Billy Gets a Needle

Billy’s mother was busy with her work when Billy and Ann came in.

“May I help you?” Ann asked Billy’s mother who was mending Billy’s shirt. “I like to sew and my mother often lets me help her.”

Billy could not understand it. He could not imagine that somebody wanted to work.

“This is the work for girls,” he said when Ann sat down with a needle and thread and began to mend Billy’s shirt.

“You only say that because you can’t do it,” answered Ann.

“Can’t do it!” said Billy. “Anybody can mend a hole. It’s easy.”

“You are right,” said Mother. “Try to mend this pyjamas pocket which you tore.” She gave Billy his pyjamas, and a needle and thread.

It was too late to get out of it. And Billy began to thread the needle, while Mother and Ann watched him. He tried and tried, but could not do that. In a few minutes Ann said:

“Oh, give it to me.”

For five minutes the three of them worked in silence which was broken every few moments with a loud cry from Billy as he pricked his finger. Then Mother said: “Are you still sewing that pocket? Let me see it.”

Billy broke the thread between his teeth and gave the pyjamas to Mother.

Then she and Ann began to laugh.

Billy could see nothing to laugh at — until they showed him the pyjamas. Then he saw that he had sewn the pocket right through to the back.

Billy had nothing to say!