Page 55

By Jack Joseph Smith

55 The little girls were picking their dresses-off the branches in the sweet sun, while-we-beys- jumped from way up high down down dewn and relled im the grass; We boys went around and picked up our clethes and put them on very fast Drep your dresses-streight down, said Denial, Danial'and I went up befere-the thick trunk ef the tree: and waited for them after telling the other beys te lie still’ in the grass’ Their dresses: floated‘in front of them as they came down: te us-one by Gnes The little girls were shy and afraid in their wide eyes:as:Danial and I steed on our tip tees:with eur hands reaching for their feet. Den'+t be afraid we'll catch yeus After a little ceaxing we got them te hang by their hands se that their wiggley tees just abeut teuched the ends ef our fingertipss' Let gos It!s okey: I felt the first girls feet touch my handsy whibe Danial wraped hie arms- around her legs-and then we stilled her sigh by gently laying her in the grasss New you keep down lew nowy while you put on your dresses > The last girl coming:down looked a little worried, because all the other little girle-were- almost dressed, but’ Dani&tand I-made- it ekey by talking te her nicely se that she-weuld know that everyone was still: togethers’ We all lay lew whilé<she was dredging and when she was ready we-leoked areund at each other. grinning. like crazyé , De you think he is watching usf I don't know, but it’feela-like he is-watching us;.lets-rumy .I saids

Original Scan

Page 55

AI Interpretation

GPT

After dressing in haste, the boys catch the girls one by one as they drop from the branches, soothe the last frightened child into safety, and then flee together under the feeling that Mister Metzes may finally be watching.

The strongest note is tenderness under panic, especially in the careful catching, coaxing, and lowering back into the grass after the reckless game in the tree. The run begins not from actual discovery but from a shared conviction that the orchard's owner has at last entered the moment.

Claude

Danial and Michael stand at the trunk as receivers, catching each little girl by her wiggly toes and laying her sighing in the grass — a ritual gentleness that undoes all the earlier fear without letting it go.