Carol by F. Fredman

4.8

Part I

Carol did not like New York the first minute she saw it. She was eleven and a half years old. Her brother Johnny and her sister Jinny were eight. They were twins. Before that the family lived in a small town not far from New York. They had a nice house there which stood in a large garden with old trees and beautiful flowers. But the father found work in New York and they had to move to that city.

Carol did not like the high buildings in New York, and she saw no gardens near the houses. The streets were noisy. In their flat they could hear the cars and buses running in the streets day and night. They could hear the radio in the flat on the right and they could hear how the doors opened and shut in the flat on the left. Carol did not like their flat either. The rooms were small and low.

The twins liked everything—the city and the house, the flat and the people. Very soon they made friends with the boys and the girls in their house and were happy. Carol’s friends were in that small town and she did not want to have new friends in New York. The twins tried to help Carol to make new friends and asked some boys and girls of their house to come and see their sister.

One day a girl came to see Carol. Her name was Ruth. She had thick black hair and grey eyes. Ruth talked about their school and the teachers. Then she asked Carol to come to the park the next day. Then a boy visited Carol. He was tall and about thirteen years old. He had red hair and his round face and arms were covered with freckles.

“I am Pat,” he said and walked past Carol into the living-room. “The twins asked me to come and see you,” he said. The boy walked round the room, went up to the piano, sat down and played something. Pat told Carol that he lived on the next floor.

Carol’s mother came and brought in a dish of sweets. Pat stayed for a few minutes more, ate some sweets and then said good-bye. “See you in the park tomorrow, Carol,” he said.

Carol did not want to go to the park the next day. But the weather was fine and she was glad when Ruth called for her.

When the girls reached the park, they saw many children. The twins were there too. Ruth took Carol to a girl who sat on a bench and drew something on a piece of paper. Ruth said to Carol, “This is Christine, she can draw very well. The teacher always hangs her pictures on the wall.”

Carol told Ruth that she could draw very well too. “Our teacher always liked my pictures, but I don’t know what I can draw here.”

“You can draw flowers and trees in the park,” Ruth said, “we shall have an art competition in the library on the first of August. You can take part in the competition.”

Part II

On the way home Carol decided to take part in the art competition. The next day she went to the library and the librarian, Miss Horn, told the girl everything about the competition. The pictures will hang in the library for two weeks. There will be two prizes—one of ten dollars, the other —a book. Carol decided to draw a picture and get a prize.

She drew their house in the country. When the picture was ready, she took it to the library. Carol liked her picture. She thought that nobody could draw a nicer picture and she hoped to get the first prize.

At last the day of the competition came. Ruth called for Carol. The other boys and girls waited for them in the street. When they reached the library, Carol wanted to sit in the first row of benches. “I shall be near to get the prize,” she thought. But the first row was already full.

The librarian introduced Mr. Bond—a famous artist. Everybody applauded him. Mr. Bond said how much he liked the children’s drawings. Then he said: “And now I shall tell you who has won the prizes. The first prize is given to Christine. We think Christine may be a great artist.”

Carol did not hear how the children applauded. She only said two words to herself: “Not me.”

“The second prize,” said Mr. Bond, “goes to Carol for a picture of a house in a garden.” Carol did not move. The children shouted and applauded. Somebody told Carol to stand up. She stood up and then walked to Mr. Bond. She took the prize, said “Thank you” and went back to her seat.

The prize was a letter to the book-shop where Carol could take any book.

On the way home the children walked round the two girls and said nice things to them. When Carol and the twins came home, the twins shouted: “Carol got second prize, Mum!”

“Oh, did she? I am very glad,” and the mother looked happy. But Carol did not look happy.

Then the mother said: “You won’t like what I am going to say, Carol. You have a talent for art and some talent for music too, but you have no talent for friendship, and very often it is more important.”