THE ROOM WITH THE WINDOW LOOKING OUT ON THE GARDEN
Once there was a little girl. She was just three years old. One morning she and her mother put on their hats and coats right after breakfast. They walked and walked and walked from their house until they came to MacDougal Alley. And then they walked straight down the alley into the Play School. Now the little girl had never been to the Play School before and she didn’t know where anything was and she didn’t know any of the children and she didn’t even know her teacher! So she asked her mother, “Which room is going to be mine?” And her mother answered, “The one with the window looking out on the garden.”
And sure enough, when the little girl looked around there was the sun shining right in through a window which looked out on a lovely garden! She knelt right down on the window sill to look out.
Then she heard some one say, “Little New Girl, why don’t you take off your things?” She turned around and there was Virginia talking to her. “Because I don’t know where to put them,” said Little New Girl. “How funny!” laughed Virginia, “because see, here are all the hooks right in plain sight,” and she pointed under the stairs. So the little girl took off her hat and her mittens. Her mother had to unbutton the hard top button but she did all the rest. Then she hung up everything on a hook.
“Goodbye,” said her mother. “Goodbye,” said Little New Girl. “Don’t forget to come for me because I don’t know where anything is and I don’t know the children and I don’t even know my teacher.” And her mother answered, “No, I won’t.” And then she was gone.
“Now, Little New Girl, what do you want to do?” said her teacher. But the little girl only shook her head and said, “I don’t know anything to do.” One little boy said, “Let me show Little New Girl something.” And what did he show her? He took her over to the shelves and he showed her the blocks. “You can build a house or anything with them,” said the little boy.
Then another little girl said, “Let me show Little New Girl something.” And what did this other little girl show her? She showed her the dolls. “You can put them into a house,” said this other little girl.