After breakfast was over, Twilight Sparkle went off to Sweet Apple Acres to help Applejack as requested. When she arrived at the barn she saw that Applejack had a pile of toppled tree trunks and branches on her right, and to her left were multiple baskets, buckets, and crates.
“Well howdy, Twilight!” Applejack called as her friend walked up to her with a smile on her face. “Thanks fer showin’ up an’ helpin’ me out with all this!”
Twilight giggled as she caught up with the cowpony and said “Of course, Applejack! But... uh… what exactly are we doing?” She looked around and noticed that the crates were filled with chopped wood and leaves.
“Well,” began Applejack, “now that winter’s all over n’ done with, we have to get rid o’ all the dead trees that didn’t make it through the cold.” She got up and walked over to the pile of tree trunks. “Big Mac cuts down the dead trees an’ brings ‘em back here. Now it’s mah job to cut ‘em all up an’ make ‘em into fire wood, and the like.” She looked back at Twilight who still seemed slightly confused.
“So… you want me to help cut apart the trees?” she asked.
“Exactly!” Applejack replied. “Ah figured with your magic n’ all y’all would be able to make the whole mess o’ this go a lot quicker!”
“Oh, alright” replied Twilight. Recently she had been thinking that Applejack believed the only work she could do was that done by magic. Twilight secretly hoped that she would be doing more labor heavy work to prove her wrong.
Applejack nodded. “Well let’s get started then!”
They began by taking off the branches of the dead tree trunks, Twilight with her magic and Applejack with her mouth. They would shake the leaves into the buckets then place the branches into the baskets. Once the trunk was bare, they used saws to cut the wood into chunks and placed them into the crates.
After doing this for about a half an hour, the two ponies were able to get into a habit of working and it no longer became difficult. Therefore it was Twilight who was the first to start up a conversation.
“So, Applejack,” she began, “read any good books lately?”
Applejack paused in her work for a second to say “Well Twi, you know Ah love a good readin’ now and again, but Winter Wrap Up has been so tiresome for me lately that Ah haven’t had much down time.”
Twilight frowned. “Oh. I’m sorry. Well… when was the last time you took a break?”
Applejack smirked. “There’s not much time for breaks in this line o’ work. Ah mean, Ah guess last Saturday was the last time, and Ah only had time for a quick nap and a bite to eat.”
“Well why don’t you get Big Macintosh or Apple Bloom to cover for you for a day?” asked Twilight.
While shaking her head Applejack said “Big Mac already has enough of a burden on his shoulders, Ah wouldn’t want to overwork him. Besides, y’all saw what happened last time he hurt himself. Ah had to work the orchard all by my lonesome, and Ah got a… lil’ loopy.”
Twilight laughed. “A little? You poisoned half the town with those muffins!”
“Well Pinkie Pie shoulda been watchin’ me!” Applejack replied with a smirk. “And Apple Bloom is too busy with her schoolin’ an’ all, Ah can’t bother her with helpin’ me out. Plus her lil’ “crusade” to find her Cutie Mark that she’s been doin’ with all her friends. Heh… lil’ squirt… it’s right under her nose if she just thought real hard ‘bout it."
“I understand” said Twilight. “I know what hard work is like.”
Applejack snorted. “Ah’m sure you do, sugar cube.”
Twilight frowned and tilted her head. “What is that supposed to mean?”
Applejack picked up a wood block and spat it into a crate. “Oh, nothin’ Twilight. It’s just alphabetatizin’ books ain’t exactly back breakin’ work.”
Twilight huffed. “I do more than ‘alphabetatize’ books! I research, I do experiments, I… write to the princess, I take care of Spike! I do a lot of things!”
“Yes you do” nodded Applejack in a sarcastic fashion. “Ah was just complimentin’ you.” She turned back to her work and left Twilight with nothing to say. The unicorn angrily picked up her saw and began to vigorously saw away at the log in front of her. After doing this for a few seconds, Twilight decided she wasn’t done with Applejack and set down the saw.
“No you weren’t!” shouted Twilight.
“Ah weren’t what?” asked Applejack.
“You weren’t complimenting me!” said Twilight angrily. “You think I don’t do anything! Why?”
“Ah didn’t say that” said Applejack. “Ah just said you don’t do any hard back breakin’ work ‘s all.”
“Well…” stuttered Twilight. “I do sometimes. I always work hard during the Winter Wrap Ups, don’t I?”
“Well Ah suppose” mumbled Applejack.
“And the Summer Sun Festival!”
“That’s true…”
“And the Grand Galloping Gala!”
“Mmm hmm…”
“And I did save the world a few times. With your help of course, but… doesn’t that count?” asked Twilight.
Applejack sighed. “Ah… yes.” She grumbled and quickly turned to Twilight. “Ah’m real sorry Twi! Ah just… Ah’ve been workin’ nonstop for almost a month an’ it’s really gettin’ to me!”
Twilight walked up to Applejack and put her arm around her. “It’s alright Applejack. I know you think I don’t do much, but I do know what it’s like to be stressed out by your job. I may just be a student, but I still get stressed, overworked, and perhaps have a little freak out every once and a while.”
Applejack hung her head low. “No… no Twilight, now that’s just not true! Ah do know you’re a hard worker. You work just as hard as any of us. Ah just… Oh, Ah don’t know! Ah’m so sorry. Could ya ever forgive me?”
Twilight squeezed her closer to herself. “Already forgiven” she said with a smile. “But Applejack, you really need a break. These trees can wait. Why don’t you take off this Saturday? It is the weekend.”
“Well, it is my…” Applejack trailed off.
Twilight took her arm off from Applejack’s neck but still focused her gaze on her. “Your... What?”
“Nothin’” replied Applejack.
“No, it’s not nothing, Applejack” said Twilight, who then smiled at her. “You know, you’re a terrible liar.”
Applejack chuckled. “Hey, Ah’m workin’ on it.”
Twilight returned the laugh. “Good luck! You are the Element of Honesty.” Applejack grumbled and began to walk back towards the logs, causing Twilight to promptly catch up with her. “But seriously, Applejack, what is on Saturday?”
“Well, if Ah can’t lie, Ah just won’t say” replied Applejack.
“Come on, please?”
“No!”
“But AJ!” said Twilight as she tried on Rarity’s lip quiver.
“Hehe… no!”
“Don’t make me get Pinkie Pie!”
“NO!” shouted Applejack. “Not that! Anythin’ but that!”
Twilight smiled with accomplishment. “Okay then. What’s this Saturday?”
Applejack looked around nervously. “Oh… it’s… it’s… it’s mah birthday!”
Twilight looked confused. “That’s it?” Applejack nodded, which made Twilight begin to think. “Wait… we’ve never celebrated your birthday, have we?”
“Eeeeeenope” replied Applejack, an echo of her older brother.
“After all these years you’ve never told us your birthday?” asked Twilight, astonished.
“Nah” said Applejack.
“Why not?”
“Well… to be honest, Twi, Ah don’t care too much for mah birthday. Don’t like celebratin’ it.”
“How can you not like your own birthday?”
“Ah just don’t!” shouted Applejack, who cringed when she noticed her yelling. “Ah… Ah just don’t. Nothin’ more to it than that. An’ Ah knew that if Pinkie knew, she’d have to throw a party fer me.”
Just then the two ponies heard an excited screech coming from miles away, obviously belonging to a certain pink pony.
“Aw shoot,” moaned Applejack. “Now she knows.”
Twilight laughed for a second, but quickly got back on subject. “Applejack, of course she’d want to throw a party for you, she’s your friend!”
Applejack nodded. “One of mah oldest ones, too. Ah was one of the first ponies she’d met when she came to Ponyville. She liked me instantly. And we’ve been friends all these years, but Ah still haven’t told her mah birthday.” Twilight could tell that Applejack was feeling guilty about it.
“Hasn’t she asked by now?” asked Twilight.
“Oh, she’s asked alright!” Applejack said. “Heck, one year she threw random birthday parties for me, hopin’ she’d land on the right date. Ah told her to stop after she became too much of a bother, but she understood that Ah didn’t like it after a while.”
Twilight took in all of this information for a moment. “Well…” she began, “I think it’s about time we threw you a party. I know you don’t want one, but maybe that’s because you don’t know how fun it’ll be!”
“Ah doubt that’s why…”
“You’ve seen our parties, and you seem to have fun! We have cake, and sing, and dance… you’ve seen how well I can dance!”
Applejack stifled her laughter. “Um…y-heh heh- yeah Ah have… great dancin’!”
“So I say that you need a break” replied Twilight, bringing out her leadership tone again. “Why not make it this Saturday, the one day of the year when you deserve a break?”
Applejack looked indecisive. “Well… Ah dunno… Ah’m gonna be real busy, but… ya did make it sound kinda fun, Twi.” She closed her eyes for a minute to go over it all in her head. “Okay! Y’all have yourself a deal, partner!” She extended her hoof towards Twilight.
Twilight did the same and the two ponies shook on it. “Great! I’ll tell Pinkie Pie and we’ll get started!”
Applejack laughed. “If she hasn’t gotten started already!” The two chuckled, relieved that their fight was over and they could finish up their work. “But, uh… Ah hope it won’t be dissapointin’, Twilight. Y’all won’t forget, will ya?”
Twilight was surprised by the question. “Of course not, Applejack! Why would you ask that?”
Blush rose in Applejack’s cheeks. “Oh… n-nothin’. It’s just that nopony has ever done somethin’ like this fer me, and… Ah’m a little… cautious, I s’pose.”
Twilight gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry Applejack. We’re your best friends. We’ll always be there for you.”
Applejack returned the smile. “Thanks, sugar cube.”
Just then the familiar voice of Applejack’s little sister chimed in.
“AJ, Ah’m home!”
Applejack turned to greet Apple Bloom as she walked towards her. “Well howdy, lil’ sister! How was school today?”
“Oh, it was mighty fun! We got to do our multiple… cashuns… tables…. Or somethin’ like that! An’ tomorrow we get to find out what ten times ten is!” she said with a grin.
Applejack laughed. “Ah know the answer, if ya’d like to hear it.”
Apple Bloom shook her head. “Nah, Ah’d rather not spoil it.” She turned to her unicorn friend. “Howdy, Twilight!”
“Hello, Apple Bloom” Twilight said. “It’s so great that you like learning! I’m very proud of you, and I’m sure your family is too!”
Applejack brought in her sister for a big hug. “You’re darned tootin’ we’re proud o’ her! The pride o’ the Apple family!”
Apple Bloom beamed. “Thanks, big sister!” Applejack let go of her and set her back down on the ground.
“She’s been gettin’ good grades an’ everythin’!” shouted Applejack proudly. “Not only that, but she managed to help me fix up the barn, all the while jugglin’ with her whole Cutie Mark business.” Twilight smiled at the obvious pride Applejack had for her sister.
Apple Bloom smiled at the compliments, but soon looked down towards the ground with a frown on her face.
“What’s wrong, Apple Bloom?” asked Applejack.
The small filly sighed. “It’s just… all this talk about Apple family pride makes me wish… makes me wish mom n’ dad were here to see me… to tell me they’re proud.”
Applejack and Twilight’s smiles quickly disappeared, and a tear came to Applejack’s eye. She took her hat off and bent down to be face to face with Apple Bloom and put a hoof on her shoulder. “Now don’t be talkin’ like that, Apple Bloom. Ah told ya, they’re lookin’ down at us right now, and ya know what?”
“What?” asked Apple Bloom as she looked her sister in the eye.
“They couldn’t be any prouder in you. You’re the smartest, bravest, and most curious pony they know. They can tell that you’re gonna be somepony great one of these days, and every time they look at you, why, their heart fills with pride and they say ‘That's mah daughter. Just look at what she’s become… and look at what she’s gonna be!’ You’re an inspiration to them, Apple Bloom. Just like you’re an inspiration to me. An’ Ah couldn’t ask fer a more wonderful sister than you.”
Apple Bloom smiled and wiped the tear out of her eye. “Thanks, sister. Ah bet they’re real proud o’ you too.”
Applejack smiled and wiped a few tears from her eyes as well. She put her hat back on and turned to Twilight. “Alrighty, then. Enough o’ this sad talk. We got work to do.”
Twilight couldn’t help but wipe a tear from her eye too. “That… um… yeah. Let’s get back to work.” She smiled and turned to the few logs they had remaining.
“Oh, an’ Applejack?” asked Apple Bloom.
The two ponies turned back to the filly. “Yeah?” said Applejack.
“Well…um…” Apple Bloom began, “Today, Ms. Cheerilee started talkin’ bout charities, and how someponies go around giving money or food to other ponies an’ stuff.”
“Uh-huh.”
“And then Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and I started talkin’ and… we thought that that was real neat. To help out those that have less than us. So we thought… perhaps… you and your friends could help us set up a charity right here in Ponyville. We figured there’s lots o’ ponies round here that could use the help, and we wanna be a part of it.”
Applejack felt a warm feeling pass through her. “Well sheer mah sheep and call me a farmer. After all my talk o’ you bein’ an inspiration, and here you go sayin’ you wanna help out the needy.” She walked closer to her sister and enveloped her in another big hug. “Apple Bloom, Ah love you so much! You know that, right?”
Apple Bloom returned the hug. “I love you too, big sis!” Applejack set her down and walked over to Twilight.
“Whattya say, Twi?” asked Applejack. “Feel like helpin’ the Crusaders with their charity?”
Twilight nodded in response. “I would be honored to help your charity, Apple Bloom. That’s such a responsible and kind hearted thing to do.”
“Hooray!” shouted Apple Bloom. “Ah was thinkin’ ‘bout doin’ it this Saturday, since this is one of the few weekends that nothin’s goin’ on in town, and most ponies will be too tired from Winter Wrap Up to do anythin’ anyway!”
“This… Saturday?” asked Applejack while looking at Twilight?
“Is there a problem?” inquired Apple Bloom.
“Eh… no…” Applejack turned to Twilight and whispered so Apple Bloom couldn’t hear. “This is way more important than mah birthday, Twi. Just forget about mah party.”
“But Applejack!” interjected Twilight. “We can’t! Not after what you said. You were finally getting excited about your birthday for once! We can’t forget about that.”
“Sure we can! Ah’ve not celebrated it for years. Ah can handle another.”
“But… Applejack, no… Here, I have an idea. Why don’t we hold the charity for the better part of the morning, and we have your party in the afternoon or at night.”
“But if everyone’s at the charity, Big Mac won’t be able to cut down the trees. We can’t all take a whole day off at the acres. Hmmm. Alright, we’ll compromise. Ah’ll send Big Mac and Granny Smith to help at the charity, and I’ll take over at the farm to finish up what we’re doin’ here. Big Mac needs more of a break then Ah do. Once it’s over, we can do whatever y’all are plannin’.”
“But…. Applejack! Saturday is supposed to be your day off! Besides, don’t you want to help your sister?”
“Now, Ah’m sorry Twi, but this is the way it’s gotta be if it’s gonna happen!”
“Alright, fine. Tell your sister.”
“Are y’all alright?” chimed in Apple Bloom.
The two ponies converged from their huddle and faced Apple Bloom. “We’d love to help, lil’ sis.”
Apple Bloom’s smile returned. “Great! I’ll go tell Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle! Sweetie’s already asking her sister now.”
ooo
“Miss Rarity, what is the meaning of all of this?”
Fluttershy was frozen stiff. Sweetie Belle had ruined both Rarity’s and Fluttershy’s plans by arriving home too soon, a step Rarity had overlooked. Now she was just waiting for her nerves to calm down so she could come up with an excuse. Unfortunately, Sweetie Belle was about to ruin that plan as well.
“I’m gonna go get Rarity so she can play dress up too!” said Sweetie Belle as she walked towards the door of Rarity’s work room.
“No no no no no no no!” could be heard from behind the door, but by then it had been too late. Sweetie Belle had pushed open the door, leaving a panicked Rarity standing in the open, eye bags and all.
“Miss Rarity?” asked Masquerade.
Sweetie Belle nodded. “Yep, that’s my sister! Hey Rarity, wanna play?”
Rarity stood there in shock of what was going on. She looked over to Fluttershy, who wasn’t fairing any better. Finally, her gaze centered on Sweetie Belle, who was looking up at her innocently.
“Sweetie Belle… my dear… what are you doing home so early?” she asked in a jittery voice.
“Well, normally my friends and I hang out after school, but… today I had something important to ask you and I came home!” Sweetie Belle said with a smile.
Masquerade interrupted their conversation. “Hold on for a moment, ladies. If you are Rarity, then who is this mare that has been leading me about and stabbing me with assortments of glass?”
“STABBING?” shouted Rarity.
Fluttershy quickly came out of her shock to answer the question. “Oh, um, I’m…. I’m Fluttershy.”
“And tell me, Miss Fluttershy, why exactly are you gallivanting about as if you were Miss Rarity?”
Fluttershy began to remove the horn and dress Rarity had given her as she explained. “Well, um… Rarity was a teensie weensie preoccupied, and asked me to help by distracting you. But… I think she’s done now.”
Rarity sighed. “You were supposed to make something up, Fluttershy.”
“Oh… sorry.”
Masquerade huffed and flared his nostrils. “Miss Rarity, what could possibly possess you to force your young friend here to pretend she were you?”
Rarity faked a laugh in an attempt to regain control. “I-um, I needed a small amount of time to finish my clothing line for you, so I needed a distraction while I did just that. And as you can see, I am much too disheveled and unruly to present myself to someone with as much prestige as yourself.” She curtseyed before Masquerade to humor him as much as possible.
Masquerade eyed Rarity up and down before commenting. “You look marvelous to me, Miss Rarity.”
“Oh,” said Rarity, blushing. “Why thank you… kind stallion.”
Masquerade turned to Fluttershy. “And as for you my dear, I say, you are quite the pushover, aren’t you?”
Fluttershy was startled at the sudden attention. “Oh, um… what?”
While stomping his foot on the ground, Masquerade said “You need to be much more assertive! You let your friend force you into this occasion and you just went along with it? Did she even ask you beforehand?”
Fluttershy looked to the ground. “Well… somewhat. I mean she-“
“And I assume you didn’t argue with her, did you? Didn’t even think of saying ‘no?’”
“Of course not. I-“
“Exactly. Miss… Fluttershy, was it?” Masquerade walked closer to Fluttershy’s face. “You are precisely the type of pony I know won’t make it in the real world. You let other ponies walk all over you and you don’t even get a word in edge wise!”
Fluttershy could only whimper at Masquerade’s hurtful words.
“If I were you, I would take a good, hard look at my life and see where I went wrong, because something is clearly wrong with you if you let your friends take advantage of you as if you were a tool!”
“I-I’m sorry! I just-I…”
“And as for you, Miss Rarity,” Masquerade said while turning back to Rarity “what kind of friend are you to push somepony around like this?”
Rarity panicked. “I assure you, Masquerade…uh, sir, that I never intended-“
“What kind of a role model can you be to your young sister here if you show how easy it is to take advantage of the weak?”
Again, Fluttershy cringed and tears rimmed her eyes. Sweetie Belle merely looked silently at Masquerade with disgust and anger.
“You are an incredibly incompetent house guest by making me wait outside for fifteen minutes, then once inside you force your idiot of a friend to lead me about and cut me up!” Masquerade was fuming at this point. “You must be insane to think I would ever use one of your products in my festivals!”
Rarity gasped. “What what what? You’ll not buy my products?”
Masquerade shook his head. “I run a fine business, Miss Rarity, and it will not be marred by liars and bullies such as yourself!”
“Bullies such as myself?”
“Indeed. You are not the kind of pony that I would enjoy the pleasure of working with, and you certainly should not be compensated for such acts. I will take by leave now; I have no use of being here any longer!” Masquerade turned to Fluttershy. “I hope you learn a valuable lesson today, Miss Fluttershy. Our world has no room for the weak.”
Fluttershy closed her eyes as a single tear escaped from the rim and cascaded down her cheek.
Finally, he bent his head down to face Sweetie Belle. “As for you, my dear, I hope you do not glean anything from these two ponies you see before you. They are the antithesis of what a strong mare should be. Find a role model in somepony much more honorable-“
“Such as yourself?” Sweetie Belle asked sarcastically.
“Such as myself!” Masquerade returned.
Without saying anything more Masquerade walked towards the front door and opened it.
Rarity began trotting towards him in a rush. “Wait a moment! Don’t you at least want to see what I’ve-“
Masquerade slammed the door in Rarity’s face, leaving her standing there with a bewildered look.
“He just left…. Weeks of working on a clothing line and he just… left…” Rarity turned back around to Sweetie Belle who returned her gaze with an earnest smile.
“Don’t listen to him, Rarity! You’re a great role model! Fluttershy too!” she said, only to be responded with silence.
After a few moments, Rarity broke her gaze from Sweetie Belle and headed towards her room. “I need to be alone for a while.”
She passed out of view of Sweetie Belle, who then turned to the only pony left in the room. “Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy merely stood there, eyes shut, hair covering her face, facing the wall, lost in thought.
Oh, Fluttershy, you’re stronger than this! she thought to herself. You can be assertive, remember? You’ve done it before! Oh, but this is different. This was for Rarity. And you know how bad you can get when you act like that. But… Masquerade was right… I AM still a pushover.
Sweetie Belle just stood there in the middle of the boutique, waiting for something to happen. “Um… did I do something wrong?”
Silence.
“Well… um… I’m gonna go check on Rarity, okay Fluttershy?”
When Fluttershy refused to move from her spot, Sweetie Belle went off to find her sister.
Upon arrival at Rarity’s door, Sweetie Belle could hear crying coming from the other side.
“Rarity?” she called. “Can I come in?” When she heard the vague sound of a possible confirmation, Sweetie Belle opened the door and saw her sister lying in bed with her head in her pillow.
“Rarity…” Sweetie Belle began. “I’m real sorry if I messed something up. I didn’t mean to, I- I just wanted to come home to ask you something.”
Rarity took a deep breath and lifter her head from her pillow. “Oh, it’s okay darling.” She sniffed. “It’s just… I worked so hard on that clothing line, and then for him to insult me and call me a bad friend. I mean, how dare he?”
Sweetie Belle jumped up on Rarity’s bed and cuddled up next to her. “Don’t worry Rarity. You’ll sell those clothes somehow. Don’t worry about him, he’s just another one of those critics you say that everypony is. And as for you being a bad friend, Fluttershy wouldn’t have even thought about helping you if you were a bad friend. You’re the kindest, most generous pony I know, and you’ll always be my role model.”
Rarity dried her eyes and hugged Sweetie Belle. “Oh, thank you, Sweetie. You’re simply the best sister a girl could ask for.”
“We’re like apple pie… remember?”
Rarity nodded her head. “Mmmm hmmm.”
A shadow crossed in front of the bedroom door.
“Rarity? I’m… I’m sorry I ruined your plans…and your designs.” The soft voice was instantly recognized as Fluttershy’s.
Rarity looked up from her bed and gestured Fluttershy inside. “Come now, Fluttershy. Have a seat.”
Fluttershy walked in and jumped up onto Rarity’s bed. She sat down next to Rarity on the opposite side of Sweetie Belle.
Rarity turned to Fluttershy and smiled. “Now Fluttershy, don’t you dare blame yourself for even a minute! Masquerade was right… I shouldn’t have even put you in such a situation. I made my own bed, I should have to sleep in it.”
Sweetie Belle gave Rarity a confused look.
“It’s a figure of speech, dear.”
Her sister nodded in understanding.
Fluttershy joined the conversation. “Even if that’s true, I still feel bad about everything that went wrong, and I really – mmmph!” Rarity had decided to plug Fluttershy’s mouth with her hoof to stop her from talking.
“Fluttershy, all is forgiven” Rarity said. “I only hope that you have it in your heart to forgive me…”
With Rarity’s hoof still in mouth, Fluttershy managed to pull off a smile and nodded to Rarity.
“Good” said Rarity as she removed her hoof. She let out a tired yawn and laid her head back down on the pillow. Sweetie Belle, deciding it looked all too alluring, laid her head down on Rarity’s stomach and let out a contagious yawn as well.
“You know, Rarity” began Sweetie Belle as her eyes began to close, “The Crusaders and I were thinking about having a charity this Saturday. Maybe you could sell your dresses there, then give the money to the needy.”
Rarity’s eyes began to close as well. “A charity… yes… I could definitely do that. Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy yawned and decided to lie down next to Rarity too. “That sounds… nice.”
Within a few moments, all three ponies had managed to lie down on Rarity’s bed, with Sweetie Belle to her left with her head on Rarity’s stomach, and Fluttershy to her right. In order to help her sleep, Rarity began to run her hoof through Sweetie Belle’s mane.
“Mmmmm” murmured Sweetie Belle, finally closing her eyes. “Fluttershy, what was that song you sang us again? It was really nice.”
Fluttershy closed her eyes, released a contented sigh, and let her soft voice drift through the air.
“Hush now, quiet now
It’s time to lay your sleepy head
Hush now, quiet now
It’s time to go to bed.”