Lizabeth's Story Read Online Free PDF

in…uh…Africa.” Lizabeth could see the pages shaking in his hand. He mumbled and stumbled his way through a lengthy report. It might be excellent, Lizabeth thought, but it was too hard to listen to him.
    Then came Mark. “The Bedouins of Arabia. They wear blue robes and they’re nomads and live in tents in the desert. They eat sheep’s eyes.”
    All the girls said, “Eeeww,” and got a stern look from Miss Cotter.
    When he came to the camels, Mark became passionate. “Camels are perfect for the desert because they can store water for a long time. People say they smell bad, and they spit when they’re mad, but I think they should be appreciated. The Bedouins would be nowhere without their camels. They do everything our horses do and even more. There are camels and dromedaries, onehump and two, and—” He went on and on, telling more about camels than anyone would ever want to know, Lizabeth thought. She chuckled to herself. Mark was the blacksmith’s son. Maybe he hoped to shoe all those camels!
    A loud, high voice came from the back of the room. “See Jane run!” Then a “shhh-shhh” from Miss Harding and the younger children’s reading lesson settled into a background murmur again.
    Kat was next. “The Eskimos. The Eskimos don’t go out to sea the way Cape Light fishermen do. The sea is frozen where they live, and they make holes in the ice and catch seals and things like that. They live in igloos made of blocks of ice, and they eat blubber—that’s animal fat—and that helps keep them warm in their cold climate.” Kat stopped speaking.
    Miss Cotter raised her eyebrows. “Go on.”
    â€œThe end,” Kat whispered.
    Lizabeth had an awful feeling that Miss Cotter was about to reprimand Kat. At least Miss Cotter was fair, not like Miss Harding, who liked to rap knuckles with her ruler for any little thing.
    â€œNow really, Katherine,” Miss Cotter said. “I’d think you, of all people, could tell us about Eskimo art and theivory carvings they make.”
    â€œOh,” Kat said. “I didn’t know about that.”
    â€œYou certainly made no effort,” Miss Cotter said. “Your report was…” She shook her head. “I can hardly give you any grade at all.”
    â€œMiss Cotter, I have something else.” Kat unfurled a spectacular watercolor painting. It showed an Eskimo man and a little boy fishing through a hole in a vast expanse of ice. It was white upon white upon white, ice and snow and white clouds in a gray-white winter sky. The ice gleamed and you could become chilled just from looking at it!
    â€œOh, my.” Miss Cotter’s frown disappeared. “We’ll hang that in front of the classroom!”
    Kat’s talent always made Lizabeth proud that they were related.
    â€œNow, Lizabeth. Are you ready?”
    â€œYes, Miss Cotter.” Lizabeth walked to the front of the room and cleared her throat. “The Aborigines. The Aborigines live in Australia in the part called the outback. It’s mostly desert and very harsh. It’s hot as a furnace in the dry season and there are terrible rains in the wet season.” Lizabeth read a few more paragraphs about Australia, the Aborigines, and the animals in the outback. Her report was just long enough to avoid criticism from Miss Cotter.
    Â 
    â€œI was looking forward to your report,” Rose said. The girls had gathered in the tower of the lighthouse after school. “I was surprised it was so short. I thought you’d say much more.”
    â€œMe, too,” Kat said. “You left out the walkabout.”
    â€œMy father was impressed,” Amanda added. “He said you were so interested and had done loads of reading.”
    â€œWell…yes,” Lizabeth said. “But it wasn’t for the report. I was curious. I just wanted to know.”
    â€œI don’t get