By Rhonda, the Chief Acolyte

Part Two

"I'm sure your excellent husband will be home soon, dear," Mrs. Browning soothed the almost-frantic Catherine. "There is no good in worrying much about it. Please, dear, continue with the story. It will keep your mind off things." She and Mrs. Jones shared a knowing glance- they remembered the silly anxieties newlyweds felt for each other. Catherine consented.

...When she had washed her face and hands, she went up and curtsied to the Prince, who handed her the golden slipper...

"I loved that story, ma'am!" Mary exclaimed as Catherine finished Cinderella.

"Pretty," Jane said in her three-year-old chirp.

By now the storm was almost at its peak. The women could see the wind whipping across the field outside, and the rain was noisy. "Perhaps we should wait it out a little longer," Mrs. Jones thought. "It might settle down a little, and we will all still make it home before supper."

Mrs. Browning agreed. "It can get no worse." She smiled at Catherine.

"Can we read this one?" begged Sarah.

"The Wolf and the Seven Kids? Oh, I'm not so sure..."

"Oh, please, Mrs. Tilney!" the girls interrupted.

Seeing no sign of objection from the mothers- they were engrossed in conversation- Catherine reluctantly began the story.

...There was once an old nanny goat who had seven kids, and she was just a fond of them as a mother is of her children. One day she was going into the woods to fetch some food for them, so she called them all up to her and said, "My dear children, I am going out into the woods. Beware of the wolf! If he once gets into the house, he will eat you up- skin, teeth and all...

…the wolf ran to a baker and said, "I have bruised my foot. Please put some dough on it." And when the baker put dough on his foot, he ran to the miller and said, "Strew some flour on my foot."...

...Now the wretch went for the third time to the door, and knocked and said, "open the door, children. Your dear mother has come home and has brought something for each of you out of the wood."

The kids cried, "Show us your feet first, so that we may be sure you are our mother." He put his paws on the window sill, and when they saw that they were white they believed all and opened the door.

Alas, it was the wolf who walked in. They were terrified and tried to hide themselves. One ran under the table, the second jumped into bed, the third got into the oven. The fourth ran into the kitchen, the fifth got into the cupboard, the sixth into the washtub, and the seventh hid in the tall clockcase. But the wolf found them all but one and made short work of them. He swallowed one after the other...

Suddenly, a gust of wind ran through the room, blowing out a few of the candles.

The girls began to scream. "The wolf! The wolf!"

Catherine started. A figure appeared in the foyer.

Continued in Part Three

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