01x13 - When I Think Something Nice Is Going to Happen, I Seem to Fly Right Up On the Wings of Anticipation

[bunniefuu]

Ten whole months have flown by since

Davy and Dora came to Green Gables.

Right when the children had

really come to feel at home,

we got notice of a most unexpected visit.

I'm awful hungry.

I'll give you a biscuit in a minute.

But I ain't biscuit hungry.

I'm plum cake hungry.

That's a kind of hunger that

can be endured very comfortably.

Well, gimme a biscuit, then.

Oh, Marilla!

What do you think this letter is about?

I'm sure I don't know.

It's from Priscilla, my friend from Queen's,

and she says that Mrs. Morgan

is on the Island.

The Mrs. Morgan who writes those

novels you're always reading?

The very same!

The Rosebud Garden is my special favorite.

Mrs. Morgan is a distant

relative of Priscilla's,

and if it is fine Thursday, they are going

to drive up to Avonlea for dinner.

Oh, isn't it wonderful?

I can hardly believe I'm not dreaming.

I daresay Mrs. Morgan is

a lot like other people.

Oh, Marilla, may I cook every

bit of the dinner myself?

I want to feel that I can do something

for the author of The Rosebud Garden.

I daresay you wouldn't

take no for an answer.

You're quite welcome to the job.

Oh, thank you!

Then we ought to invite

Mr. and Mrs. Allan and Miss Stacy, too.

And I'll ask Diana over to help.

You'd better not try to

put on too much style.

I won't!

What shall we put on the menu?

And how shall we dress the place up?

I simply must put on a marvelous

dinner for Mrs. Morgan!

Chapter 13

When I Think Something Nice Is Going to Happen,

I Seem to Fly Right Up On the Wings of Anticipation

I'll have a light soup to begin with,

and then a couple of roast fowls.

If Marilla'll hold them by

the legs, I'll manage the axe.

I'd appreciate it.

Then I'll have peas and beans and

creamed potatoes and a lettuce salad.

Dora, would you help me shell the peas?

Of course.

I'm having very important

guests tomorrow, you two.

Promise me you'll be on your best behavior.

We will!

Good. Then we'll start with a cleaning!

Say, Anne,

what do you imagine Mrs. Morgan is like?

I've imagined her a

dozen different ways.

What she'll look like,

and what she'll say.

And I'm so anxious about

the freckles on my nose.

All Mrs. Morgan's heroines

have such perfect complexions.

They're not very noticeable.

Do you think so?

Try a little lemon juice on them

tonight if they really bother you.

I'll give that a try.

Anne, why's your nose all

shiny? I want to know.

I put lemon juice on it.

What'd you want to do that for?

Because I want to look my best.

Huh.

Thank you for all your help today, Davy-boy.

Will you promise to behave

yourself again tomorrow?

If I'm as good as good

can be all day tomorrow.

will you let me be just as bad

as I like all the next day?

I couldn't do that,

but I'll take you and Dora

for a row in the flat.

Really? It's a bargain!

I meant to go over to Mr. Harrison's and

fire peas from my new popgun at Ginger,

but another day'll do as well.

You shouldn't do that any day.

I bet tomorrow'll be no fun,

since I'll have to be good all the time.

I won't let that happen.

We're having my dear Mrs. Morgan to dinner;

I'll make it a wonderful day!

It looks like a lovely day.

Good morning, Anne.

Good morning, Diana.

You look simply sweet in that apron.

This is for the preparations.

Of course I'll wear my

white muslin to dinner.

I know you'll look lovely in it.

But it's a little tight.

I weigh four pounds more

than I did last month.

Mrs. Morgan's heroines

are all tall and slender.

And what if they are?

You're Diana Barry with the dearest dimples.

Let's forget our troubles

and think of our mercies.

If I have a freckled nose,

the shape of it is all right.

Yes, it is.

Do you think the lemon juice did any good?

Yes, I really think it did.

Did it really? Thank goodness!

I'll help you pick flowers.

We'll decorate the parlor first,

then set the table.

Priscilla said they'd

be here about twelve.

Yes!

Let's put an allusion to

The Rosebud Garden at Mrs. Morgan's place.

What a lovely idea!

I'm pleased to see you being good, Davy.

I promised, didn't I?

Now if only my freckles don't

make themselves too obvious.

I do hope I'll be able to say

something once in a while.

I don't think there is much fear

that I won't be able to talk.

It was so good of you all to come.

Thank you for inviting us today.

The thought of it has brightened our days.

How nice to see you again, Anne, Diana.

You both look charming.

Thank you very much.

They're awfully late.

Suppose they don't come at all?

Don't suppose it.

But they really ought to be here by now.

Anne, Miss Stacy wants to

see the willowware platter.

I thought she would. I'm just wiping it.

Davy?!

I finished raveling out my herring net

and went to put it on the shelf, only

Davy Keith, didn't I forbid you to climb

up on that table again? Didn't I?

I forgot.

You've told me not to do such an awful lot

of things that I can't remember them all.

Well, you march upstairs and

stay there till after dinner!

I didn't mean to fall on the pie.

Since it's spoiled, can't I take

some of the pieces upstairs with me?

No, you may not!

What shall we do for dessert?

I think we have a crock

of strawberry preserves.

There's plenty of whipped cream

left in the bowl for it.

Something must have delayed them.

We cannot keep the Allans or

Miss Stacy waiting any longer.

Shall we go ahead and have dinner now?

No, I know that they'll be here.

Mrs. Morgan's heroines

always rise to the occasion.

Anne, did you put sugar in these peas?

Yes, I put a spoonful of

sugar in. We always do.

But I put a spoonful in too,

when I set them on the stove.

They're sweet! How awful!

It's a case of too many cooks, I guess.

I didn't think you'd remember about

the sugar, Anne, so I put in a spoonful.

Well, there will be no green peas today.

No!

Davy!

Did you throw that conch down on purpose?!

No, I never did. I got hungry and tried

to go downstairs and my hand slipped.

Well, look what you've done!

Don't blame Davy.

It was my fault. I set that platter

there and forgot all about it.

Mrs. Morgan?! Now, of all times?!

Good afternoon.

Rachel?

O-Oh, it's only you.

Only me, is it?

I just came from the post office.

A letter's come for you,

and I'm here to deliver it.

It's from Priscilla.

She posted it yesterday.

"Oh, Anne dear, I know this is sudden,

but Aunty has sprained her ankle."

"I'm so sorry, but I'm afraid we won't

get up to Green Gables at all now,"

"for by the time Aunty's ankle is well,

she will have to go back to Toronto."

I hope I'm not imposing.

It was too good to be true.

Perhaps when Diana and I are old and gray,

we shall be able to laugh over today.

But not before then, for it has

truly been a bitter disappointment.

Have you heard about the hall?

Yes, they painted it a brilliant blue.

They were meant to paint

it a beautiful green.

It was to be the symbol of our society.

You are never going to outgrow your fashion

of setting your heart so on things

and then crashing down into despair

because you don't get them.

I know I'm too much inclined that way.

When I think something

nice is going to happen,

I seem to fly right up on

the wings of anticipation.

But the flying part is glorious

as long as it lasts.

It's like soaring through a sunset.

I think it almost pays for the thud.

I'd rather walk calmly along and

do without both flying and thud.

Where's Davy?

In bed. I've promised to take him and

Dora to the shore for a picnic tomorrow.

He tried to be good, and I hadn't

the heart to disappoint him.

You'll drown yourself or the twins,

rowing about the pond in that flat.

Suppose you come with us tomorrow.

No, thank you.

There's Gilbert coming up the lane.

Why don't you invite him

for a row on the pond?

Yes, perhaps I will.

Nothing beats a boat!

Be careful!

I wouldn't have minded if I fell in!

I know the feeling, Davy,

but do you know how to swim?

Not a bit!

Then don't say you wouldn't mind falling in.

You'll get a great bloated belly

full of water if you drown.

Would I?!

I'd like a big, full belly!

Do you know how to swim, Dora?

No, I don't.

Then I'll teach you sometime.

Would you really?!

I love you, Gilbert!

But I bet I could swim,

even if I'd never learned how.

The boat's so much fun,

it makes me want to give it a try.

No. We didn't bring swimming things today.

Oh, you're no fun.

I wanted a soak and a splash.

Say, do you think I could swim to that bank?

Teacher!

Paul.

Are you visiting a grave, too?

Yes.

I'm taking this bouquet of geraniums to

put on Grandpa Irving's grave for Grandma.

And I'm leaving this bunch of white roses

in memory of my little mother.

Your mother passed away in

the States, didn't she?

Yes. It's just three years

today since she died.

I'm sure Father will be visiting her grave

in Boston soon, if he hasn't already.

It's been three whole years.

Paul

Such a long, long time but it

hurts just as much as ever.

Sometimes it seems to me that

I just can't bear it, it hurts so.

And yet you wouldn't

want it to stop hurting.

You wouldn't want to forget your

little mother even if you could.

You're so good at understanding, teacher.

I couldn't talk much to Father about Mother,

because it made him feel so bad.

When he put his hand over his face,

I always knew it was time to stop.

Paul

See here, Paul, you mustn't blame yourself.

Nor your father, of course.

Father's splendid when

you do get to know him.

I love him the best in all the world,

and Grandma Irving next,

and then you, teacher.

Goodness!

I'd love you next to father if it wasn't

my duty to love Grandma Irving best,

because she's doing so much for me.

Yes, and I love you, too, Paul.

If you don't mind, would you

tell me about your mother?

Of course.

Mrs. Lynde came over the other day.

She looked at a photo of Mother and said,

"She's a real pretty woman, but I daresay

your father will find another wife."

She gave me such a shock, I thought

I might die then and there.

Now, Davy, you try to be a good

boy and don't bother Anne.

I won't be bad on purpose,

but s'posen I'm bad zacksidentally?

You'll have to guard against accidents.

Anne, if Mr. Shearer comes

today, get some steak.

I'll remember.

Well then, I'd best be off.

Take care.

Come along, Davy-boy.

You'll help me clean the house today.

All right.

But I want a cookie first.

Not till we're done!

More rampant than ever.

What're you looking for, Anne?

My freckle lotion. I found the

recipe for it in a magazine.

Here it is!

That must be Mr. Shearer.

Here I am!

Mr. Shearer, we'd like some steak and

It's dreadful to come upon

you so unexpectedly as this.

This is Mrs. Morgan and Mrs. Pendexter.

M-M-Mrs. Morgan?!

W-Welcome to Green Gables.

It's an honor to meet you.

My name is Anne Shirley.

I didn't expect Mrs. Morgan to be

a stout little gray-haired woman.

The tall one is Mrs. Pendexter.

She lives in New York and her

husband is a millionaire.

In any event, this is all awfully sudden.

I can still feel my heart racing.

I'm so sorry. Aunty's ankle felt better

sooner than we expected,

and she wanted to meet you,

so I brought her over.

But really, Anne, your nose

My freckles, you mean!

I know, but it's no use fretting.

I'll run and get things ready for tea.

Thank goodness Marilla made preserves.

Do you have company, Anne?

I saw a strange carriage outside.

Diana, you couldn't have

come at a better time.

Who do you suppose is in that

parlor at this very moment?

Oh, Diana, don't look at me so.

You, at least, must be used to my freckles.

It isn't your freckles, Anne.

It's your nose.

My nose? Surely nothing

has gone wrong with it!

What?

What?!

What is the matter with it?

I thought I was rubbing

my freckle lotion on it,

but I must have used that red dye Marilla

has for marking the pattern on her rugs.

What shall I do?

It's blazing scarlet,

although I don't like to say so.

I don't care how much it hurts!

Scrub as hard as you can!

I'm trying to!

First I dye my hair; then I dye my nose.

Marilla cut my hair off when I dyed it

but that remedy would hardly

be practicable in this case.

It's awfully stubborn!

Wait, that hurts! It hurts!

What good will rubbing it even redder do?!

You said you didn't mind if it hurt!

These preserved plums taste delightful.

Yes. Marilla made them.

A really refined flavor.

May I ask for another helping?

Yes, of course.

And so I brushed on the dye, trying to turn

my hair black, but it came out green.

Even red hair was better than that.

Yet here I am four years later,

turning my nose red with what

I thought was freckle cream.

I certainly am clumsy with dyes!

Good day.

Take care!

Bye-bye!

It has indeed been a feast of reason

and flow of soul, hasn't it?

I don't know which I enjoyed more,

listening to Mrs. Morgan or

gazing at Mrs. Pendexter.

Mrs. Pendexter is rich, and yet she took

a second helping of the plum preserves.

I daresay even an English earl

wouldn't have turned up his aristocratic

nose at Marilla's plum preserves.

I shall never try any

beautifying messes again.

A few freckles are preferable to a red nose.

I'm more like myself with them.

Next Time

It Is Never Too Late for the Real Prince

to Come for the True Princess