A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Page #7

you'd know that Johnny

never makes any trouble

and you'd know that the whole Nolan

family don't need anybody's help.

I'd thank you, Mr. McShane, if

you'd mind your own business.

Sure, Mrs. Nolan.

"Beauty is truth, truth

beauty, that is all

"Ye know on earth,

and all ye need to know"

Now, class.

"Beauty is truth,

truth beauty, that is all

"Ye know on earth,

and all ye need to know"

Now who knows

the name of the meter?

Frances Nolan?

Yes, but...

You can't know "but."

I only meant to say,

I was thinking

about the words,

what they mean,

and I wondered...

You don't have to know the

words, Frances, just the meter.

But if beauty is truth and that's all

ye need... I mean, all you need to know,

then that means it's

the most important thing.

And if a man,

I mean, if somebody

spent all his time

trying to be like that,

well, it's hard to put, but no

matter what else he did, then...

Then what, Frances?

Then it would be all right,

wouldn't it?

I'm afraid I don't understand

a thing you're saying, Frances,

and we're late now

with our arithmetic.

Class will get

their arithmetic books.

Pop, why don't the Katzenjammer

Kids talk plain English?

Supposed to make

it funny, I guess.

Francie, you been staring out

that window over a half an hour.

Can't you make up your

mind to do something?

What shall I do?

You used to like to do

your homework Sundays.

I don't know. I don't like

school as much as I used to.

Now you're

getting some sense.

School's the same

this year as it was last.

Mama.

Do you know that big market

on Clancy Street down the hill?

We can't trade there,

if that's what you mean.

That neighborhood's

expensive.

Well, I meant...

I mean,

well, the other day, I

passed that way on my way home

and, well, Mom,

you know what's just a couple

of blocks away from that market?

Another market, I guess.

And am I supposed to guess

what's two blocks away from there?

Francie, why don't

you say what you mean?

I didn't mean anything,

I guess.

Neeley, sometimes I think you

make these holes on purpose.

Papa.

Yes, baby?

You know what I read

in a magazine once?

What was it, Francie?

Well, it said that

walking was a good thing.

It said people would

look and feel a lot better

if they did more of it.

Walking puts rose petals

in your cheeks, it said.

Then I oughta be a raving

beauty with all them stairs.

That isn't what it meant. It

meant, well, like on a Sunday,

people would feel a lot better if they

got out and took a walk or something,

instead of just

sitting around.

Francie, I want you to stop talking

around about things like that.

It ain't right. If you got something

to say, just say it right out, plain.

I wasn't going

to say anything.

I was just talking

about walking.

Well, there's been so much talking

about walking, I think I'll take one.

You wanna go along,

prima donna?

Yes, Papa. Sure, Papa.

Must be pretty special,

this place you walk to

that's two blocks away

from the market.

This way, Papa.

Is this it?

Yes, Papa.

The school?

I don't understand.

It must be just as nice

inside, don't you think?

The teachers

and all and...

What are you

driving at, baby?

Bend down, Papa.

I wish I could go

to that school, Papa.

Well,

I don't know, baby.

It would be awful nice,

but they got rules.

You gotta go to the

school where you live.

I know.

I didn't really...

Well, now.

Now, wait a minute.

Maybe there's a way. It's

a free country, ain't it?

School days,

school days

Hey! Maybe we could

move near here. When?

Well, now, whoa, whoa.

Sometime soon.

As soon as our ship comes

in, prima donna. You'll see.

Only by that time,

I'll...

You wanna go there awful

bad, don't you, baby?

Then we're gonna

find a way.

Honest?

Well, now, I gotta

turn this over a little.

Let's do some more walking.

Maybe it's good for thinking, too.

School days,

school days

Hey, that ain't

a bad little house.

How'd you like

to live there?

It's got a nice

little porch.

I don't like

yellow houses.

With another

coat of paint?

Papa. That's it.

Yes, sir. That's it.

If we only could.

Well, why can't we?

Our luck's

bound to change,

and the first thing we'll do

is buy this little house when...

Someday.

Look. Come here.

As long as we're gonna

buy that house someday,

why don't we maybe

borrow it for now,

like we'll make

out it's ours.

Then your address would be 98

Hibbard Avenue, starting right now.

Then you see, they gotta

transfer you from your old school.

How do you mean, Papa?

Yes, sir, that's it.

We could say you come here

to live with your aunt,

your rich, old aunt.

She's lonesome and she's

gonna leave you all her money.

Papa, could we really?

Sure, we could.

It's nobody's business.

And sometimes I forget

to water the geraniums,

and you oughta hear

Auntie scold me.

But you gotta put up with her

crotchets. After all, you're her heir.

That little room up there.

That could be mine, couldn't it?

Uh...

Look, prima donna.

After all, you know,

this ain't exactly

according to the rules.

You mean it's wrong?

No, sir. Not by a jugful it ain't wrong.

Look, the house is here, we're

here and the school's here.

Now, we wasn't all thrown

together for no reason.

But we gotta keep

it kind of a secret.

You know,

you can't tell nobody

and you gotta be extra

good to make up for it.

I will.

Look. There goes

Auntie now, I think.

It looks like

you got an uncle, too.

Now, I'm gonna show you a way to your new

school through a beautiful, little park

and I know

right where it is.

And you can see the

seasons change when you go.

Bend down, Papa.

"My cup runneth over."

It's dishonest,

that's what it is.

You're setting the child

an awful bad example.

Papa says if it

doesn't hurt anybody,

it's not dishonest

in your heart.

You two

and your fancy words.

How do you spell

"transfer," Francie?

T- R-A-N-S-F-E-R.

I'd rather be shot

than do this arithmetic.

It'll come to you, Sonny.

And another thing,

we kept Francie out a year so she

and Neeley could be in the same class,

and she could

look after him.

And here, just the year when they're

getting ready to graduate, you go and...

I tell you,

it's against the law,

and you're making

her live a lie

and I won't

have you doin' it!

I'm gonna do this

for her, Katie.

Maybe it's my fault or not that

there ain't much I can give her.

But this is one thing

she's gonna have.

It'll make an awful long

walk for your mornings.

I don't mind

getting up early.

And it'll be much harder on your shoes

and you won't have dresses

like the other children.

I promise to wash down my

dress every single night.

How do you spell

"appreciate," Francie?

A- P-P...

Wait a minute.

R- E-C-I-A-T-E.

If the principal swallows that

story, and I don't think he will,

I'll see what I can do about making

over that checked dress of mine for you.

Why not? My school's

overcrowded as it is.

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