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4.4.26 - Part 2 · Children's Hour

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Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to radiois turned Story Hour as a
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reminder is a reading service intended for people who are
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blinder of other disabilities that make it difficult to read
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printing material. Today we will be reading from various books
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on Easter. Your reader today is Diane. Our first book
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is titled Happy Easter, Little Critter. It was published by
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random House Picture back Book. It has a copyright year
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of nineteen eighty eight and it was written by Mercer Mayor.
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It's the Easter morning. I bet the Easter money has
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already come. I'll quietly tiptoe downstairs and find all the
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Easter goodies before anyone else wakes up. But as usual,
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my little sister is up before me. I got a
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toy egg that you can look into a line to bunny,
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some candy chickens, a bunch of chocolate eggs, and millions
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of jelly beans. The Easter bunny gave my little sister
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the same things. Dad says that that's so we won't argue.
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Mom says we can't eat any of it until after breakfast.
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After breakfast, we have to get dressed for church. Dad
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starts the car and we all get in. My little
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sister likes to get all dressed up, but I don't.
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At church, I can't see anything because everyone is wearing
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funny hats. After church, all the kids die Easter eggs.
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I think my eggs are the best. While the eggs dry,
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we have a big picnic lunch, then our parents hide
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the eggs in the field. We're not supposed to peek. Next,
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we all line up and run into the field to
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find the eggs. Sometimes too many kids find the same egg.
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Sometimes you walk right by an egg and someone else
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finds it. Sometimes little kids don't find any, so you
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have to help them. But by the time we go home,
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everyone has had a happy Easter. Our next book is
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titled Easter Fun and it was published by Saint Martin's
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Press by Pretty Books. It has a company right ear
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of twenty seventeen and the author of our book is
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Joe Ryan, Robin Newton, Ellie Boltwood and Amy Oliver. Ducklin's
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and Chicks hatch one by one. Fluffy babies make Easter Fun.
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Fresh spring blossom and buzzy bees, daffodils swaying in the breeze,
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the fluffy tail and ears that flop. The Easter bunny
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goes hop hop hop. How many Easter eggs can you
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see in the bait? One? Two three? Hip hooray Easters.
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Here we all enjoy this time of year. Our next
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story is titled Fancy Nancy and the Missing Easter Bunny.
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It was published by Harper Festival in imprint of Harper
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Collins Publishers. It has a copyright year of twenty seventeen
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and the author of our story is Jane O'Connor. Oh
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la la, look at my eggs. They are tram magnificent.
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That's French for very magnificent. Tomorrow's Easter and we are
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almost all ready for our egg hunt. We also make
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fancy Easter baskets. I add some lovely lace and feathers
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to mine. Voi la. It is perfect. This year we
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have even had a real Easter bunny. It's Nibbles, JoJo's
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class pet. Every weekend someone gets to take Nibbles home.
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Night Night, Nibbles, it is East, Thank your morning, ding down.
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Freddie and bre are here. Nibbles is in her cage.
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Brie and Freddy want to play with her, but my
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mom doesn't want her hopping away. It can't hurt to
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let her out just for a little while. A second later,
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I put her back because Dad is calling us the
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count of three. Let the egg hunting begin, one, two, three,
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Off we go. I look under the big bush, No eggs.
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I look behind nibbles cage. No eggs, soccer blue, no
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nibbles either. I forgot to lock her cage. This is dreadful.
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This is even worse than very very very bad. Should
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I tell my parents? Or perhaps I can find nibbles
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before Jojo sees she's disappear. I start to hunt. Soon
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I discover clue nibbles. Fancy Tiara Aha. Now spawn to
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another clue, Paul Prince. I follow the trail. How many
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eggs have you found? Everybody keeps asking me none. I'm
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too busy looking for nib Then I clamp my mouth
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shut and continue my search. I see another clue, bits
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of lettuce, nibbles favorite. I must be close. I follow
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the lettuce trail. Nibbles. There you are. I am so
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relieved to see you. What is nibbles doing here? My
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mom asks, so I confess. I let her out sober
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and Freddy could play with her. I must have forgotten
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to walk the cage. I say, how super sorry I am,
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and my mom forgives me. She is the most understanding
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mother in the world. Nibbles is back in her cage,
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and now I need to find some Easter eggs alas
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everybody found them all. My Easter basket is fancy but empty.
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I tell Joe, Joe and Brey and Freddie why. They
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talk in whispers. They say to close my eyes and wait,
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so I do. A minute later, Bree tells me we
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rehit some of our eggs, so you can find them soon.
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My basket is full. Now it's time for refreshments for
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all the human beings. That's fancy for people, for the puppies,
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and of course for Nibbles too. Our next book is
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called Fancy Nancy's Elegant Easter and it was published by
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Harper Festival in imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. It has a
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copyright year of twenty ten and the author is Jane O'Connor.
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It's almost time for Easter Gala. That's a fancy word
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for fancy party. I am already, but my mom is not.
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She has been busy hiding Easter eggs. Knock, knock, someone
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is at the door. I open it and say bonjour.
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That is French for hello. It's my best friend, Brie.
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My mama asks us to help her finish. She's getting
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everything ready. We we we we say yes, yes, yes,
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First we have to find pretty plates and nipkins for
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an elegant Easter party. Plain white just will not do. Look,
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Brice says. She pulls out something colorful from a paper bag. Boila,
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The table looks lovely now. But are we finished? Definitely not.
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In the garden, everything is in bloom. Brian, I make
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a beautiful bouquet that is a very pretty bunch of flowers.
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My dog friend Sheie, helps too. The cabin is full
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fancy things my mom uses for special occasions. Brian, I
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show Dead which vase we like, and he gets it
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down for us. Divine, I say, you say that when
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something is so gorgeous, it is very hard to top.
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Then Dad shows us what he bought for the party. Hurry,
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I say, the guest will be here soon. At last,
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everything is just right. My parents both look so elegant
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that I think of something awful that is worse than bad.
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We have no easter, Bunny, I cry, are you sure?
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Mom says, She winks at me, and something rustles behind
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the curtain. The Easter Gala will be perfectly fancy after all.
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Our next story is titled This Almost Time for Easter,
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and it's a It was published by Martin k nick
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Elder Books, which is an imprint of Simon and Schuster
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Children's Publishing Division. It has a copyright YERE of twenty
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twenty six and the author of the book is Masha Oh.
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So when sunny days bring more warmer rays, as winter's
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chill has passed, and children bag to color eggs, this
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day is coming fast. First, you'll have to boil your eggs,
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so grab some from the pack, go super slow or else,
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Oh no, watch out before they crack. Decorate and dive
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in purple, yellow, blue, and green. Don't stop unless you've
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made a mess, but then be sure to clean. The
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eggs are gone. The hunt is on. They're hidden everywhere,
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so look around, go up and down. You'll find them
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here and there. After that you'll make dessert. Prepare yourself
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to bake some rabbits, chicks and carrot sticks. Relax, it's
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only cake. A bunny rabbit left behind a basket filled
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with snacks, then disappeared. Where did he go? Try following
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the tracks It's time to find a fancy outfit. Dress
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your very best, select your clothes, strike a post fantastic.
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I'm impressed. You'll gather with your loved ones for some
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fun and feasting too, So fill your plate. Hold on now,
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wait is all that food for you? The day has come.
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It's time to go, so get up off your keyster.
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Your eggs are died instead of fry. That means it's
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time for Thanksgiving. No, you bulge your eggs and dyed them,
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search to find them. That was funny. You baked some
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snacks and tried to track a crafty little bunny. You
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picture fit and joined up with your family for a feast. Sir,
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your baskets cramped, so understand it's almost time for eas
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s our. Next book is titled Tiny Bear's Easter Prayer
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and it was published by Little Shepherd Books and Imprini
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of Scholastic. It has a copy right here of twenty
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twenty six and the offer of our story is Lori
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and Grover. On this early Easter morn, Tiny Bear blinks
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sun so warm, he'll hunt for eggs, walk and pray
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through the meadows grassy sway. Winter's gone and trees have leaves.
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Tiny Bear twirls in the breeze, feeling Jesus in his heart.
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He thanks God for Easter, starts flowers took as we nose.
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Tiny bear laughs, wiggles toes, sees a rabbit skinter by
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a blue egg, and a butterfly newly hatched. Our yellow
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chicks zipping around so speedy quick. He stops for eggs
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over by, where a mama and Joe lie. Tiny bear
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pets little lamb spots their papas great horned ramps. Thanking God.
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He leaps and runs, finds more eggs, such pretty ones
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full of wonder. Tiny bearys a sweet blue jay up there,
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shares an egg with mama. Duck follows ducklings wiggle tuck,
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holding close the eggs. He's found, Tiny Bear. Here's nature sounds, chirping,
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crooked swishing brook. Quiet fox nips in a nook, watching
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tadboas tadpoles dive and swish. He sees eggs beyond. Shyfish
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lily's sway around his knees. Tiny Bear smiles at the
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beasts one two raindrops gently fall, air of sweet for
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one and all glowing light breaks into rays on more eggs.
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He's so amazed, such a beautiful, wide world under clouds,
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a wispy world. Tiny Bear looks up and breathes. He
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prays thanks for all he sees. Rainbow arches up above
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dancing friends and swooping duves. Tiny Bear joins in the fun.
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Jesus lives for everyone. Our next book is called Miss
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Fanny May's Fine New Easter Hat, and it was published
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like by Little Brown and Company. It has a copyright
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year of nineteen ninety seven and the author of the
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book is Melissa Milich. Mama always says the kind of
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had you wear on your head is not so important
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as the thoughts inside. But this year Daddy said, you're
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absolutely right, Fannie May, and the thoughts inside my head
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keep telling me it's time you had a fine new
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Easter hat. So Daddy and I had to plan to
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make this special shopping trip ourselves. The morning before Easter.
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We were going to write all the way into Marraden
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City to buy mama hat to wear to church. Before
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we left, Mama took me aside, I'm counting on you, Tandy.
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At ain't no way anyway I'm going to be letting
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him do something as important as buying a Lee eighties
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easter hat by himself. Yes, Mama, I said, Now be
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sure not to let Daddy spend dollar his money, yes, Mama,
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And don't let him be coming home with no ugly hat. No, Mama,
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I sure won't. And then my little sister and brothers
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came out on the porch, still in their pajamas to
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say goodbye, and the wind all those hands made waving
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at once blew us on right good start to Meridian City.
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From a wagon. I could really see that spring had
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painted a pretty picture on the countryside. To me, this
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time of year has always been full of surprises, more
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so than Christmas. The bear trees from the winter suddenly
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get the first leaves on them, like a lady putting
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on her gloves. Then before you know it, that same
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tree is giving you pieces of fruit so big they
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take two hands to hold, and the birds are making
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nests in the tree. Even though you see the same
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thing year after year, somehow each spring it all looks
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brand new. Our horse brown sugar clop clippity clopped all
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the way to Meridian City, twenty five miles away. The
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big city made me nervous, but Daddy actually like we
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fit right in folks walked fast and dress fancy, and
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the streets were crowded with automobiles. Most people who go
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to our church back at home on the mountain would
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pick out a hat from the general store, or if
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they were really serious about looking good, they ordered their
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hats through the Sears catalog. But I knew Daddy wanted
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to find a hat for Mama like no other. I
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try not to think about how we could afford that.
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Mama was always talking about how poor we were, but
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whenever she started in, Daddy would practically pick Mama up
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with one arm and grab a couple of us kids
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with the other and say, look how rich we are.
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I feel like I'm the richest man in the world.
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We went directly to a place called the Millinery Shop,
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which Jaddy says is a fancy way to say women's hats.
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You have to be a millionaire to shop here, he said, chuckling.
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The hats in that store came in all shapes, sizes, colors,
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and fashionable tastes. Tall hats and cone hats, square hats
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and beanie hats. Daddy and I started at one end
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of the store and worked our way around. I saw
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all manner of geographic wonderment, hats that looked like volcanoes erupting,
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and fruit gardens to rival Eden. My daddy was a
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very careful shopper and tried on lots of hats. I
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tried them on, too. Daddy even tried on the ugly ones.
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That's just so to know what I don't like, he said.
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There was a moment when I thought he was going
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to buy this hat that would have sat clumsy as
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a washer machine on top of Mama's head. There was
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even a tag on that ugly hat that said price reduced,
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and I held my breath while Daddy tried it on,
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but he knew it was not good enough for Mama.
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Then I happened to look up and see a hat
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sitting all by itself up on top of a glass
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display case. The store owner brought over a ladder to
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bring it down. The hat was straighted with lace and
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netting and had both fruit and flowers grown on it
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like a fancy garden, and nestled in the bed of
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leaves were four little speckled eggs. My daddy had hands
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like bread bag too long, but he handled that hat
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as if the delicate eggs on it might actually break.
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How much is it? I asked. The store owner raised
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his eyebrows but didn't say a word. There was a
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tag on a string attached to the hat, and he
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just turned it over to us. Have a look at
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the price. Daddy pucker's lips to a low whistle. Is
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this it's the one candy? I nodded. Well, then, I
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always say nothing is too good for your mama. A
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very good choice, indeed, said the store owner, and Dady
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shook hands with him. Then the store owner shook hands
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with me, and then I shook hands with Daddy. The
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store owner wrapped up the hat, and Dady and I
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started the lawn ride home. Mama's new hat on the
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seat beside us, the prettiest hat and of Meridian City.
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We couldn't wait to show it to Mama, and I
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begged Brown Sugar to please try going just a bit faster.
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Clippity clop clop clop. We saw the look on Mama's
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face as soon as we got home, but it wasn't
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the happy look we had been expecting. She had been
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working in the kitchen making cakes for Easter, and so
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she washed up while we stood there with a new hat.
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But she dried off her hands slowly before she came
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over to sea. Don't you like it, I asked. I
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think she did like it. In fact, I think she
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fell in love with it the moment she sought. But
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she said, I had that beautiful cost way too much
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money for things we're needing. Worse. You need to take
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it back to the store and get your money back, Caman.
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And then she went back to her baking and didn't
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look at the hat anymore, almost as if she didn't
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want to get attached to something she knew she shouldn't keep.
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I was waiting for Daddy to make it all better.
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I was waiting for him to grab u saw and
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say how rich we were. But he didn't do that.
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He didn't get mad or look hurt. None of that
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I said was whatever you want, Fanny May. He took
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the hat and hunt it next to his milk delivering
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cap on the rack near the front door. Then he
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went into the living room and sat in his big
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chair near the radio. Daddy went to me and said,
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don't you worry, Tandy. The next morning, Daddy got up
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so early he put the Easter Bunny into shame. He
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had to deliver the milk on Easter, just like any
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other day. But when I passed by the hat rack,
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I noticed the cap he always wore was still hanging there.
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Where's Daddy, I asked, You know, he's doing the milk
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rout tandy, But he left his cap. It's not like
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him to forget that, Mama said, and at that moment
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she and I both know as there was indeed one
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certain hat missing from the rack. Yes, Daddy delivered all
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his milk that Easter morning wearing Mama's fine new hat
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the entire time, those cold, creamy milk bottles tingled against
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each other like a lot of cheery music. But then
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the rest of the folks in our parts were just
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starting to wake up, and they called out to him,
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fine hat, hayman, My daddy waved back to none finer.
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When the last bottle was delivered, Daddy pulled up to
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our house in his wagon. He was still wearing the hat,
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and Mama came out to meet him. Well, I can't
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take this hat back to a store now, finging made,
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Daddy said, it's already been worn. I guess you're gonna
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have to keep it. Mama put her hands on her
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hips and said I'm not going to wear that hat
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to church, Hayming. Everybody's seen it already, But I could
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see Mama was just tickled, and she let Dady put
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that hat right directly on her head where it belonged.
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Then Dady grouped us all together like we were waiting
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on somebody to take a picture, even though we didn't
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own a camera. But Daddy said he was taking a
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picture of us in his memory that he would keep
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with him forever. Daddy was so proud of us all
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looking so good that day, but he was most proud
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of Mama, and she looked right beautiful in that hat
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of hers. We were practically a parade walking down the road.
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Daddy was humming an oat song about an Easter bonnet,
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and sure in a good mood, and everybody we saw
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on the way admired Mamma's hat. Those eggs look real,
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Sister Fanny May, said, Miss Sophia Rathbone, Yes they do,
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don't they. And Mama touched the edges of her hat
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proudly ate one of this morning. In fact, my Daddy joked,
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most of the other ladies had solid rock wore new
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hats too, and it seemed that the ladies who were
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the biggest hats always sat in the row right directly
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in front of our family, their heads tilted back with
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all the weight That Easter was one of an unusually
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of big hats. Missus Georgia ray Brooks were at a
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flying saucer ready for takeoff, and Sister Sophia Rathbones resembled
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a five pound can of coffee a top of her head.
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Missus Margaret em Modis wore a hat the size of
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the state of Texas with a long star on it.
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I couldn't hardly see the choir, what with all the
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hats blocking my view. Preacher Jerkins got hot with the
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sermon right away. He was retelling the Easter story like
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we had never heard it before in his words, and
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the humming of the choir in the background stirred us
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so that we were prime for a miracle. There was
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a garden where no one had ever been laid. The
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ushers had left the church doors open because it was
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truly a hot day. The ladies were batting their fans
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most fervently, and the preacher's voice started boiling, and a
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bird even flew in from outside and set on the
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rafters above our heads like it belonged in church too,
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for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and
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sat upon it. And just when Preacher Jerkins was sweating
23:30
the hardest and the ladies fans flapped back and forth
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the most furious, something surprising happened. One then two of
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those eggs of Mama's hat started to crack, and the
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angel said, be not afraid. I was stirring at the
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back of Mama's head, at her fine new Easter hat
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with the flowers and fruit and little speckled eggs, and
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that funny bird flying around her head. Little bits of
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eggshell were falling down the back of Mama's dead and
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the angel said, be not afraid. Preacher jerk and shouted again,
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Uh Mama, I said ssh. Mama said, she was fully
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into the sermon. I turned to my other side, Daddy,
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I said ssh, Tandy, And people believed, or they didn't believe.
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By then enough people around us noticed that Mama's hat
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was acting up, and they started nudging each other. The
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eggs were hatching right off of Mama's hat. Even Preacher
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Jerkin stopped his sermoncing. Mama finally felt something peculiar going on.
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She tried to pat the bird from her like a
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pesky fly. The preacher pointed to her from the pulpit,
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a big white finger, sister, Fannie, may don't move. A
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miracle is taking place by now. The baby words were
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tapping their heads against their shells, and the mother bird
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had landed on top of the hat and was helping
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them with the rest of the job. It's a miracle,
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the preacher. A miracle, repeated, Daddy, miracle, miracle, miracle. The
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rest of the church echoed. Then the mother birds settled
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down atop mama's hat and started tending to her babies.
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There was much halleluj in praise the Lord. After that,
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the choir sang and the birds sang, and Mama looked
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proud because she was a part of this miracle. Doves
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like all through the Old Testament, but this was the
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first startling that made an appearance in church. Mama said
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it reminded her kind of like a true meaning of Easter,
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because it's time for believing in miracles. New life is
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such a pretty little thing, And now here were four
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tiny birds, their eyes still closed, trusting their mama would
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take care of them no matter what. Mama carried that
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hat home carefully, the mother bird flying alongside of her,
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and all the ladies from her church trooping behind like
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that were on their way to galilee. When we got home,
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Mama made Daddy get the ladder and put it up
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against the tallest apple tree. Then Mama climbed all the
26:05
way up herself. My Mama could do anything and place
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that hat with the family of birds, and it's snugly
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against the branches where the song could warm their backs
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and no cat would catch them. At first, I was
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a little disappointed that we weren't going to see her
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wearing that fine new Easter hat anymore. But then I
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thought about how the hat would keep those baby birds
26:26
safe and protected the rest of the spring, till they
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were ready to fly out on their own. Mama said,
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you made a very good choice. Indeed, Daddy winked at me.
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We never figured out exactly how real bird eggs wound
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up and Mama's find new Easter hat. As Mama said,
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miracles aren't ours to figure out. Mama's hat stayed there
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a long time. We had beautiful music the rest of
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that spring. The next spring another family hatch there, and
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the spring after that the starlings and finches and thrushes
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and redtail wol rblers took what was left of the decorations.
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The other birds pulled threads out one at a time
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and flew off to make their nest, until you couldn't
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see anything in the tree anymore that even looked like
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you could have been part of a hat, except maybe
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you could imagine long, wispy threads floating in and out
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of the highest branches and winding around the apple blossoms.
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But all that summerre in between, when you could still
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see the hat up there, Daddy and me would go
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out on the front porch swing late in the day.
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Sometimes folks would pass by on the street and wave,
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and they pointed up at the apple tree. Fine hat, haymon,
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they said, none finer, replied Daddy, and that was true.
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This concludes the Children's Story Hour for today. Please join
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us next time as we will read more stories, fables
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and fairy tales. Thank you for listening, and please stay
27:53
tuned for the Lexing Hair Leader on RADIOI