A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Page #8

This is Frances Nolan, class.

I'm sure you'll all make

her welcome to our school.

Now, that will be

your desk, Frances.

Run along, Sonny. I

ain't gonna spill a penny.

Well, I guess

you got everything.

Neeley, our new fire escape

leads clear up onto the roof!

Whoever lives on the top floor

has got dibs on the roof!

Johnny ain't doing so well,

eh, Mrs. Nolan?

Just moving

near the sun.

Soon as we heard Mrs. Waters was

vacating, we made up our minds.

I've been waiting to

see you, Mrs. Nolan.

There's something I

got to ask you, a favor.

I better show you.

Hey.

Look at this thing!

Oh, boy! Just think, we can have a

lot of fun running up and down that!

We ain't gonna let

anybody but us up there.

It's in here.

Look how high it is!

The late Mr. Waters gave it

to me for a wedding present.

It won't go

down the stairs

and they want $15 to move it,

lowering it out the window.

Do you mind my leaving it, Mrs. Nolan?

It don't take up

much room,

and someday when I get the

$15, I'll send back for it.

Why, sure, I don't mind, Mrs. Waters.

Can you play it?

No.

The neither

one of us could.

If it ain't too much trouble, you

could dust it off once in a while,

and keep the kitchen door open a

little so it won't get cold or damp.

I sure will.

Thank you.

I hope it won't be long before

you can send back for it.

Have you got

the curtains?

Yes. They're coming.

Is it...

Is that...

Yeah, we kept a baby in it

about 40 years ago.

Well, I was just wondering,

if you don't need it,

it would make a nice

handy little wash basket

and I'd be glad to give

you a quarter for it.

Why, sure. My Edgar's

kids is even too old.

Excuse me for asking,

Mrs. Nolan,

but it won't really make

a very handy wash basket.

Please don't say nothing.

I ain't told nobody yet.

It ain't always easy

when you're poor,

but it'll be

a blessing to you.

Yeah, sure.

Sure, it will.

But there must be!

I tell you, there ain't!

Well, goodbye,

Mrs. Nolan. Goodbye.

Goodbye, and thank you very much.

Don't forget we're supposed to give

him a beer, or the price of one.

Well, I'm done.

I can't thank you

enough, Charlie.

Always glad to do my

customers a favor, of course.

Well, we are

real grateful.

It ain't as though I was in

the regular moving business.

We'll be taking ice from you,

same as usual, once a week.

Well, goodbye.

Goodbye, Charlie,

and thanks.

He worked

awful hard, Mama.

We moved up to this flat to save money,

and we're not gonna start

by throwing dimes away.

No, sir, there ain't a bathtub

anywhere. I looked all over.

There's the tub,

young man.

Every Wednesday and

Saturday, same as always.

It's Mr. Barker.

Well, it seems like the Nolans

have come up in the world.

Yes, we're so very, very

fond of the sunshine.

In Dublin's fair city

Where the girls

are so pretty...

Run and catch him before

he goes to the old place.

Mr. Nolan happened

to be working

when we found

we could make the move.

Smaller than your old flat, ain't it?

I'm sorry I can't ask

you to sit, Mr. Barker.

I ain't even got

the coffee on yet.

But I got my

insurance money handy.

I suppose you're too busy to listen

to a bit of news about your sister.

She...

She's gonna

have a baby.

Please tell my sister she shouldn't

make herself such a stranger here.

I shall be very happy

to render your message.

Your receipts,

Mrs. Nolan.

Be sure to, now,

Mr. Barker.

Good day to you,

Mr. Nolan.

Well, I'm not one to spoil a

family party. I'll be on my way.

Surprise, Papa.

Welcome to your new home.

Yeah. It is kind of

a surprise, all right.

Did you move up here because

it was cheaper or because I...

We have to save where we

can. Somebody's got to.

I don't mind

the extra stairs.

We can still

see the tree.

Pop, the top-floor

tenants, the roof is theirs,

and I ain't gonna

let anybody up there

except Henny Gaddis,

because...

Hey. Does Pop know?

Flossie Gaddis

died last night.

The poor baby.

It was nice that her mama got

her all them pretty dresses.

Only now the poor thing will

have to lie in Potter's Field.

But she did have

the dresses.

You better show

your papa the piano.

Yeah, you better show me

the piano, prima donna.

The lady that was here left it.

It's got a nice tone.

It's all right.

Hey! Now that we got it, maybe

you can take some lessons!

Nah.

Maxwellton braes are bonnie

Where early fa's the dew

And 'twas there

that Annie Laurie

Gave me her promise true

Which ne'er forgot will be

And for

Bonnie Annie Laurie

I would lay

me doon

and dee

I ain't never heard you sing that before.

It's pretty. It's...

Maxwellton braes are bonnie

Where early fa's the dew

And 'twas there

that Annie Laurie

Gave me her promise true

Which ne'er forgot will be

And for Bonnie Annie

Laurie

I would lay

me doon

and dee

Well, this is the beginning of a

vacation we've all looked forward to,

and I'm sure we'll all

enjoy our holidays more

knowing we've helped

some unfortunate family

who'd have had no Christmas

dinner without this basket.

And so a merry...

Oh, one last thing.

This extra pie

Miss Shilling brought in,

it's little and a bit

crushed, but anybody want it?

My! What well-fed

boys and girls.

All right, class.

Miss McDonough!

Yes, Frances?

I just remembered. I know

a very unfortunate family.

They live in a hovel.

They have two children,

little golden-haired twins,

and they're all starving.

The pie will probably

save their lives.

Then you should take

the pie, by all means.

You can come and get it

when class is dismissed,

which is now. A merry

Christmas to you all!

Here. Merry Christmas!

That was a very fine

Christmas spirit, Frances,

but it seems such a tiny

pie to save so many lives.

It won't seem small

to them, Miss McDonough.

Even a little pie

can look awful big

if you hadn't had

very much to eat

for days and days. I'll have

to tell them to eat it slowly

because if they eat it too fast

on an empty stomach, they'll...

They'll...

It isn't true. It's all a

lie! I wanted it for myself!

I'll stay after school. I'll do

anything, but don't send a note home!

I'm not going to punish

you, child, for being hungry,

or having

an imagination.

You know, that's something

very few people have.

It's very precious.

But it can also be dangerous

unless we learn how to use it.

Our everyday lives are

real and true, aren't they?

But all the stories in

the world, all the music

came out of

someone's imagination.

So, if we tell the truth

and write the lies,

then they aren't

lies anymore.

They become stories,

like some of the very nice

compositions you've written, Frances.

Like the one about

my father taking me

to see the cotton fields

down south.

We didn't really go.

I rather imagined

you didn't.

But don't you think

it would be still better

if you'd write about the

things you really know about

and then add to them

with your imagination?

Even stories shouldn't be

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