Chapter 3.
The Little Attic Room.
Miss Polly looked up from her book as Nancy and Pollyanna walked into the living room.
She did not get up.
Instead, she held her hand out toward her niece as a polite greeting.
How do you do, Pollyanna?
I am your... Miss Polly did not have a chance to finish her sentence.
Pollyanna flew across the room.
She threw her arms around her aunt and hugged her tightly.
Oh, Aunt Polly, the young girl sobbed.
It is so wonderful to be here.
I am so glad.
You have no idea how happy I am to be here with you and Nancy.
It was so hard just having the ladies' aid.
I don't suppose I would have any idea, Miss Polly sniffed.
She tried to pull the little girl's arms away.
Nancy?
Nancy?
You may go now, Miss Polly said.
Pollyanna, please stand up straight.
Pollyanna stepped back immediately.
She giggled.
Oh, Aunt Polly, I have so many things to tell you.
I should probably start with my gingham dress and why I'm not wearing black.
I already told Nancy what my father told me.
Never mind what your father said, Miss Polly interrupted.
She spoke sharply.
I suppose you brought a trunk with you.
Oh, yes, Pollyanna said.
The lady's aide was kind enough to buy it for me.
I didn't have many clothes to bring.
We never had much money, you see.
We had to get clothes from the charity box.
Unfortunately, there aren't many clothes for girls my age, but I brought all my father's books.
Mrs. White thought I should keep them, so we packed them in the trunk.
Pollyanna, her aunt interrupted her again.
We should be clear about one thing.
I do not care for you mentioning your father to me.
Pollyanna gasped.
But Aunt Polly, what do you mean?
There's nothing more to discuss.
I'll take you up to your room now.
Miss Polly stood up.
Please follow me upstairs.
Poor Pollyanna followed her aunt out of the room.
Her eyes were brimming with tears, but she bravely held her chin high.
Pollyanna tried to convince herself that it would be all right.
Maybe it will be better if I don't speak about father, she thought to herself.
It might be easier if I don't think about him.
That must be why Aunt Polly doesn't want me to talk about him.
She knows it will just make me sad.
Now that Pollyanna was sure her aunt was acting out of kindness, she wiped away her tears.
The little girl looked at the pictures on the walls and the carpet on the floor.
Aunt Polly, I can hardly believe how beautiful everything is.
You must be glad that you're so rich.
Pollyanna!
Miss Polly stopped in her tracks.
"'How dare you speak to me like that?'
"'Why?'
Pollyanna asked.
"'Aren't you terribly rich?'
"'I most certainly am not,' Miss Polly said.
"'I do hope that I would never be sinfully proud of any of God's gifts.
"'Certainly not riches.'
Miss Polly continued to walk down the hall.
She was glad that she had decided to put the girl in the attic room.
At first, she just wanted to keep her far away.
Miss Polly also worried that the girl would destroy the good furniture.
Now she was glad to give her the plain room.
It might teach Pollyanna a lesson or two about pride.
Pollyanna quickly forgot how sharply her aunt had spoken to her.
She was already entertaining herself.
She wondered which of the beautiful doors would lead to her new room.
Everything looked so wonderful.
She could not wait to see her bed and the pictures on the walls.
Miss Polly finally opened one of the doors.
It led to another staircase.
Pollyanna followed her aunt up the stairs.
There was another small hallway at the top.
Miss Polly stepped into the room on the right.
The room was positively bare.
There was nothing on the walls and only a few pieces of furniture.
Pollyanna was so disappointed and confused that she could barely speak.
I think you have everything you need, Miss Polly said.
Timothy has already brought up your trunk.
Do you have the key?
Pollyanna stared at her aunt for a moment.
She slowly nodded her head.
Pollyanna, her aunt said.
When I ask a question, I expect an answer.
Nodding your head is not enough.
Yes, Aunt Polly, she said.
Very well, then, Miss Polly said.
I'll send Nancy up to help you unpack.
Dinner is at six.
Miss Polly left the room without another word.
Pollyanna stared at her bare walls for a few moments.
There was nothing to look at.
Then she looked at her trunk.
It reminded her of home.
She walked quickly to the trunk and fell down beside it.
She held it in her hands and cried.
Nancy walked in to see the little girl weeping over her trunk.
Oh, Pollyanna, she said I was worried that I would find you like this.
Nancy crouched beside the girl and stroked her hair.
There, there, you poor little lamb.
Pollyanna shook her head.
I'm an awful and wicked girl, Nancy, she cried.
I just can't understand why God and the angels need my father more than I do.
Now, now, Nancy said gently.
Where's the key to your trunk?
We can start unpacking.
You'll feel better when you're settled in.
Pollyanna took a key from her pocket and handed it to Nancy.
I'm afraid there isn't much to unpack, though.
I don't own many dresses.
Well then, we'll be finished that much sooner, Nancy said.
Pollyanna smiled brightly.
Yes, that's true, isn't it?
She gave Nancy a quick hug.
I can be glad about that, can't I?
Once again Nancy was confused by Pollyanna's excitement.
Only a moment ago she had been crying and now she was bright and happy.
Nancy was quite certain that she had never met anyone like Pollyanna before.
Nancy and Pollyanna got to work.
Nancy pulled things from the trunk and Pollyanna put them away.
Her very plain, slightly worn dresses were hung in the closet.
The books were lined up on the dresser.
The undergarments went in the drawers.
"'I think it's a very nice room, don't you?'
Pollyanna said bravely.
Nancy did not reply.
"'And I'm glad there isn't a mirror, because then I would have to look at my freckles.'
You always find a reason to be glad, Nancy said.
Nothing seems to bother you for long.
Pollyanna giggled softly.
Well, it's a game that I play.
A game?
Nancy asked.
I call it the Just Be Glad Game, Pollyanna said.
Father taught it to me.
I've been playing it for years.
I taught it to the women in the ladies' aid, and they played it too.
Well, some of them played.
Okay, then, Nancy said.
How do you play this game?
It's very simple, really, Pollyanna said.
You must find something in everything to be glad about.
Nancy shook her head to say that she did not understand.
For instance, Pollyanna continued if you see a pair of crutches, just be glad that you don't need them.
That's all there is to it.
Of course, sometimes it's very hard to find something to make you glad.
Father's going to live with the angels and leaving me with no one.
But the ladies' aid was hard, but that meant I came here to meet Aunt Polly and you.
And now you're stuck in an attic room with no pictures, Nancy snapped.
Yes, Pollyanna said slowly.
That was hard at first.
I was feeling lonely, but then I thought how I hate to look at my freckles in a mirror.
I knew that I would find more things to be glad about.
Once you start looking for the happy things, you don't think about the bad ones so much.
Nancy did not respond.
She had to swallow hard to stop herself from crying.
Of course it's a lot easier when you have someone to play with, Pollyanna said.
Father and I used to play all the time.
Maybe Aunt Polly would play with me.
My stars and stockings, Nancy said.
Miss Polly, no, I don't think she's one for games.
Nancy sniffed loudly.
She could not picture Miss Polly Harrington playing the Just Be Glad game.
Nancy continued to work in silence while Pollyanna walked to the window.
The little girl started to clap her hands and giggle with joy.
Oh, didn't notice this before.
She said look at this view.
There's a church spire and a river shining like silver.
I don't need pictures hanging on my wall when i can look out my window.
Oh nancy, i'm so glad she gave me this room.
Now, all of a sudden, nancy burst into tears nancy, whatever could be wrong.
Pollyanna ran to her side to comfort her.
She hugged her new friend.
Oh no, this wasn't your room, was it?
My room, Nancy scoffed.
Of course not.
They both turned at the sound of a bell.
That's your aunt calling, Nancy said.
She sprang to her feet and rushed downstairs.
Pollyanna turned back to her picture.
While staring out the window, she suddenly noticed how hot the room was.
She pushed the window up.
Pollyanna then leaned out the window.
She took deep breaths of the fresh, sweet air.
Then she went to the other window and did the same thing.
She opened it up wide and leaned out.
Several flies flew in the room, but Pollyanna did not mind.
She was too busy staring at the tree just outside her window.
Later that night, when she was tucked into her bed, Pollyanna felt scared and alone.
This was her first night here.
She missed her old house and her father and even the ladies' aid.
She looked out her window at the tree and did her best to play the just-be-glad game.
If I didn't come to live with Aunt Polly she whispered I would never have seen this beautiful tree.
Pollyanna fell asleep thinking about moonlight shining on its branches and leaves.
