Sally

Sally was sitting in the garden of their new home with a book. She watched the girls next door. They were having lots of fun in the back yard, but they made so much noise that Sally found she had read the first page of her book five times. Why had her family ever moved to this new place? A newcomer just didn't belong to anything, Sally said to herself.

Her mother was making pies in the kitchen when Sally hurried indoors. She saw that something was worrying Sally. "Why don’t you join the girls next door?" she asked.

Sally shook her head. "I can't," she said. "It’s a Secret Four Club, and only members belong."

Sally's voice was sad. What was the use of trying to explain? Mothers just didn't understand those things.

Upstairs in her room, Sally tried to knit, but the noise next door was so loud that she stopped and looked out of the window.

By this time, the dark-haired girl, Peggy, was swinging upside down on the apple-tree. Back and forth she went. She was trying out a trick she had seen a circus clown do.

Sally's mouth opened. She wanted to shout that it was too dangerous. The branch wasn't strong enough for that. But she was too late. There was a loud crack and a thump as Peggy fell to the ground and lay still.

Her three friends seemed helpless. They ran around wildly like frightened hens — then shook Peggy. As Peggy didn't answer, they decided to carry her into the house and call a doctor. Sally listened, open-mouthed. What a foolish and dangerous idea! They ought to know more First Aid than that. But when they bent over Peggy ready to pick her up, Sally knew she just had to do something. "Stop! You mustn't move injured people," she shouted. The girls were surprised and stopped. They turned and looked up at her.

Quickly, Sally hurried outside. She knew what she had to do and gave her orders. She sent one girl for the doctor and the other two for blankets.

Minutes later, everything began to happen. Peggy's parents and the doctor ran into the yard. The doctor looked at Peggy. She was pale and frightened, and her arm was broken. The doctor did what he could for her and said they must take her to the hospital. Suddenly, Sally found herself alone in the back yard of the next door house.

The doctor, Peggy, her parents, and the club members had disappeared.

Two hours later, the three girls came to see Sally. They looked a little foolish and quite ashamed.

"You must think we were very rude to leave you," they said. "But we were so worried about Peggy." "We talked it over on the way home and decided to change our club." "If you join us, we can call our club the Friendly Five.”

"The Friendly Five," said Sally, with a big smile. "That sounds just wonderful."