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“Who is it?” Jack called.
“It’s me. Ernestine. May I see your new goat now?” she asked, pulling on the handle. The door didn’t budge. It was
locked. “Jack Avery,” she shouted, “you open up right now!”
“You’ll get your fancy clothes dirty!” he teased.
“I have overalls on now,” she said. “Open the door and see for yourself.”
Slowly Jack opened the door. “You sure look a heap better. Well, I suppose it will be all right.” The two older goats followed Jack out into the yard, and he tied them to the fence. “This is Jonah and Rebecca,” he said with his chest poked out.
Ernestine followed Jack into the shed. The baby goat was just waking up. “May I hold him?” she asked, gently stroking its
head.
“It’s not a him, it’s a her!” Jack said, laughing at his cousin. “City girls don’t know nothing about goats.”
Ernestine felt hurt.
Jack gently picked up the baby goat and carried her outside.
Ernestine followed him. “What’s her name?” she asked.
Jack pulled two biscuits out of his pocket and began, feeding them to Jonah and Rebecca. “I haven’t made up my mind yet,
he answered.
“How about Princess?” Ernestine suggested.
Jack frowned at his cousin. “Princess!” he said. “That’s a citified name!”
“No, it isn’t!” Ernestine felt tears spring to her eyes. Embarrassed, she ran back into the house. The rest of the afternoon Jack helped his father weed the flower garden, while Ernestine helped her aunt can peaches in the kitchen.
The next morning at breakfast the children were very quiet. “Don’t worry about your chores today, Son,” Uncle June said to
Jack. “Show your cousin around the farm.”
“Yes, Papa!” said Jack. “Come on, Cousin Ernestine,” he called. Ernestine followed reluctantly behind him.
Jack went into the feed barn. It was filled with hard corn. He swiftly climbed up the ladder and to Ernestine’s surprise,
leaped high into the air, his long legs flying onto the grain. Down he rolled, landing smoothly at his cousin’s feet.
“Watch me!” said Ernestine, climbing gracefully up the ladder. Taking a deep breath, she sprang, toes pointed, down into the corn. But she didn’t roll down. She was stuck fast.
Jack doubled over with laughter. “I knew you couldn’t do it,” he said, then climbed up and helped her down.
Ernestine didn’t reply. She followed him out of the feed barn. Just you wait, Jack Avery, she thought. I’ll show you.