Chapter I. The Little Prince

SCRIBBLERS

By Gracie Prior C 2004

Chapater 1. The Little Prince

Mary peeked out the window of her new home to see the moving van shudder and shake down the road and into the driveway of her white wooden house. Across the street, she saw a pair of eyes peeping around a curtain and out the window at her. She quickly ran into the empty room and twinkled here and there feeling silly. Perhaps a new friend lingered behind those eyes.

Ths noise of a dolly laden with furniture caused Mary to come to her senses. She scooted out the door to see what else would be coming out of the van.

Mom marched out from the kitchen and directed the movers to put this here and that there. While sitting on the cement stoop, Mary saw a child wearing a brimmed hat with a large plumy feather dash out of the house across from her. He was brandishing a sword.

Mary's heart lurched. She would have a friend. The hat blew off and she saw for certain that it was a boy. A wee bit disappointed, Mary just sat on the stoop and stared. The sun beat down on her auburn hair so she pulled it all to one side.

The boy put the hat back on and began coming her way. He sashayed across the street carrying the sword, swishing it in the air. The hat was on the back of his head, but sort of down over one eye.

Mary laughed. She couldn't help it; the poor fellow looked so pathetic. And that thing he carried. It looked like cardboard and foil.

"Hello," he said. My name is James Martin Falcon and this here is Excalibur. Oh, you can call me Jimmy. Everybody does except Granny who calls me James Martin. What's your name? Do you have any brothers?"

Mary just sat amazed at the person in front of her. His eyebrows were down, then up. He had a quirky little twist to his mouth when he smiled. Blondish brown hair stuck out and clear gray eyes peered at her. He stood waiting. For an answer?

"I'm Mary, if you must know, and I don't have any brothers, or sisters either. I'm an only child. My Mother says I'm special."

Jimmy did a kind of bow and looked at her. "Very pleased to meet you. Sorry about the brother thing. We have a club and we need another member. Too bad about that." He nodded and marched back across the street, and then, as if, Mary thought, he felt safe on his own turf, he waved his sword mercilessly at an invisible enemy.

Who cares if he needs a new member in his old club? Mary thought. She didn't have a brother, she didn't need a brother, and she wasn't sure she cared much for Jimmy. "Brother, brother, brother," she said as she went inside. "Bother!"