The Lucky Stone
“The stories … have the authentic ring of family tales, which — like the stone — were passed down through the generations.”
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The Horn Book Magazine
“Told with a good sense of narrative in the oral tradition.”
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Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Grandma’s and Tee’s obvious affection for each other generates considerable warmth, and the stories, reaching back into slavery times, have added historical significance. It’s a book full of human interest.”
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Booklist
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OTHER YEARLING BOOKS YOU WILL ENJOY:
THE STORIES JULIAN TELLS
,
Ann Cameron
MORE STORIES JULIAN TELLS
,
Ann Cameron
THE STORIES HUEY TELLS
,
Ann Cameron
MORE STORIES HUEY TELLS
,
Ann Cameron
THE DARK-THIRTY
,
Patricia McKissack
JUSTIN AND THE BEST BISCUITS IN THE WORLD
Mildred Pitts Walter
THIRD GRADE PET
,
Judy Cox
A LETTER TO MRS. ROOSEVELT
, C
COCO De Young
JUNEBUG
,
Alice Mead
JUNEBUG AND THE REVEREND
,
Alice Mead
YEARLING BOOKS
are designed especially to entertain and enlighten young people. Patricia Reilly Giff, consultant to this series, received her bachelor’s degree from Marymount College and a master’s degree in history from St. John’s University. She holds a Professional Diploma in Reading and a Doctorate of Humane Letters from Hofstra University. She was a teacher and reading consultant for many years, and is the author of numerous books for young readers.
FOR WENDY THEN AND NOW
When I was a girl we lived all together in a house with a big wrap-around porch: me, my Mama and Daddy and my Great-grandmother, Mrs. Elzie F. Pickens. The F. stood for Free. She was about seventy some years old, my Great-grand. We used to sit out on that porch in good weather, and she would tell me stories about when she was a girl and the different things that used to happen and such as that.
Oh, I loved it so, I loved her so! Tee, she would call me. Sweet Baby Tee. Some of my favorite stories were her favorites too. Oh, how we both loved telling and hearing about the Lucky Stone!
On a hot June morning, Tee and her Great-grandmother were sitting on the porch in the sun. Tee had plumped the cushions in the rocker and helped her Great-grandmother get comfortable and park her stick. Then she sat on the first step right by the rocker and smiled.
“Tell me a story, Grandma.”
And that smile was all Mrs. Pickens needed.
“That smile you got remind me of a lady,” her Great-grandmother began, “remind me of a lady long long long time ago.
“This lady was named Vashti, and she lived with her Mama right down the road from me and mine. Her and her Mama used to sit out in the summertime on they front porch just rockin like this and smilin just like you, so pretty and polite.
“But we was all scared of them because they had real long fingernails on they fingers and long toenails on they toes. They never did say nothin to us or one another till one day me and my friends was passin by them soft-like.
“They was smilin and rockin on they porch, and the one Vashti leaned across the railin and whispered right to me, ’Girl, bring me glass a cool water I give you a lucky stone.’
“Now you know that scared me half to death but it wondered me too. And dog if I didn’t light out and run back home and fetch back to that porch a long drink of cool water.
