It will be easier when there are no grown-ups around to make me nervous , and laugh if I make mistakes . '' Uncle Alec and aunts left on Monday morning . Poor Aunt Janet was full of dismal forebodings , and gave us so many charges and warnings that we did not try to remember any of them ; Uncle Alec merely told us to be good and mind what Uncle Roger said . Aunt Olivia laughed at us out of her pansy-blue eyes , and told us she knew exactly what we felt like and hoped we 'd have a gorgeous time . `` Mind they go to bed at a decent hour , '' Aunt Janet called back to Uncle Roger as she drove out of the gate . `` And if anything dreadful happens telegraph us . '' Then they were really gone and we were all left `` to keep house . '' Uncle Roger and Peter went away to their work . Felicity at once set the preparations for dinner a-going , and allotted to each of us his portion of service . The Story Girl was to prepare the potatoes ; Felix and Dan were to pick and shell the peas ; Cecily was to attend the fire ; I was to peel the turnips . Felicity made our mouths water by announcing that she was going to make a roly-poly jam pudding for dinner . I peeled my turnips on the back porch , put them in their pot , and set them on the stove . Then I was at liberty to watch the others , who had longer jobs . The kitchen was a scene of happy activity . The Story Girl peeled her potatoes , somewhat slowly and awkwardly -- for she was not deft at household tasks ; Dan and Felix shelled peas and tormented Pat by attaching pods to his ears and tail ; Felicity , flushed and serious , measured and stirred skilfully . `` I am sitting on a tragedy , '' said the Story Girl suddenly . Felix and I stared . We were not quite sure what a `` tragedy '' was , but we did not think it was an old blue wooden chest , such as the Story Girl was undoubtedly sitting on , if eyesight counted for anything . The old chest filled up the corner between the table and the wall . Neither Felix nor I had ever thought about it particularly .
It was very large and heavy , and Felicity generally said hard things XXXXX it when she swept the kitchen .
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