Progress of Stories by Laura (Riding) Jackson

Author:Laura (Riding) Jackson [Jackson, Laura (Riding)]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2010-12-18T16:00:00+00:00

THE PLAYGROUND

TOMMY and Johnny were two very good little boys. Their way of being good was to play all day long as if playing were the most serious thing in the world. They learned this from their mother, who always said to them, "Good children are busy children." Their mother's name was Julia, but they called her 'Miss Advice' because she was always giving them advice and because she always called them Mr. this or Mr. that, such as 'Mr. Making-a-noise', or 'Mr. Tearing-your socks', according to what they were doing. She was always giving advice, and very good advice it was. So they called her 'Miss Advice'.

Julia did not believe that children should have many toys. "It makes playing come too easy," she would say. "Children ought to work hard to amuse themselves." Another idea of hers was that by playing children gave pleasure to someone that she called 'Unhappy Lady Thinking-hard'. Lady Thinking-hard sat somewhere and thought very hard about everything that happened. But if children were good and played without giving trouble, this made less work for her to think about. She did not have to think about what was only play if it did not make things happen, such as quarrels or things getting broken or clothes getting torn.

Tommy complained to Julia one day that it was very difficult to play near the house or anywhere where people might overlook. With other people about things were bound to happen, he said. But as he and Johnny were only little boys, they couldn't be allowed to go very far away from other people by themselves. "If only we could have a playground at the other end of the world," he said. Julia, their mother, said, "Well, I'll give you a piece of advice: the next time I send you and Johnny out for a walk and tell you not to go very far, not beyond the umbrella pine, suppose you disobey me and go just a little beyond the umbrella pine, about twenty-four steps, and then turn to the right, and then to the left again. And perhaps you'll find the very playground you want." "Well, thank you, Miss Advice," said Tommy, "I think I'll do as you say."

Now, it occurred to Julia, when Tommy made his complaint, that there was a sort of playground just beyond the umbrella pine, to the right, and then to the left again, and that it might be wise to break the rule like this about not going beyond the umbrella pine, instead of having the children break it themselves one day and get into real trouble. So off they went the next morning to break the rule without being naughty. And Julia felt that she was a very wise mother, and they felt that they were very wise children.

Julia knew exactly where the playground was, but she did not know exactly what they found there, and they did not tell her. This was their secret. It was not breaking any rule not to tell her.

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