09.57
Liliana Rambawes
The sun hung halfway between straight-up noon and sunset.Since they'd started out from home Alice had been skipping ahead and running back,but now her steps lagged to match Roger's.
Hunger didn't bother Roger so much,but other things did.With each step the lute bumped him.Because they were heading west,the sun shone right into his eyes.Long before,the road had turned away from the river Dordogne,and since then they hadn't found even a tiny brook the could drink from.
"You said you'd sing and play for our supper,"Alice told him."But we haven't seen a single traveler.So how are we going to eat ?"
Right at that moment Rogers noticed dust rising on on the road ahead."Someone's coming," he answered as though he'd expected it all along. "I hope they have food and water with them,and I hope they like lute music,"said Alice.
The sun stood bright behind the travelers so that when they reached the top of a small hill,they cast along shadows.They work dark,ankle-length hooded gowns and carried the round-headed staffs of pilgrims.Pilgrims walked the roads all over Europe to pray at a single saint's shrine or at a number of shrines and churches.Roger saw that the two coming toward them were women.One was old,the other barely past her girlhood.
"peace to you,"Roger greeted them,and both women echoed,"Peace."Alice stayed silent, too awed by the beauty of the young girl to manage a greeting.
"I'm a strolling minstrel,"Roger announced."If you will share your supper with us,I'llsing a song for you."
The older women frowned,staring down her nose at them.Roger knew that he and his sister looked like tatterdemalions.Their shabby clothes were covered with the dust of the road.Roger's wrists stuck out from his sleeves,and Alice's dress was patched in three places.For more than a year mother hadn't made new clothes for either of them because she couldn't afford to buy cloth.
Annoyed at the women's haughty look,Alice exclaimed,"My brother,Roger,is a wonderful singer! He knows all Mother's songs.He can imitate voices and bird calls too."
"Oh,mama,lets share our food with these children,"the lovely girl begged."They lokk hungry,and we have enough for all."
"Humpf! I suppose so ,Aurore," the mother answered with ill grace.Pursing her lips,she opened a leather pouch to take out bread and cheese and salt meat.
Since Alice didn't want to stare greedily,she pretended to watch a nightingangle in a tree nearby.Then she cried,"Look! Someone forgot to pick the apricots in those top branches."
In a flash she'd tucked the hem of her skirt into her belt and was climbing the tree.
"Be careful!" Aurore cried."You might fall"
"You don't have to worry about alice," Roger told her."She's always climbing something or other at home -trees or walls or even the roof when it need new thatch.
Our mother call her La Guenuche-the monkey in scirts."
Roger would rather have starved than climb the apricot tree.Heights frightened him,but Alice balanced easily in the top branches.She flung the ripe fruit to roger until the tree was picked bare.
"Come down now,La Guenuche," Aurore called,loughing."You've surely earned your share of supper.Hasn't she,mama?"
"Humpf!" the older women snorted,already eating.Her manners were quite elegant.She lifted dainty bits of meat to her lips on the point of the knife,and she spit each apricot pit into her hand before dropping it to the ground.
"I'm hungry," she told him.
"You said you'd sing and play for our supper,"Alice told him."But we haven't seen a single traveler.So how are we going to eat ?"
Right at that moment Rogers noticed dust rising on on the road ahead."Someone's coming," he answered as though he'd expected it all along. "I hope they have food and water with them,and I hope they like lute music,"said Alice.
The sun stood bright behind the travelers so that when they reached the top of a small hill,they cast along shadows.They work dark,ankle-length hooded gowns and carried the round-headed staffs of pilgrims.Pilgrims walked the roads all over Europe to pray at a single saint's shrine or at a number of shrines and churches.Roger saw that the two coming toward them were women.One was old,the other barely past her girlhood.
"peace to you,"Roger greeted them,and both women echoed,"Peace."Alice stayed silent, too awed by the beauty of the young girl to manage a greeting.
"I'm a strolling minstrel,"Roger announced."If you will share your supper with us,I'llsing a song for you."
The older women frowned,staring down her nose at them.Roger knew that he and his sister looked like tatterdemalions.Their shabby clothes were covered with the dust of the road.Roger's wrists stuck out from his sleeves,and Alice's dress was patched in three places.For more than a year mother hadn't made new clothes for either of them because she couldn't afford to buy cloth.
Annoyed at the women's haughty look,Alice exclaimed,"My brother,Roger,is a wonderful singer! He knows all Mother's songs.He can imitate voices and bird calls too."
"Oh,mama,lets share our food with these children,"the lovely girl begged."They lokk hungry,and we have enough for all."
"Humpf! I suppose so ,Aurore," the mother answered with ill grace.Pursing her lips,she opened a leather pouch to take out bread and cheese and salt meat.
Since Alice didn't want to stare greedily,she pretended to watch a nightingangle in a tree nearby.Then she cried,"Look! Someone forgot to pick the apricots in those top branches."
In a flash she'd tucked the hem of her skirt into her belt and was climbing the tree.
"Be careful!" Aurore cried."You might fall"
"You don't have to worry about alice," Roger told her."She's always climbing something or other at home -trees or walls or even the roof when it need new thatch.
Our mother call her La Guenuche-the monkey in scirts."
Roger would rather have starved than climb the apricot tree.Heights frightened him,but Alice balanced easily in the top branches.She flung the ripe fruit to roger until the tree was picked bare.
"Come down now,La Guenuche," Aurore called,loughing."You've surely earned your share of supper.Hasn't she,mama?"
"Humpf!" the older women snorted,already eating.Her manners were quite elegant.She lifted dainty bits of meat to her lips on the point of the knife,and she spit each apricot pit into her hand before dropping it to the ground.
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