The Naughtiest Girl in the School (6 page)

This wont do! she said to herself. I cant get Very Goods like this-theyll never send me home. Id better be naughty. She wondered what to do. She looked at Ruth by the window, and wondered if she could flip her rubber at her and hit her. She took her ruler, fitted her rubber against the end of it, bent it back and let it go. Whizzzzzz! The rubber flew across the schoolroom and hit Ruth on the left ear!

Ooooh! said Ruth, in surprise. She looked round and saw Elizabeths grinning face. Others began to giggle when they saw Ruths angry look.

Elizabeth grew bolder. She folded up a bit of paper and flipped it at Helen, who sat in front. But Helen moved her head, and the pellet of paper flew past her and landed on Miss Rangers desk. She looked up.

Playtime is for things like this, she said. Not lesson-time. Who did that? Elizabeth didnt answer, Miss Ranger looked up and down the rows. WHO DID THAT? she said again. The boy next to Elizabeth poked her bard with his ruler.

Own up! he whispered. If you dont well all be kept in.

So Elizabeth owned up. I did it, she said.

Well, Elizabeth, perhaps you would like to know that I dont allow behavior like that in my class, said Miss Ranger. Dont do it again.

I shall if I want to, said Elizabeth. Everybody looked at her in amazement. Miss Ranger was surprised.

You must be very bored with these lessons to want to flip paper about, she said. Go outside the room and stay there till you feel it would bore you less to come back than to stand outside. I dont mind how long you stand there, but I do mind anybody being bored in my class. Now, children, get out your paint-boxes, please.

There was a clatter as the desks were opened and paint-boxes were taken out. Elizabeth loved painting and was very good at it. She wanted to stay. She sat on in her desk and didnt move.

Elizabeth! Go outside, please, said Miss Ranger.

There was no help for it then-up Elizabeth got and went outside the door.

You may come back when you think you can really behave yourself, and not disturb my class, said Miss Ranger.

It was very dull standing outside the door. Elizabeth wondered if she should wander away and have a swing. No-she might meet the Beauty and the Beast! Ha ha! She was being naughty all right! But it was dull standing so long outside a door and hearing happy talking coming from inside, as the children painted blue and pink lupins that Miss Ranger had brought in. Elizabeth couldnt bear it any longer. She opened the door and went in.

I can behave myself now, she said, in a low voice to Miss Ranger.

Miss Ranger nodded, without a smile. Take your place, she said. Theres no time for you to do any painting-you can do a few more sums!

Sums again! thought Elizabeth angrily. Well - Ill just be bad as soon as ever I can think of something really naughty again!

CHAPTER 7

The First School Meeting

That evening, after tea, the first Meeting was held. The whole school attended it, and Miss Belle, Miss Best, and Mr. Johns came too. They sat at the back and did not seem to be taking a great deal of notice of what was going on.

“But all the same, they never miss a word!” said Ruth to Belinda who was feeling just a little scared of this first important Meeting.

The two Head Children of the school, a grave-looking girl called Rita, and a merry-eyed boy called William, sat at a large table in the gym, where the Meeting was held. They were the Judges. Twelve other children, six boys and six girls, big and small, sat round a table just in front of the two judges. They were called the Jury. All the others sat on forms around.

At first Elizabeth had thought she would not go to the Meeting. Then she had felt rather curious about it, and decided to go just this one time.

She had seen a notice on the notice-board that said. “Please bring all the money you have,” and she had brought hers in her purse-though she was quite determined not to give it up if she were asked to do so.

All the children stood up when the two Judges and the two mistresses and master came into the room all but Elizabeth! However she got up in a great hurry when she felt Ruth’s hard fingers digging into her back to make her move! She glared round at Ruth, and was just going to speak angrily to her when there was the sound of a hammer being rapped on a table.

“Sit, please,” said one of the Judges. Everyone sat.

Elizabeth saw that there was a wooden hammer or mallet on the table in front of the Judges, and also a large notebook and some sheets of paper. There was a large box as well, like a big money-box. It all looked important and exciting.

“The twelve children round the smaller table are the monitors,” whispered Helen to Elizabeth. “They are chosen by us all every month.”

Elizabeth saw that Nora was at the Jury table, and so was the boy she had kicked the day before. She didn’t know any of the others, except Eileen, the girl who had been kind to her yesterday.

The girl Judge rose in her seat and spoke clearly to the school. “This is our first Meeting this term,” she said. “We have very little to do today, because school only opened yesterday, but we must just make our Rules clear to the new children, and we must also take in the money. We do not need to choose new monitors because we elected those at the last Meeting of the Easter term. You see them at the Jury table. They will remain monitors for one month unless any Meeting decides to choose others instead. As you know, monitors are chosen for their common sense, their loyalty to the school and its ideas, and their good character. They must be obeyed, because you yourselves have chosen them.”

The girl Judge stopped and looked down at a paper she held, on which she had written notes to remind her of what she wanted to say. She looked round at the listening children.

“We have very few rules,” she said. “One rule is that we place all the money we get into this box, and we draw from it two shillings a week each. The rest of the money is used to buy anything that any of you especially want-but you have to state at the weekly Meeting what you need the money for, and the Jury will decide if you may have it.”

One or two of the children clinked their money as if they would like to put it into the box at once. The Judges smiled.

“You’ll be able to give your money in a minute,” said the girl Judge. “Now, to go on with our Rules. The second rule is that if we have any complaint at all, we must bring it to the Meeting and announce it there, so that everyone may hear it, and decide what is to be done with it.  Any bullying, unkindness, untruthfulness, disobedience may be brought before the Meeting, and we will decide what punishment shall be given Please be sure you understand the difference between a real complaint and telling tales, because telling tales is also punished. If you are not sure of the difference, ask your monitor before you bring your complaint to the Meeting.”

The girl Judge sat down. The boy Judge got up and beamed round the listening company. “We will now take the money,” he said. “After that we will hand out the two shillings to everyone, and then see if anybody wants extra this week. Thomas, take the box round, please.”

Elizabeth was quite sure she was not going to give up her money. She quickly pushed her purse under her and sat on it hard. Thomas came round with the box, Money clinked into it-shillings and sixpences, half-crowns and even a ten-shilling note or two went into the big box.

The box came to Elizabeth. She passed it on without putting her money into it. But Thomas the monitor noticed it at once. “Haven’t you any money at all?” he asked.

Elizabeth pretended not to hear. Thomas said no more, but went on taking the box round. Elizabeth was pleased.

“I did what I wanted to them and they couldn’t stop me!” she thought.

Thomas took the box up to the Judge. It was very heavy now. He put it on their table and said something to them in a low voice. William, the boy Judge, rapped on his table with the hammer. Everyone stopped chattering.

“Elizabeth Allen did not put her money into the box,” he said. “Elizabeth, have you no money?”

“Yes, I have,” answered Elizabeth defiantly. “But I’m going to keep it.”

“Stand up when you speak to me,” ordered the Judge. Elizabeth felt Ruth’s hard fingers poking her again and she stood up. Ruth saw the purse on the form, and quickly picked it up.

“Why do you want to keep your money to yourself?” asked William. “Are you so very selfish?”

“No.” said Elizabeth. “But I think it’s a silly idea.”

“Listen,” said William patiently. “In this school we don’t like to think that some of us have heaps of money to spend and others have hardly any. We all get the same, and if you want anything extra you can always have it if the Meeting agrees.”

“Well, I’m not going to stay at this school very long,” said Elizabeth, in a rude defiant voice. “And I shall want some money to go home by train-so I’m not going to give it to you.”

There was a buzz of surprise and horror. The Judges and the Jury stared at Elizabeth as if she was something very queer indeed. The two Headmistresses and the Master looked up with great interest, wondering what the Judges would say. William and Rita spoke together in low voices. Then they banged on the table with the hammer. Everyone was silent at once.

William spoke in a grave voice. “We think Elizabeth is wrong and silly,” he said. “Her parents are paying a lot of money to keep her in this fine school, and even if she goes home in a short while, her term’s fees still have to be paid. Also we think she is very feeble not to try and see if she likes Whyteleafe.”

“If I’m not sent home, I’ll run away,” said Elizabeth, angry at being spoken of like this.

“That can’t be allowed,” said William at once. “You would worry your parents and everyone here, just because you are a selfish, silly girl. Ruth, is that Elizabeth’s money I see you waving at me? Bring it here.”

Elizabeth made a snatch at her money, but it was too late. Ruth took the bag to the table and emptied six shillings, two half-crowns, and five sixpences into the money-box. Elizabeth blinked her eyes she wanted to cry, but she wasn’t going to.

“Elizabeth, we can’t allow you to keep your money in case you are foolish enough to use it for running away,” said Rita, in a kind but stern voice.