Mrs. Gray's Plans

Mrs. Gray's Plans

One morning Thumbelina was doing her chores. Sweep the floor slowly, ” Mrs. Gray corrected. “ Or you’ll make too much dust. ” Then Mrs. Gray looked up at the clock on the wall. She smiled to herself in a strange way. Suddenly there was a short knock at the back door.

“ It’s Mr. Rufus! ” exclaimed Mrs. Gray as she opened the door. Mr. Rufus was a large, brown mole. Like most moles, Mr. Rufus could not see very well. So he wore very thick glasses. He walked into the room holding a cane. “ Good day, Mrs. Gray, ” he said in a deep voice. “ You were kind to invite me for tea. ”

Mrs. Gray laughed in an unusually high voice “ Oh, Mr. Rufus, we are delighted that you could come. This is Thumbelina. ” “ Mrs. Gray is acting strangely, ” thought Thumbelina. “ I’ll get the tea, ” said Mrs. Gray in a sweet voice. “ Thumbelina will stay here and chat with you, Mr. Rufus. ”

As she was leaving, Mrs. Gray whispered to Thumbelina, “ Mr. Rufus is a fine gentleman. And he is very rich. Be kind to him. ” Thumbelina sat next to Mr. Rufus. He did not speak. “ I hope winter is almost over, ” Thumbelina said.

“ Winter is never long enough, ” said Mr. Rufus with a grunt. “ But it’s so cold, ” said Thumbelina. “ Not where I live, ” said Mr. Rufus, and he grunted again. “ I live in the deepest hole around here. ” But isn’t that too far underground?You can’t see-, ” Thumbelina glanced at his thick glasses. “ I mean, you wouldn’t feel the sunshine. Or hear the birds. ”