Maddy rolled over as the sunlight streamed through her window. The warmth of her wool blanket caressed her, pleading with her not to get out of bed and face the cold winter day. She had been up late the night before, struggling to finish her chores. Now the last thing she wanted to do was get up and do more chores. But the sunlight persisted, growing ever brighter and shining right at her eyes. Reluctantly, Maddy opened them to stare at the blank ceiling above her. The sleeping figure next to her snored. Maddy gave her younger sister, Jaclyn, a shove. She sat up suddenly.
"Stop snoring!" commanded Maddy. Jaclyn rolled over to go back to sleep.
Sighing, Maddy sat up and swung her feet of the side of the bed. She shrank back at the cool touch of the dirt floor. It was just too cold to get up. But chores must be done before school. So Maddy slowly stood up and walked over to the mahogany dresser she shared with Jaclyn. It had once belonged to their mother, and now it was all they had left of her. The girls’ mother had passed away when Maddy was only five. Now she was fourteen, and her father still hadn’t remarried. Maddy’s mother had died from pneumonia when Jaclyn was barely a year old.
Maddy pulled some warm clothes out of the drawers for herself and then put them on. Then she laid out an outfit for Jaclyn. This done, she crept out the opening that led to the main room as quietly as she could, so as not to wake her sister. As she walked into the main room, she could hear her father getting ready in the other bedroom. Her father was never happy in the morning until he had eaten breakfast, and it was best not to converse with him prior to his meal.
Maddy pulled on her jacket and slipped out the door. She took a deep breath of crisp winter air. Winter always lasted long in Stonewick, and especially long in her town of Roanful. Spring was coming, though, and with it planting season, when her house was always busy with preparing the fields and buying seeds.
Maddy traipsed through the slush, wrapping her arms around her body for warmth. A bird sang a little tune as she reached the barn. She wondered what it was doing here, so early for spring. Maddy pulled the barn doors open with a loud creak. The barn had been standing since her grandfather built the farm, and was badly in need of repairs. But it stood on, faithfully protecting their cow and horse (along with a myriad of pigeons and mice) from the weather. The cow mooed as she retrieved a bucket and stool from the back of the barn. Smiling, she greeted the old heifer and set down the wooden stool to her left.
"Stop snoring!" commanded Maddy. Jaclyn rolled over to go back to sleep.
Sighing, Maddy sat up and swung her feet of the side of the bed. She shrank back at the cool touch of the dirt floor. It was just too cold to get up. But chores must be done before school. So Maddy slowly stood up and walked over to the mahogany dresser she shared with Jaclyn. It had once belonged to their mother, and now it was all they had left of her. The girls’ mother had passed away when Maddy was only five. Now she was fourteen, and her father still hadn’t remarried. Maddy’s mother had died from pneumonia when Jaclyn was barely a year old.
Maddy pulled some warm clothes out of the drawers for herself and then put them on. Then she laid out an outfit for Jaclyn. This done, she crept out the opening that led to the main room as quietly as she could, so as not to wake her sister. As she walked into the main room, she could hear her father getting ready in the other bedroom. Her father was never happy in the morning until he had eaten breakfast, and it was best not to converse with him prior to his meal.
Maddy pulled on her jacket and slipped out the door. She took a deep breath of crisp winter air. Winter always lasted long in Stonewick, and especially long in her town of Roanful. Spring was coming, though, and with it planting season, when her house was always busy with preparing the fields and buying seeds.
Maddy traipsed through the slush, wrapping her arms around her body for warmth. A bird sang a little tune as she reached the barn. She wondered what it was doing here, so early for spring. Maddy pulled the barn doors open with a loud creak. The barn had been standing since her grandfather built the farm, and was badly in need of repairs. But it stood on, faithfully protecting their cow and horse (along with a myriad of pigeons and mice) from the weather. The cow mooed as she retrieved a bucket and stool from the back of the barn. Smiling, she greeted the old heifer and set down the wooden stool to her left.
