Anna on the Farm by Mary Downing Hahn, Diane de Groat Read Free Book Online

"
Ich
forgetten," she stammers, still trying to sound German.
    Theodore rises on his toes to look Mr. Buell in the eye. "Can you please give us what Aunt Aggie needs?" he asks. "She wants to make lemonade for Uncle George. It has to be ready by noon, so we're in a hurry."
    "Sure, sure." Mr. Buell winks at the other men. "It's not often I meet someone from my native land, you know. Such a handsome young lad. Almost too pretty to be a boy."
    Anna stares at the floor. She will never set foot inside this store again.
    Whistling a tune, Mr. Buell fills a bag with sacks of sugar, coffee, and flour and drops in six lemons. "That will be one dollar and three cents," he says.
    Anna pulls the money out of her pocket and slaps it down on the counter. "Vee vant two peppermint sticks," she says, still trying. "
Und
some licorice,
bitte.
"
    "Ah, I like children who say
please
." Mr. Buell drops a handful of peppermint sticks into the bag and adds a handful of stringy black licorice. Handing the bag to Anna, he says, "Here you are Herman," he says. "Your candy and your change."
    "
Danke schön,
" Anna says, dropping ninety cents into her pocket.
    "You are very welcome, indeed," Mr. Buell tells Anna. Turning to Theodore, he says, "If you see your aunt's niece Anna, be sure and say hello for me. I thought she was visiting this week, but I must have been mistaken."
    Theodore gives Anna a push. "Let's go. Aunt Aggie needs these things right away."
    "
Auf Wiedersehen,
" Mr. Buell calls as Anna and Theodore leave the store.
    Outside in the sunlight, Theodore glares at Anna. "I never felt like such a moron in my whole life!"
    Anna scowls at Theodore. "It's all your fault. You should have told me Mr. Buell was German."
    "I wish you really were a boy," Theodore says, "so I could punch you in the nose."
    "Go ahead! Punch me!" Anna sets the grocery bag on the ground and doubles her fists. She's seen boys fight. She's sure she knows how to do it. "I'll punch you right back!"
    Theodore makes a fist and punches Anna in the chin but not very hard. She punches him. He punches her a little harder. Anna's hat flies off. Her braids tumble down her back. Theodore grabs one and pulls. Anna screeches.
    Suddenly, Mr. Buell is between them. "Children, children!" With one hand he grabs Theodore. With the other he grabs Anna. He holds the two of them apart and looks at them.
    "My, my," he says. "Just look at Herman's braids. Is this how boys in Germany wear their hair nowadays?"
    Theodore starts to laugh. Even though she's embarrassed, Anna laughs, too.
    Mr. Buell chuckles. "It seems you rascals tried to play a trick on me."
    "It was all Anna's idea," Theodore says. "I told her you'd never believe her, but she just had to go and act the fool."
    Anna stops laughing. If Mr. Buell weren't still holding her arm, she'd punch Theodore for calling her a fool.
    "Oh, but I did believe Anna," Mr. Buell says. "I never would have given you all that candy if I hadn't been so happy to see such a nice little boy from my native land."
    Anna feels happy again. "I'm not a fool, after all," she tells Theodore, leaning around Mr. Buell to see him better. "You have me to thank for the extra candy."
    "You have Anna to thank for this, too." Mr. Buell pulls two cold bottles of sarsaparilla out of a tub full of ice and water. "There you are," he says, handing them each one. "No more fighting, okay?"
    Anna looks at Theodore. Theodore looks at Anna. They grin. A hot sunny day, two bottles of sarsaparilla, and all the candy they can eat. Being friends is definitely more fun than being enemies. At least for right now.

NINE
Princess Nell
    T HAT AFTERNOON, A UNT A GGIE SENDS T HEODORE and Anna down to the end of the lane to wait for the mailman. It's about time for the Sears and Roebuck catalog to come. Aunt Aggie's been wanting one of the new gas ranges they sell. She's hoping this year Uncle George will say they can afford it.
    "It will be a long wait," Theodore tells Anna. "Mr. O'Reilly stops