Brown Sunshine of Sawdust Valley by Marguerite Henry, Bonnie Shields Read Free Book Online

knocked at her bedroom door. He was holding something behind his back.
    â€œMolly,” he said, “I learned long ago, in a creative-writing class, that a good newspaper reporter can take notes during an interview without anyone noticing that he is writing. You can, too.” He pressed a tiny diary into her hand. The small book had two handsome chestnut mules on the front cover and a small pencil tucked into the binding.
    â€œOh, Pops, I’ll report the whole parade!” Molly said. “Now I’m ready!”

CHAPTER 19
MULE DAY
    Dear Diary,
    I’ve never ridden in a parade before. Especially a Mule Day Parade. You can’t imagine the excitement of it. This bright red wagon with the yellow-spoked wheels is about to be pulled by two enormous Belgian draft mules. Brown Sunshine himself is standing tall in his reserved box, waiting, as if he knows that history is about to be made. He’s almost the same height as Joe Henry Covington, who’s sitting on the driver’s bench wearing brand-new bibbed overalls and a grin that spreads ear to ear. Because he will be busy waving to the crowd, Mr. Covington’s not doing the driving. John Robert Skillington, the famous driver of many Mule Day parades, is!
    The excitement mounts. Three flags on our wagon snap in the breeze—the United States flag, the Maury County flag, and our Tennessee State flag. And banners on both sides of the wagon proclaim:
    MR. JOE HENRY COVINGTON
    GRAND MARSHAL
    MR. JOHN ROBERT SKILLINGTON
    HONORARY DRIVER
    AND
    KING MULE
    BROWN SUNSHINE
    OF SAWDUST VALLEY

CHAPTER 20
THE KING
    T wo whopper-size draft mules pulled Molly and Brown Sunshine’s red wagon to the starting place: the regal Atheneum. The building looked untouchable with its intricate cutwork siding and wraparound porch. In the growing audience, Molly could see Mom and Pops waving to Brown Sunshine. They were proud of him, standing like a king, observing his attendants: The Queen and her Court of Five, including his delighted owner!
    The Queen carried the glittering golden crown on a pillow of red velvet to match the King’s red wagon. The band played “Seventy-Six Trombones” as she threaded her way through the narrow aisle of the float. When shereached Brown Sunshine, a member of her Court quieted the band. The Queen stood on tiptoe to place the crown between the two magnificent shaved ears, bringing the elastic cords down his cheeks and fastening them with a strong bow-knot under his chin. Now Brown Sunshine’s crown was a-glitter with rhinestones that looked like real diamonds and blue-green sapphires and red rubies—outshining every member of the court.

    The crowd roared; the parade was about to start!
    Entries surrounded Molly’s wagon. Directly behind her was a wagon filled to the brim with tiptoe dancers, or cloggers. And among the whirling dancers was Molly’s librarian, ElizabethPotts . . . the very one who had helped her with her essay.

    Sharing the wagon with the cloggers was trick-roper Wimpy Jones, towering above his fellow passengers at six foot six. Wimpy tossed his lariat out over the crowd, carefully controlling the size of the loops so he didn’t snag anyone in the audience.
    Wagons with big and little floats continued to line up. An elegant all-gray hearse, drawn by two matching gray mules, pulled into the procession. The driver was a giant of a man, dressed in formalblack with a wide black hat. The gray block of people bunched in the bed of the wagon were mourners. What more was there to know? Last year, the wagon and driver won the contest. This year, the judges were still deciding. But Molly didn’t want to know! Neither did Brown Sunshine. He was making snuffling noises of delight.
    The parade began to move. They were on their way! The King’s float took the lead. Brown Sunshine carefully turned his crowned head to recognize a group of friends. They let out a wild cheer! And he