
In a bustling household where laughter and tears mingle, three‑year‑old Prudy watches the arrival of a newborn sibling with a mix of awe and reckless affection. The scene unfolds in a warm kitchen, where the curious child tumbles down stairs, then rushes to the cradle, showering the tiny infant with exuberant kisses and heartfelt cries. Her vivid imagination and earnest devotion turn the simple act of meeting a baby into a comic, heartfelt spectacle, complete with red pocket dresses and earnest promises to protect the new arrival.
Meanwhile, Prudy’s older sister Susy balances her own excitement with gentle caution, trying to keep the baby safe while coping with Prudy’s boisterous enthusiasm. The family’s matriarch, Grandma Read, watches the chaos with bemused patience, gently steering the children through their whirlwind of emotions. The opening chapter captures the charm of sibling rivalry, the innocence of childhood, and the tender chaos that follows the birth of a new family member.
Language
en
Duration
~2 hours (115K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Emmy and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2005-07-30
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1833–1906
Remembered for lively, warmhearted stories for children, this 19th-century American writer helped shape early popular fiction for young readers. Writing as Sophie May, she became especially beloved for the Little Prudy books and other tales filled with family life, humor, and everyday adventures.
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