Summer Magic Page #5

they don't know that they're ugly.

- They don't?

- Except one.

# Once a lonely caterpillar

sat and cried

# To a sympathetic beetle by his side

# "I've got nobody to hug"

# "I'm such an ugly bug"

# Then a spider and a dragonfly replied

# "If you're serious

and want to win a bride"

# "Come along with us

to the glorious annual Ugly Bug Ball"

# Come on, let's crawl, gotta crawl,

gotta crawl to the Ugly Bug Ball

# To the Ball, to the Ball,

# And a happy time we'll have there

# One and all, at the Ugly Bug Ball

# While the crickets

clicked their tricky melodies

# All the ants were fancy dancing

with the fleas

# Then up from under the ground

# The worms came squirming around

# Oh, they danced

until their legs were nearly lame

# Every little crawling creature

you could name

# Everyone was glad,

what a time they had

# They were so happy they came

- # Come on, let's crawl

- # Gotta crawl, gotta crawl

- # To the Ugly Bug Ball

- # To the Ball, to the Ball

# And at happy time we'll have there,

one and all

# At the Ugly Bug Ball

# Then our caterpillar

saw a pretty queen

# She was beautiful

in yellow, black and green

# He said, "Would you care to dance?"

# Their dancing led to romance

# Then she sat upon

his caterpillar knees

# And he gave

his caterpillar queen a squeeze

# Soon they'll honeymoon,

build a big cocoon

# Thanks to the Ugly Bug Ball

# Come on, let's crawl,

gotta crawl, gotta crawl

# To the Ugly Bug Ball,

to the Ball, to the Ball

# And a happy time we'll have there,

one and all

# At the Ugly Bug Ball" #

Osh. Mother wants you.

Not too hot, Lallie Joy.

Test it with your elbow.

Julia, you can't take a bath in here.

I'm tired of lugging

kettles of hot water upstairs.

At the Fergusons', Gladys and I had

our own bath, right next to our room,

with plenty of hot running water.

This isn't the Fergusons'.

This is the Careys'.

Well, it seems to me that

if the Careys are silly enough

to spend money on a house

they don't own,

the first thing they should have done

was to install civilized plumbing

in this primitive place.

Well, really!

- Where is your ma?

- In the sewing room.

Primitive or not, the Careys

are just as clean as the Fergusons.

- Close the door, please.

- Lallie Joy, you're not her maid.

Oh, I don't mind.

- Did you want me for something?

- Yes, Osh.

I've been figuring. Facing facts.

I hate facts.

Well, there's one very unpleasant one.

We haven't enough money.

And if we want to stay in this house,

we won't be able to go on fixing it.

But, Mother, we haven't even

started on the outside yet.

We'll have to live in it the way it is.

Oh, no!

There's no hurry about paying me.

We'll figure that out some day.

It won't do, Osh.

You're too kind. We can't accept it.

There's the second rent payment

due Mr. Hamilton.

Mr. Hamilton. Rent money.

I clean forgot.

I got a letter. It's in my pocket.

No, I must have left it in my coat.

Did he get my letter

about the improvements?

Oh, yes, sir. Yes, sir.

I put yours in with the one I wrote him

about that time.

He was so darned overjoyed about

what you were doing to the old house,

you know, adding to its value,

that he wouldn't even consider

taking any rent money.

No rent money?!

- Mother! Won't that make a difference?

- We can't accept it.

- Mr. Hamilton is very...

- Hold your horses there, Mrs. Carey.

He wants a favor in return.

- A favor? From us?

- Yes.

He wants you to find a suitable place

for his dear mother's picture.

- His mother's picture?

- Of course!

Dear old soul. Portrait of a lady.

- Where is she, Osh?

- Well... well, he hid her.

He hid her away some place safe.

He wrote it down real clear,

but it's just gone right out of my head.

If you'll bring the letter, we'll follow

the instructions to the last detail.

- She'll have a place of honor.

- That's the idea.

He wrote something about a simple

little vase of flowers. On her birthday.

Of course. Her birthday. When is it?

Well, he...

Well, it seems like he said

it was along the fall of the year.

- Halloween.

- Halloween?

- People are born on Halloween.

- It works out perfectly, Mother.

It'll tie in with our housewarming.

We could have a ceremony.

You know, candles, a simple bouquet,

her lovely painting above.

- Probably by Sargent. Maybe Whistler.

- Sounds too good to be true.

There's Gilly now.

You see, Mother?

We were fated to live here!

- Mariah, I was uh...

- Don't try to stop me, Mr. Popham.

Well, of course not.

You making a social call?

I ain't feeling social, Mr. Popham.

I'm here to talk gospel truth

to Mrs. Carey.

I searched the store for a letter

from Mr. Hamilton and I didn't find one.

This whole thing's gone far enough.

Uh... Well, what are you

going to tell the Careys, Mariah?

My suspicions.

Maybe it's why

I look on the dark side,

living with Mr. Popham

and him so hopeful.

Well, he certainly keeps our spirits up.

That's 'cause you don't get him steady.

Hopefulness at meals.

Hopefulness days. Hopefulness nights.

One everlasting stream of hopefulness.

Even as a boy, Mr. Popham

always looked on the bright side,

whether there was any or not.

His mother and father

got terrible sick of it.

It's a wonderful faculty,

seeing the bright side of everything.

Wonderful tiresome. I like to believe

in a cloud that's a first-class cloud.

Thick and black clean through.

I get tired to death

of Mr. Popham's silver linings.

We all believe in silver linings

and rainbows. And...

Well, I don't. I always expect the worst

and I ain't ever been disappointed.

- It's why I came today, Mrs. Carey.

- Is something wrong, Mrs. Popham?

My goodness.

Osh!

Osh!

- Papa!

- Mr. Popham!

- Oh, he's unconscious!

- Oh, speak to me, Papa.

Ossian, can you hear me?

Mariah.

Julia, go tell Gilly to get the doctor.

No, no, no! No, I'll be all right.

I'll be all right.

Just take me home, Mariah. It's my leg.

Crank her up, Lallie Joy.

This is for his head.

I'll be all right once I get home.

Oh! Be careful, Osh.

For his head.

That's it.

- Hold on.

- Take care!

- Good morning, Mrs. Carey.

- Good morning.

This is Charles Bryant.

He's to be our new school teacher.

- Mrs. Carey.

- We've been expecting you, Mr. Bryant.

You seem very young

to be undertaking such a chore.

- He's just out of college.

- Oh, I love his name.

Charles Bryant. So dignified!

- He looks young to be a teacher.

- Isn't he handsome?

Aren't you sorry now you finished

that elegant finishing school?

It might be the gracious thing to do

if we asked him to tea some time.

Julia, that's an inspiration! How about

today for refreshments on the lawn?

- Well, maybe a small affair.

- Yes.

Oh, we'd better ask some others

so it's not too obvious.

But we'll start with him.

We needed new faces.

New ideas. And laughter.

Mr. Lord forgets

what Beulah has given the Careys.

- A new life.

- Oh, thank you.

Oh...

Here are two more Careys. Young ladies,

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