Rosebush

Once upon a time there were three dear children. Their names were Lily, Danny, and their little sister, Rosebush. Now, you may think that this Is a strange name, so I will tell you how she got it.
 When Rosebush was born and Lily and Danny got to go to the hospital to see her for the very first time she was so, so tiny! Lily, who is the oldest and has had the most experience in the world said, “Oh she is petite!” (This is a French word that Lily learned from her ballet teacher, who always spoke to the class in dance and in French. It means small.) Danny, wanting to get in on the action started dancing, like he had seen when he went with Mommy to pick Lily up at dance class. He jumped and ran spinning and leaping around the room shouting “Petite!! Petite! Petti! Pet! Pat ! Pat! Patti! Patty!” “Stop! Stop!” Daddy laughed, “”you’ll land on the baby!.......on.....Patty! And so it was agreed. The baby would be named Patty.

Well our Patty grew and grew and developed quite a mind of her own. She wanted her toast to be cut in triangles, please, her juice in the PINK cup. She wanted to fly, drive a train, and ride on a wild horse by the sea (she had seen this on TV,) and, most of all, she wanted to be a princess. “NO ONE,” she would complain, “will believe I am a princess with a name like PATTY!!!!! It sounds like a HAMBURGER!!!" and it went on like that for quite some time, until one day while out back hanging laundry, Mama said, “What name would you choose, Patty.” Well.......what? She LOVED Lily’s name! It was the name of a flower, and, she assumed, all princesses love flowers............but she had read the book about Chrysanthemum, and she didn’t want to use that .........and the lady down the street was called Daisy, so she didn’t want to choose that one, either. Then Danny said, “Patty! How about Rose? You love pink so much, and......” He ran over to Mama’s prize rose bush. "TA DA!!" It was called Blushing Bride, and everyone loved it. Patty’s face lit up and she twirled her way (flew?) across the back yard to the roses. Then her face fell. “Rose is just one flower and......." then with the big smile of a wonderful idea she flung her arms wide and said, “I want them ALL! MY name is ROSEBUSH!”

And that was that.

One day when Rosebush was spending the day with Grandma, Grandma said, “we have lots of errands do today, Rosebush. We must return the library books, go to the meat market, stop in at the yarn store, AND choose a birthday present for Grace. Isn’t tomorrow her party?” “Yes! Yes ! Yes!” sang Rosebush, what should I get her?” “I don’t know, what do you think Grace would like?” Rosebush ran to the fireplace and sat down in her Thinking Chair. (others in the family called it her Thrown.) She thought while sitting with one leg over the arm of the chair. Then with a quick shift, she thought with both legs over the arm. Grandma went to the kitchen to start the bread. In a while she peeked in at Rosebush again. Now she was thinking with her feet where her head should be and her head near the floor, where, of course, her feet should be. She was thinking so hard that Grandma again went to the kitchen and sat down to write her grocery list. When she finished, she put the list in her pocket and set out to see how Rosebush was doing with her thinking. This time, Rosebush had taken the cushion off of her chair and was lying on the floor with it, fast asleep.

Grandma put another log on the fire, made herself a cup of tea, and found her knitting. When the phone rang (It was Mama reminding Grandma and Rosebush to make the bread for church supper) Rosebush woke up with a start and said. “I know EXACTLY what I will get for Grace’s birthday. “Wonderful!” said Grandma, “What is it? “A HORSE!” said Grace, and Grandma could see the determination in Rosebush’s face. (Did I mention that Rosebush is a very DETERMINED little girl?) “A horse?” Grandma asked. “You mean, a stuffed horse?” “No, no, no! Not a STUFFED horse!” “Oh, well, you mean a.......plastic horse? A My Little Pony horse? The kind with the sparkly tails and hairbrushes? That kind?” “No, no, no ! NOT A PLASTIC horse!” " If you are thinking about a ceramic horse, maybe we’d better talk about that. Grace is a bit of a.....high energy girl, isn’t she? Don’t a lot of things......break.....at her house?” “Oh, Grandma! NO! Not a CERAMIC horse!” “A gingerbread horse?” Grandma hesitantly ventured. “No, no, no! Not a COOKIE!” “A rocking horse? A broom stick horse? A wind-up horse? WHAT kind of horse do you want to get” “A REAL HORSE!!!!!” Then, under her breath she added, “duuuuhhhhhhhh.” Fortunately Grandma didn’t hear that. She was too busy laughing. (Grandma has a real loud laugh!) “ Oh my very dear, dear Rosebush,” Grandma said catching her breath and taking a sip of tea, “you really are a piece of work!”

Grandma went into the kitchen and came back with a fresh cup of tea, a cup for Rosebush, too, and a plate of grapes, bunny grahams, and cheese slices, cut in the shape of stars.

Grandma and Rosebush ate their snack quietly. Then Grandma said, “I don’ t know how to buy a horse. Are there horse stores around here? And anyhow, where would Grace KEEP a horse? Don’t they live in that little house down the street? Her and her mom?” Rosebush was silent for a long time. “Grandma. You don’t get a horse at a horse store.” “Well, where do you ? “ Grandma asked. Two bunny grahams later, Rosebush said, “You catch one. By the sea.” “oh, dear," said Grandma slowly, " maybe you could think of something else you’d like to give Grace, until we have time to take a trip to the sea and look around for a horse.” “Great idea!” said Rosebush. “Come on!” she called, already half way up stairs, “let’s get ready and go shopping!”

Grandma found her red crocks, her back pack, and the car keys and sat down to wait for Rosebush. Finally she heard Rosebush coming down the stairs. She had dressed in her nightgown, (“because it is long and pink and silky like a princess!”) a large red hat with an even larger purple feather from the dress up box, and, on top the nightgown, her brother’s basketball shirt, (“just in case.”) She carried a VERY large “purse” that she seem to have made from a Christmas gift bag, lots and lots of ribbons and tape, and a scarf through the handles to go over her shoulder. “Shoes,” grandma said. “You need shoes.” “Oh!” said Rosebush, and she ran for her flip flops.

And off they went.


I love you, I love you