Chapter 5

The hundred dresses -1

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Wanda Petronski's seat

It was Monday. Wanda Petronski was not in her seat. Nobody including peggy and Madeline saw her absence. They started all the fun. Wanda's used to sit in the next to the last seat in the last row. It was in room. 13. She sat in the corner of the room. Rough boys usually sat there. There was the most noise of the feel when some fun occurred.

More about Wanda

Wanda was a very quiet girl. She rarely said something. No one had ever heard her laugh out loud. She used to sit there. No one knew why. It was because she came from boggins heights. Her feet had mud on them.

When they thought of Wanda

The students thought of Wanda only outside the school hours. They waited for her to have fun with her going to or coming from home. Wanda did not come to school on Tuesday also.

Of peggy and maddie

On Wednesday peggy and maddie thought of Wanda. They sat in the front. They got good marks. Peggy was the most popular in school. She was pretty and had curly hair. Maddie was her closest friend. They wanted to have fun with Wanda. So they got late. Due to this they saw that Wanda was absent.

Of other children

Most of the children in that room didn't have names likes that of Wanda. They had American names like Thomas, Smith or Allen. There was a boy named Willie bounce people thought that he was funny. But he was not funny like Wanda petronski.

Wanda and the other children in school.

Wanda didn't have any friend. She always wore a faded blue loose dress. It was clean. But it looked as if it had never been ironed. A lot of girls talked to Wanda. They surrounded her in the school yard. She stood looking at them playing hopscotch .

Girls make fun of Wanda

Peggy would make fun of Wanda. She would ask her how many dresses she had in her almirag. Wanda would say ' A hundred '. Then all the girls would stop playing and listen. The girls would aslj if they were of silk or velvet. Wanda would reply in positive. They would further ask Wanda how many pairs of shoes she had. She would say 'sixty pairs'. Then they would laugh and laugh

More of peggy

Peggy was not cruel. She protected small children from bullies. If somebody asked her if she didn't behave cruelly with Wanda she would reply differently. She would say wht Wanda had spoken of her hundred dresses. She would say that Wanda was not an ordinary person. Her name suggested that. But the girls never made Wanda cry.

Of maddie

Maddie felt it bad that they had been bothering Wanda like that it. It was because like Wanda she herself was poor. But she neither lived in boggins heights nor had a funny name like that of Wanda.

Maddie's feeling about Wanda

When Peggy asked Wanda those questions, Maddie would feel bad. She would study the marbles in her hand. She did not feel sorry for Wanda. She wished Peggy stop asking Wanda about dresses. She was Peggy's closest friend.

Maddie's desire for Peggy.

That day both Peggy and maddie were late to school. Maddie was glad that Wanda was not made fun of. She was working out her arithmetic problem. She lacked courage to ask Peggy stop making fun of Wanda. So she wanted to write Peggy a not about it.

Maddie picture herself being made fun of.

Maddie started writing that note to Peggy. Suddenly she shook. She pictured herself in the school yard as a new target for Peggy and the girls. Peggy might ask her about her dress. She would say that it was one of Peggy's old ones. Her mother had trimmed it so that no one would recognize it.

Maddie's thought

Maddie wished Peggy stoped making fun of Wanda. Maddie tore the note into piece. She was Peggy's best friend. Peggy was the most liked girl in the whole room. She thought Peggy would not do anything that was really wrong.

Maddie thinks of Wanda

Maddie thought of Wanda then. She hardly said anything to anybody. She only spoke of the hundred dresses. Maddie remembered her telling about one of her dresses, pale blue with coloured trimmings.

Maddie's thought about the drawing contest.

After that Maddie started thinking who would win the drawing and colour contest. She thought Peggy would win the girls medal. She drew better than anyone else in the room. They would all know about that the next day.

In the school the next day.

The next day it drizzled. Peggy and Maddie did not wait for Wanda. They did not want to be late to school. They entered the classroom. There were drawing and drawing all over the room . They were in bright colors.

Winners announced

The class had assembled. Miss Mason announced the winner. Jack beggles had won for the boys. He had sketched an outboard motor. The drawing was displayed in room 12. As fir the girls Wanda was the winner of the girls medal. But Wanda was absent that day. Miss Mason asked the children to look at Wanda's beautiful drawing.

Reaction of Peggy and Maddie to Wanda's drawings

Seeing the drawt, the children clapped their hands in joy . The boys whistled with fingers in their mouths. They were not interested in dresses. Maddie whispered to Peggy to look at the blue dress. Wanda had told them about it earlier. Peggy referred to the green one also. She added that she had thought she could draw.

We hope CBSE/MP Board Class 10th English "First Flight" Chapter 5 "The hundred dresses -1 " will help you.

Written By - Khushi Baghel