[00:01.32]3 At Avonlea school
[00:06.28]When school started in September,
[00:10.05]Anne and Diana walked there and back together every day.
[00:15.32]'What a beautiful day,'Anne said happily one morning,
[00:22.18]as the two little girls walked across the fields.
[00:26.03]'I'm very lucky to have you as my best friend,Diana.
[00:32.81]You are my best friend,aren't you?'
[00:36.96]'Of course,Anne,'replied Diana,taking Anne's hand.
[00:43.66]'And just think,today you'll meet Gilbert Blythe.
[00:49.51]He's three years older than us,and very good-looking.
[00:55.13]He's just come back from holiday,and starts school today.'
[00:59.29]'Oh,boys!'said Anne.'I'm not interested in them.'
[01:06.53]But she did look at Gilbert when they arrived at school.
[01:12.06]He was a tall boy,with curly brown hair and a friendly smile.
[01:18.46]'He is good-looking,'Anne whispered to Diana,
[01:24.32]'but why does he smile at me?He doesn't know me!'
[01:29.53]Avonlea school was quiet that day.The teacher,Mr Phillips,
[01:37.64]was helping some of the older children at the back of the schoolroom.
[01:42.20]Anne was looking out of the window at the reds and yellows of the trees,
[01:48.11]and the silvery blue of the river.
[01:51.04]She was far away in the world of her imagination.
[01:56.40]But Gilbert wanted her to look at him.
[02:00.81]He whispered to her,but she did not move.
[02:05.73]He was surprised.Girls were usually very ready to look at him.
[02:11.56]Suddenly he put his arm out,pulled her red plaits,
[02:17.28]and said in a loud whisper,'Carrots!Carrots!'
[02:23.07]Anne jumped up and looked angrily at Gilbert.
[02:28.15]'You horrible boy!'she cried.'I hate you!'
[02:34.16]And then she brought her heavy book down on Cilbert's head.
[02:39.56]Mr Phillips heard the noise,and came slowly to the front of the schoolroom.
[02:46.76]'Anne Shirley,why did you do that?'he asked.
[02:53.85]She stayed silent.Gilbert said,'I'm sorry,Mr Phillips.
[03:01.23]I was rude to her.That's why she hit me.'But the teacher did not listen to Gilbert.
[03:09.52]'I cannot have bad children in my school,'said Mr Phillips firmly,
[03:16.80]'Anne,go and stand in front of the class.'
[03:21.36]And there Anne stood for the rest of the day,
[03:27.28]a lonely little girl with a small white angry face.
[03:34.12]'I hate Mr Phillips!'she thought.
[03:39.75]'And I'll never look at or speak to Gilbert Blythe again!'
[03:46.30]The next day some of the school children
[03:51.12]were playing in a farmer's field in their lunch hour,
[03:54.93]so they were a little late for afternoon school.
[03:58.58]Anne ran into the classroom at the same time as the boys,just after the teacher.
[04:05.53]'You're late,Anne,'said Mr Phillips.'You won't sit with Diana today.
[04:13.29]I see that you enjoy being with the boys very much,
[04:18.17]so go and sit next to Gilbert this afternoon.'
[04:22.30]Anne's face went white.'He can't mean it!'she thought.
[04:30.78]'Did you hear me,Anne?'asked Mr Phillips.
[04:36.44]'Yes sir,'said Anne and moved slowly to Gilbert's desk.
[04:42.76]There she sat down and put her head on the desk,with her arms over it.
[04:50.69]'This is the end,'she was thinking.
[04:56.20]'I wasn't the only person who was late.
[05:00.97]And he's sent me to sit with a boy!And that boy is Gilbert Blythe!'
[05:11.34]The rest of the day went very slowly for Anne.
[05:16.70]When it was time to leave,she went to her desk,next to Diana's,
[05:23.14]and took all her books,pens and pencils with her.
[05:28.15]'What are you doing,Anne?'asked Diana.
[05:33.77]'I'm not coming back to school,'replied Anne firmly.
[05:39.85]'Oh!But Anne…we're reading a new book next week…
[05:45.94]and we're playing a new game on Monday,and…It'll be very exciting!
[05:51.91]And you'll miss it,Anne!'
[05:54.37]But Anne was not interested.'I'm sorry,Diana,'was her only answer.
[06:03.47]That evening Marilla ran round to Rachel Lynde's house.
[06:10.16]'Rachel,please help me!Anne says she won't go back to school.
[06:19.18]What am I going to say to her?'
[06:22.16]Mrs Lynde already knew about Anne's troubles at school,
[06:28.19]and she was always very pleased when people asked her to help.
[06:34.79]She smiled and sat back comfortably.
[06:37.47]'I've had ten children myself,so I know all about them,'she said.
[06:45.65]'Anne can stay at home for a while.
[06:49.29]She'll want to go back to school again soon,I'm sure.'
[06:54.40]So Anne stayed at home,and only saw Diana in the evenings.
[07:01.43]She was a child who felt very strongly.
[07:05.92]She hated Gilbert Blythe,but she really loved Diana.
[07:12.33]One evening Marilla found Anne crying in the kitchen.
[07:18.24]'What's the matter,child?'she asked in surprise.
[07:23.94]'I love Diana very much,'sobbed Anne.
[07:30.48]'I can't live without her,Marilla!
[07:34.00]But what will happen when she marries?I hate her husband already!
[07:41.19]I can imagine her in the church in her long white dress…and then she'll go away!
[07:48.35]And I'll never see her again!'
[07:52.87]Marilla turned away to hide her smiling face.
[07:58.97]What a strange,funny child Anne was!
[08:03.63]Marilla tried not to laugh,but she couldn't stop herself.
[08:08.67]'You and your imagination,Anne Shirley!'she cried,and she laughed and laughed.
[08:18.64]Mrs Lynde was right,of course.
[08:22.37]After a few days Anne decided to go back to school.
[08:27.00]All the children were pleased to see her again,but she did not speak to Gilbert Blythe.