The Bluebird and the Sparrow Read Online Free PDF Page A

eyes.
    “Mama,” Berta turned to her mother, “you’ll never be able to make them cook. They’re all in small pieces.”
    “That’s fine,” said her mother, drawing near. “We can bake little cookie-pieces.” She smiled.
    Glenna’s face brightened.
    “But look—” whined Berta. “They’re—chopped.”
    “Well … if we need to, we’ll just roll the dough again,” said her mother.
    She leaned against the table and wiped her hands on the nearby towel as she surveyed the work of her youngest.
    “Let’s do that,” she decided. “I’ll roll the dough again and you can help Glenna cut the cookies.”
    “She don’t know how,” said Berta.
    “That’s why you’ll teach her. You know how. You can show your sister.”
    “But I’m the helper,” protested Berta.
    She didn’t like Glenna learning the things she had been taught. It meant that Glenna was butting in.
    “Yes,” answered her mother. “You are my big helper. But we—you and I—we need to teach Glenna how to help, too. She can be our little helper.”
    While she spoke, Mrs. Berdette was re-rolling the cookie dough. Soon it was spread evenly before them.
    “There now,” she said, smiling at Berta. “You take Glenna’s hand and help her cut some cookies.”
    Reluctantly Berta reached for the small hand. Glenna beamed at her big sister and allowed her hand to be guided for cut after cut.
    “You see,” said Berta, “you gotta place ‘em beside. Not top of.”
    Glenna giggled.
    “Now you cut one,” ordered Berta.
    Glenna reached her hand out to the cookie dough, her eyes still on Berta’s face.
    “No—not like that,” cut in Berta sharply. “You’re making it over top again.”
    Glenna jerked her attention back to the dough.
    “Like this,” said Berta, taking the small hand again.
    Then she turned to her mother with an exasperated sigh.
    “I don’t think she’s ever gonna learn right,” she said with impatience. “I think I better be the only helper.”
    Her mother smiled.
    “Just you wait and see,” she responded with a little chuckle. “With you teaching your little sister, I’ll have two good helpers before you know it.”
    Berta knew that the words were a compliment. She didn’t quite understand them, but she suddenly felt important. She turned back to her little sister and helped the small hand press a new cut firmly into the dough spread out before them.

Chapter Four
    School Days
    Berta loved her little school in Allsburg. From the very first day she was a good scholar and came home each afternoon excited at the prospect of showing her mother what she had learned. Then it was a long, difficult wait until her father came home from work so she might proudly present her new knowledge to him as well. Both her mother and her father gave lavish praise as she read and recited and worked sums to show them how much she was learning. Soon she was encouraged to read bedtime stories to Glenna.
    Glenna was a good listener, and Berta found herself enjoying her audience of one. Glenna’s big blue eyes never left her sister’s face as the story progressed. She pressed close against Berta’s side, hanging on each turn of the new adventure.
    Story-time extended to any time they could find some minutes together—from the moment Berta came bouncing in from her day of learning to the hour they were both sent off to bed. Glenna was always willing for a story, and Berta was more than ready to show off her skills.
    Mrs. Berdette beamed at the pair of them, her expression showing her pride in Berta, her helper, who was so sweet as she entertained her little sister with the story hours. And Berta was such an apt student. Her reading skills could only benefit young Glenna, who was quickly developing a love for books as well—even though they were still childish tales.
    The day came when Glenna joyously fell in step beside Berta and hippity-hopped her way down the short boardwalk to the farm lane that led to the road beyond. They