Chapter 4. Anne and her Adventure
At school, Diana wrote a letter to Anne.
Dear Anne,
I can't play with you, but I'll always be your special friend. I'll always love you.
Your true friend,
Diana
Anne was sad, but she was happy to read the letter. Anne studied a lot at school. Soon, Anne and Gilbert were the best in the class. Sometimes Anne was the best and sometimes Gilbert was the best. Anne wanted to learn a lot of things.
One day, Marilla had to go out. ‘I'll be back tomorrow,' said Marilla. ‘So it's just you and Matthew at home tonight.'
Anne had lots of things to do. She studied for school. It was important to study hard. She wanted to be better than Gilbert. In the evening, Diana came to Green Gables. She was very worried.
‘Come quickly! My baby sister, Minnie May, isn't well. Mother and father aren't at home. I don't know what to do.'
Matthew went out to find the doctor.
‘Don't worry about your little sister,' said Anne. ‘I know what to do.'
Anne went to Diana's house. She made some medicine. The two girls worked all night. They helped Minnie May to feel better. The house was warm and there was lots of hot water. At three o'clock in the morning, Matthew arrived with the doctor. Thanks to Anne, the baby was better. Anne went home. She was very tired.
‘Thanks to Anne, the baby is better,' said the doctor to Diana's mother.
Anne slept for a long time. Then Marilla woke Anne up. She wanted to tell Anne something.
‘Diana's mother was here this afternoon, Anne. She wanted to see you, but I didn't want to wake you up. You saved Minnie May's life. She knows about the fruit juice. She knows it was a mistake. You and Diana can be best friends again.'
So Anne, and Diana, were friends again.
One evening, Anne was with Marilla at Green Gables.
‘Oh Marilla, do you know that tomorrow is Diana's birthday,' said Anne. ‘Can I go home with Diana, after school? Can I spend the night at Diana's house? In the evening there's a concert. Can I go?'
Marilla agreed. After school, Anne went to Diana's house. Then she went to the concert. Anne loved the concert. There was only one thing she didn't enjoy. She didn't like watching Gilbert read something. Anne didn't look at Gilbert. After the concert, the two girls went home. It was very late. They ran into their bedroom and got into bed, but something moved in the bed. Both Anne and Diana were frightened. It was Diana's Aunt Josephine. Diana didn't know that her aunt was in the bed. Now the two girls had to sleep in Minnie May's room.
‘Aunt Josephine will be very angry about this. I didn't know that she was here, at my house, in that bedroom,' said Diana. ‘She arrived this evening, when we were at the concert.'
Aunt Josephine was an old woman. She didn't like surprises, so she wasn't happy with Diana. Aunt Josephine wanted to go home immediately. Now Diana was worried. Aunt Josephine was very rich. She paid for Diana's music lessons. ‘Maybe I can't have music lessons anymore,' thought Diana.
Anne tried to help Diana. She decided to apologise to Diana's Aunt Josephine. ‘I'm sorry Miss Josephine. Don't be angry with Diana. It was me who got in the bed. Diana is a very good girl. Please can Diana have her music lessons? She loves music very, very much.'
Miss Josephine liked Anne.
‘I'll forgive Diana. Anne, you must come and talk to me sometimes.'
Anne agreed.
That evening, Miss Josephine decided to stay. She gave Diana a present. ‘I'd like to stay now. I want to see more of Anne. She's very interesting,' said Miss Josephine.
So Anne and Miss Josephine became friends.
One June evening, Marilla and Anne were at Green Gables. Marilla had a headache.
‘Marilla, do you remember? One year ago I arrived at Green Gables,' said Anne. ‘Are you sorry that I stayed?'
‘No,' said Marilla. Marilla couldn't live without Anne. But she didn't tell Anne this.
On the last day of June, it was the end of school. There were two months of holidays and there was another thing to be excited about. A new minister and his wife came to Avonlea. They were Mr. and Mrs. Allen. One day, they came to Green Gables for tea. Anne made a cake. Anne waited for them to try it, but they ate so many things! They didn't want to eat it. Then Mrs. Allen saw Anne's face. Anne was so sad. So Mrs. Allen, and the others, ate some of Anne's cake.
‘Anne, what did you put in this cake?' asked Marilla. ‘It's strange!'
Anne ate some of the cake. Then she realised. There was salt in the cake, and not sugar. It was horrible! Anne went to her room to cry.
Mrs Allen went to Anne's bedroom. ‘My dear Anne,' she said. ‘You mustn't cry. It was only a
mistake. I like you, because you're kind. It was kind of you to make the cake for us.'
Anne was happy again. Later, she said to Marilla, ‘Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes. I know that I'll never make the same mistakes again.'
‘But you always make new mistakes!' said Marilla.
Marilla was right. A month later, Anne made another big mistake. She was at Diana's house. There were lots of children in the garden. A girl said to Anne, ‘Look at the house. The roof is very high.'
‘It's not very high,' replied Anne.
‘Walk on the top of the house then,' said the girl.
Anne walked to the house and said, ‘OK, I'll do it!'
‘No, Anne, don't do it. It's dangerous,' said Diana. But Anne wanted to do it. She went onto the roof. She walked slowly, and carefully. But,… then,… she fell!
The other children ran to her, ‘Anne, are you dead?' asked Diana.
‘No, but it's my leg. I think it's broken,' said Anne. She was right! Poor Anne had to stay at home for seven weeks!
