Angela Brazil

The Jolliest School of All Angela Brazil

In a top-story bedroom in an old-fashioned house in a northern suburb of London, a girl offourteen was kneeling on the floor, turning out the contents of the bottom cupboards of a bigbookcase. Her method of doing so was hardly tidy; she just tossed the miscellaneous assortment ofarticles down anywhere, till presently she was surrounded by a mixed-up jumble of books, papers, paint-boxes, music, chalks, pencils, foreign stamps, picture post-cards, crests, balls of knitting wool, skeins of embroidery silk, and odds and ends of all kinds. She groaned as the circle grew wider, yetthe apparently inexhaustible cupboards were still uncleared."Couldn't have ever believed I'd have stowed so many things away here. And, of course, the onebook I want isn't to be found. That's what always happens. It's just my bad luck. Hello! Who'scalling 'Renie'? I'm here! Here! In my bedroom! Don't yell the house down. Really, Vin, you've got avoice like a megaphone! You might think I was on the top of the roof. What d'you want now? I'mbusy