Treasure in the Attic
One of Lolly Paulson’s favorite places to explore on rainy days is the attic.
The Paulson house is very old and the attic still holds the treasures and history
of her family’s past. In the shadows of the attic are heavy mysterious
trunks, still locked, and heaven knows where the keys are.
The trunks are nearly hidden by boxes full of toys and shoes and old
clothes to play dress up in. Other boxes hide little velvety boxes with rings and
brooches and satin cases with long necklaces, chunky bright bracelets, and one
broken watch. Baskets hold collections of dried flowers and shells mixed with
small stones, strange gnarled bits of wood, three jacks, and thirty-six pennies,
which Lolly always puts back after she counts them. Some boxes are full of
musty old books and photo albums and letters in torn yellow envelopes with
exotic stamps. Old hats hang on the wall beside two sprung tennis rackets, a
ukulele with one string, and framed portraits of Lolly’s family.
One day, while playing in the attic, Lolly saw something shiny peeking out
of a box tucked far back in a corner. The box was full of old perfume bottles.
Lolly carefully pulled a crumbly cork out of a bottle and held it up to the beams
of sunlight coming through the tiny attic window. For just an instant the bottle
seemed to flash with tiny rainbow lights. Lolly blinked in surprise. She knew
everyone would say it is just her imagination. It is true; she has a very big
imagination, and right now she can feel it make her heart beat faster and her
mind begin to dance with ideas.
“Look at these neat little bottles, Cinnabar,” Lolly said. “I found a whole
box full of them!” The cat, Cinnabar, peeks out from behind Bear and gives her
an embarrassed yawn. Cinnabar is very nervous about the attic.
“These bottles give me a great idea! I will make perfume and put it in these
bottles and sell it and make lots of money!” Lolly carefully set the little bottle
back in the box and looked around at the motley piles of clothes she had pulled
out of boxes. “Now all I need is a neat costume.”
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