Маленькие мужчины / Little men. Уровень 4

Her first remark in the morning was “Has my box come?” When they told her that it would arrive sometime during the day, she fretted and fumed, and whipped her doll, till Daisy was shocked. At five o’clock she disappeared.

“I saw her going down the avenue,” said Mary Ann. “Where is Nan?”

“She has run home, little gypsy!” cried Mrs. Bhaer, looking anxious.

“Perhaps she has gone to the station to look after her luggage,” suggested Franz.

“That is impossible, she does not know the way, and if she found it, she could never carry the box a mile,” said Mrs.

Bhaer.

Mr. Bhaer took his hat to go and find the child, when a shout from Jack, who was at the window, made everyone hurry to the door.

There was Miss Nan, tugging along a very large box tied. She looked very hot and dusty and tired, but marched stoutly along, and came puffing up to the steps, where she dropped her load with a sigh of relief, and sat down upon it,

“I couldn’t wait any longer, so I went and got it.

”

“But you did not know the way,” said Tommy.

“Oh, I found it, I never get lost.”

“It’s a mile, how could you go so far?”

“Well, it was pretty far, but I rested.”

“I don’t see how the station-master let you have it,” said Tommy.

“I didn’t say anything to him. He didn’t see me, so I just took it off the platform.”

“Run down and tell him it is all right, Franz, or old Dodd will think it is stolen,” said Mr.

Bhaer.

“I told you we would send for it if it did not come. Another time you must wait, for you will get into trouble if you run away. Promise me this,” said Mrs. Bhaer, wiping the dust off Nan’s little hot face.

“Well, I won’t, only papa tells me not to put off doing things, so I don’t.”

“That is a difficult question,” said Mr. Bhaer, too much amused to be angry at the young lady’s exploit.

The boys thought it “great fun,” and Nan entertained them all supper-time with an account of her adventures.

A big dog had barked at her, a man had laughed at her, a woman had given her a doughnut, and her hat had fallen into the brook when she stopped to drink, exhausted with her exertion.

“I know it will take some time to tame the child, but she is such a generous, warm-hearted little thing, I will love her even if she is twice as naughty,” said Mrs.