Mabel Watson Payne returned from her holiday on the East Coast with a new penchant for reading. This afternoon she was enjoying that timeless classic (first published in 1940) Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina. Partly of course she was taking an interest out of courtesy for her grandfather who brought her the book as a welcome-home gift, but once the monkeys had stolen the caps and carried them high up into the tree, Mabel Watson Payne was helplessly enthralled.
And when the story was over she took the lead in the discussion that followed.Those monkeys never would give back the caps just because the man yelled at them. Up in their tree, they knew his authority was no better than a hollow reed. But when the cap man threw his own cap down on the ground in rage and frustration, then the monkeys threw their caps down on the ground too! Then he could pick them up!
For an infant barely three months old this was a substantial exertion and Mabel Watson Payne showed signs after a while of growing a little restless, a little sleepy – not that she ever considered lowering herself to fussiness.
Sleep simply overcame her in its own quiet way once she had delivered all her observations.
The adults managed to keep themselves amused with tales of the recent travels. Just in the past week Mabel Watson Payne made the acquaintance of more individuals then she had met in her entire life up to the time of the trip. Her daddy's abundant family went out of their way to make her warmly welcome.
And when wake-up time arrived, new reservoirs of amusement floated Mabel Watson Payne into the next segment of her afternoon.
