First Flight Chapter 5 The Hundred Dresses - I

Wanda sat in the seat next to the last seat in the last row in Room Thirteen. 

The corner of the room where she sat was occupied by the rough boys who did not make good marks. Everytime, the corner was noisy because of dragging movements of the feet on the ground. Most of the times roars of laughter were heard when anything funny was said. The corner was usually dirty.

The corner where Wanda sat was occupied by the rough boys who did not make good marks. It was always noisy because of the dragging movements of the feet on the floor. The roars of laughter could be heard when anything funny was said. The floor was always dirty with mud.

Wanda sat in that corner because she came all the way from Boggins Heights and her feet were usually caked with dry mud.

No, Wanda didn't sit in the corner because of being rough and noisy. Instead, she was very quiet girl who rarely said anything at all. Nobody had ever heard her laugh out loud. She had to sit there because her feet were usually caked with dry mud and the corner of the room was usually dirty with mud.

Peggy and Maddie would think about Wanda when they used to be on their way back to school or in the morning before school began. Talking and laughing in the groups of two and three, they used to make fun of her  on their way to the school yard.

They waited for Wanda outside school to have fun with her.

Peggy and Madeline had started all the fun. They wanted to make fun of Wanda Petronski who belonged to a poor family.

Peggy and Maddie were Wanda's classmates. They belonged to rich families. Peggy was the most popular girl in school. She was pretty and she had many pretty clothes. Her hair was curly. Maddie was her closest friend. 

Peggy and Maddie noticed Wanda’s absence on Wednesday. It happened so, as they got late to school because of her. They often waited for Wanda Petronski outside school to have fun with her. That day, they had waited for Wanda for the same reason. But, she didn't come.

Wanda had a different and difficult name. She didn’t have any friends. She came to school alone and went home alone. She always wore a faded blue dress that would be clean but it didn’t fit her right. It seemed that it had never been ironed properly.

Wanda's classmates surrounded her in the school yard when they would see her watching the little girls play hopscotch on the worn hard ground. They used to do so to make fun of her clothes and shoes. 

When Peggy would ask Wanda about the number of dresses that she had, Wanda would say stolidly that she had a hundred dresses and sixty pair of shoes lined up in her closet.

The author tells us that Peggy was not really cruel. She protected small children from bullies. She cried for hours if she saw an animal mistreated. 
She made fun of Wanda because she had an objection on Wanda's lying about her dresses. Moreover, Wanda's name unacceptable to her. But, she never made Wanda cry.

Peggy's business of asking Wanda everyday about her dresses and shoes bothered Maddie because she herself belonged to a poor family. She had to wear somebody’s handed down clothes. She felt embarrassed and played with marbles in her hands when Peggy would tease Wanda. Maddie had no sympathy for Wanda but she apprehended that someday Peggy might start the dresses game on her.

Maddie was glad that day though being late to school because Wanda was absent and she didn't have to make fun of Wanda.

Maddie wanted to advise Peggy that they must stop asking Wanda about the number of dresses that she had. She wished that Peggy stopped playing the dresses game.

Since, Maddie had no courage to speak to Peggy that she should stop playing the dresses game with Wanda, she thought of writing a note to her. Suddenly, she pictured herself in the school yard becoming a new target for Peggy and the girls. Maddie apprehended that Peggy might ask her where she got the dress that she was wearing. Then, she would have to tell that her mother had tried to disguise one of Peggy's old dresses with new trimmings.

Maddie tore the note she was writing to Peggy. She apprehended that if Peggy realises that she is not supporting her in making fun of Wanda, Peggy would start playing the game with her and make fun of her. Soon, she tore the note and ran her hand through her short blonde hair as though to push the uncomfortable thoughts away. She thought that she was Peggy’s best friend, and Peggy was the best-liked girl in the whole room. Moreover, Peggy wasn't doing anything wrong.

The drawing and colouring competition had seperate tasks for boys and girls. The boys had to design motorboats while the girls had to design dresses.

Maddie and Peggy didn't wait for Wanda on that day because Mrs Mason, their teacher would announce the winners of the drawing and colouring competition. So, it was an important day and they didn't want to be late that day.

When they entered the classroom, they saw many drawings arranged everywhere all over the room. These drawings were brilliant and lavish designs of dresses that were drawn on great sheets of wrapping paper. There were around hundreds of such drawings that were lined up beautifully.

Jack Beggles who had designed an outboard motor had won the contest for the boys.

Wanda Petronski had won the contest for the girls. She had drawn one hundred designs of dresses and every design was very beautiful.

Miss Mason told that the most of the girls have submitted one or two sketches but there was one girl who actually drew one hundred designs. All of them were different and beautiful. In the opinion of the judges, each of her drawings was worthy of winning the prize.

Peggy and Maddie were amazed to hear that Wanda was the winner. It seemed incredible to them that Wanda had drawn such beautiful designs. Peggy's words make it obvious that she had appreciated Wanda's drawings.

Wanda lived in Boggin heights. The poor plight of Wanda's feet make it clear that it must be an undeveloped locality where Wanda lived.

Wanda had not been attending school since Monday. Peggy and Maddie notice her absence on Wednesday because they want to make fun of her and they enjoy doing that. They got late to school that day waiting for Wanda outside the school. 

Peggy, Maddie and the other girls wanted to have fun ridiculing Wanda's poor clothes and shoes. They knew that she was very poor and didn't belong to their community. They always teased her by asking the number of dresses that she had.

Wanda didn’t have any friends. She came to school alone and went home alone. She always wore a faded blue dress that didn’t fit her right. Thought it used to be clean, it seemed that it had never been ironed properly.

No, Wanda didn't have a hundred dresses. She said that she had hundred dresses when she was ridiculed by her classmates on wearing one faded dress everyday. She did so to protect herself from being insulted. 

Maddie thought of writing a note to Peggy that they should stop asking Wanda about the number of dresses that she had. But, she tore the note anticipating that she would also be ridiculed the same way if she wrote that note. She thought that Peggy would make fun of her too if she realized that Maddie is not supporting her in ridiculing Wanda.

Maddie thought that Peggy would win the drawing contest. She thought so because Peggy could copy a picture in a magazine or some film star’s head with such a precision that it was very easy to recognize.

When Peggy and Maddie entered the room, they saw beautiful drawings of dress designs all over the room. Soon, Miss Mason announced that Wanda won the competition. She had made a hundred drawings of beautiful dress designs.

Wanda is seen as different by other girls because she doesn't belong to their community. She has a funny name. Moreover, she hails from a poor family as she always wears one faded never ironed dress that doesn't fit her. Her feet is usually caked with mud.
None of her classmates befriends her. Everybody surrounds her to make fun of her clothes and shoes. She is a laughing stalk for all.

Wanda feels very embarrasssed when the girls play the dresses game with her. She realizes that they are ridiculing her as she has only one faded dress to wear. She is deeply hurt. She says that she has a hundred dresses to save herself from being insulted. Though being poor, she possesses self respect and takes pride in herself.

Maggie doesn't like Peggy's making fun of Wanda. She doesn't enjoy with Peggy because she is poor herself. She feels embarrassed. Peggy's friendship is important to Maddie as Peggy is liked by everybody in the class. She believed that Peggy would never do anything wrong.
It is evident from these lines:
'She was Peggy’s best friend, and Peggy was the best-liked girl in the whole room. Peggy could not possibly do anything that was really wrong, she thought.'

Miss Mason says that most of the girls have submitted one or two sketches but there's one girl who actually drew one hundred designs. All of them are different and beautiful. She also says that the Room Thirteen should be proud of her. She discloses that the judges suggest that each of the drawings is worthy of winning the prize. She later declares that Wanda Petronski is the girl who made the drawings and she is the winner of the contest.

1. This is the bus which goes to Agra.
2.I would like to buy the shirt that is in the shop window.
3. You must break your fast when you see the moon in the sky.
4. Find a word which begins with the letter Z.
5. Now find a person whose name begins with the letter Z.
6. Then go to a place where there are no people whose name begins with Z.

(i)  Here the italicized words express Peggy's and Maddie's point of view.
(ii) The narrator's point of view is expressed here.

1. Arrogant, sarcastic, proud, thoughtless, vain, fashionable

2. Kind, timid, introverted, lonely, miserable, generous, talented, creative

• Agree with - The pair of shoes you've put doesn't agree with your costume.
  
• Back off     - The Principal asked the leader of the student union to back off.
• Bail out      - The owner had to bail out the restaurant as it was running at a loss.
• Black out   -  He was beaten so badly that he blacked out.
• Break out  -  The first world war broke out in 1914.