介绍:
Billy was seven years old.
He liked to do lots of things.
He liked to play with his dog.
He liked to watch television and to read books.
But most of all, he liked to help.
He helped his father and his mother.
He helped his teacher and his neighbors.
He was always looking for somebody to help.
Everybody said, “What a fine helping boy Billy is!”
But one day, everything went wrong.
It was Saturday.
There was no school.
Billy had lots of time to play.
Billy had lots of time to help.
He went into the kitchen.
Mother was baking a cake.
“May I help you, Mother?” asked Billy.
“Not now, dear,” said Mother.
“The cake is almost done. I am whipping the cream for it.”
Just then the telephone rang.
Mother went to answer it.
“I know,” said Billy. “I will finish whipping the cream.”
He whipped and he whipped.
The cream got thicker and thicker.
It began to turn yellow.
Soon Mother came back.
“Oh, Billy,” she cried. “You have whipped the cream too long. It has turned to butter!”
“I am sorry, Mother,” said Billy. “I just wanted to help.”
“I know,” said Mother. “Never mind. I will make a chocolate icing instead. But, please, Billy, go and help somebody else!”
Billy sat and thought.
“I know,” he said. “I will give Tippy a bath. I will surprise Daddy.”
He went into the bathroom.
He put water into the tub.
He put in some of Mother’s bubble bath, too.
Then he went to find Tippy.
Tippy had never liked water very much.
He did not like it all with bubbles.
He jumped from the tub.
He was covered with soapsuds.
He ran down the stairs and into the street.
“Mad dog! Mad dog!” called all the people.
They ran into their houses.
Somebody called a policeman.
When Tippy saw Policeman Bird, he stopped running.
Tippy knew Policeman Bird.
He went to him wagging his tail.
Soon Billy got there.
“What happened to Tippy, Billy?” asked Policeman Bird.
“I was giving him a bath,” said Billy. “Daddy doesn’t like to do it, I just wanted to help.”
“Well,” said Policeman Bird.
“Take Tippy home and wash him off. And, please, Billy, go and help somebody else!”
Billy did as he was told.
Then he sat on the porch and thought.
“I know,” he said. “I will help Mr. Dean next door. He did not finish weeding his garden last night. I will do it for him.”
Soon he was busy in Mr. Dean’s garden.
When Mr. Dean got home, he began to shout.
“Who was in my garden? Who pulled out all the flowers I planted?”
Poor Billy!
He wanted to run and hide.
But he didn’t.
“I did it, Mr. Dean,” he said. “I thought they were weeds. I am sorry. I just wanted to help.”
“I know that you did not mean it, Billy,” said Mr. Dean. “I am sorry I was so angry. But, please, Billy, go and help somebody else!”
Poor Billy!
Everything was going wrong.
And he just wanted to help.
“I know,” he said. “I will go to see Grandma. Maybe I can help her.”
Billy walked down the street to his Grandma’s house.
“Grandma, I have been trying to help people all day. But everything is going wrong.”
“Well, I was just going to clean Joey’s cage, Billy,” said Grandma. “Why don’t you try helping me with that.”
Joey was Grandma’s little parakeet.
Billy loved him.
Joey knew Billy and loved him too.
First Billy took out the tray at the bottom of the cage.
He cleaned it so that it shone.
“There, you did that just fine, Billy,” said Grandma.
Billy was happy.
He thought his bad day was over.
“Would you like a bath now?”
He filled Joey’s little bathtub with nice cool water.
He lifted the cage just a little to move the tub under.
In a flash Joey was out of the cage.
He flew all around the room.
Then he saw an open window.
He flew out.
Grandma was sad.
“Oh, my dear little Joey! I’ll never get him back,” she said.
“Don’t worry, Grandma,” said Billy.
“Everything is going wrong today. But I will make it all right this time. I will get Joey back for you. I have a plan.”
First Billy put the clean tray back in the cage.
Then he took the cage out to the porch.
He sat on the steps beside the cage.
He began to call to Joey.
He said all the things Joey could say.
He said, “Come on! Come over here! Give me a kiss!”
He said, “He’s a good boy! Such a good boy!”
He said these things over and over again.
He rang the little bell in Joey’s cage.
Soon Joey flew out of the tree.
He sat on the fence.
He looked at Billy.
Billy kept talking to him.
Soon Joey answered, “He’s a good boy! Such a good boy!”
Billy held out of his finger.
He called, “Come on, Joey! Come over here! Give me a kiss!”
Joey flew a little closer.
“He’s a good boy! Such a good boy!” he called.
Suddenly he flew to Billy’s finger.
Very slowly Billy put him into his cage.
Joey went right to his seed cup.
What a hungry bird he was!
Billy closed the cage door.
Then he called, “Come, Grandma! Your Joey is back!”
Grandma was so happy!
She hugged Billy over and over.
But soon Billy was on his was again.
Maybe he was looking for somebody to help.
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