What Katy Did Part 2: Bedtime Story

Hello beloveds.

Welcome to our new story! This is my reading of part two of What Katy Did, by Susan Coolidge. I loved reading this so I hope you enjoy.

This is a delightful story following the adventures of a twelve-year-old girl, Katy Carr, and her family, who live in the fictional lakeside Ohio town of Burnet in the 1860s. Katy is a tall, untidy tomboy, forever getting into scrapes but wishing to be beautiful and beloved. Our story follows the adventures of Katy as she learns some important life lessons.

Thank you for listening, dear ones.

Transcript

Hello dear ones,

And welcome to today's reading.

What Katie Did.

Chapter Two.

The place to which the children were going was a sort of moshy thicket at the bottom of a field near the house.

It wasn't a big thicket,

But it looked big,

Because the trees and bushes grew so closely that you could not see just where it ended.

In the winter the ground was damp and boggy,

So that nobody went there,

Excepting cows,

Who didn't mind getting their feet wet.

But in summer the water dried away,

And then it was all fresh and green,

Full of delightful things.

Wild roses and birds' nests,

Narrow winding paths run here and there,

Made by the cattle as they wandered to and fro.

This place the children called Paradise,

And to them it seemed as wide and endless and full of adventure as any forest of Fairyland.

The way to Paradise was through some wooden bars.

Katie and Cece climbed these with a hop-skip-and-jump,

While the smaller ones scrambled underneath.

Once past the bars,

They were fairly in the field,

And,

With one consent,

They all began to run till they reached the entrance of the wood.

Then they halted,

With a strange look of hesitation on their faces.

It was always an exciting occasion to go to Paradise,

For the first time after the long winter.

Who knew what the fairies might not have done,

Since any of them had been there to see?

Which path shall we go in by?

Asked Clover at last.

Suppose we vote,

Said Katie.

I say by the Pilgrim's Path and the Hill of Difficulty.

So do I,

Chimed in Clover,

Who always agreed with Katie.

The Path of Peace is nice,

Suggested Cece.

No,

No,

We want to go by Sassafras Path,

Cried John and Dory.

However,

Katie,

As usual,

Had her way.

It was agreed that they should first try Pilgrim's Path,

And afterward make a thorough exploration of the whole of their little kingdom and see all that happened since they last were there.

So in they marched,

Katie and Cece heading up the procession,

And Dory bringing up the rear.

The Path of Peace got its name because of its darkness and coolness.

High bushes almost met over it,

And trees kept it shady,

Even in the middle of the day.

A sort of white flower grew there,

Which the children called polypods,

Because they didn't know the real name.

They stayed a long while picking bunches of these flowers,

And then John and Dory had to grub up an armful of Sassafras roots,

So that before they had fairly gone through Toadstool Avenue,

Rabbit Hollow,

And the rest,

The sun was just over their heads,

And it was noon.

I'm getting hungry,

Said Dory.

Oh no,

Dory,

You mustn't be hungry yet,

Cried the little girls,

Alarmed,

For Dory was apt to be disconsolate if he was kept waiting for his meals.

So they made haste to build their picnic area,

And when it was done they all cuddled together.

Katie,

Who sat in the off the largest basket,

While all the rest peeped eagerly to see what was inside.

First came a great many ginger cakes.

These were carefully laid on the grass to keep to wanted.

Buttered biscuits came next,

Three apiece,

With slices of cold lamb laid in between.

And,

Last of all,

Were a dozen hard-boiled eggs,

And a layer of thick bread and butter sandwiched with corned beef.

Aunt Izzy had put up lunches for Paradise before,

You see,

And knew pretty well what to expect in the way of appetite.

Oh,

How good everything tasted,

With the fresh wind rustling the poplar leaves,

Sunshine and sweet wood smells about them,

And birds singing overhead.

No grown-up dinner party ever had had so much fun.

Each mouthful was a pleasure,

And when the last crumb had vanished,

Katie produced the second basket,

And there,

Oh,

Delightful surprise,

Were seven little pies,

Molasses pies,

Baked in saucers,

Each with a brown top and crisp,

Candified edge,

Which tasted like toffee and lemon peel,

And all sorts of good things mixed up together.

There was a general shout,

And Dory and John kicked their heels on the ground in a tumult of joy.

Seven pairs of hands were held out at once toward the basket,

Seven sets of teeth went to work without a moment's delay.

In an incredibly short time,

Every vestige of pie had disappeared,

And a blissful stickiness pervaded the party.

What shall we do now?

Asked Clover,

While little Phil tipped the baskets upside down,

As if to make sure there was nothing left that could possibly be eaten.

I don't know,

Replied Katie,

Dreamily.

She had left her seat,

And was half sitting,

Half lying,

Against the butternut tree.

Let's play away grown-up,

Said Cece,

And tell what we mean to do.

Well,

Said Clover,

You begin.

What do you mean to do?

I mean to have a black silk dress,

And pink roses in my bonnet,

And a white muslin long shawl,

Said Cece,

And I mean to look exactly like Muneera Clarke.

I shall be very good too,

As good as Mrs.

Bedell,

Only a great deal prettier,

And all the young gentlemen will want me to go and ride,

But I shan't notice them at all,

Because you know I shall always be teaching in Sunday school,

And visiting the poor,

And some day when I am bending over an old woman,

And feeding her with currant jelly,

A poet will come along and see me,

And he'll go home and write a poem about me,

Concluded Cece triumphantly.

Oh poo,

Said Clover,

I don't think that would be nice at all.

I'm going to be a beautiful lady,

The most beautiful lady in the world,

And I'm going to live in a yellow castle,

With yellow pillars,

And a square thing on the top,

Like Mr.

Sawyer's.

My children are going to have a playhouse up there,

There's going to be a spyglass in the window to look out on.

I shall wear gold dresses and silver dresses every day,

And diamond rings,

And have white satin aprons to tie on when I'm dusting,

Or doing anything dirty.

In the middle of my backyard there will be a pond full of Lubin's extracts,

And whenever I want any,

I shall just go out and dip a bottle in.

And I shan't teach in Sunday schools,

Like Cece,

Because I don't want to,

But every Sunday I'll go and stand by the gate,

And when the scholars go by on their way home,

I'll put Lubin's extracts on their handkerchiefs.

I mean to have just the same,

Cried Elsie,

Whose imagination was fired by this gorgeous vision.

Only my pond will be the biggest,

And I shall be a great deal beautifuller too.

You can't,

Said Katie from overhead.

Clover is going to be the most beautiful lady in the world,

But I'll be more beautiful than the most beautiful,

Persisted poor little Elsie,

And I'll be big too,

And know everybody's secrets,

And everybody will be kind then,

And never run away and hide,

And there won't be any post offices,

Or anything disagreeable.

What will you be,

Johnny?

Asked Clover,

Anxious to change the subject,

For Elsie's voice was growing plaintive.

But Johnny had no clear ideas as to her future.

She laughed a great deal,

And squeezed Dory's arm very tight,

But that was all.

Dory was more explicit.

I mean to have turkey every day,

He declared,

And batter puddings,

Not boiled ones you know,

But little baked ones,

With brown shiny tops,

And a great deal of pudding sauce to eat on them,

And I shall be so big then,

That nobody will say three helpings is quite enough for a little boy.

Oh Dory,

You pig,

Cried Katie,

While the others screamed with laughter.

Dory was much affronted.

I shall just go and tell Aunt Izzy what you called me,

He said,

Getting up in a great pet.

But Clover,

Who was a born peacemaker,

Caught hold of his arm,

And her coaxing consoled him so much that he finally said he would stay,

Especially as the others were quite grave now,

And promised that they wouldn't laugh anymore.

And now Katie,

It's your turn,

Said Cece.

Tell us what you're going to be when you grow up.

I'm not sure about what I'll be,

Replied Katie from overhead.

Beautiful,

Of course,

And good if I can,

Only not as good as you,

Cece,

Because it would be nice to go and ride with the young gentlemen sometimes,

And I'd like to have a large house and a big garden,

And then you could all come and live with me,

And we could play in the garden,

And Dory should have turkey five times a day if he liked,

And we'd have a machine to darn stockings and another machine to put the bureau drawer in order,

And we'd never sew or knit garters or do anything that we didn't want to.

That's what I'd like to be,

But now I'll tell you what I mean to do.

Isn't it the same thing?

Asked Cece.

Oh no,

Replied Katie,

Quite different,

For you see,

I mean to do something grand.

I don't know what yet,

But when I'm grown up I shall find out.

Poor Katie always said when I'm grown up,

Forgetting how very much she had grown already.

Perhaps,

She went on,

It will be rowing out in boats and saving people's lives,

Like that girl in the book,

Or perhaps I shall go and be a nurse in a hospital like Miss Nightingale,

Or else I'll head a crusade and ride on a white horse with armour and a helmet on my head and carry a sacred flag,

Or if I don't do that,

I'll paint pictures or sing or sculpt.

Anyhow,

It shall be something,

And when Aunt Izzy sees it and reads about me in the newspapers,

She will say,

The dear child,

I always knew she would turn out an ornament to the family.

People very often say afterward that they always knew,

Concluded Katie.

Oh Katie,

How beautiful it will be,

Said Clover,

Clasping her hands.

Clover believed in Katie as she believed in the Bible.

I don't believe the newspapers would be so silly as to print things about you,

Katie Carr,

Put in Elsie,

Vindictively.

Yes,

They will,

Said Clover,

And gave Elsie a push.

By and by,

John and Dory trotted away on mysterious errands of their own.

Wasn't Dory funny with his turkey,

Remarked Cece,

And they all laughed again.

If you won't tell,

Said Katie,

I'll let you see Dory's journal.

He kept it once for almost two weeks and then he gave it up.

I found the book this morning in the nursery closet.

All of them promised,

And Katie produced it from her pocket.

It began thus.

March 12.

Have resolved to keep a journal.

March 13.

Had roast beef for dinner and cabbage and potato and apple sauce and rice pudding.

I do not like rice pudding when it's like ours.

Charlie Slack's kind is really good.

Mush and syrup for tea.

March 19.

Forgot what did.

John and me saved our pie to take to school.

March 21.

Forgot what did.

Griddle cakes for breakfast.

Debbie didn't fry enough.

March 24.

This is Sunday.

Corned beef for dinner.

Studied my Bible lesson.

Aunt Izzie said I was greedy.

Have resolved not to think so much about things to eat.

Wish I was a better boy.

Nothing particular for tea.

March 25.

Forgot what did.

March 27.

Forgot what did.

March 29.

Played.

March 31.

Forgot what did.

April 1.

Have decided not to keep a journal anymore.

Here ended the extracts,

And it seemed as if only a minute had passed since they stopped laughing over them before the long shadows began to fall,

And Mary came to say that all of them must come in to get ready for tea.

It was dreadful to have to pick up the empty baskets and go home,

Feeling that the long,

Delightful Saturday was over,

And that there wouldn't be another one for a week.

But it was comforting to remember that paradise was always there,

And that,

At any moment,

When fate and Aunt Izzie were willing,

They had only to climb a pair of bars,

Very easy ones,

And,

Without any fear of an angel with flaming sword to stop the way,

Enter in and take possession of their Eden.

Reviews

Lovely. I look forward to the story continuing! 🙏🧚‍♂️

I tried to listen to this story read by someone else and just couldn’t follow it. I actually was so frustrated the first time I listened that I said out loud, “I don’t care what Katy did!”. I am now super excited to find out what Katy did! I have loved every single thing you’ve read on this app. I can’t even believe this is the same story that I had tried to listen to a year ago! You have such a soothing voice and the way you read stories is perfection! I can’t thank you enough for sharing your time and voice reading these wonderful classics.