Chapter 10

 

    Atticus is nearly fifty and he doesn't do much with me and Jem. Sometimes he will play football with Jem, but once Jem starts to tackle him, he says he is too old. When we gave us our air-rifles, Uncle Jack taught us how to use them, because Atticus wouldn't. We were told to only shoot blue jays, or tin cans, but never mocking birds. If you killed a mocking bird, it was a sin. Mocking birds only bring people joy, at least that's what Atticus said. When they sing, it makes the people of Maycomb happy and the birds do no harm. In my opinion, they are almost a symbol of the people in the town who are innocent and gentle.

     Tim Johnson is the dog of Tom Robinson. He's almost like the pet of Maycomb and he's a liver-colored bird dog. Jem and I noticed him walking in a funny way around town so we told Calpurnia. Once we showed her, she ran us home and called Atticus' office. Next, she called Eula May and asked her to warn anyone with a phone about the dog, but the Radley's didn't have a phone. Calpurnia ordered us to stay in the house while she ran to the Radley's so they were warned too. Atticus arrived home along with Maycombs sheriff, Mr. Heck Tate. As we watched Atticus and Heck through the screen door, Heck handed the riffle to Atticus and said "Mr. Finch, this is a one-shot job." Atticus ran into the street as Tim came down the road and he shot Tim. He didn't even know what hit him. 





Chapter 8

      I looked outside my window today and I saw white stuff from the sky. I thought the world was ending, but Atticus explained to me that it was stuff called snow. Eula May, Maycombs leading telephone operator, called and they even cancelled school. This was the first time it snowed in Maycomb since 1885. Jem asked Atticus how to make a snowman, but Atticus didn't have any idea. Calpurnia corrected Atticus when he said there wasn't enough snow to build one because the snow began to stick! We borrowed snow from Miss Maudie and made a snowman who looked like Mr. Avery.

 

     Atticus woke me and Jem before it was even morning. He told me to put on a robe, shoes, and socks. Once I was finally awake, I realized there was something wrong without Atticus answering my questions. Then, he finally told me it was about Miss Maudie. We opened the door and I saw the flames bursting out of Miss Maudie's dinning room windows. Atticus ordered us to stay out of the way and stand in front of the Radley's house. The men of Maycomb tried to move as much furniture out of Miss Maudie's house. Some how a blanket appeared on the backs of me and Jem, and I believe one of the Radley's did it. Overall, Miss Maudie isn't too upset, she is happy there will be more room to garden.



 

Chapter 6

     While walking around the neighborhood with Jem and Dill, they decided to try and sneak up to the Radley's house and look inside. I didn't like the idea, but Jem told me I'm starting to act more and more like a girl. It made me angry so I tagged along with them. We lifted Dill up to the Radley's window, but he couldn't see. Then, Jem went up the porch and the first step squeaked. Jem saw a shadow of a man and froze on the porch till it left, and then we ran once it was gone. As we were running, a shotgun had gone off. While sneaking under the fence to escape home, Jem's pants got stuck on the fence. He had to take them off, and then we all ran to some where safe.



     We reached the school yard after trying to escape and then joined the circle of neighbors down by the Radley's. Miss Maudie explained to us about what had happened even though we already knew. She said Mr. Radley had another barrel ready in case they came back. I think Mr. Radley knew it was Jem, but he didn't want to rat him out. After talking to Miss Maudie, Atticus questioned why Jem didn't have pants. Dill told him we were playing strip poker, but in reality we weren't. Later that night, Jem went back for his pants so he wouldn't get caught. He found them folded on the fence which meant the Radley's secretly did know it was Jem.



Chapter 2

     I went to school to start my first day of first grade! Jem offered to show me around, but he said we couldn't play together when we were at school. My teachers name is Miss Caroline Fischer and she is from North Alabama. Once Miss Caroline realized I was literate, she told me to have Atticus stop teaching me because he doesn't know how to teach. Atticus didn't really teach me though, reading is just something that comes to me. Overall, my first school day didn't go as planned.

 

     Today in school, I tried to explain to Miss Caroline why Walter Cunningham wouldn't take her quarter so he could get a lunch. She started to get angry with Walter because he refused to take the quarter, but he knew if he took it, he wouldn't be able to pay her back. As a result, I got in trouble and hit with a ruler on my palm. Most people don't know his story, but I do and I just wanted to help. Instead, Miss Caroline thought I was trying to be rude.

Chapter 4

     Near the Radley's House, Jem and I found a tree with a know hole in it. Located in the hole was gum, pennies, trinkets, and a few other things. Jem believes someone is leaving the pennies here on purpopse and I think they're Boo's. Due to the fact that Jem thinks they are being left there, he won't allow me to take the pennies yet. Now, we are going to wait to see if anything in the knot hole has or will changed. I believe that this is a way of Boo trying to communitcate with us.



     While rolling in the tire today I ended up in Boo  Radley's yard. I saw a tall mans shadow along while hearing a laugh. As I laid there, Jem kept yelling at me to get up, but I was so scared it was hard to focus enough to get up. I decided not to tell Jem about what I saw or heard, but it certainly frightened me! Aftere this incident, I don't find much interest in the Boo Radley game anymore and I had a feeling Boo watched  us while we played.