Naughtiest Girl 2: The Naughtiest Girl Again (3 page)

"Oh, I'm not!" cried Elizabeth. She tried to catch hold of the swing as it came down, to stop it, but Robert was too quick for her, He gave her a push and sent her spinning into a bush. Then he sent the swing even higher than ever.

"I'll go and tell somebody!" cried Elizabeth, picking herself up.

"Tell-tale, tell-tale!" chanted Robert, giving the swing another push. Eli zabeth lost her temper completely and rushed at the aggravating boy. She caught hold of his hair and pulled at it so hard that she pulled a whole handful out! Then she slapped his face and gave him such a punch in his middle that he doubled himself up with a groan.

Elizabeth stopped the swing and helped the trembling Peter off the seat. "Go and be sick if you want to," she said. "And don't let Robert swing you any more."

Peter staggered off, looking rather green. Elizabeth turned to face Robert, but just then three or four children came up, and neither child felt inclined to go on with the quarrel in public.

"I'll report you at the very next Meeting!" cried Elizabeth, still in a great temper. "You just see! You'll be punished all right, you cruel, unkind boy!"

She went off, raging. Robert looked round at the interested children who had come up. "What a temper that girl has got I" he said. "Look here-she pulled my hair out!"

He picked up some of his dark hairs and showed them to the others. They looked surprised.

"You must have been doing something awful to make Elizabeth lose her temper like that," said Kenneth.

"I was only giving someone a swing," said Robert. "Elizabeth interfered, as usual. I wish she'd leave me alone, No wonder she was called the naughtiest girl in the school last term!"

"We pinned a notice on her once, calling her the Bold Bad Girl!" said somebody, with a laugh, as he remembered how angry Elizabeth had been. "Did you hit Elizabeth, Robert? If you did, you're mean. Girls are awfully annoying sometimes, but if you're a boy, you can't hit them."

"I didn't touch her," said Robert, though he knew quite well that if the others hadn't come up at that moment he would certainly have gone for Elizabeth and slapped her well, "She just went up in smoke and flew at me, the horrid girl!"

Elizabeth rushed off to tell Joan all that had happened. Joan listened gravely.

"Robert really is a horrid bully," she said, "He'll have to be stopped. But oh, Elizabeth, I do think it's rather a pity you lost your temper like that! You have got such a hot temper, you know!"

"Well, anyone would have lost their temper if they had seen Robert swinging that poor wretched little Peter almost over the top of the swing-post!" said Elizabeth, still boiling with rage. "He was quite green."

"You don't suppose the Meeting will think it's telling tales if you report Robert, do you?" asked Joan doubtfully. "If I were you, I'd ask Nora first."

"I'll do no such thing!" cried Elizabeth, "I'm the best judge of this! I saw what happened, didn't I? All right then-I'll report Robert at the Meeting tomorrow, and then we'll just see what the Jury say. He'll get a dreadful shock-and he'll deserve it, too."

Elizabeth was angry all day, and when the next day

came she could hardly wait for the eveni ng to come, to report Robert. Then he would see what happened to boys who did mean, unkind things!

Robert did not seem to be at all upset at the idea of Elizabeth reporting him, He made faces at her whenever he

saw her, which made her very angry indeed. "You'll get a shock at the Meeting tonight!" said Elizabeth. But there was a shock waiting for Elizabeth tool WHAT HAPPENED AT THE MEETING.

THE time for the weekly Meeting came. Elizabeth sat down on the form next to Belinda and Joan, longing for the moment to come when she could make a complaint about Robert. Robert sat not far away, his sullen face unsmiling, but there was a gleam in his eye when he turned to look at Elizabeth.

".1 shouldn't be surprised if Robert doesn't make a complaint about you too, Elizabeth," whispered Joan, "He looks as if he's got something up his sleeve."

"I don't care," said Elizabeth. "Wait till the Meeting hear what I've got to say!"

William and Rita came in, with the mistresses and Mr.

Johns, The children stood up. The Head Girl and Boy sat 12

down, and the Meeting began.

Money was collected, though there was not very much that week. Kenneth had had a birthday and had five shillings to put into the box. Janet had a shilling. Everyone was given their two shillings, and Mary got her four -

pence ha'penny extra for her weekly stamp.

"Have you found the lost library book yet?" asked William, looking at Kenneth. "We said you could have back your sixpence fine if you did."

"No, I haven't found it," said Kenneth. "I've hunted everywhere."

"Anybody want any extra money?" asked Rita, jingling the box to see how much there was in it.

"I suppose I couldn't have any extra?" asked Ruth, standing up. "I lost all my two shilling last week. It was a dreadful blow because I badly wanted some stamps."

"How did you lose it?" asked Rita,

"There was a hole in my pocket," said Ruth, "It fell out through that, goodness knows where."

"Did you know there was a hole in your pocket?"

asked Rita.

Ruth hesitated. "Well," she said, "I did know there was one coming, as a matter of fact, It was just a tiny little hole. I didn't know it had got big enough to lose money."

"Who's your monitor?" asked William. "Oh, you are, Nora. Do you think it was Ruth's fault?"

"Well," said Nora, "quite truthfully, Ruth isn't awfully good at mending her clothes when she ought to, She lost a lovely pocket-knife last term, through a hole in a pocket -didn't you, Ruth?"

"Yes," said Ruth, looking rather uncomfortable. "Yes, I did. I know I should have mended that hole, I'm untidy and careless about things like that. I jolly well won't get a hole again, though. I think I shouldn't have asked for extra money, as it was my own fault,"

She sat down, The Jury began to talk to one another, A girl sitting on one of the forms stood up. It was Eileen, a kindly girl with a mass of lair curls.

"May I say something?" she asked. "I think that as Ruth has owned up that it was her own fault, and as she really is very generous with her money when she has it, couldn't she have an extra two shillings, just for once?"

"We are just discussing that," said Rita. "This is what we are going to do. We will let you have a shilling, Ruth, not two shillings, because we all believe you aren't quite so silly as to let a thing like this happen a third time, and you have been very honest about it, Come and take an extra shilling."

"Oh, thank you," said Ruth, going to the table. "I had to borrow some stamps from Belinda, and now I can pay her back without using this week's two shillings. I'll be more careful in future, Rita!"

"Any more money wanted?" asked William, knocking on the table with his hammer, for the chi1dren had begun to talk to one another. Everyone was quiet.

"It's my Granny's birthday this week," said a small girl, getting up. "I want to send her a card. Could I have extra money to buy it with, and for the stamp, too?"

"No," said William, "That should come out of your two shillings. Not granted. Any more requests?"

There were none, Elizabeth knew that the time for complaints or grumbles would come next, and she we nt red with excitement. William said a few words to Rita about something and then knocked for silence again.

"Any complaints or grumbles?" he asked. Elizabeth stood-and so did Robert-but Robert was just half a second before her.

"You first, Robert," said William. "Sit down and take your turn next, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth didn't sit down. She didn't mean to let Robert speak first,

"Oh, please, William!" she said. "I have such a serious complaint to make."

"Well, it will keep," said William, "Sit down."

"But William, it's about Robert," began Elizabeth again, her voice rising.

"Elizabeth, do as you're told," ordered Rita, "You will have plenty of time to say all you want to."

There was nothing for it but to sit down. Elizabeth was very angry. She glared at Robert, who didn't look at her at all, but stood patiently waiting to speak.

"Well, Robert, what have you to say?" asked William. "I hope this isn't telling tales,"

began Robert in a rather apologetic voice, "but I really must complain about Elizabeth Allen's behaviour to me. I have always tried to be fair to her.

"Oooooh!" cried Elizabeth indignantly. "You know you haven't! You've . , "Silence, Elizabeth!" ordered William sharply. "You can say all you want to say in a minute, Don't interrupt. Go on, Robert."

Elizabeth was boiling with rage. Joan put her hand on her friend's arm to try and calm her, but Elizabeth shook it off. Just wait till she had her turn to speak!

"I've always tried to be fair to her," went on Robert in a very polite voice, "But really, 11 can't let her pull my hair out and slap me in the face,"

There was an astonished silence, Everyone looked at Elizabeth. Robert went on, pleased at the surprise he had caused.

"I've got some of the hairs she pulled out in this envelope to show you, William, in ease you don't believe me. And there are two or three children who will tell you it really happened. Of course, as she's a girl, I couldn't hit her back. I know she was supposed to be the naughtiest girl in the school last term, and . . ."

"You can leave that out, Robert, It has nothing to do with this," said William at once, "We have always found Elizabeth to be just and fair and kind so far, no matter how naughty she once was. Will you please tell us why Elizabeth did these extraordinary things?"

"She didn't want me to swing somebody," said Robert, "She's always interfering with me, whatever I do, She laughs if I make a mistake in class. Well, never mind about that. I was just swinging Peter, and he was squealing with excitement, and she came and pulled out my hair, slapped me and punched me."

"Thank you," said William. "Sit down, Elizabeth, perhaps you would like to tell us if these complaints are true, Did you pull out Robert's hair and slap him?"

Elizabeth stood up, her cheeks as red as fire and her eyes flashing. "Yes, I did!" she said, "And he deserved it! I wish I'd pulled out more of his hair. I wish . .

"That's enough, Elizabeth," said Rita, at once. "II you can't control yourself enough to tell us properly what happened, there's no use in your saying anything."

Elizabeth knew she was being silly. She tried her hardest to be sensible, "Please, Rita, I'll tell my story properly." she said "Then you'll see why If got so angry, and perhaps you'll say I was right to lose my temper with Robert. I was going to see my rabbits, when I heard somebody squealing out. It was Peter on the swing, and he was shouting to Robert not to swing him so high, because he was frightened."

"Go on," said William gravely.

"Wel1, I rushed to stop the swing, and Robert sent me right over," said Elizabeth, feeling her temper rise again as she told what had happened. "I got up and flew at Robert to stop him swinging Peter again, because he was quite green and I thought he would fall off. And oh, William and Rita, that's not the only time that Robert has bullied the younger ones. He's a real bully, unkind and mean--"

There was a silence again. Everyone in the school knew quite well that a very serious thing had happened. Which of the two children was right? Bullying was hateful. Bad temper and fighting were wrong.

Joan was very upset. She knew quite well that Elizabeth had made up her mind to be good and do as well as she could this term, and now here was the hot4empered girl flying into trouble almost at once! It was just no good trying to stop her. If Elizabeth saw something unfair she would rush at it in a temper and try to put it right that way. Joan couldn't see how this matter could be put right.

William and Rita spoke together in low voices. The Jury discussed the matter, too.

Robert sat on his form, not even red in the face, He did not look at Elizabeth.

William knocked for silence. "We would like to ask the boys and girls who saw the affair to report on it," he said, "Who saw it?"

Three children stood up. They said shortly that they had seen the hairs that Elizabeth had pulled out and had seen how red Robert's face was where it had been slapped.

"Did Robert hit back at all?" asked Rita.

"Not that we saw," said Kenneth, and sat down, feeling sorry for Elizabeth.

"And now we will ask Peter to tell us what happened," said William in a kindly tone.

"Stand up, Peter, and answer my questions."

The small nine-year-old Peter stood up. His knees shook beneath him, and he felt dreadful to have the eyes of the whole School on him.

"Was Robert swinging you high?" asked William Peter looked across at Robert. Robert gave him a queer look. Peter spoke in a trembling voice. "Yes-he was swinging me quite high."

"Were you frightened?" asked William "N-no-no," said Peter.

"Did you squeal for help?" asked Rita, "No," said Peter, with a look at Robert. "I was just-just squealing for fun, you know,"

"Thank you," said William. "Sit down." Elizabeth leapt up. "Robert must have made Peter promise to say all that!" she cried. "Ask if there are any other yo ung ones who would like to complain about Robert, Rita,"

Rita looked round to where the younger children sat. "Is there anyone who has a complaint to make about Robert?" she asked. "If he has been unkind to you, or ill-treated you in any way, speak now."

Elizabeth waited for half a dozen children to stand up and speak. But there was a complete silence! Nobody spoke, nobody complained. What a very strange thing!

Now what was going to happen?

Elizabeth IS VERY CROSS.

The complaints to the School Meeting were so serious that the two Judges and the Jury took a long time to discuss them, In the meantime the rest of the children also discussed the matter among themselves, Not many of them were for Robert, for he was not liked, but on the other hand most of the boys and girls felt that Elizabeth had no right to lose her temper so fiercely.