Sara had a special power. Because of this power, the other girls loved to be near her. Lavinia and other girls were very jealous of Sara. But they also liked to listen to her. Sara had the power to tell wonderful stories.
Everyone at the school loved stories. Groups of girls always followed Sara. In a quiet whisper, they asked her to tell them a story. Sara loved to tell stories. She sat in the middle of a circle of children.
When Sara told stories, her green eyes became big and bright. Her face became red with excitement. She moved her hands and her body. She did not know she was acting. She lived inside her own stories.
Sara saw the kings and queens in her mind. She lived with the beautiful ladies in her adventures. Sometimes Sara was out of breath at the end. She laughed at herself. Her heart beat very fast.
"When I tell a story, it feels real," Sara said. "The story feels more real than you are. It feels more real than this schoolroom. I feel like I am the people in the story."
Sara had lived at the school for two years. One cold, foggy afternoon, she came back to the school in her carriage. She got out of the carriage. She wore warm, expensive clothes made of velvet and fur.
Sara saw a dirty little girl on the steps. Her face was dirty too. She looked at Sara with big eyes. Sara smiled at the girl. It was natural for Sara to smile at people.
The dirty girl was afraid. She did not want Miss Minchin to see her. She ran away into the kitchen very fast. Sara almost laughed because the girl moved so quickly. Still, Sara thought the girl looked very sad and lonely.
That evening, Sara told a story in the schoolroom. A group of girls sat around Sara. The same dirty girl entered the room. She carried a heavy coal box.
The girl knelt on the floor near the fire. She was cleaner now, but she still looked frightened. She was afraid to look at the children. She put coal on the fire very quietly. She did not want to make a noise.
Sara saw that the girl was listening. The girl worked very slowly. She wanted to hear the story. Sara began to speak more clearly for the girl.
"The Mermaids swam in the green water," Sara said. "They had a net made of pearls. The Princess sat on a white rock and watched them." It was a story about a princess and a prince under the sea.
The little girl swept the floor near the fire. She liked the story very much. She forgot her work and her surroundings. She sat on the floor and listened to Sara. The story was like magic to her.
Suddenly, the brush fell from the girl's hand. Lavinia looked at the girl. "That girl is listening to the story!" Lavinia said loudly.
The girl felt as if she had done something wrong. She grabbed her brush and her coal box. She ran out of the room like a scared rabbit. She was very fast.
Sara felt angry. "I knew she was listening," Sara said. "Why is that a problem?" Lavinia tossed her head in a mean way.
"My mother says we should not talk to servants," Lavinia said. Sara looked at her. "My mother would not mind," Sara said. "Stories belong to everyone."
"Your mother is dead," Lavinia said. "How can she know anything?" Sara spoke in a very serious voice. "Do you think she does not know things?" Sara asked.
Little Lottie spoke too. "Sara's mother knows everything," Lottie said. "She is in a place with flowers and light. Sara tells me about it every night."
Lavinia was angry. She said Sara told lies about heaven. Sara told Lavinia to be kinder to people. Then Sara and Lottie walked out of the room.
That night, Sara talked to Mariette. Mariette was Sara’s maid. Sara asked about the girl who made the fires. Mariette knew about her.
Mariette said the girl was a scullery maid. The girl worked very hard every day. She cleaned boots and floors. She carried heavy coal up the stairs.
The girl was fourteen years old. But she was very small and looked twelve. Her name was Becky. Everyone shouted at Becky all day. Becky was always very afraid.
After Mariette left, Sara thought about Becky. Sara thought Becky looked very hungry. Sara wanted to see Becky again. She wanted to talk to her, but Becky was always in a hurry.
A few weeks later, it was another foggy afternoon. Sara entered her own sitting room. She saw something very sad. Becky was in Sara's favorite chair.
Becky had dirt on her nose and her apron. She was fast asleep because she was very tired. She worked all day in the big house. Sara's room was the last room on Becky's list.
Sara’s room was very beautiful. It had books, pictures, and a soft sofa. Other pupils had very simple rooms. But Sara had many nice things from India.
Becky liked to come to this room. It was warm and quiet. She wanted to sit in the soft chair for a few minutes. She thought about the lucky girl who lived there.
Today, the chair felt so good. Becky was very warm because of the fire. She closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep. She looked so small and tired.
Sara looked very different from Becky. Sara had just come from a dancing lesson. She wore a beautiful pink dress. She had flowers in her black hair.
Sara danced into the room like a pink butterfly. Then she saw Becky in her chair. "Oh!" Sara said softly. "That poor girl!"
Sara was not angry. She was happy to see Becky there. Sara wanted to talk to her. She stood near the chair and waited for Becky to wake up.
Sara sat on the table. She worried about Becky. If Miss Minchin found Becky there, Miss Minchin would be very angry. Becky was so tired.
A piece of hot coal fell from the fire. The noise woke Becky up. Becky saw Sara sitting near her. Becky was very afraid and surprised.
Becky jumped up quickly. She tried to fix her cap. She thought she was in big trouble. She thought Miss Minchin would make her leave the school.
"Oh, miss!" Becky cried. "Please forgive me! I am so sorry!" Sara jumped down from the table. She went close to Becky.
"Do not be afraid," Sara said. "It is okay." Becky said she was only very tired. She said she did not want to be rude to Sara.
Sara laughed in a friendly way. She put her hand on Becky's shoulder. "You were tired," Sara said. "You could not help it. You are not awake yet."
Becky looked at Sara. No one ever spoke to Becky in a nice way. People usually shouted at her. Sara's hand felt very soft and kind.
"Are you not angry, miss?" Becky asked. "Will you tell Miss Minchin?" Sara said she would not tell. She felt very sorry for Becky.
Sara put her hand on Becky's face. "We are the same," Sara said. "We are both just little girls. It is only an accident that I am not you."
Becky did not understand. To Becky, an accident was a very bad thing. She thought about people falling off ladders. She did not understand Sara's idea.
Sara realized Becky did not understand. "Is your work finished?" Sara asked. "Can you stay here for a few minutes?" Becky was very surprised.
Sara checked the hall. No one was there. Sara opened a cupboard. She gave Becky several big pieces of cake. Becky was very hungry and ate one fast, and she put the rest in her pocket.
Becky looked at Sara's pink dress. "Is that your best dress?" Becky asked in a whisper. Sara said it was a dancing dress. Becky loved it.
Becky told Sara a story. One time, Becky saw a real princess in the street. The princess wore pink clothes and flowers. Becky thought Sara looked like that princess.
"I want to be a princess," Sara said. "I will start to pretend now." Becky looked at Sara with love. She still did not understand Sara's thoughts.
Sara asked Becky if she liked the story about the Mermaids. Becky said yes. She loved the part about the princess and the net made of pearls. She wanted to hear more.
"I will tell you the story every day," Sara promised. Becky was very happy. She said she did not mind her hard work now. She had a story to think about.
Becky went downstairs. She felt different now. She was warm and she was not hungry. Sara's kindness made Becky feel better. Becky had cake in her pocket.
Sara sat on her table again. She thought about being a princess. A princess can give gifts to poor people. Sara wanted to give things too.
Sara was not a real princess. But she could do kind things for people. This was her own type of largess. Sara felt happy because she helped Becky.