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Chapter 1:- Diamonds in the Dirt
At the end of a long, bumpy road on Vinegar Lane lived a cranky old woman and a greedy old man. Their names were Snippy and Diggory Crotchet. Diggory’s farm had been in the family for generations—up until now. Snippy and Diggory were selling the farm!
The Crotchet’s were going to see the world and seek their fortune. Miserable as they had been on Vinegar Lane, they were certain that they would be happy somewhere else.
Their children were idle, lazy fools who were too selfish to help their grumpy mother. Curt, the oldest boy never fetched the water from the stream until late in the day. The twins, Dilly and Dally, stayed in their ratty chairs all day long picking at their fingernails and scratching their heads. Clearing the dishes was a chore that belonged to Sloth, but because he never did it, the table was piled high with dirty dishes.
Standing by the smudgy window all day was their mother, Snippy. Looking out through the dingy glass, she just got more and more irritable by the hour. She felt huffy and cross because everything looked so gloomy. She was itchy to move away because she was certain that things were better on the other side of the hill where the rest of the world was.
Jealousy is unbecoming in anybody, and no more so than in Diggory Crotchet. He should have been a hard-working, cheerful example for his family. But he wasn’t. He was so green with envy that he just walked around his farm all day kicking rocks because his neighbor brought in such a large harvest every autumn. Diggory’s garden never grew. Every night he had to lay a cold cloth on his forehead to ease the pain: it was very painful to have such an angry expression on his face all day long.
What this ornery, greedy family didn’t know is that there were acres of diamonds right beneath them underground. They could have found a few diamonds that were peeking out of the ground, but they didn’t. The windows were so dirty that when the sun shone on a diamond peeking out of the ground, Snippy couldn’t see the glint.
If Curt would have fetched the water earlier in the daylight hours, he might have seen a tiny diamond shimmering in the water. But he didn’t. Poor Diggory actually stared right at a few small shining diamonds several times while he was out kicking rocks, but he was so busy thinking jealous thoughts that he didn’t notice.
Getting ready to move wasn’t a very big job for the Crotchet’s since they weren’t going to clean anything anyway. They just picked up some clothes, a few dirty pans, and a rocking chair for Snippy then threw them in their rickety wagon. Dilly and Dally whined that they wanted their chairs, but they were too sluggish to fetch them. So they didn’t.
Off they ambled down Vinegar Lane to seek their fortune. When they got to the main road they passed another family who greeted them with a cheery, “Hello”. The Crotchet’s kept walking while Snippy mumbled how a family could be so happy on such a miserable day. Goodbye, Crotchet family. Hello new family.
This new family had bought the farm and when they passed the sign that said Vinegar Lane, the father threw up his arms and exclaimed, “Let’s chop this thing down, kids! We are going to name our street “Lucky Lane!”
Right then and there, Richie and Golden uncovered an axe from the side of the wagon and went about fixing the situation. “Kids! Everyone toss forty rocks off of Lucky Lane on the way to our farm. Let’s smooth this road out! The first one to get to forty gets an almond in their pudding tonight!” And so they did.
As they pushed closer to the farmland Felicity, sighed, “It’s just beautiful! Look at the wild rosemary and thistles.” She cried, “Oh, Sterling, you’ve found us a piece of heaven on earth!” Felicity was a wonderful mother who always gushed about the beauty of the world and her extraordinary children. She often exclaimed that her children were like the sunshine to her.
Once inside the farmhouse Felicity squealed, “What fun! Everyone take a good look at this mess. Once we’re done cleaning up you’ll know just what a difference you’ve made today!” And so, they did. First, the old ratty chairs that were too stinky for repair were tossed in a pile outside for that evening’s bonfire. Then the cobwebs were brushed away, the sink was scrubbed clean, the dishes were washed, and the wood table was polished with orange oil. Then the floor was swept and the mattresses were hauled outside to be hung over bushes. They needed to have the dust beaten out of them and to be aired in the sunshine. Finally, the windows were washed. Felicity told the children that windows are like the eyes to a home. If they sparkle, the whole world looks more beautiful.
Sterling was a hard-working father who had never made much money but he always told his children that they were rich in love. As he surveyed the farm with his children later that day he found a lovely spot for a kitchen garden. With hoes and a small plow Richie and Golden set to work digging rows to plant the seeds in. Carrots, beets, leeks, beans, lettuce, garlic and onions were the first seeds and bulbs to go in. Mounds of dirt were piled for the squash and zucchini seeds to be planted in. Blythe and Winsome got the fun chore of dropping in the seeds. Rose followed behind with a watering can and carefully watered each row. “We’re going to have a bumper crop, I just know it!” father exclaimed.
That night after dinner was served Rose squealed with delight as she got the almond in her pudding. After the mattresses were brought back in smelling fresh and sweet, clean linens were put on in a hurry because everyone knew what was coming. The bonfire! Oh, how they loved to sit outside around the bonfire at night after a good meal and hard days work. As they gathered around, the firelight cast a soft orange glow on his family’s happy, weary faces. Father always started the evening with a shout, “Life doesn’t get any better than this!” and then singing:
I’ve got me a wife
And I’ve got me some sons
And me daughters
Lasso the sun for me.
Got ‘nuff to eat
And a dry place to sleep.
What ho! I’m a lucky one!
Sing me a song,
The birds pause for your trill,
Fair Felicity, dear.
I’m a rich man in love.
Got ‘nuff to eat
And a dry place to sleep.
What ho! I’m a lucky one!
Singing, playing the guitar and harmonica, and telling stories around the fire seemed to be the perfect ending to a perfectly wonderful day, mother always said. As Felicity blew out the candle on her bedside table that night she overheard Rose whisper to her sister in the dark, “Blythe, aren’t we lucky to be so rich?”
At the end of a long, bumpy road on Vinegar Lane lived a cranky old woman and a greedy old man. Their names were Snippy and Diggory Crotchet. Diggory’s farm had been in the family for generations—up until now. Snippy and Diggory were selling the farm!
The Crotchet’s were going to see the world and seek their fortune. Miserable as they had been on Vinegar Lane, they were certain that they would be happy somewhere else.
Their children were idle, lazy fools who were too selfish to help their grumpy mother. Curt, the oldest boy never fetched the water from the stream until late in the day. The twins, Dilly and Dally, stayed in their ratty chairs all day long picking at their fingernails and scratching their heads. Clearing the dishes was a chore that belonged to Sloth, but because he never did it, the table was piled high with dirty dishes.
Standing by the smudgy window all day was their mother, Snippy. Looking out through the dingy glass, she just got more and more irritable by the hour. She felt huffy and cross because everything looked so gloomy. She was itchy to move away because she was certain that things were better on the other side of the hill where the rest of the world was.
Jealousy is unbecoming in anybody, and no more so than in Diggory Crotchet. He should have been a hard-working, cheerful example for his family. But he wasn’t. He was so green with envy that he just walked around his farm all day kicking rocks because his neighbor brought in such a large harvest every autumn. Diggory’s garden never grew. Every night he had to lay a cold cloth on his forehead to ease the pain: it was very painful to have such an angry expression on his face all day long.
What this ornery, greedy family didn’t know is that there were acres of diamonds right beneath them underground. They could have found a few diamonds that were peeking out of the ground, but they didn’t. The windows were so dirty that when the sun shone on a diamond peeking out of the ground, Snippy couldn’t see the glint.
If Curt would have fetched the water earlier in the daylight hours, he might have seen a tiny diamond shimmering in the water. But he didn’t. Poor Diggory actually stared right at a few small shining diamonds several times while he was out kicking rocks, but he was so busy thinking jealous thoughts that he didn’t notice.
Getting ready to move wasn’t a very big job for the Crotchet’s since they weren’t going to clean anything anyway. They just picked up some clothes, a few dirty pans, and a rocking chair for Snippy then threw them in their rickety wagon. Dilly and Dally whined that they wanted their chairs, but they were too sluggish to fetch them. So they didn’t.
Off they ambled down Vinegar Lane to seek their fortune. When they got to the main road they passed another family who greeted them with a cheery, “Hello”. The Crotchet’s kept walking while Snippy mumbled how a family could be so happy on such a miserable day. Goodbye, Crotchet family. Hello new family.
This new family had bought the farm and when they passed the sign that said Vinegar Lane, the father threw up his arms and exclaimed, “Let’s chop this thing down, kids! We are going to name our street “Lucky Lane!”
Right then and there, Richie and Golden uncovered an axe from the side of the wagon and went about fixing the situation. “Kids! Everyone toss forty rocks off of Lucky Lane on the way to our farm. Let’s smooth this road out! The first one to get to forty gets an almond in their pudding tonight!” And so they did.
As they pushed closer to the farmland Felicity, sighed, “It’s just beautiful! Look at the wild rosemary and thistles.” She cried, “Oh, Sterling, you’ve found us a piece of heaven on earth!” Felicity was a wonderful mother who always gushed about the beauty of the world and her extraordinary children. She often exclaimed that her children were like the sunshine to her.
Once inside the farmhouse Felicity squealed, “What fun! Everyone take a good look at this mess. Once we’re done cleaning up you’ll know just what a difference you’ve made today!” And so, they did. First, the old ratty chairs that were too stinky for repair were tossed in a pile outside for that evening’s bonfire. Then the cobwebs were brushed away, the sink was scrubbed clean, the dishes were washed, and the wood table was polished with orange oil. Then the floor was swept and the mattresses were hauled outside to be hung over bushes. They needed to have the dust beaten out of them and to be aired in the sunshine. Finally, the windows were washed. Felicity told the children that windows are like the eyes to a home. If they sparkle, the whole world looks more beautiful.
Sterling was a hard-working father who had never made much money but he always told his children that they were rich in love. As he surveyed the farm with his children later that day he found a lovely spot for a kitchen garden. With hoes and a small plow Richie and Golden set to work digging rows to plant the seeds in. Carrots, beets, leeks, beans, lettuce, garlic and onions were the first seeds and bulbs to go in. Mounds of dirt were piled for the squash and zucchini seeds to be planted in. Blythe and Winsome got the fun chore of dropping in the seeds. Rose followed behind with a watering can and carefully watered each row. “We’re going to have a bumper crop, I just know it!” father exclaimed.
That night after dinner was served Rose squealed with delight as she got the almond in her pudding. After the mattresses were brought back in smelling fresh and sweet, clean linens were put on in a hurry because everyone knew what was coming. The bonfire! Oh, how they loved to sit outside around the bonfire at night after a good meal and hard days work. As they gathered around, the firelight cast a soft orange glow on his family’s happy, weary faces. Father always started the evening with a shout, “Life doesn’t get any better than this!” and then singing:
I’ve got me a wife
And I’ve got me some sons
And me daughters
Lasso the sun for me.
Got ‘nuff to eat
And a dry place to sleep.
What ho! I’m a lucky one!
Sing me a song,
The birds pause for your trill,
Fair Felicity, dear.
I’m a rich man in love.
Got ‘nuff to eat
And a dry place to sleep.
What ho! I’m a lucky one!
Singing, playing the guitar and harmonica, and telling stories around the fire seemed to be the perfect ending to a perfectly wonderful day, mother always said. As Felicity blew out the candle on her bedside table that night she overheard Rose whisper to her sister in the dark, “Blythe, aren’t we lucky to be so rich?”
