Isabelle's April Fools
by: Melanie Shawaluk

It was a cool, crisp April morning, and Isabelle was busily sweeping the porch of the hotel. She was daydreaming about the Valentines Dance that she had gone to with Franz a couple months ago, and started dancing around the porch with her broom, spinning in circles as she hummed a sweet waltz tune. However, she didn't notice that she was spinning closer and closer to the water trough, and before she knew it, she was tripping over the edge and flipped backwards into the trough, splashing water all over the place. Gasping for air, she pulled out from under the water and parted the wet hair that was hanging over the front of her face, only to see Franz standing in front of her, smiling. He held out his hand to help her out and started laughing.

Isabelle straightened herself and wrung out her dress onto the floor, saying, "Oh, you think that's funny, do you? If you must know, I was practicing my acrobatics routine for when I run away to join the circus!" Glancing down at the puddle around her on the floor, Isabelle couldn't help but feel a little upset. All her life she had been clumsy, and people always laughed at her because of it. She thought that it would be great if someday, she could get the last laugh. Looking back up at Franz, their eyes met and she smiled, forgetting for a moment about her troubles.

"So, what are you in town for?"

Smiling back at her, Franz replied, "Oh, I am just in town running a few errands for Aunt Jo and thought I would stop over and see you. Actually, I wanted to ask you if you would like to go on a picnic with me this afternoon."

Isabelle's eye's brightened and she exclaimed, "Oh, Franz, that would be wonderful! I have to finish my work first, but once I am done I would be happy to go on a picnic with you!"

Franz said he would pick her up at 3:00 and left, after which she picked up her broom and resumed sweeping the floor, this time more carefully.

At 3:00, Franz pulled up to the entrance of the hotel in his wagon and saw Isabelle standing on the porch wearing a green dress with her hair pulled atop her head, secured with a green ribbon. In one hand she held a straw hat and in the other she had a small basket.

Franz stepped down from the wagon and took Isabelle's arm, "You look beautiful," he said as he lifted her onto the wagon and started heading towards the pond.

Isabelle smiled and sat quietly in the wagon, looking around at the trees and flowers that lined Main Street. Franz looked over at Isabelle's basket and asked her what was inside. She turned to him, smiled and said, "Oh, it's just a little something I put together in the kitchen this afternoon." She turned away, taking in the scenery, and smiled mischievously to herself. Franz was surprised at how little Isabelle was talking, almost as if she were hiding something. Soon, he was leading the horses off the street and onto a path that led to a secluded clearing by Walden pond. After he stopped the wagon, he helped Isabelle out and laid out a blanket for them to eat on. He then removed his picnic basket from the wagon, opened it, and set the food out onto the blanket. They sat down, ate, and talked about their days, and soon all the food was gone.

Then, Isabelle reached behind her into her basket and pulled out two tarts filled with small red berries. She handed one to Franz, who took it cautiously and then smiled anxiously while she waited for him to taste it. He looked at it for a while, then looking back at Isabelle, he smiled, closed his eyes and took a small bite out of the tart. Then opening his eyes he exclaimed, "Isabelle, this is delicious!" Taking another bite, he added, "where did you get these berries? I have never tasted anything like them before!" Isabelle smiled back at Franz and said, "I picked them from a bush behind the hotel. It looked just like that one," she pointed to a patch of poison ivy behind him. He turned around while finishing his tart to look at what she was pointing at, and his eyes widened. "Isabelle," he said as calmly as he could, "that is a patch of poison ivy!" He then looked at Isabelle's hands and saw that they were all red. Standing up, he started to panic, but Isabelle just started laughing. Franz kneeled down by her side, looking at her quizzically, and putting his hands on her shoulders said, "What are you laughing at? We have both just eaten poisonous berries! We need to go see Dr. Pierce right away!"

Isabelle stopped laughing for a moment and said, "Franz, dear, I was joking when I said that I picked those berries from a bush behind the hotel. They are currants, and I got them from the store this morning! And my hands," she held them up, "they are just red from the berry juice!" She then leaned over, kissed Franz, and whispered, "April fools!"