I didn’t read “Pollyanna” when I was child for the suggested titles for boys at that time were “The book of the jungle”, “The treasure island”, “20,000 leagues under the sea”, “Sir Lancelot” and so on.
“Pollyanna” was labelled as a book for girls…
During the last few years, when in Winter the weather turns grey, when it is good to be indoors and turn inwards the direction of our energy,
Pollyanna’s story became a source of light and warmth in our family.
We were eager to continue reading at any times. First one child did finish the book; then the second was looking forward to taking over; then the third one so that -while reading for them- I could eventually dive into Pollyanna’s beloved character and deeply appreciate her special “game”.
This is how I learnt about Pollyanna’s game… THE GAME! a game that you may like to play too in this time of the year, when the seeds of the Winter began to blossom!
You may like, who knows. Here it is: read carefully the page below when Pollyanna reveal her game to Nancy. Then.. just play it! it is a Game that may change things around more than a revolution… read carefully and do it, if you like it!
Nancy: ”I’m sorry about the bread and milk; I am, I am.”
Pollyanna: ”Oh, I’m not… I’m glad.”
“Glad! Why?” …
Pollyanna laughed softly.
“Well, that’s the game, you know, anyway.”
“The… GAME?”
“Yes; the ‘just being glad’ game.”
“Whatever in the world are you talking about?”
“It’s a game. Father told it to me, and it’s lovely,” rejoined Pollyanna. “We’ve played it always, ever since I was a little, little girl. I told the Ladies’ Aid, and they played it—some of them.”
“What is it? I ain’t much on games, though.”
Pollyanna laughed again, but she sighed, too; and in the gathering twilight her face looked thin and wistful.
“We began it on some crutches that came in a missionary barrel.”
“CRUTCHES!”
“Yes. You see I’d wanted a doll, and father had written them so; but when the barrel came the lady wrote that there hadn’t any dolls come in, but the little crutches had. So she sent them along as they might come in handy for some child, sometime. And that’s when we began it.”
“Well, I must say I can’t see any game about that” declared Nancy, almost irritably.
“Oh, yes; the game was to just find something about everything to be glad about—no matter what it was,” rejoined Pollyanna, earnestly. “And we began right then—on the crutches.”
“Well, goodness me! I can’t see anything to be glad about … getting a pair of crutches when you wanted a doll!”
Pollyanna clapped her hands.
“There is—there is,” she crowed. “But I couldn’t see it, either, Nancy, at first,” she added, with quick honesty. “Father had to tell it to me.”
“Well, then, I suppose YOU tell ME,” almost snapped Nancy.
“Goosey! just be glad because you don’t … NEED THEM!” exulted Pollyanna, triumphantly. “You see it’s just as easy—when you know how!”
[Excerpt From: Eleanor H. Porter. “Pollyanna.” – iBooks. https://itun.es/gb/aBpUD.l]
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Got it? Well, it looks easy, it looks childish, perhaps boring… but it is good! would you like to try?
By the way: should you have not read the book yet, please do it. You also might like to watch the movie! who knows?
vr