Canville Communications: Article
In the summer of 1905, when school was closed, Alice and her cousin
May went to visit grandma on the farm.
Grandpa came for them in the big farm-wagon. Grandma was watching
for them, and she took each of them in her arms and kissed them,
and said, “I hope my little girls will be very happy here.”
Alice and May were tired, so after supper they went to bed.
They were up early in the morning and helped grandpa feed the
chickens.
After breakfast grandma told them they would find a beautiful
brook back of the farm, with woods on either side. She gave them
a towel, and told them they might take off their shoes and stockings
and go in wading. Alice and May thought this was the greatest
pleasure of the farm; so every day they had their visit to the
brook.
One day when they were coming home from the brook they heard a
noise like a bell.
“What’s that?” asked May.
“It sounds like a bell,” said Alice.
“But there can’t be any bell in the woods,” replied May.
Ting-a-ling, ting-a-ling, they heard again.
“Let’s run,” said May.
“No,” said Alice; “let’s go into the woods, and see what it is!”
Alice led the way, but May hung back.
Alice was soon hid in the bushes, and May heard her call:–
“Oh, it’s a cow, and her horns are caught in the branches of the
brush, and she can’t get out.”
May came and peeped at the cow, but she was afraid, and said:–
“O Alice, don’t go near her!”
The cow, when she saw the little girls, went “Moo-oo-oo!” as if
she were trying to say, “Can’t you help me?”
“Poor bossy!” said Alice; “I’ll try and help you.”
It was hard work, but after patient efforts bossy was released,
and then she went “Moo -oo”again, as though she said, “Thank you.”
When Alice told grandpa about it he said he was glad he had so
kind and brave a little granddaughter. He told Alice that bossy
would have suffered very much had she remained with her head twisted
all night.
And Alice wasn’t sorry she had helped bossy.
May was too afraid to try to find out the cause of the ringing
bell. Fortunately, Alice was not frozen by fear. She was determined
to find out the reason. (We can assume that Alice was allowed
to go into her grandparents’ woods and that the woods were safe.
If her grandparents had told her not to go into the woods, then
Alice could have told her grandpa about the ringing.) When she
saw her grandparents’ gentle cow in pain, Alice wanted to help.
You could say her kindness gave her the courage to help the cow,
though it was hard work. You could also say that because she was
brave, Alice was able to be kind to the cow. Fear like May’s can
prevent you from being kind. Bravery like Alice’s can lead you
to be kind. Kindness can also lead to acts of bravery.
This story contains the modified text of and modified illustrations
from “Brave Alice” from Mary Had a Little Lamb and Other Good Stories, published in 1905 by Henry Altemus Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
with additional new text (italicized) by Anne Verville. New material
Copyright 2004-2005 by Canville Communications.
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Brave Alice
