This chapter introduces Felicity, a spirited young girl chafing against societal expectations for young ladies, who encounters a beautiful, independent horse mistreated by its owner, sparking her determination to protect it.
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okay i'm back to read the next chapter in
in
meet felicity
and this chapter is chapter two called penny
late afternoon sunshine slanted through
the window
onto felicity's back
felicity squirmed
she had a terrible itch and didn't know
how to scratch it
she couldn't reach it with her left hand
her right hand was inky because she was
practicing her script
she jiggled her shoulders up and down
she held her breath and rubbed her sides
with her elbows
she leaned back and wiggled her
shoulders against her chin
felicity my dear exclaimed her mother
why are you twitching and fidgeting so
i have the most awful itch mother said felicity
felicity
i think my stays
are laced too tight today
there's so much pinching
and uncomfortable
felicity pulled at her
stays which were laced up her back
like a tight vest
mrs merriman shook her head and laughed
you think your stays are laced too tight
every day
but you do grow so fast maybe you are
right come here my child and i will
loosen them for you
thank you mother said felicity she
sighed with relief as her mother
loosened the laces
i've told you many times lizzy your
stays will not pinch you if you sit up straight
straight
said mrs merriman
and they will not be uncomfortable if
you moved gracefully instead of
galloping about
she straightened felicity's cap
there now pretty one
you are all
you you are set to rights
fetch me your paper so that i may see
your handwriting practice
felicity blushed as she handed her
mother the paper
i haven't quite finished mother she said
so i see said mrs merriman
the first few letters were very fine
but you lost your patience when you got
to the letter h
the rest of the letters go trip-trotton
all over the page and then turn into
sketches of horses
she put the paper down and looked
felicity in the eye lissy
lissy
what am i going to do with you
you must learn to finish what you begin
if you spend half as much time on your
letters as you do daydreaming of horses
you'd have the finest hand in
williamsburg she sighed
go along to the well now fetch some
water and scrub your hand
mind you get that ink off
yes mother said felicity she turned to
go but stopped at the door
mother she asked
may i help ben make a delivery
oh yes my lively girl laughed her mother
i know very well there's no use trying
to keep you inside when your mind is
already out and away
thank you mother said felicity as she
threw out the door
flew out the door
lucy your hat she her called her mother
but she was too late felicity was all ready
ready
halfway to the well
felicity's hand was still a little wet
and a little inky when she rushed down
the street to her father's store
and just as she got there she saw ben
come out
he stopped and looked up the street
toward the silversmith's shop
then down the street toward the church
as if he were not sure which way to go
ben do you know the way to mrs fitchett's
fitchett's
house felicity asked
ben shrugged
i'll find it
ben's shyness didn't stop felicity come
on she said i'll show you
ben shrugged again
as you wish he said
then he was quiet
felicity didn't mind it was so lovely to
be outside and this was just the kind of
afternoon she loved best
she could see a few leaves that had
turned bright gold
they were like small banners announcing
the summer's heat was ending and the
fall's weather was on its way
felicity was supposed to be leaving ben
but ben took such long strides felicity
had to trot to keep up with him
finally she lifted that little hems on
her petticoats so that she could take
long strides too
it felt wonderful to be able to stretch
her legs
said felicity
gowns and petticoats are so bothersome
i'm forever stepping on my hem and
tripping unless i take little baby steps
small steps are supposed to look ladylike
ladylike
but i can't get anywhere
tis a terrible bother
in breeches your legs are free you can
straddle horses jump over fences
run as fast as you wish you can do anything
anything
ben didn't answer but he shifted the
sack of oats to his other shoulder
now felicity could see his face
it's very tiresome to be a girl
sometimes felicity went on there are so
many things a young lady must not do
i'm told the same things over and over again
again
don't talk too loud don't walk too fast
don't fidget don't dirty your hands
don't be impatient
felicity side it's very hard
you're lucky to be a lad
and you can do whatever you like ben
shook his head i can't do whatever i
like i'm an apprentice
oh said felicity
they walked in silence for a while then
felicity asked are you happy here in williamsburg
williamsburg
happy enough said ben
i imagine you miss your family and
friends back in yorktown said felicity
and i'm sure they miss you too
if i loved someone i could never let him
go away from me
i would be too miserable and lonely
she glanced over at ben
maybe he was lonely
you'll be happier here when you have some
some
friends she said
i said ben
then he hid his face
behind the sack of oats again
felicity and ben made their way along
the dusty wide main street of williamsburg
williamsburg
it was not very busy this afternoon
the city was just beginning to waken up
after the hot sleepy summer
mrs vobe was welcoming
some guests to her tavern
the milliner had opened the windows of
her shop to catch
the first fall breezes
here and here and there
speaking out from behind a hedge
or a fence felicity saw yellow flowers
nodding their heads to welcome autumn
after they delivered the oats to mrs
fitchett's stable ben said
i can find my way to the tannery and
home from here
felicity kept right on walking
mr and i has a new horse and i have a
curiosity to see it she said
felicity half expected ben to tell her
to run along home
but he didn't say anything
sometimes i'm glad he's so quiet thought felicity
felicity she
she
she grinned to herself
jiggy nice tannery was on the far edge
of the town
out where the neat
the neat fence yards grew ragged and
pasture stretched off into the woods
felicity could smell the tannery of vats
before she could see the tumbled down
tannery shed
the vats were huge kettles full of
yellow brown ooze made of foul smelling
fish or from sour beer
mr nye sarked soaked animal hides
in them to make leather
whoosh said felicity the smell of the
tannery is enough to make you
to make your hair curl
i said ben the whole business stinks
suddenly they heard angry shouts and a
new horse's frightened winnies down
down
ye hateful beast
downey savage
they heard mr knight yell
felicity ran to the pasture gate she saw
mr nye in the pasture trying
to back the
tobacco horse between the shafts of a
wood cart
the horse was rearing up and winning
he jerked his head and pawed the air
with its hooves mr and i was shouting
and pulling on the rope that was tied
around the horse's neck
beat you down i will
yelled mr nye i'll beat you
ben caught up with felicity and pulled
no i want to see the horse said felicity
she stood behind the open gate and stared
stared
the horse was wide-eyed and skinny its
coat was rough and matted with dirt
his mane and tail were knotted with burrs
burrs
but felicity could see
that it was a fine animal with long
strong legs and a proud arch neck
oh tis a beautiful horse whispered felicity
felicity beautiful
beautiful
mr nye and the horse both seemed to hear
her at the same time same moment the
horse calmed and turned toward felicity
that gave mr knight a chance to tighten
the rope around his neck
when the horse felt the rope it went
wild again
mr nye was nearly pulled off the ground
when it reared up on his hind legs
you beast mr nye shouted he glared at
ben and barked help me get in here and
grab this rope
ben darted into the pen and grabbed the
rope with mr nye but the horse reared
and pawed his the air
more wildly than before
i'll beat the fire out of you
shouted mr nye in a rage he raised his
his whip
to strike the horse
no cried felicity
at that the horse took off crossed the
through the dust
they had to let go of the ropes and give up
up
mr nye waved his arms and yelled at
felicity get away with you you've
spooked my horse you bother some chit of
a girl
felicity called out you spooked the
horse yourself you know you did ah
mr knight snarled
he turned his red rimmed eyes on ben and growled
growled
what are you doing here
i've brought the bit you ordered from
master merriman
ben said
mr nye held out his hand give it here
then step step back
i'm going to wait for payment he said
get away with you shout out mr and i
keep your blasted bit that horse won't
go now before i take my whip to the two
of you hear me
ben turned to go but felicity backed
away slowly
she couldn't stop watching the beautiful horse
horse
it was running back and forth across the pasture
pasture
trapped inside the horses
felicity come along said ben
felicity turned and followed ben but she
did not even see the road in front of her
her
isn't she beautiful ben felicity said
isn't she a dream of a horse
i agreed ben she's a chestnut mare a
blood horse
that means she's a thoroughbred doesn't
it said felicity
i it means she was trained to be a
gentleman's mouth said ben
that horse is not
bred to drag a work card
she was never meant to belong to the
likes of mr nye
felicity exclaimed she's much too fine
oh just once i'd love to ride a horse
like that
she'd be too fast for you said ben you'd
never stay on her
he shook his head grimly besides that
horse won't trust anyone after the way
mr nye is treated
is treating her
she won't let anyone on her back ever again
again
the horse has gone vicious
felicity heard what bed said ben said
but she didn't believe it she'd seen
that look a frantic anger in the horse's
eyes but felicity
had seen something else too
under under the wilderness there was a spirit
spirit
not viciousness
just as under the mud and
burrs there was a beautiful reddish gold
coat as bright and as new as a copper penny
penny
penny whispered felicity
what aspen penny said felicity that's
what i'm going to call that horse she's
the color of a new copper penny
it's a good name for her isn't it
eyes had been because she's an
independent-minded horse that's for certain
certain
call her penny for independence too
felicity smiled
from then on she thought of the horse as penny
penny
beautiful independent bright shiny
shining penny
but by the time felicity and ben walked
to the middle of town the sun was
melting on the horizon
they hurried along to the merriman's house
house
felicity merry men exclaimed her mother
whatever have you been
wherever have you been all this time ben
and i stopped out of the tannery said felicity
felicity
and oh mother
i saw the most beautiful horse
a horse asked mrs merriman
merriman
it's cheeky nai's new horse i wager said
mrs merriman
ben handed him the harness and the bit
mr nye didn't buy these things he said
he can't control the horse enough to
harness it
tis a headstrong independent-minded
horse a bright chestnut mare and fastest fire
how did jiggy nye come to have such a
horse as mrs merriman
no one knows for sure said ben
mr nye says he won the horse in a bet
from a man who found its string in the woods
woods
he says the man put a notice in the
newspaper the notice said that whoever
lost the horse should come and claim it
but no one ever came
that's just mr nye's story it though
it's hard to trust his word
felicity had never heard ben talk so much
much
she was supposed
she was surprised at all he knew
it's a pity jiggy's got hold of the
horse said mr merriman he shook his head
it will not end well i fear
felicity could tell by the
look on her father's face that penny was
in danger
she made it she made up her mind to go
back to the tannery and see penny
as soon
okay and that is the end of chapter two
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