About the Author
Eleanor Estes was an American writer born on May 9, 1906, in a small town called West Haven in Connecticut, USA. She loved reading books from a young age and later worked as a librarian in a children's library. This job helped her understand what kids like in stories. She wrote many books for children, around 15 in total, and her stories often show the world through a child's eyes. One of her famous books is Ginger Pye, for which she won a big award called the Newbery Medal in 1952. The Hundred Dresses came out in 1944 and teaches about kindness and not hurting others with words. Estes passed away on July 15, 1988, but her books still help children learn important lessons today.
What’s the Story About?
This story is the second part of The Hundred Dresses and picks up right after the first part. It shows how some girls in school feel bad about teasing a quiet classmate named Wanda. The story is full of feelings like guilt, sorry, and hope, and it makes you think about being a good friend.
The tale starts in the classroom. The teacher, Miss Mason, reads a short letter to the class. It's from Wanda's father. He says that Wanda and her little brother, Jake, will not come back to school. They have moved to a big city far away. There, no one will laugh at their last name, Petronski, or call it funny because it's Polish. The father is upset about how the kids teased Wanda. When Miss Mason reads this, the whole class goes quiet. Everyone feels a bit shocked and sad.
Now, focus on two girls: Maddie and Peggy. Maddie is the one telling the story. She feels very heavy in her heart, like a big stone is sitting there. She thinks about all the times she saw Peggy and other girls make fun of Wanda. Peggy would ask Wanda silly questions like, “How many dresses do you have today, Wanda? A hundred?” And everyone would laugh. Wanda would just smile and not say much. But Maddie never said “stop” or stood up for Wanda. She was scared that if she did, the teasing would turn to her. Now, Maddie promises herself something important: she will never stay quiet again if someone is being mean to another person. Even if it means she gets teased, she will speak up. That’s her big lesson from the day.
Peggy feels bad too, but not as much as Maddie. Peggy was the leader in teasing Wanda, but now she looks sad and thinks about what happened. The two girls talk about it after school. They decide to write a nice note to Wanda. In the note, they say they are sorry and ask her to come back to school. They even say the other girls miss her. But when they go to mail it, they learn Wanda has already left town. So, the note never reaches her.
Next, Maddie and Peggy try to find Wanda's old house on Boggins Heights. It's a poor area with old, empty houses. They walk up the hill, but Wanda's house looks deserted. The yard is full of junk, and no one is there. They imagine Wanda sitting alone by the window, drawing her pretty dresses. This makes them feel even more sorry. They wish they could tell her face-to-face that they like her.
Months pass. It's time for the drawing contest results. All the girls in Room 13 had drawn pictures of dresses for the contest. But Wanda had sent in 100 drawings! Each one shows a different dress, all bright and beautiful, like real ones you could wear. The teacher pins them up on the wall, and everyone is amazed. Miss Mason says Wanda's drawings are the best, but since she is not in school, the prizes go to Peggy and Maddie. Peggy gets first prize for her sketch, and Maddie gets second for her watercolour. They both get green medals, but they don't feel happy. They wish Wanda had won.
Then, something wonderful happens. Maddie and Peggy each get a letter from Wanda. Inside, there are drawings just for them. In Peggy's drawing, she is wearing one of Wanda's hundred dresses—a green one with flowers. In Maddie's drawing, she is in a blue dress with stars. Both drawings are so pretty and careful, like Wanda really saw them as special friends. The girls cry a little, but happy tears. They know now that Wanda did not hate them. She liked them all along and even dreamed of them in her dresses. This makes their hearts feel light again. The story ends with hope that one day, they might meet Wanda and say thank you in person.
In simple words, this chapter is about learning from mistakes. It shows how words can hurt, but saying sorry and understanding others can fix things.
Who’s Who in the Story
- Maddie: The main girl who tells the story. She feels the most guilty because she stayed quiet during the teasing. She learns to be brave and stand up for others.
- Peggy: Maddie's best friend and the popular girl in class. She starts the teasing by asking Wanda about her dresses, but later feels sorry and tries to make things right.
- Wanda Petronski: A shy Polish girl from a poor family. She says she has a hundred dresses all in her head, which leads to the teasing. She loves drawing and wins the contest with her talent.
- Mr. Petronski: Wanda's father. He writes the letter to the school and moves the family to a new city to protect his children from hurt.
- Miss Mason: The kind teacher in Room 13. She reads the letter to the class and praises Wanda's drawings. She helps everyone see the good in Wanda.
- Jake: Wanda's little brother. He goes to a lower class but leaves school with Wanda.
- Other girls in Room 13: A group of classmates who join in the teasing but feel bad later. They all admire Wanda's drawings in the end.
Themes and Moral
Themes
- Teasing and Bullying: The story shows how making fun of someone for being different—like Wanda's name or clothes—can make them feel very alone and sad. It hurts more than we think.
- Feeling Guilty and Sorry: Maddie and Peggy learn that doing nothing when someone is teased is just as wrong as teasing. Guilt pushes them to change.
- Kindness and Understanding: Even after hurt, Wanda shows kindness by drawing nice pictures for the girls. It teaches us to see the good in people and not judge by looks or background.
- Dreams and Talent: Wanda's hundred dresses are in her mind and drawings. The story says everyone has hidden talents, and we should respect them.
Moral
The big lesson is: Never tease or bully others, especially for things they can't change, like their name or family. Always stand up for friends who are being hurt—it makes you strong. And remember, saying sorry and showing kindness can heal old wounds. Be a friend who listens and cares, not one who laughs at others.
Important Vocabulary and Phrases
Here are some key words and phrases from the story. I explain them in easy words, like how you talk with friends.
Vocabulary
- Forlorn (sad and alone): When something looks empty and lonely, like Wanda's old house on the hill.
- Relief (feeling better): That happy sigh when worry goes away, like when the girls see Wanda's nice drawings.
- Dismal (very sad): A gloomy feeling, like the empty yard at Boggins Heights with no one around.
- Exquisite (super beautiful): Something so pretty it takes your breath away, like Wanda's colourful dress drawings.
- Scornfully (in a mean way): Looking down on someone with a mocking face, like how the girls used to laugh at Wanda.
- Reconcile (make peace): Fixing a fight by understanding each other, like the girls hoping to be friends with Wanda again.
- Prodded (pushed gently): Nudging someone to do something, like when friends ask questions to tease.
- Contour (outline): The shape or edge of something, like the lines in a drawing of a dress.
Phrases
- Hundred dresses: Wanda's way of saying she imagines many pretty outfits in her mind, not real ones she owns.
- Boggins Heights: The poor, rundown area where Wanda lived, up on a hill with old houses.
- Room 13: The classroom where all the action happens, full of girls who learn a lesson.
- Pinned up: Stuck on the wall with pins, like how the teacher shows Wanda's drawings to everyone.
- Friendly note: A kind letter to say sorry and invite someone back, what Maddie and Peggy try to send.
- Green medals: Small prizes for winning the drawing contest, given to Peggy and Maddie.
These words help make the story come alive. Try using them in your own sentences to remember better!