The Cantankerous Bed and The Blue Heron

By Caroline Leland

Caroline Leland has written The Cantankerous Bed novella and The Blue Heron short story for the young reader. They are small adventures in the everyday world with a young girl heroine in each story. The young ladies make new friends and partake in unusual events that enlighten their lives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Caroline Leland
• Release date: Nov 26, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463032169

Caroline Leland

Caroline is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She has written three children's books about the adventures of young Ellie and her Aunt Sophy. Each book has a mystery. All three books, The Cantankerous Bed, The Expectant Chair, and the Determined Sofa have won a Purple Dragonfly Award sponsored by the children's magazine, Story Monsters Inc.. The third book, The Determined Sofa, has just been published and takes place in London, England. All three books can be purchased on www.Amazon.com. Caroline is currently writing romance/mysteries taking place in coastal Maine.

Book preview

The Cantankerous Bed

and The Blue Heron

A Novella and a Story

by Caroline Leland

© 2016 by Caroline LeLand

2018 Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced, reprinted, recorded, performed, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without explicit permission of Caroline Leland. All such actions are strictly prohibited under law.

Book cover watercolor by Nicoll Cadwalader Brinley

This book is dedicated

to my darling Ed.

Contents

The Cantankerous Bed:

1 The Introduction

2 Making New Friends

3 Settling In

4 Bedtime and Things That Go Bump in the Night

5 Many Hands Make Light Work

6 Interiors

7 Bedtime Stories

8 The Historical Society

9 Afternoon Questions

10 Making Headway

11 Holiday Fun

The Blue Heron

The Cantankerous Bed

1

The Introduction

Ellie watched anxiously as her mother’s gloved finger pressed the shiny white doorbell with brass surround. It was one of a vertical row of buttons with engraved names beside them for gaining admittance to her aunt’s Philadelphia apartment.

They stood on a quiet street of townhouses not far from the big train station that had been their first destination. A taxi had dropped them off in front of this tall brick building fronted by four granite steps rising to a broader landing overshadowed by immense dark double wooden doors.

The doors sported giant brass doorknobs and a variety of intricate flower designs etched on the glass windows taking up the upper half of their tall expanse.

As it was late on a winter afternoon, light streamed from the vestibule inside and gleamed through the myriad flower petals and stems in the glass panels. Tall potted trees stood on either side of the massive doors gently swaying their bare branches in the cold December wind.

Ellie, just turned eight years old, and her mother had climbed up the four high steps to the landing of the big townhouse.

"You’ll only be here two weeks darling, and Aunt Sophy is so looking forward to having you for a visit. You’ll be home just in time for Christmas and the city will be such fun this time of year.

I am sorry you haven’t met your Aunt before this, her mother continued. Her work has kept her in the city or else traveling around the country. Your father talks to her on the telephone quite a lot. She will be working some of the time you are here but she will always have someone keep you company if she is out. Your father and I have stayed here in the past when we needed to come to the city or your father wanted to visit with Sophy."

Ellie kept a tight grip on her mother’s coat, wondering whether she would like her Aunt Sophy. Her mother carried Ellie’s suitcase for her. Ellie had never been away from home and missed her mother already.

She had overheard her mother and father discussing her aunt just before they left. Her father had said, you know how eccentric Sophy is darling. Ellie will never be bored with her and all those extraordinary characters who live in the building. After all I grew up with some of them. It will be a great experience for Ellie if somewhat frightening at first.

Ellie’s mother was a tall stately woman with dark blue eyes and chestnut brown hair swept neatly back under a fashionable dark green felt hat that matched her coat and shoes. She was blessed with a lovely deep voice and cheery disposition.

She was catching a six o’clock train later that