Read A Fair Maiden for Free Online Page A

and animal friends in the woods had prepared a surprise birthday party for him which left Funny Bunny with many wonderful gifts (among them—Katya smiled; Marcus Kidder was so clever—a magician's top hat, for Funny Bunny to disappear into when he wished to hide) but, more important, made him realize that he had many friends who cared for him. The final drawing showed Funny Bunny at bedtime in a drowsy tangle of brother and sister bunnies: "And so Funny Bunny knew he was never alone for a minute, even when he thought he was."
    Katya thought, Whoever wrote such a story has a beautiful soul.
     
     
    "Katya, what is this? This— Funny Bunny's Birthday Party? " Mrs. Engelhardt had discovered the book and was leafing through it, frowning. "Where did Tricia get this book?"
    Carefully Katya explained that the author himself had given it to Tricia; that was his signature inside. He lived in Bayhead Harbor.
    And Mrs. Engelhardt turned to the title page and read the inscription and puzzled over the wild scrawl of the signature. "Kidder! Kidder is a prominent name in Bayhead Harbor, I think. Isn't there a Kidder Memorial somewhere—the library? Isn't it named for that family? Where did you meet Mr. Kidder—at the library?" It was like Mrs. Engelhardt to speak rapidly, to ask and to answer her own questions, but Katya said, "In Harbor Park. We were feeding geese ... Mr. Kidder is a white-haired old man, and very sweet."
    Distractedly Mrs. Engelhardt leafed through the picture book, examining the highly detailed, striking drawings of Funny Bunny and his companions. If Mrs. Engelhardt had not been expecting houseguests within the hour and been involved in preparing a dinner party for ten that evening at the house, she might have had more than a vague interest in Bayhead Harbor resident Marcus Kidder and exactly how he'd come to give her daughter the book. "Signed with the author's signature—this might be a collector's item one day..." Ordinarily Mrs. Engelhardt was given to suspect that her good nature and her trust were being subtly betrayed by persons in her employ, unless she was vigilant; she had to keep a sharp eye on both her live-in housekeeper and her live-in nanny. But she was pleased with Katya now, and smiled at her with such genuine feeling, Katya felt a thrill of affection for her employer, who was not so bad after all and with whom she might—almost, in another context—be friends. Here was a triumph for Lorraine Engelhardt: a beautiful children's book signed by the author, inscribed to her daughter. In weeks to come, frequently Katya would observe Lorraine showing Funny Bunny's Birthday Party to visitors, proudly opening it to the title page.
    Now she said to Katya, "Tricia should write this dear old man a thank-you note. I mean, we should write. Could you take care of this, Katya? Buy a nice card at the drugstore and write a nice note and help Tricia to 'sign' her name. Be sure to include our address and telephone number, in case Mr. Kidder wants to respond. I'm sure that you can find his address in the telephone directory, or from a librarian at the library."
    Katya said happily, "Yes, Mrs. Engelhardt. I will."

5
     
    T HIS TIME KATYA didn't pause to ring Mr. Kidder's doorbell.
    It was Wednesday afternoon, Katya's half-day off. On her way to the beach she was stopping by 17 Proxmire Street to take the thank-you note from Tricia Engelhardt in person. Out of colorful construction paper she and the little girl had made a thank-you card, and in crayon, with Katya guiding her shaky little hand, Tricia had signed her name. Katya was pleased with their work, though on her way out of the house, Mrs. Engelhardt had had time merely to glance at it. Katya smiled, thinking, I will deliver it by hand.
    Vowed she would not return to that house, but now it was happening. Would not transformed to would as naturally as the happy resolution of Funny Bunny's worries.
    As she pushed through the wrought-iron gate, she began to hear a