Sally Rippin - The Pocket Money Blues

The Pocket Money Blues
published in 2012 by
Hardie Grant Egmont
Ground Floor, Building 1, 658 Church Street
Richmond, Victoria 3121, Australia
www.hardiegrantegmont.com.au eISBN: 9781742737751 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means without
the prior permission of the publishers and copyright owner. A CiP record for this title is available from the National Library of Australia Text copyright 2012 Sally Rippin
Illustration copyright 2012 Aki Fukuoka
Logo and design copyright 2012 Hardie Grant Egmont Design and typesetting by Stephanie Spartels Table of Contents Billie B Brown has three long-haired dolls, one big teddy bear and one purple pony. Do you know what the B in Billie B Brown stands for? Billie B Brown really, really wants a Bunny Baby toy. Bunny Babies have soft fur and big sparkly eyes. Bunny Babies even have their own TV show.

Every single girl in Billies class has a Bunny Baby. Except for Billie. Please, please, please can I have a Bunny Baby? Billie asks her mum. No, Billie, says her mum. Ive already said that youll have to wait until Christmas. But thats ages away! Billie says.

I cant wait until then. Why dont you try saving up for one yourself? Billies dad says.You already have some money in your piggy bank. Maybe you can do a few jobs to earn some more? OK! says Billie. What can I do? Well, you could sort through your toys, Billies mum says. You can throw out any that are broken and give away the ones that you are too big for. Billie frowns.

Thats not a job! I mean like sweeping leaves or mowing. Youre too young to mow the lawn, says Billies dad. But you can sweep the driveway. The brooms are in the back shed. Cool! Billie says. She runs out the back door.

Billie sees someone peeking over the back fence. You know who it is, dont you? Thats right. Its Jack! Jack is Billies best friend. He lives next door. Hey Billie! calls Jack. Do you want to come over and play cricket? Ive made a bat out of some old wood and Ive drawn stumps on the fence with chalk.

Come and see! Billie giggles. Not now, Jack, she says. I have to sweep the driveway. Can I help? says Jack. Sure, says Billie. Thanks! Billie and Jack work hard sweeping the leaves off the driveway.

Jack holds open the garbage bag and Billie scoops the leaves in. When they have finished, Billies dad comes outside to admire their work. Hey, that looks great! Billies dad says. He gives her some coins. Thanks, Dad! says Billie. She and Jack have done a good days work.

Jack goes home. Billie runs up to her bedroom to put the money into her piggy bank. Billie is very Soon she will have enough money for her very own Bunny Baby! The next day after school, Billie asks her dad if he has another job for her. Billies mum calls out from the kitchen. How about sorting through your toys? Mu-um! says Billie. The car needs a wash, Billies dad says.

Its a big job, though. Do you think you can do it? Of course! says Billie. She runs outside. Billie gets one bucket of soapy water and one bucket of clean water. Jack is sitting on his front step. Hey, Billie, he calls.

Do you want to play cricket now? I cant, says Billie. I have to wash the car. Can I help? says Jack. Sure, says Billie. Thanks! Billie washes the car with a big sponge. Jack rinses off the soap.

It is hard work but Billie and Jack have fun. As the car gets cleaner, Billie and Jack get dirtier. Soon the car is sparkling. Billie and Jack are very and very grubby. Time for a bath, dont you think? Good job! says Billies dad. He gives Billie some more coins.

After her bath, Billie flops down on her bed to count her money. She has earnt lots today but she still needs more to buy her Bunny Baby. Doing jobs is very tiring! Billie needs another plan. Just then Billies mum knocks on her door. How about a glass of lemonade, honey? she says. Youve worked hard today.

This gives Billie an idea. A super-dooper idea! Can you guess what she is thinking? Thanks! Billie says to her mum. She gulps down the lemonade. Now I have to go see Jack! Billie runs outside and squeezes through the hole in the fence into Jacks garden. Jack is sitting at the kitchen table with his mum. Hey, Jack! Billie says.

Ive got a plan that will earn us heaps of money. Billie looks at Jacks mum. Well need lemons, she says. Lots of them! Can we please pick some off your lemon tree? Sure, says Jacks mum. Let me guess. You want to make lemonade, right? Right! says Billie.

A lemonade stand! Jack laughs. Thats a great idea. Lets make some posters. Billie grins. Good idea. The next day is Saturday. The next day is Saturday.

Billie gets up early. She and Jack pick all the ripe lemons off the tree in his garden. Jacks mum helps them mix the lemon juice with water and sugar. Soon they have three big jugs of delicious lemonade. Billie and Jack set up a small table on the footpath outside their houses. Jacks mum weeds the front garden.

Billie and Jack sell cups of lemonade to people walking past. Old Mrs Wattle from across the road buys four cups. She must be very thirsty! She even lets Billie and Jack keep the change. By lunchtime all the lemonade is gone. Billie and Jack run upstairs to Billies room. They add the money from the lemonade stand to the money from Billies piggy bank.