On Monday morning, Katie's accident was big news in Ms. Barrow's classroom.
"The next thing I knew, she was falling through the air!" said Joy to the fourth graders.
"Did she scream?" asked Laura.
Joy looked at Olivia. "I don't remember.
Did she scream?"
"No, she didn't," said Olivia. "She didn't even cry."
"Dad picked her up, and Mom drove them to Dr. Howarth's office," said Joy.
"Did she break her leg?" asked Larry.
"No, she twisted her ankle," said Joy.
"She has a bandage from her toes almost to her knee.
And she has to put ice on her ankle."
"And she doesn't have to come to school for at least two days," said Olivia.
She looked at Ms. Barrow.
"I mean she doesn't get to come to school.
She has to rest."
"Did you fill up your cart with walnuts yesterday?" Ms. Barrow asked Joy.
"Yes, I did. Then Dad and I took them to the nut-buying station.
We had to—before the price dropped!"
Then Joy explained about the price falling from fifteen cents to thirteen cents.
"Just when I had my money goal all figured out, the price changed," said Joy.
"That doesn't seem fair." She sighed.
"Mr. Ramirez at the nut-buying station—"
"That's my dad," said Carlos.
Joy continued. "Mr. Ramirez said the price dropped because there are so many walnuts this year.
But I still don't understand it."
"I'll try to explain," said Ms. Barrow.
"You see, as Carlos's father said, there are a lot of walnuts this year.
And the nut company knows there are plenty of nuts to keep their plant operating.
But there are more nuts than people want.
An increase in the supply—of cars or houses or anything—always causes the price to go down."
Joy thought for a moment.
"In other years, when there aren't so many walnuts, will the nut company pay more?" she asked.
"Yes," said Ms. Barrow.
"They'll pay more for walnuts so people will work harder and collect more."
"Are you close to your goal?" Larry asked Joy.
Joy opened her little notebook.
"On Saturday, I made twenty-five dollars and fifty cents.
On Sunday, I made twenty-four dollars and forty-five cents."
"How much more does Joy need to reach her goal of one hundred dollars?" asked Ms. Barrow.
The fourth graders worked on the problem. "How much, Luke?"
"Fifty dollars and five cents," answered Luke.
"That is exactly right," said Joy.
"And that means I have to collect 385 more pounds of walnuts.
Then I can fix my fiddle."
After school that day, Olivia visited Katie.
She sat on Joy's bed, across from Katie.
"See my bandage?" said Katie.
"And my ice pack?
I have to keep my ankle elevated.
That means I have to prop it up on these pillows."
"Does it hurt?" asked Olivia.
"A little bit," said Katie.
"But the worst part is that I can't help Joy with her goal anymore."
"What about the hayride?" said Olivia.
"Will you be able to go?"
"The hayride!" said Katie and hit her forehead with her hand.
"I almost forgot!
Can you bring me the calendar on my desk, please?
What day is today?"
"Monday," said Olivia.
"I've got less than two weeks to get well," said Katie.
She thought for a moment and then sighed.
"But Joy has only one more weekend to collect nuts.
And she's lost her helper."
Joy's fiddle was lying on Joy's desk.
Olivia touched the broken strings.
Then she looked at Katie.
"I have an idea," she said. "I'll be her helper!
I'll come here Saturday morning and help Joy collect walnuts!"