just relax and listen as we continue our journey once more into Maeda's world,

Where every corner holds a new adventure and every page is filled with the promise of friendship.

And so,

Go ahead and snuggle up under those cozy blankets and enjoy the story.

Chapter 5,

Morning The sun poured through the windows on Maeda's bed.

She stirred.

Was it a bird calling her?

No,

It was the phonogram.

She peeped out the window.

Arthur had brought the phonogram to the opening of the barn door.

It was plain bugle calls of the American army.

It was Revali that she was listening to.

The door to her bedchamber flew open,

And Rosie,

Her heavy curls flying,

Her black eyes sparkling,

Precipitated herself across the room.

Oh,

Maeda,

She exclaimed,

Isn't it wonderful?

I am not dreaming,

Am I?

Ow,

As Maeda pinched her.

I've been awake for I don't know how long,

Listening to the birds and everything.

I have been waiting ever so long for you to wake up.

I thought you would never stir.

Well now that I am awake,

I'll dress as soon as possible,

Maeda promised.

We've got a long day before us.

Let's go in and get Laura up.

Laura was still in a deep slumber.

Indeed,

She showed a marked disinclination to awaken.

Rosie charitably assisted her efforts by the application to her face of a very wet and very cold sponge.

For some reason,

This action precipitated a pillow fight.

In the midst of it,

The breakfast bell sounded,

But they paid no attention to it.

Finally,

Granny Flynn had to call.

Stop that running about children and get dressed.

Breakfast will be on the table in a minute.

When the second bell rang,

The boys came in from the barn and the twelve children.

Granny Flynn at one end of the table and Mrs.

Dora at the other sat down to a breakfast of fruit,

Oatmeal,

Eggs,

And all the milk they wanted.

After breakfast,

Maeda said,

Now,

First I want to show the six little children where is the nicest place for them to play.

Do the rest of you want to come?

The rest did want to come.

Perhaps Laura voiced their sentiments when she said,

That's a great idea,

Maeda.

Get the little children interested so they won't be forever tagging us.

Maeda led the way to the side of the house,

The north.

They crossed an expanse of a lawn,

Came to an opening in the stone wall.

Beyond looked like unbroken forest,

But from the break in the wall,

Threading its way through the trees,

Appeared a well-worn path.

They followed it for a few rods.

It ended flush against a big sloping rock.

This,

Maeda said triumphantly,

Is house rock.

The children swarmed over it.

Isn't it a beauty?

Rosie exclaimed.

It was a beauty,

And especially for play purposes.

It was big,

Cut up by stratification into all levels,

But low.

At its highest end,

It was not three feet from the ground.

Trees shaded it,

Bushes hedged it,

Mosses padded it.

No wonder it had been named house rock,

For it was a perfect setting for those housekeeping games in which little children so delight.

Now,

Listen to me,

Little six,

Maeda began.

But Arthur interrupted.

Why,

That's a great name for them,

The little six.

And we,

He added triumphantly,

Are the big six.

Molly and Mabel and Dorothy and Betsy and Delia and Timmy,

Maeda started again.

All of you listen.

You are the little six.

This is your playground.

There are some toys in the house,

Dolls and dolls' dishes and dolls' furniture,

Which you can bring here to play house with.

But you are not to go far from the rock.

And when you hear the cowbell,

You must always return to the little house.

Is that all?

Laura asked eagerly.

And now can we leave the little six and go exploring?

The little six waited,

Dancing with excitement,

Impatient for the first time in their lives to have the big children go.

Not yet,

Maeda responded.

Just one more thing for the little six.

She led the way around house rock to its high end.

From there,

Another well-worn path started off.

The children followed her down its curving way.

Not far from house rock,

It came into a big circular enclosure,

Grassy and surrounded by trees.

What's this,

Maeda?

Arthur asked.

It's a fairy ring,

Maeda answered solemnly.

A fairy ring,

Dickie repeated in an odd tone.

Is it really a fairy ring?

That's what I've always called it,

Maeda replied.

I don't know what it is,

If it isn't a fairy ring.

I have never seen anything like it,

Except in England,

And there they always call them fairy rings.

And besides,

Nobody knows what it's used for.

Arthur strolled around the entire circumference of the ring,

Keenly examining the ground and the surrounding trees.

It looks like a wood clearing to me,

He said in a low tone to Maeda when he rejoined the group.

Betsy,

Silenced for the first time in her five years of experience,

Suddenly exploded.

Oh,

Goodie,

Goodie,

Goodie,

She exclaimed.

Now the fairies will come and play with us.

I've always wanted to see a fairy.

Now I'm going to see one.

I don't believe these any such things as fairies,

Timmy declared sturdily.

Oh,

Timmy,

Dorothy Clark remonstrated.

I should think you'd be ashamed of yourself.

Of course,

These fairies.

Well,

Anyway,

Timmy still sturdily stood his ground.

If they are,

I don't believe they'll come and play with us.

Well,

I believe they will,

Mabel Clark reinforced her sister.

But Betsy was capering up and down the length and breadth of the fairies.

I know the fairies will come,

She sang aloud.

I know the fairies will come.

I know the fairies will come.

When the older children left the fairy ring,

All six of the little children were capering too.

The last thing they heard was Delia's mimicking words.

I know the fairies,

Tom.

I know the fairies,

Tom.

That's over,

Maeda said.

I told Granny Flynn,

She explained,

That I'd show the little children a nice place to play.

Now let's go into the living room and talk.

There are a whole lot of things I've got to tell you that I haven't had time to tell you yet.

Although it was a June day,

And as warm and sunny as June knows how to be,

They gathered about the big fireplace where already logs were piled and ready to burn.

The boys sat on the fender.

The girls drew up chairs.

After they were all comfortable,

Maeda began.

Father says that this first week we can all rest.

It's to be our vacation.

But after that,

We've got to work.

Father says that there are some things that every girl ought to know how to do,

And some things every boy ought to know.

And we're going to learn those things living in the little house.

Rosie's eyes danced.

Hurry,

She urged Maeda.

Maeda drew a long breath.

There's so much of it.

You see,

There's a good deal of work about the house,

Although it seems small.

Florabelle,

She's the maid,

Is going to do the cooking.

And Zeke,

Her husband,

Will attend to most of the outside work.

Of course,

Granny Flynn and Mrs.

Dorr will run everything.

But we girls are to take care of our own rooms and the flower garden.

Oh,

Goody,

Goody,

Rosie exclaimed.

I love flowers.

We are to keep the house decorated with flowers.

And once every week,

We are to do the housekeeping for the entire day.

That's Florabelle's and Zeke's day off.

That day,

We have to plan the meals,

Do the marketing,

Cook the food,

Wash and wipe the dishes.

Gee,

I'm glad I'm not a girl,

Harold said jubilantly.

Oh,

Your turn comes now,

Maeda declared.

You boys have got to weed and water the vegetable garden.

Gather vegetables whenever they are needed.

Run errands,

Take care of the tennis court.

For my part,

Laura declared,

I wish we did all the cooking.

I love it.

You wouldn't love it if you did it for 16 people,

Maeda commented in a scandalized tone.

It's just as though we were all alone by ourselves,

Rosie declared jubilantly.

We are,

Maeda stated.

We're three miles from the big house.

We shan't see any of Father's company.

Father has closed one of the roads that leads to the little house,

And the other is a secret one that nobody but he and Botkins and I know.

Your parents are invited to visit you whenever they wish.

Of course,

Father will come to see us occasionally.

And let me tell you,

He will come when we least expect it.

And if anything isn't an apple pie order.

Of course,

There's the telephone if we should need help or anything happened.

But otherwise,

We're almost all alone in the world.

It's like a storybook,

Dickie commented.

Maeda,

Rosie said,

You speak of a flower garden and a vegetable garden,

But I don't remember that you showed them to us last night.

No,

I didn't,

Maeda explained.

We were all getting so tired,

But I'll show them to you now,

Come.

She led the way through the living room,

Through the dining room to the back door of the house.

Then she turned north.

This room is the laundry,

She said.

And here,

Pointing to an enclosure set off by a high vine-grown lattice,

Is the drying yard.

They were now walking on a path which ran between the house and a file of cypresses,

Standing trim and tall,

And so close that they made a hatch.

Maeda led the way to the corner where there was an opening.

There,

A great rectangle surrounded by cypresses was a garden,

All roses.

The bushes were already in rich bloom,

Gray,

Creamy white ones and great pinky white ones.

Others were deep pink,

Golden yellow,

And a rich dark crimson.

This is the rose garden,

Maeda explained.

Beyond,

She led the way into still another cypress-garded square,

Is the old-fashioned garden.

There are nasturtiums here,

And phlox,

And pansies,

And peonies,

And lots of other things I can't remember.

And in the fall,

There'll be dahlias and asters.

Rosie shook herself with joy.

I shall love working in this garden,

She declared.

This afternoon,

Let's fill all the vases in the house with roses.

All right,

Maeda agreed absently.

Now I'm going to show you the vegetable garden.

I know where that is,

Arthur boasted.

I got up early and explored.

Maeda led the way past the croquet ground,

Past the tennis court to another cypress-bordered square.

Here,

In parallel lines,

Were rows of green sprouts.

The earth must have turned over in the spring.

Indeed,

It might have been turned over in the previous fall.

Rich loam and cultivator added,

It looked like freshly grated chocolate.

Gracious,

I think I could make fudge of that earth,

Rosie exclaimed.

How tidy it looks,

Laura commented.

Yes,

Maeda agreed.

That's because the gardener has put it in perfect condition for you boys.

But after this,

You've got to take care of it yourselves.

And weeds grow like,

Like,

She paused for a comparison.

Like 60,

Arthur finished it for her.

I know,

I've weeded my aunt's garden in Maine.

Believe me,

It's hot work.

The thing to do is to work a little every day.

That's the only way you can keep ahead of the weeds.

Sure,

Early in the morning,

Dickie remarked.

How did you know that,

Dickie?

Maeda asked curiously.

I just happened to read it in a book,

Dickie explained.

Now,

When I tell you,

Maeda went on,

As one suddenly remembering the rest of her instructions,

That we shall have to go to bed at nine and get up at seven.

I have told you all I have to tell you.

Father's very strict about our sleep.

He says we must have 10 hours.

There's one exception,

Saturday night,

When we can sit up until 10,

And Sunday morning,

When we can sleep until eight.

Now,

How would you like to go to the magic mirror?

Oh,

I've been on pins and needles every moment since we got up wanting to go to that pond,

Rosie declared.

But then I want to see everything at once.

Arthur,

Do you know how to row a canoe?

Dickie asked.

No,

I don't,

Arthur admitted.

I do,

Said Harold,

With a slight accent of superiority.

But you don't row a canoe.

You row a boat,

And you paddle a canoe.

Does it take long to learn,

Dickie asked,

With great interest?

No,

And it's as easy as pie when you get the hang of it.

But you fall overboard a hundred times before you do that.

I can't swim,

Dickie said,

Disconsolately.

Never mind,

Dickie,

Maeda comforted him.

You'll soon learn.

Can you swim,

Rosie?

Yes,

I'll teach you,

Dickie.

You begin first with water wings,

And then.

.

.

In the meantime,

Following Maeda's lead,

They were going north.

Hey,

Arthur remonstrated.

The way to the pond,

I mean the magic mirror,

Is over in that direction.

This is another way to it,

Maeda explained.

Once you've taken it,

You'll never take any other.

A little path disengaged itself from the trees,

Which fringed the lawn,

Began to wind away,

Almost hidden among the trees.

The children followed Maeda and Indian File.

For a few moments,

They could hear Granny Flynn calling to the younger children.

Then the voices gradually died away.

Bird voices took their places.

The calm and the hush of the deep forest fell upon them.

Oh,

Isn't it wonderful,

Rosie said,

In an odd tone.

It makes me feel like.

.

.

It makes me feel like.

.

.

Well,

It's like being in church.

On both sides of the fresh green of the trees,

Made an intricate screen through which the sunlight poured and splashed.

The birds kept up their calls,

And many insects called too.

A bee buzzed through a tiny interval of silence.

Then a crow-cod.

The road turned,

Dipped,

Sank.

Isn't it pretty,

Maeda exclaimed as they descended into a hollow with high,

Thick,

Blossoming wild rose bushes on both sides?

Involuntarily,

The big six stopped and looked about them.

They stood in a little dimple in the earth,

Bushes growing thick and high on its sides.

How hot it is down here,

Laura commented,

And how sweet it smells.

I call it the Bosque Dingle,

Maeda explained.

What does Bosque Dingle mean?

Dickey inquired.

It's a poetry phrase,

Maeda told him.

It means a kind of woody hollow.

There's the pond,

Called the practical herald.

The children broke into a run.

They came out on a cleared space with a boathouse and a long jetty leading from a newly shingled shed into the water.

This is for the canoes,

Maeda explained.

She unlocked the door and showed a single wide empty room.

Oh,

Let's go home and get the canoes and bring them down here,

Arthur explained.

I'm wild to try them.

It will take two to carry each canoe,

Harold explained,

And we need bathing suits.

There are bathing suits at home for all of us,

Maeda explained.

Shall we turn back?

She asked this question politely,

But she said it a little reluctantly.

Rosie seemed to see her reluctance.

Did you have another plan,

Maeda?

Rosie demanded.

Well,

You see,

Maeda answered slowly.

There's a gypsy camp halfway around the magic mirror,

And I thought you might like to visit it.

Chapter 6.

Afternoon A gypsy camp,

Arthur repeated.

Sure,

I'd love to go.

Gypsies?

Laura shrank a little.

I think I'd be scared of gypsies.

You wouldn't be scared of these gypsies,

Maeda promised.

I've known them ever since I was a little girl.

I'm very fond of them.

Well,

Let's go,

Arthur said,

Shifting from one foot to another in impatient excitement.

The procession started again.

Tell us more about the gypsies,

Maeda,

Arthur demanded at once.

There isn't very much to tell,

Except that they've come here every summer ever since I can remember,

And,

Indeed,

Long before I was born.

Father has always permitted them to camp on this ground rent-free.

I don't seem to remember much about them when I was very little,

Except that I used to go and buy baskets with Granny Flynn,

And they always told Granny's fortune.

Cross my palm with silver,

They say.

That means put some money in my hand.

How many are there,

Dickey inquired?

Not many.

Perhaps a dozen.

Let me see.

There's Aunt Save and Uncle Save,

The father and mother,

And Aunt Vashti,

The old,

Old grandmother.

She would frighten even you,

Rosie.

She looks like a witch.

But she's very kind,

And I'm very fond of her.

And there's Esther and Miriam,

Their daughters,

And Hector and Tom,

Their husbands and their children.

And then there are always three or four relatives,

Different ones every year,

Who come up from the south with them.

They go south then every winter?

Arthur continued.

Yes,

Maeda answered.

She continued to give them her memories of the gypsies through the rest of the long,

Shaded,

Greenly winding walk,

And the children asked many questions.

Presently,

The trail expanded ahead into a clearing.

There they are,

Arthur called.

The clearing was surrounded by pines.

Against this background,

A group of tents pointed their weather-stained pyramids up from the brown pine needles.

In the middle,

A fire was burning.

A black pot,

Hanging from a triangle of stout sticks,

Emitted a cloud of steam and a busy bubbling.

A wagon stood off among the trees,

And tethered by a long rope,

Two horses were feeding.

A trio of hounds,

Two old and one young,

Rose as the children approached,

Made slowly in their direction.

An old woman,

So wrinkled that her face looked as though it could never have been smooth,

With great hoops of gold in her ears,

A red kerchief on her head,

And a black one around her neck,

Stood watching the pot.

A little distance off,

A younger woman,

Buxom and brown,

Mended.

Three men,

One middle-aged,

Two younger,

Sat smoking.

Those dogs won't bite us,

Maeda,

Laura said in a panic,

Will they?

Oh no,

Maeda said,

They know me.

Hi,

Lise,

Hi,

Teague,

She called.

The hounds burst into a run,

Came bounding to her side,

Leaped up and licked her face.

Maeda staggered under the onslaught,

But Arthur expertly seized their collars,

Held them.

The excitement in the gypsy camp was immediate.

It's Maeda,

Ran a murmur from mouth to mouth.

The young woman leaped to her feet.

The old woman,

Less alert,

But still nimble,

Sprang from the grass also.

They all,

Even the men,

Came forward,

Smiling eagerly.

Maeda shook hands with them and introduced her friends.

When did you get here?

Maeda asked.

I've had Zeke come down here every day for a week looking for you.

Every day until yesterday,

When in the excitement of our arrival,

He neglected to come.

We came yesterday,

They explained.

They were most of them dark,

With longish hair and flashing dark eyes,

But their look was very friendly.

They asked Maeda a multitude of questions about her father and Granny Flynn,

Her trip abroad.

Finally,

Maeda asked them if they had any baskets ready for sale.

A few,

Mrs.

Savory said,

Looking pleased.

Oh,

Silva,

Bring the baskets out.

Maeda,

You've never seen Silva and Tima,

Have you?

They're my sister's children.

My sister died last summer,

And now they're living with us.

A voice answered.

In a moment,

It was a child's voice,

And yet it had a curious grown-up accent,

As of an unusual decision of character.

The doors of one of the tents parted,

And a girl's head appeared in the opening.

The children stared at her.

For an instant,

Nobody spoke.

The head disappeared.

When the girl emerged,

Her hands were full of baskets.

Behind her came a lad,

Very like her,

But older.

Silva Burl was a slender brown girl.

She did not look any older than Rosie,

But she was much taller,

And she was as tawny as Rosie was dark.

Her hair,

A strange amber color,

Hung straight to her shoulders,

Where the ends turned upwards,

Not in a curl,

But in a big soft wave.

Her eyes were not big,

But they were long.

They were like bits of shining amber set under her thin straight brows.

Her skin was a tanned amber too.

She wore a much-patched rusty dark skirt,

With a white midi blouse and a tattered yellow ribbon tie.

Tima,

Her brother,

Was slim too,

But strong-looking,

Active.

He had a dark skin and hair so black that there was a purple steeliness about it.

In all this swarthy coloring,

His eyes,

A clear blue,

Seemed strange and unexpected.

His brows were thick,

And they lowered as the eyes under them contemplated the group of children.

Silva's lips curled disdainfully upwards.

Silva nodded briefly when her aunt performed the simple introduction.

This is Meda and her friend Silva,

But Tima merely stared.

Then turning his back,

He strolled away to where the horses were feeding,

Untethered one of them.

With a single leap of his athletic body,

He was on its back.

In another instant,

The green leaves of the forest closed around him as he disappeared,

Riding bareback into it.

What beautiful baskets you have,

Silva,

Meda said politely.

Silva did not deign to answer.

She spread her handiwork out on the table,

Which stood not far from the fire,

And then,

Leaving her prospective customers to their choice,

Went over to the fire,

Set down before it,

Her back to the children.

Aunt Sev seemed to feel dimly that something was wrong.

She moved over to the table and began displaying the baskets.

Meda made an effort to relieve her embarrassment.

Oh,

Aunt Sev,

She said,

What do you suppose is the first thing I'm going to do when I get time?

Without waiting for an answer,

She went swiftly on.

I'm going to wash and iron all Lucy's clothes and pack them nicely away in a little old haircloth trunk which I found in the attic.

Lucy,

She explained to her friends,

Is a great big rag baby doll that Aunt Sev made for me when I was little.

It's as big as a baby two years old.

I was fonder of it than any doll I have ever had,

And so Granny Flynn made it a whole outfit of clothes,

All the things a baby should have.

I'm going to pack them away and keep them for my daughter.

Do you mean that rag baby doll that's sitting in the little chair in your room,

Rosie asked,

And that little queer brown trunk under the window where the tree is?

This slant of the conversation seemed to interest Silva,

For she turned a little,

Listened intently to what followed.

Yes,

That's Lucy,

Meda answered.

All her clothes are in the trunk.

Well,

I made that doll for you,

Aunt Sev said.

I didn't think you'd play with it long.

None of us thought you were going to live.

That was before my illness,

Meda explained to the other children,

When I was so lame.

I told your father,

Aunt Sev went on,

That there was only one thing that could save you,

And that was to go south and live with us in the piney woods and be a little Romani for a year.

But he couldn't seem to let you go for so long.

Oh,

Aunt Sev,

Meda exclaimed,

How I would have loved that.

However,

It all came out right,

Because father gave me a little shop,

And I made all these new friends.

Sweet dreams,

My friend.

Sleep well.

You

Reviews

I love this story & that the children are experiencing new things & independence.

I love these stories and your calm voice puts me to sleep very quickly !! Thank you very much 🙏🏻

Fun and maybe some day I will hear the whole story! 😉

Such a sweet story and a beautiful reading. Thank you 🙏