Maybelle’s Yard Sale
“I have too much stuff!” Maybelle complained to her friend Clarence one morning. “How about you, Clarence? Aren’t you tired of having so much stuff around?”
“I hadn’t thought about it,” said Clarence.
“Let’s have a yard sale,” said Maybelle. “Next Saturday. I’ll make a sign.” Maybelle pulled two big boxes out of her hall closet. “Put everything you want to get rid of in this box. I’ll put what I want to get rid of in this one.”
“See you Saturday,” said Clarence.
Early Saturday morning Maybelle and Clarence met on Maybelle’s front lawn. Maybelle stuck her sign in the ground, and they emptied their boxes on the grass.
“Are you selling that pig with the clock in its stomach?” Clarence asked.
“Yes, I’m tired of looking at that silly pig.”
“It might look good on my kitchen shelf,” said Clarence. “I’ll be right back.” He hurried to his house. “It sure does,” he said when he came back.
“Then you can have it,” Maybelle said. “Are you selling that wind-up elephant that swings its trunk?”
“Yup. It always falls over. I think its spring is crooked.”
Maybelle picked up the elephant. “Maybe I can fix it.”
“It’s all yours,” said Clarence. “Isn’t this the pillow you won at the fair last year?”
“It sure is,” said Maybelle.
“I think it would be a perfect match for the quilt on my bed.”
“Be my guest,” Maybelle said.
Clarence took the pillow to his house and set it on his bed.
“Perfect match,” he said when he returned.
“Why, here’s that lamp you made out of the seashells we collected one summer,” said Maybelle. “It would look good on my dresser.”
“The shade has a hole in it,” Clarence pointed out.
“I’ll make a new shade,” said Maybelle.
“I see you brought out your fluffy blue slippers,” said Clarence.
“They’re too small for me,” said Maybelle.
“I’ve always wanted some fluffy slippers,” said Clarence.
“Try them on. Maybe they’ll fit you.”
Clarence slipped on the fluffy blue slippers. “They do. Thank you, Maybelle!”
“Sure,” Maybelle said. “Is that your old plaid shirt—the one you used to wear when we went fishing at the lake?”
“Yup. Now I wear my new jacket.”
“I always liked that plaid shirt. It has such handy pockets,” Maybelle said.
“Why don’t you wear it?” said Clarence.
“Thanks! I will.” Maybelle put on the shirt. Then she looked down at their empty boxes and laughed.
Clarence smiled. “I guess we took care of that stuff, all right.”
Maybelle pulled
up the sign. “I’ll save this,” she said. “Maybe we’ll have a yard sale
again next year.”
