No Small Victory by Connie Brummel Crook Page B

stove in the centre of the room. There was no one sitting in the chairs around the stove. Most folks were too busy now preparing their homes for winter.
    â€œAnd what can I do for you fine ladies this afternoon?” asked Mr. Weir, the owner. He leaned against the shelves behind the counter and put his thumbs behind his suspenders.
    â€œI am treating my friends today,” Bonnie said proudly. “Can you show us your assortment of suckers?” Bonnie thought “assortment” was the right word. She liked the way it sounded, anyway.
    Mr. Weir smiled broadly under his grey moustache as he limped around the counter. He had never recovered from an old war wound. “Here you are, ladies. Take a look at that jar! I have suckers in every colour of the rainbow. Five cents for five. But you must pick all different colours when purchasing from this jar—that is, for the price I said.”
    Bonnie and Marianne opened their eyes wide and let their jaws drop. Angela just smiled. Then all three circled around the jar like bees around a honeycomb. They chose red for Marianne, purple for Angela, and orange for Bonnie. That left only yellow and green for the last two.
    â€œGoodbye, Mr. Weir.” Bonnie waved as the three girls strutted out the door, candy in hand.
    On the way back to school, the girls went past Betty’s house, just as Betty was rushing out the door.
    â€œHere,” Bonnie shouted. “Have a sucker!” Betty gawked at Bonnie for a second, then quickly chose the yellow one.
    There , thought Bonnie with satisfaction. She had paid for Betty’s piece of orange. Too bad Betty had chosen the yellow sucker, though. Green tasted a little like soap. She hoped Archie wouldn’t mind.

    The clock at the back of the room was ticking its way to two-thirty.
    Bonnie was bored. She was still doing work she’d already completed the year before. She shoved her scribbler to the top of her desk and fished around in the pocket of her skirt. Good! she thought. The candy was safe inside its crinkly cellophane wrapper. She’d give it to Archie right after school. He’d be so surprised!
    Bonnie looked back to the clock to see if it was three o’clock yet. No such luck. The minute hand had moved to two-thirty-two. As she was turning back to face the front of the room, she thought she saw a dark leaf sticking to the east window. But it wasn’t a leaf. It was something with wings.
    What could that be? Bonnie squinted hard at the big black thing. It was…no, it couldn’t be…but, yes, it was…
    A crow!
    â€œSir!” Bonnie cried out before she could stop herself.
    â€œBonnie Brown, are you the teacher today? The teacher is the only one who talks in class without being asked.”
    â€œBut…but…”
    â€œWell, out with it. What’s the matter now?”
    â€œThere’s a crow in the window, Sir McDougall…sir…Mr. McDougall!”
    The whole class turned swiftly to the window with their eyes peering almost out of their heads.
    Mr. McDougall strode to the window. The crow lifted first its left wing, then its right. Mr. McDougall raised his right eyebrow as if he was imitating it. Then the crow put its wings down and Mr. McDougall pushed his eyebrows together. The crow and the teacher stared at each other for a good half-minute.
    â€œWell…!” Mr. McDougall said finally. “Class, put aside the work you are doing. I do believe we have the perfect opportunity for a science lesson.” Groans came from the back of the classroom, but Mr. McDougall ignored them. “Crows are strong birds that prey on smaller creatures—like mice or doves, but very occasionally, they can become pets of humans—just like parrots. I have even heard that sometimes…”
    As Mr. McDougall droned on, Bonnie looked at Archie. He waved back and nodded his head. While she had his attention, Bonnie thought she’d show him the sucker.