The Children of the House on Briar Point: Emily Meets the Sisters

Another girl was at the door.

Rebecca and Rosalind had seen other girls before,

but only on the other side

of the big white fence.

People never crossed to their side.

They rather liked it that way,

because they found it very hard to trust people.

People were loud.

People were rude.

People stole things,

hurt things,

and always showed up where they were not wanted.

“Who are you?” Rebecca asked the girl.

“I’m Emily,” the girl answered her.

“Those are my persimmons lying

on your front steps.”

Her voice shook,

and she was looking at her feet.

“Those can’t be your persimmons,” said Rosalind.

“They weren’t on your side of the big white fence.”

“They are mine,” insisted Emily.

“They fell from my tree,

so they are my persimmons.”

“Oh,” said Rosalind.
“Well, thank you very much.

They were very good persimmons.”

“But you stole them,” said Emily.

“You stole them and I want them back.”

“I’m sorry,” said Rebecca,
“but we’ve eaten nearly all of them.

But we can give you back the ones

that we didn’t eat.”

Emily looked up.

 “Thank you, I guess.

But I don’t have much else to eat,

so please don’t take any more of my persimmons.”

“You don’t have anything to eat?” asked Rebecca.

“Nothing?” asked Rosalind.

“Not much,” said Emily.

“I live alone

and there isn’t much I can get by myself.”

Rebecca and Rosalind looked at eachother.

Then they smiled.

“We have plenty of food,” said Rosalind.

“You can have some of ours.”

They didn’t trust people,

but Emily seemed like such a nice girl.

They didn’t think that such a nice girl

should only go with such a small amount of food.