Kitabı oku: «A Little Princess / Маленькая принцесса. А1», sayfa 2

She never knew her mother, because she died when Sara was born. Her only family in the world was her father. A young, good-looking, rich man. He loved his daughter very much and did everything for her. And Sara was very sad that her father could not stay with her in the school.

“Couldn't you go to that place with me, papa?” she asked when she was five years old. “Couldn't you go to school, too? I would help you with your lessons.”

“But you will not have to stay for a very long time, little Sara,” he used to answer her. “You will go to a nice house where there will be a lot of little girls, and you will play together. I will send you many books, and you will grow so fast that it will seem less than a year before you are big enough and can take care of papa.”

They got out of the cabin and saw a row of big, boring, brick houses. One of the houses had a plate that said:

MISS MINCHIN,

Select Seminary for Young Ladies.

They came to the door and rang the bell. The door opened and they entered a well-furnished but quiet ugly room. Just right then Miss Minchin entered the room. She was very like her house, Sara felt:tall and boring, and respectable and ugly. She smiled, but her smile was cold.

“It will be a great privilege to have charge of such a beautiful and promising child, Captain Crewe,” she said, as she said to each papa and mamma who brought a child to her school.

“Just make sure she doesn't spend too much time with books. Make her ride her pony or go out and buy a new doll. She should play more with dolls.”