The Daisy Claims More Victims
Turner’s book continues its onslaught of child accidents. For every story about redemption, such as the boy who decided to step up his game in school to become head of the class or the girl who later felt embarrassed about whining over cake, there are those who never learn their lesson. They are walking targets for heartache and death. In one story, two girls quarrel about the size of their dolls, and their mother sends their dolls away. In “The Giddy Girl,” Miss Helen, a spacey girl who didn’t pay attention to her surroundings, crosses streets without looking and doesn’t listen to her mother. On one fine day, once again disregarding her mother’s warning, Miss Helen decided to look down a well. She slipped, falling into the deep well water. She drowned. The moral of the tale is to listen to your parents and pay attention to your surroundings.