Chapter 8 The Gingerbread Boy Thursday came and went, but Jasper didn't arrive.
The little Peppers were very disappointed.
They had been looking forward with all their hearts to seeing Jasper and Prince again.
It was probably his mean old father, Polly said, wiping away a tear.
I know he would have come if he could have.
Well, he promised to come and he didn't, Joel said angrily.
I don't care if he ever comes back.
Joel, you should be ashamed of yourself.
Jasper will come again.
He will have a very good reason for why he didn't come today, Mrs. Pepper said.
The next day, when Ben was at the general store to buy more flour, Mr. Atkins called out to him.
He held up an envelope.
There is a letter here for your sister Polly, Mr. Atkins said.
It can't be for Polly, Ben said.
She's never gotten any letters before none of us have.
Well, it says her name right here, Polly Pepper, Mr. Atkins said, pointing to the envelope.
Ben could hardly believe it, a letter for Polly.
Ben raced home as fast as he could.
He ran through the house calling for Polly until he could place the envelope in her hands.
Everyone gathered around to see whom it could be from.
Polly opened the letter and read it aloud.
Dear Polly, I was so sorry I couldn't come on Thursday, but my father was sick and I couldn't leave him.
I had a cold, too.
If you're willing to have me, though, I'd like to come again.
Your friend, Jasper King.
I want to make some lovely little cakes for Jasper, Polly said.
Can we, Mamsy, please?
We don't have any white flour, Polly, Mamsy said, looking up from her sewing.
I can make them with brown flour and raisins.
I know we have some.
Polly said, heading for the cupboard.
I was saving those for plum pudding, Mrs. Pepper said.
No, don't give Jasper our raisins, Joel yelled.
I want plum pudding.
I do, I do.
And Jasper doesn't deserve them, he added.
Joel Pepper, you should never have plum pudding again for saying something like that about Jasper.
He rescued Francie and we owe him all our things.
Don't you forget it.
Mrs. Pepper scolded him.
''Never mind, Joel,'' Polly said, comforting him.
''If you don't want me to use the raisins, I won't.
It's just that Jasper's sick.
Remember how you felt when you had the measles?
You liked it when people sent you lovely things to eat, didn't you?''
Joel hung his head in shame.
''I'm sorry, Polly.
I didn't mean it.
Let's give Jasper all the raisins, every last one of them,'' Joel offered.
Joel and the others got busy helping Polly prepare the little cakes.
Mrs. Pepper smiled to herself to see her little brood so happy and busy.
"'Now,' said Francie, "'I will bake a gingerbread boy for my poor sick friend.'
"'You don't have to, Francie,' Polly said.
"'One of the little cakes can be from you to Jasper.'
Francie shook her yellow head.
"'Not Jasper?'
Do you mean Prince?
Polly asked, wiping up the batter for the cakes.
No, Francie said.
My poor sick friend, she repeated.
What do you mean?
Polly asked, dropping a lump of dough on the table.
I want to make a gingerbread boy.
That's what he'd like best.
Who?
Joel asked, pouncing on the lump of raisin-filled dough.
Jasper's daddy?
Francie said.
Francie, Polly started to say.
A gingerbread boy, Francie insisted, and she would not have it any other way.
After several hours, the cakes were done.
They're beautiful little cakes, Polly, Joel said.
My gingerbread boy is the most beautiful of all, Francie said, holding up a lumpy gingerbread figure with one raisin eye, two crooked legs and stubby arms.
Oh, oh.
What will Mr. King think of us?
Polly whispered to Ben.
We can't let her send that.
Better let me and Davy have him, Joel said, reaching for the lump of gingerbread.
No, shrieked Francie.
That's my sick friend's gingerbread boy.
It is.
Never mind, Polly said to comfort the little girl.
We'll send the gingerbread boy after all, she promised.
How shall we send it?
Polly asked.
We don't have any nice baskets except for Mamsy's sewing basket, and she needs that, Polly frowned.
We can wrap the cakes in paper, Ben suggested.
I've got a nice piece upstairs.
They wrapped up the cakes in the gingerbread boy and set the package on the table.
I wish we had some flowers to put on top of the paper, Polly said with a sigh.
How about writing him a letter, Mrs. Pepper suggested.
It's polite to reply to a letter with one of your own.
But I've never written a letter before, Polly said, her cheeks turning pink and warm.
There's a first time for everything, Polly dear, Mrs. Pepper said.
Never say you can't, because you don't know until you've tried.
There now, I have something for you, Mrs. Pepper said.
She went to her bedroom and took out a yellowed piece of fine writing paper from her top dresser drawer.
She placed it on the kitchen table in front of Polly.
Ben brought the ink bottle and the pen.
What shall I say?
Polly asked with dismay.
Tell him about the cakes and Francie's gingerbread boy.
Let him know we'd like him to visit when he's well, Mrs. Pepper said, returning to her sewing.
Polly set to work over the paper, biting her lip as she wrote.
At last she was done.
Read it to us, Polly, Mrs. Pepper said.
Dear Jasper, we knew you were sick because you didn't come.
We liked your letter telling us so, because we'd all felt so badly and Francie cried herself to sleep.
The gingerbread boy is for your father.
Please excuse it.
Franzi insisted on making it for him because he's sick.
There isn't any more to write and besides I don't write very well and Ben's too tired to write any more.
From all of us.
Ben and Polly signed the letter.
The others wanted to sign it, too.
Ben held Davy's hand and helped him sign his name.
Franzi insisted that Polly help her.
Joel wanted to do it himself, and he dropped a great big blot of ink on the letter and nearly ruined it.
At long last, the letter was done and tied up with the package.
Just then, Deacon Blodgett and his wife stopped by to say hello.
They brought a lovely bunch of flowers for the family.
When Polly saw the flowers, she clapped her hands for joy.
Flowers just make everything happier.
I wish I had flowers for every day of the year, she said.
Then Polly tied the pretty flowers onto the package.
It was lovely.
Everyone agreed.
