With morning Jan forgot the worries of the night before. It was the day of the carnival! She ran to look out her bedroom window. The sun was already shining brightly.
“Julie, get up,” she shouted bouncing up and down on her twin sister’s bed. “It’s the day of the carnival, and the sun is shining!”
Julie moaned and turned over. “How you can wake up shouting I’ll never understand,” she said yawning. But she too got up and looked out the window.
It had been so humid the day before that Jan and Julie both had worried it might rain. It was good to see the sun in a clear blue sky.
Susan and Fred came over right after breakfast. There were a few last minute things to do.
Suddenly Jan remembered the fire. “Fred, Susan, what happened at Gramp’s house?” she asked.
The two just stared at her.
“The fire, sillies,” Jan prompted.
“Oh, yeah, the fire,” Fred answered. “It didn’t do any real damage. Just burned part of the brush on the side of the barn closest to the house. Funny place for a fire to start. I mean, in the middle of nowhere like that.”
“I heard one of the firemen say it was lucky the housekeeper saw it when she did,” Susan added. “He said it was so dry from no rain the last couple of weeks that the barn would have burned easily.”
Jan was frowning. “I keep feeling like there’s something wrong. It, bothers me.”
“What bothers you?” Julie wanted to know.
“Something about that fire. I just can’t think what,” Jan said frowning still more.
But there was a lot to do to get ready for the carnival. Jan was soon busy with the others. They set up the games around the yard. Then they arranged everything for the Fun House. It was lunch time when all was ready.
“Eat fast and come right back,” Jan ordered Fred and Susan.
“Anything you say, Madam,” Fred joked. “Any other orders before we leave, Madam?”
“Aw, Fred, cut it out,” Jan tossed a roll of scotch tape she had in her hand at him.
He ducked and made a face. Then he ran to catch up with his sister.
They were back in half an hour. Michael was with them. He was going to sell tickets as the children came. Each ticket was five cents, and every game or attraction was one ticket.
Steve and Candy were there too. They were going to run the Fish Pond. Candy was really excited, but Steve tried to act as though he didn’t care. He didn’t fool anyone.
Jan and Julie were popping corn and preparing the juice for the refreshments. When the first children came at one-thirty, everything was ready.
From the beginning, it was easy to tell the carnival was a success. Jan had not expected so many children to come. The whole yard was full of laughing children throwing, tossing, fishing and snacking all in a tangled mass. Jan was very busy, but also happy for the large group that had come.
As she was taking yet another pair of children into the Fun House, Mrs. Murphy came. It was two-thirty, Jan saw looking at her watch. Nearly time for the carnival to end and the puppet show to start.
Then her eyes opened wide in surprise. Quang was getting out of the car too. Jan could not believe what she was seeing. And after what he said yesterday, she thought angrily.
He did not come to the carnival. Instead he helped Mrs. Murphy carry her things into the Davidson’s house.
Jan went back to her job with the Fun House. It seemed only a few minutes later that Mrs. Davidson came outside. She invited all the children to come into the basement to see the Bible Puppet Show.
“How many tickets?” piped up a little voice.
“None at all,” laughed Mrs. Davidson. “We want all of you to come.”
And many children did come, Jan saw. Only a few went away. Jan was glad to go inside. She loved Mrs. Murphy’s puppet shows and she was tired!
Benches were lined up on one side of the basement. These were nearly filled when Jan got downstairs. Mrs. Murphy was standing near her puppet stage at the front ready to begin.
Then the music began and the lights were turned out. Soon Jan found herself laughing and enjoying the puppets.
It was an amusing story about a monkey who wanted to be a lion. The silly monkey thought he could be a lion if he put on a lion skin. All the children laughed a great deal over the monkey and his tricks.
When the story ended, Mrs. Murphy came out from behind the puppet stage. “We all think poor Monkey was very silly to try to fool others that way, don’t we?” she began.
“Yes,” the children answered together.
“But do you know, boys and girls, that many people try to fool others and God the same way? Some boys and girls think they can fool God just by acting like Christians.
“God says in His Word, the Bible, in Proverbs 15:33The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. (Proverbs 15:3), ‘The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good.’ That means you cannot fool God. He knows if you are truly a Christian.
“The only way to become a Christian is to believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son. He died on the cross for you and for me. If you receive Him as your Savior, you will be a Christian, a new Creature.
“God says in Second Corinthians 5:17, ‘If any man [woman, boy, or girl] be in Christ, he [or she] is a new creature: old things are passed away, behold all things are become new.’
“Let’s all bow our heads a minute to pray. With our eyes closed, would anyone like to belong to Jesus? Would you like to stop trying to act like a Christian and really be one?”
Jan heard a movement behind her. She turned her head in time to see Quang slip up the basement stairs. A minute later the back door clicked, and he was gone.
Before she closed her eyes again, she saw Susan put her hand up. Jan thought, Susan is such a scaredy cat. She needs to be a Christian. She’s not from a Christian home like Julie and me. I’ll bet the Bakers don’t ever hear God’s Word preached.
A little nagging voice reminded her of her temper. But I’m not really bad, she reassured herself. I’ve never done anything so terrible.
When Mrs. Murphy finished praying, Jan went outside. What a mess met her eyes! She went straight to work cleaning it up. Soon Fred joined her. For once he had no funny remarks. Neither he nor Jan spoke while they worked.
After awhile Susan and Julie came outside. Both began to help. Jan stole a look at Susan. She seemed to be very happy. Her face did not have that half fearful look like before. Jan shrugged and worked even harder.
Mrs. Murphy came out carrying some of her cases. She put them in her car, then came over to the children. “Did any of you see Quang?” she asked. “He came along to help me.”
Jan and Fred exchanged looks. “I saw him leave right at the end, Mrs. Murphy,” Jan answered.
Mrs. Murphy frowned. But she didn’t say anything, she just went back into the house. Fred went with her to help.
When all her things were in her car, she spoke to the children again.
“If Quang should come back, tell him I’m sorry I left without him, will you?” The children nodded.
“He had promised on Lord’s Day to help today. But when I stopped to pick him up, I don’t think he wanted to come,” she seemed to be talking to herself.
Jan started to say something, but Julie pinched her. “Ow, Julie!” she exclaimed.
“What’s that, Jan?” Mrs. Murphy asked.
“Uh, nothing, I guess,” Jan made a face at Julie.
“Well, I hope you won’t misunderstand me,” Mrs. Murphy went on, “but I worry about Quang. He’s so moody and unhappy most of the time. I guess some thoughtless children have teased him and called him names.
“Then, too, he can’t understand why his father can’t be a practicing doctor until he is tested. It hurts his pride for his father to work as a hospital orderly when he is a doctor. Some of these things he has tried to tell me.
“Well, guess I had better go. Be kind to him if you can, will you?
“And Susan, welcome again to the family of God. I’m so happy for you.” She smiled first at Susan than the others.
They watched as she drove away. Then Fred remarked, “That Quang is a funny guy. One minute he has me hopping mad. But the next thing I know I feel sorry for him.”
Jan knew just how Fred felt.
Then Julie said, “Hey, we better get this mess cleaned up. I think it is going to rain.”
She was right. The sky was growing dark and the wind was beginning to blow. Everyone scurried to put things away.
It wasn’t until later as Jan watched the rain hit the windows that she remembered. The barn! They had planned to look for a door after the carnival. It would have to wait.