Chapter One

Eliza sat down and opened her new book. The pages were soft and crinkly, the cover smooth and red. She barely had time to read since her father had died, and her mother only believed in cooking and cleaning, and never read a single word in her life. She did not encourage Eliza to have and education. For this reason, Eliza sat in the attic to read, only a lantern for light.

She always read in secret, and bought books from the Moleberry Bookstore with her change from the grocery store. Eliza often went on errands herself, and found them quite pleasuring.

Eliza had a poor family, even before her father died, and only had bread and butter for breakfast, soup broth for lunch, and more bread and butter for dinner. She was very skinny and didn't eat much, even if she did have one piece of bread.

Eliza didn't go to school, but read almost everything she knew, apart from buttering bread and stirring soup broth. Eliza would look at all the other kids in their nice lace dresses, carefully woven, and in silk shirts with ivory buttons and nice pants, no holes or patches. They would go to school in these wonderful things. Maybe if I go to school, Eliza thought, they will give me things like that.

Eliza thought about it. She really needed knew ones. Her only dress was a dirty brown, and it had ten patches on it. Each patch was uglier than the next. Oh, yes. Eliza would go to school. Not for the education, but for the clothing, and she needed some.

Chapter Two

"Mother?" Eliza whispered in the middle of the night. Her mother was fast asleep. She was as still as a log. "Mother?" Eliza said, a little louder. Her mother sat up in bed and looked at Eliza like she was crazy. "Eliza," She said sternly, "Why are you up this late?" Eliza stood her ground.

She wanted to go to school to get the clothes, and she needed to sign her name and her parent's name for approval. Eliza handed her mother a feathery quill and some black ink and asked her to sign the contract. "I need to do this." Whispered Eliza, trying to think of a lie. "Um, it's a coupon f-for, uh, getting as much bread as you want." Eliza finished her sentence, feeling proud of her white lie.

Her mother sat and stared. Her eyes were droopy and tired. "What an extraordinary lie Eliza!" She said a little too nicely. "Now give me the contract, and let me see what it says. I also want to see where you got it." Eliza was frozen in her tracks. What would she do? She knew what to do. If mother doesn't sign it, then I'll find another person to sign it. Eliza thought.

She packed up everything she needed. Her ugly dress, her blankets, some bread, and one cent. Eliza wanted good clothes, and she wanted them now!