When I was a young girl, I saw the movie "Pollyanna" starring Haley Mills. It was one of my favorites. When I grew up and began to homeschool my large family, I got a copy of the book. I've read it several times myself, and I have always love the story just as much as the first time I heard it!
Pollyanna goes to live with her aunt, Aunt Polly, who she is named after, when her father (Reverend John Whitter) dies. Pollyanna's mother, who is Aunt Polly's younger sister, died when Pollyanna was very young.
Aunt Polly greatly disapproved of her dead sister's marriage to the young preacher. Now having never married herself because of a love lost in her youth, she has become a bitter, although wealthy, woman, and she grudgingly decides she must do her duty to her niece. She has her maid fix up a small, deary room at the very top of her otherwise beautiful house for Pollyanna.
Pollyanna arrives, and is off to a bad start immediately with Aunt Polly, who cannot bear Pollyanna's constant chatter, and soon, Aunt Polly forbids Pollyanna to speak of her much loved father. However, she quickly wins the heart of maid Nancy and Old Tom, the gardener. Before long, she teaches them the "glad game."
The "glad game" was taught to Pollyanna by her father. Being very poor, they relied on the missionary barrel from the Ladies Aid for much of their needs. Here Pollyanna tells Nancy how she and her father began to play the "glad game":
"Why, we began it on some crutches that came in the missionary barrel."
"Crutches!"
"Yes. You see, I'd wanted a doll, and father had written them so; but when the barrel came the lady wrote that there hadn't any dolls come in, but the little crutches had. So she sent 'em along as they might come in handy for some child, sometime. And that's when we began it."
"Well, I must say I can't see any game about that, about that," declared Nancy, almost irritably.
"Oh, yes; the game was to just find something about everything to be glad about - no matter what 'twas," rejoined Pollyanna earnestly. "And we began right then - one the crutches."
"Well, goodness me! I can't see anythin' ter be glad about - gettin' a pair of crutches when you wanted a doll!"
Pollyanna clapped her hands. "There is - there is," she crowed. "But I couldn't see it either, Nancy, at first," she added with quick honesty. "Father had to tell it to me."
"Well, then, suppose YOU tell ME," almost snapped Nancy.
"Goosey! Why, just be glad because you don't-need-'em!" exulted Pollyanna triumphantly. "You see it's just as easy - when you know how!"
Pollyanna soon spreads the "glad game" among everyone she meets: invalid Mrs. Snow, the angry man she passes on the street, John Pendleton, orphan Jimmy Bean, lonely Dr. Chilton. The only one whose heart she cannot seem to win, the only one who does not respond to Pollyanna's "glad game" is Aunt Polly...
...until one day when tragedy strikes!
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It's one I read often, and I am always inspired to play the "glad game" myself. This one is a must have, whether you have children or not!
Pollyanna goes to live with her aunt, Aunt Polly, who she is named after, when her father (Reverend John Whitter) dies. Pollyanna's mother, who is Aunt Polly's younger sister, died when Pollyanna was very young.
Aunt Polly greatly disapproved of her dead sister's marriage to the young preacher. Now having never married herself because of a love lost in her youth, she has become a bitter, although wealthy, woman, and she grudgingly decides she must do her duty to her niece. She has her maid fix up a small, deary room at the very top of her otherwise beautiful house for Pollyanna.
Pollyanna arrives, and is off to a bad start immediately with Aunt Polly, who cannot bear Pollyanna's constant chatter, and soon, Aunt Polly forbids Pollyanna to speak of her much loved father. However, she quickly wins the heart of maid Nancy and Old Tom, the gardener. Before long, she teaches them the "glad game."
The "glad game" was taught to Pollyanna by her father. Being very poor, they relied on the missionary barrel from the Ladies Aid for much of their needs. Here Pollyanna tells Nancy how she and her father began to play the "glad game":
"Why, we began it on some crutches that came in the missionary barrel."
"Crutches!"
"Yes. You see, I'd wanted a doll, and father had written them so; but when the barrel came the lady wrote that there hadn't any dolls come in, but the little crutches had. So she sent 'em along as they might come in handy for some child, sometime. And that's when we began it."
"Well, I must say I can't see any game about that, about that," declared Nancy, almost irritably.
"Oh, yes; the game was to just find something about everything to be glad about - no matter what 'twas," rejoined Pollyanna earnestly. "And we began right then - one the crutches."
"Well, goodness me! I can't see anythin' ter be glad about - gettin' a pair of crutches when you wanted a doll!"
Pollyanna clapped her hands. "There is - there is," she crowed. "But I couldn't see it either, Nancy, at first," she added with quick honesty. "Father had to tell it to me."
"Well, then, suppose YOU tell ME," almost snapped Nancy.
"Goosey! Why, just be glad because you don't-need-'em!" exulted Pollyanna triumphantly. "You see it's just as easy - when you know how!"
Pollyanna soon spreads the "glad game" among everyone she meets: invalid Mrs. Snow, the angry man she passes on the street, John Pendleton, orphan Jimmy Bean, lonely Dr. Chilton. The only one whose heart she cannot seem to win, the only one who does not respond to Pollyanna's "glad game" is Aunt Polly...
...until one day when tragedy strikes!
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It's one I read often, and I am always inspired to play the "glad game" myself. This one is a must have, whether you have children or not!
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