A Little Pricess.docx

A Little Pricess.docx

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ALittlePricess

ChapterONE

SchoolinEngland

OnecoldwinterdayalittlegirlandherfatherarrivedinLondon.SaraCrewewassevenyearsold,andshehadlongblackhairandgreeneyes.Shesatinthecabnexttoherfatherandlookedoutofthewindowatthetallhousesandthedarksky.

"Whatareyouthinkingabout,Sara?

”Mr.Creweasked.“Youareveryquiet.”Heputhisarmroundhisdaughter.

"I'mthinkingaboutourhouseinIndia,”saidSara.“Andthehotsunandthebluesky.Idon'tthinkIlikeEnglandverymuch,Father.”

"Yes,itsverydifferentfromIndia,”herfathersaid.“ButyoumustgotoschoolinLondon,andImustgobacktoIndiaandwork.”

"Yes,Father,Iknow,”saidSara.“ButIwanttobewithyou.Pleasecometoschoolwithme!

Icanhelpyouwithyourlessons.”

Mr.Crewesmiled,buthewasnothappy.HelovedhislittleSaraverymuch,andhedidnotwanttobewithouther.Sara'smotherwasdead,andSarawashisonlychild.Fatheranddaughterwereverygoodfriends.

SoontheyarrivedatMissMinchin'sSchoolforGirlsandwentintothebighouse.

MissMinchinwasatallwomaninablackdress.ShelookedatSara,andthengaveaverybigsmile.

"Whatabeautifulchild!

”shesaidtoMr.Crewe.

SarastoodquietlyandwatchedMissMinchin.“Whydoesshesaythat?

”shethought.“Iamnotbeautiful,sowhydoesshesayit?

”

Sarawasnotbeautiful,butherfatherwasrich.AndMissMinchinlikedgirlswithrichfathers,becauseitwasgoodfortheschool（andgoodforMissMinchin,too）.

"Saraisagoodgirl,”Mr.CrewesaidtoMissMinchin.“HermotherwasFrench,soshespeaksFrenchwell.Shelovesbooks,andshereadsallthetime.Butshemustplaywiththeothergirlsandmakenewfriends,too.”

"ofcourse,”saidMissMinchin.Shesmiledagain.“Saraisgoingtobeveryhappyhere,Mr.Crewe.”

Mr.CrewestayedinLondonforaweek.HeandSarawenttotheshops,andheboughtmanybeautiful,expensivedressesforhisdaughter.Heboughtbooks,andflowersforherroom,andabigdollwithbeautifuldresses,too.

MissMinchinsmiled,butshesaidtohersisterAmelia.“Allthatmoneyondressesforachildofseven!

Shelookslikealittleprincess,notaschoolgirl!

'

WhenMr.CreweleftLondon,hewasverysad.Sarawasverysadtoo,butshedidnotcry.ShesatinherroomandthoughtaboutherfatherontheshipbacktoIndia.

"Fatherwantsmetobehappy,”shesaidtohernewdoll.“IlovehimverymuchandIwanttobeagooddaughter,soImustbehappy.”

Itwasaverybig,andverybeautifuldoll,butofcourseitcouldnotanswer.

Sarasoonmadenewfriendsintheschool.Somelittlerichgirlsarenotverynicechildrentheythinktheyareimportantbecausetheyhavemoneyandlotsofexpensivethings.ButSarawasdifferent.Shelikedbeautifuldressesanddolls,butshewasmoreinterestedinpeople,andbooks,andtellingstories.

Shewasverygoodattellingstories.Shewasacleverchild,andtheothergirlslovedtolistentoher.Thestorieswereallaboutkingsandqueensandprincessesandwonderfulcountriesacrossthesea.

"Howdoyouthinkofallthosethings?

”askedherbestfriend,Ermengarde.

"Ihaveallthesepicturesinmyhead,”saidSara.“Soit'seasytotellstoriesaboutthem.”

PoorErmengardewasnotClever.Shecouldneverrememberanyofherschoollessons,andMissMinchinwasalwaysangrywithher.

SaraoftenhelpedErrnengardewithherlessons.“Listen,Ermie,”shesaid.“YourememberthatFrenchking,LouistheSixteenth?

Well,thisisastoryabouthim.Onedayin1792...”

AndsoErmengardelearntherlessonsthroughSara'sstories,andshelovedherfriendverymuch.ButnoteverybodywasSara'sfriend.Laviniawasanoldergirl.BeforeSaracame,Laviniawastherichestandthemostimportantgirlintheschool.ButSara'sfatherwasricherthanLavinia'sfather.SonowSarawasmoreimportantthanLavinia,andLaviniadidnotlikethat.

"Oh,Saraissoclever!

”Laviniaoftensaid.“SaraissogoodatFrench!

Herdressesaresobeautiful,andshecansingsowell!

Andsheissorich!

OfcourseMissMinchinlikesherbest!

”

SaradidnotanswerwhenLaviniasaidthesethings.Sometimes,itwasnoteasy,butSarawasakind,friendlygirl,andshedidnotliketobeangrywithanyone.

Chapter.TWO

Thediamondmines

Andsothreeyearswentby.Sara'sfatherwrotetoheroften,andSarawrotelovinglittlelettersbacktohim.Onedayaveryexcitingletterarrived.Everybodyintheschooltalkedaboutitfordays.

"Myfriend,”wroteMr.Crewe,“hassomeminesinnorthernIndia,andamonthagohisworkersfounddiamondsthere.Therearethousandsofdiamondsinthesemines,butitisexpensiveworktogetthemout.Myfriendneedsmyhelp.So,LittleMissus’（thiswasMr.Crewe'sspecialnameforSara）,“Iamputtingallmymoneyintomyfriend'sdiamondmines,andonedayyouandIaregoingtobeveryrich…”

Sarawasnotinterestedinmoney,butastoryaboutdiamondminesinIndiawasexciting.NearlyeverybodywasverypleasedforSara,butnotLavinia,ofcourse.

"Huh!

”shesaid.“Mymotherhasadiamond.Lotsofpeoplehavediamonds.What'ssointerestingaboutdiamondmines?

”

"Buttherearethousandsofdiamondsinthesemines,”saidErmengarde.“Perhapsmillionsofthem!

”

Lavinialaughed,“IsSaragoingtoweardiamondsinherhairatbreakfast,then?

Orisit"PrincessSara"now?

”

Sara'sfacewentred.ShelookedatLaviniaangrily,butsaidquietly,“Somepeoplecallme“princess".Iknowthat.Butprincessesdon'tgetangryorsayunkindthings,soI'mnotgoingtosayanythingtoyou,Lavinia.”

"Tome,youareaprincess,”ErmengardesaidtoSaralater.“Andyoualwayslooklikeaprincess,inyourbeautifuldresses.”

Sarawasaprincesstoanothergirl,too.ThiswasBecky.ShewasaservantinMissMinchin'sschool,andshewasonlyfourteenyearsold,butsheworkedalldayandsometimeshalfthenight.Shecarriedthingsupstairsanddownstairs,shecleanedthefloors,shemadethefires,andshewasalwaystiredandhungryanddirty.SheandSarahadverydifferentlives.

ButonedaySaracameintoherbedroom,andtherewasBecky,sleepinginachair.

"Oh,youpoorthing!

”Sarasaid.

ThenBeckyopenedhereyesandsawSara.Shegotupatonce.“Oh,Miss!

”shesaid.'I'mverysorry,Miss!

Ijustsatdownforaminuteand—

"Don'tbeafraid,”saidSara.ShegaveBeckyafriendlysmile.“Youweretired.That'sall.”

"AreyouareyougoingtotellMissMinchin?

”askedBecky.Shebegantomovetothedoor.

"Ofcoursenot,”saidSara.“Pleasedon'trunaway.Sitdownagainforaminute.Youlooksotired.”

"Oh,Miss,Ican't!

”Beckysaid.“You'reverykind,Miss,butMissMinchin—"Please,”saidSara.ShetookBecky'shand.'You'reonlyalittlegirl,likeme.Let'sbefriends.”

AndsoBeckysatdownagain,andsoonsheandSarawerefriends.?

Nobodyknewaboutthis,ofcourse.RichlittlegirlsatMissMinchin'sschooldidnotmakefriendswithservant-girls,anditwasawonderfulthingforBecky.

NearlyeverydaysheandSarametinSara'sbedroom,justforfiveortenminutes.Beckywasalwayshungry,andSaraoftenboughtnicethingsforhertoeat.Theysatandtalked,andsometimesSaratoldBeckysomeofherstories.Beckylovedthat.

"Oh,Miss,”shesaid.“Youtellthemsobeautifully!

SometimesIlikeyourstoriesbetterthanthingstoeat.”

AndafterthosevisitstoSarasroom,Beckyalwaysfeltbetternotsotired,andnotsohungry.

SomemonthslaterSarahadhereleventhbirthday.Lessonsstoppedfortheafternoonandtherewasabigpartyforallthegirlsintheschool.

"Thispartyisexpensiveforus,”MissMinchinsaidtohersisterAmelia.“Butitlooksgoodfortheschool.”

Thatafternoontherewasavisitortotheschool—MissMinchin'slawyer.HewentwithMissMinchinintoherofficeandtheyclosedthedoor.IntheschoolroomnextdoortherewasalotofnoisefromSara'sparty.Everybodyintherewasveryhappy.

ButintheofficeMissMinchinwasnothappy.Shelookedatthelawyerangrily.“Whatareyousaying?

Mr.Crewehasnomoney?

Whataboutthediamondmines?

”

"Therearenodiamondmines,”saidthelawyer.“Well,therearemines,buttherearenodiamondsinthem.”

"ButMr.Crewe'sgoodfriend—”beganMissMinchin.

"Mr.Crewesgoodfriend,”saidthelawyer,“ranawaywithallMr.Crewe'smoney.RalphCrewewasillwithafever,andwhenheheardaboutthis,hegotworse.Aweeklaterhewasdead.

"Dead!

”criedMissMinchin.“ButwhatabouthisdaughterSara?

Andthisexpensivebirthdayparty?

”

"SaraCrewehasnomoney,”saidthelawyer.“Notapennyintheworld,MissMinchin.Notapenny.”

"Shemustleavemyschoolatonce,”MissMinchinsaidangrily.“Shemustgothisafternoon!

”

"Where?

”saidthelawyer.“Outintothestreets?

Aneleven-year-oldgirl?

That'snotgoingtolookverygoodforyourschool,MissMinchin.”

MissMinchin'sfacewentred.

"Youcan'tputheroutinthestreets,”saidthelawyer.Hestoodup.“Butperhapsshecanworkforyou.”

Thelawyerleft,andMissMinchincalledhersisterAmelia.“BringSaraCrewehereatonce,”shesaid.

TwominuteslaterSara,inherbeautifulbluepartydress,stoodinfrontofMissMinchin.

"Haveyouablackdress,Sara?

”MissMinchinsaidcoldly.

"Yes,MissMinchin,”saidSara.“Butit’sverysmall.”

"Goandputitonatonce,”saidMissMinchin.“Yourfatherisdead.?

Therewerenodiamondmines,andyourfather'sfriendranawaywithallhismoney.Youhavenothing.Notapenny.ButIamgoingtobeverykindtoyou.Youcanstayinmyhouse,butnowyoumustbeaservantandworkforyourbread.Youcansleepinaservant'sroomupstairs,nexttoBecky'sroom.”

ChapterTHREE

Thenewservant-girl

Thatevening,inthel