Sally’s Something Day

By Patricia Hoyer

“If I was five, I could go to school, too,” Sally said to Mom as they watched Jamie climb off the school bus.

“Then I’d really have a something day to tell about.”

“What happened at school today?” Sally asked as soon as she opened the door.

“Well,” said Jamie, “Anne’s cat had seven kittens, I traded sandwiches with Pete, and Miss Johnson has short hair now.”

Sally followed Jamie to the kitchen, where she added, “And Marsha’s mom helped her make cookies. I got two. I saved them to eat with you.”

Jamie put her lunchbox on the table next to a paper sack and two paper cups. “What happened at home?”

“Nothing ever happens at home.” Sally sighed. “Mom sewed curtains all day. I only went discovering in the backyard.”

“You did? What’s in the sack, Sally? Can I see?”

“Oh, it’s just a plain old cricket,” said Sally, “but you can look at it if you want to.”

Jamie opened the bag carefully and peeked inside. “That’s a neat cricket,” she said. “Greenish yellow crickets are tree crickets, and they chirp real loud. Did you know that crickets have their ears on their front legs just below their knees?”

“They do?”

“This is a great cricket, Sally. Not everyone can catch a tree cricket. What’s in the paper cup?” asked Jamie.

“There’s just an old dead bee in this one,” Sally said. “You can look at it if you want to.”

“Why, that’s a bumblebee!” declared Jamie.

“See, it’s black and yellow and fat and hairy.”

“Do bumblebees have a loud buzz?”

Turning the bee over gently, Jamie answered, “Yes, and they have a sharp stinger, too, but a bumblebee usually only stings something if it’s hurt or frightened. It’s a good bee. A bumblebee carries pollen from blossom to blossom, and that helps the plants grow and produce fruit.”

“Mom said that farmers call them friends,” said Sally.

“That’s right,” agreed Jamie.

“What’s in the other cup?”

“Nothing special,” said Sally. “Just an old caterpillar.”

“Wow!” Jamie exclaimed. “I’ve never seen a better black and white and yellow-striped caterpillar. Look at all its little feet! I read that it likes to eat and eat until it grows out of its skin.”

“It does?”

“Sure,” said Jamie. “We’ll let it go, and someday that caterpillar will be a big, beautiful monarch butterfly with orange and black wings.”

Sally and Jamie walked to the vacant lot down the street. They put the caterpillar near some milkweed plants.

“Now let’s go eat Marsha’s cookies,” suggested Jamie.

“You know what?” said Sally as she watched Jamie get out Marsha’s cookies. “I had a something day, after all!”

Illustrated by Susan Schmuhl and R. Pilcher