The Shy Little Girl

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The Shy Little Girl by Phyllis Krasilovsky

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illustrated

by Trina Schart

Hyman

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The Shy Little

Girl

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The Shy Little by Phyllis Krasilovsky

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Girl illustrated

by Trina Schart

Hyman

For

Mary L. Gruening and Clara Claiborne Park, two treasured people

Published by Houghton Mifflin Company, distributed to the schools by

American Education Publications

Copyright

®

1970 by Phyllis Krasilovsky

Copyright

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number:

©

73-98519

1970 Trina Schart Printed in U.

S.

Hyman A.

There once was a

was very easily

shy.

and

named Anne who

She was too shy to make friends

besides, she didn't like herself very

much. She had face

little girl

a nice face but she

was horrible because she had

she was always wrinkling

it

up

thought her freckles ... so

like a prune.

She had

a nice voice

but she didn't

like

it.

She

talked so softly hardly anyone ever heard what

she said!

Her

clothes were nice

they were

terrible.

She never stood up

so everyone could see

looked.

enough but she thought

how

straight

lovely she really

.rvr./

She

^^

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lived in a nice

mother and

father.

house and had a nice

She even had her very own one

— but nobody

was too shy

r'-'

ever saw

to invite

cat

—a

striped

them because she

anyone home.

At school

when

she

she never raised her hand, even

knew

the answer, because she didn't

think the teacher would

call

on

her.

By the time she to ask

if

she could

felt

brave enough at recess

jump

rope,

were taken. (There was another

who a

all

the places

girl in

always got to play by pushing her

game but Anne

didn't like to fight.)

her

class

way

into

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Anne

usually wandered around the school

yard by herself

at recess.

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In the Fall she collected beautiful leaves and

ran through piles of them to hear them crunch.

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In the Winter she would slide up and

on the

14

ice.

down

In the Spring she

would look

for flowers,

chase butterflies and watch ants building anthills.

Once when crowded

else

caught

a

frog

as close as possible to see

so excited by

the frog

she

who

all

it.

everyone

She got

the attention that she dropped

scampered away. Then everyone

wandered away, leaving her alone

as usual.

It

was hard being

shy.

She wanted to have

a friend but she didn't think her. a

She did play sometimes

younger

Spy,

who

Cowboys and

with a boy

i-vj'

girl

named

0^'

lived

.

anyone could . .

mostly dolls with

down

Indians, and

John.

like

the road, and

games

I

like that

Still,

she didn't want to always play baby

games with babies or boy games with boys.

18

X Mostly she did things by herself or played with her

cat.

no one could tell

She tell

LOOKED

happy enough so

the difference.

No

one could

by the outside of her that she was really very

sad underneath.

^^''^^"j^^S^,

^

19

One day

a

new

girl

named Claudia came

to

school. She looked nice and Anne would have

loved her for a friend but she said to herself, well, she'll

not me.

20

want to be

Oh

friends with the others,

During al.

recess

Anne went off by herself as usu-

There were hundreds of dandelions along the

edge of the school grounds and she began to pick some.

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Then was

she was surprised to see Claudia

also picking dandelions.

"Why

aren't

who you

jumping rope?" she asked.

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"They wouldn't any room but is

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I

let

me

don't care.

because there wasn't Picking dandelions

fun, too."

:t^r^':m^''^^^

Anne showed Claudia how to string delions together. a ring, a bracelet,

Soon they each had and even

a small rope

the dana

crown,

made

them. The rope was just big enough for two to

jump together

so that

is

what they did

of

girls

until

the bell rang.

J

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"That was fun," Claudia I'll

26

bring a real

said,

"but tomorrow

jump rope from home

for us."

The next day had more fun

she did bring the rope and they

together. "I love your freckles,"

Claudia told Anne.

You're lucky you're

how

"They're tall

like

gold dust.

so everyone can notice

pretty your dresses are, too."

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27

One day Anne school.

28

"I

home from

Claudia liked Anne's house, Anne's

mother and cat.

invited Claudia

wish

father, I

had

and

especially

Anne's striped

a pet," she said.

When Anne was with Claudia she talked good and loud so Claudia always heard what she and she thought Anne was funny and

said

interest-

ing.

29

Anne

discovered she liked to talk and that

it

was fun to make someone laugh. She began to raise

her hand in class and the teacher did

her after

all.

The

call

on

other children were interested

in hearing a different voice for a

listened carefully to

what Anne

change and

said.

Now when Anne spoke good and loud

went outside if

at recess she

she wanted to take part

in a game.

31

And

Claudia did, too.

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