Scout's Diary 10

February 23, 1938

  I thought Atticus was too old to do anything because Jem said that he never play foot ball tackle with him like other fathers did. Atticus is totally different with our schoolmates’ fathers. He sits in the living room and reads; he doesn’t drink, play poker, smoke or even do other things. It doesn’t bother me because it just means he’s special. It was until today that I finally know my father isn’t too old to do anything. He is just humble and never talks about it.

  There was a mad dog on our street and it was coming towards us. Everything happened so fast I don’t think I even had time to think about being scared because Atticus killed the mad dog in one shot even though he was far away. Mr. Tate said that Atticus was the best shooter in town and that it was his gift. Jem and I no longer think that Atticus has no talent and is too old to do anything. I respect my father more now, and so does Jem. I want to tell everyone that my father is the most special man in the town and that no one can look down on him. Jem, however, told me to keep it a secret without even explaining it to me. What does “Atticus is a gentlemen, just like me” mean? I haven’t the slightest idea. I thought to myself that maybe he is just trying copying Atticus’ behavior.

Scout's Diary 9

Nov 21, 1937

  Atticus woke me up at 1A.M. in the morning. At first, I thought that it was already morning but then realized that something had happened on our street. Atticus told me that Miss Maudie’s house was on fire and he wanted Jam and I to go stand in front of the Radley’s house. The fire looked like an evil monster destroying Miss Maudie’s house. Jem stared at the house watching the men moving furniture out of Miss Maudie’s house. I was worried and scared. Jem put his arm around me and told me to be clam. We suddenly noticed that Mr. Avery was stuck on the second floor. He wanted to climb out from the window but it wasn’t easy. He yelled and fell down on Miss Maudie’s shrubbery. I think that he was just too tired and nervous making him slip. The fire reached the second floor as everyone got out from Miss Maudie’s house. Finally, the fire truck arrived and stopped the fire but it was almost morning by then. Miss Maudie stared at her yard going up in smoke. I knew she was sad about losing her flowers.
  Atticus thought that we didn’t keep our promise to stay put but Jem and I didn’t move a single step. Atticus asked me about the blanket on my shoulder. The thing was I didn’t even know that there was a blanket on my shoulder until he asked me about it. One thing’s for sure, I wasn’t cold that night. Jem told Atticus that Mr. Arthur Radley didn’t hurt us and all that’s happened before. I know that Atticus didn’t care about what Jem said because he already knows that Mr. Arthur Radley was a good man. Atticus said that every single person in Maycomb came out but in different ways last night and he said that I should give my thanks to Mr. Arthur Radley the next time I saw him. I am still a little bit scared of Mr. Arthur Radley but I know that he isn’t an evil monster or person. I hope that next time I can ask him some questions and get to know him more so then I would be less afraid of him.

Scout's Diary 8

  Nov 20, 1937

  It started to snow this morning! Atticus said that this is the first snow he’s seen at Maycomb since 1885 and that students didn’t need to go to school! I’ve always been dreaming about how snow would look. I tasted the snow and was surprised that it was hot. Jem said that it was because the snow was too cold. We didn’t want to destroy the snow in our yard ground so we decide to go to Miss Maudie’s yard to play. On our way to Miss Maudie’s house, we saw Mr. Avery and he said that it was our fault that it snowed today. Jem and I didn’t know how to reply but then Miss Maudie called our names (Miss Maudie, you saved us.). We ran to Miss Maudie. She was wrapping her flowers with burlap bags. She said that it would help to keep her flowers warm but Jem and I didn’t understand or care much for it. We asked Miss Maudie to give us some snow and she said told us that we could have it all.

  Jem made a small snowman which looked just like Mr Avery. The snowman looked like it was talking to you. Atticus saw the snowman and laughed cheerfully, but he said that we needed to change the snowman’s look saying it wasn’t polite to make caricatures of our neighbors. Jem didn’t think that it was offending but he ended up borrowing Miss Maudie’s sunhat to cover the snowman’s face so it didn’t look like it was Mr. Avery. Today was a wonderful day and I know that I will never forget the first snow day in my life.

Scout's diary 7

Oct 17, 1937

  Three weeks ago, Jem and I found two carvings in our knot-hole. One of the carvings was a boy and the other a girl, since a dress was worn. They were two wooden dolls symbolizing Jem and I. Jem said that they were really great carvings and wondered who made it. We originally thought it was Mr. Avery but then thinking back Mr. Avery only knows how to make a toothpick. Then we thought that it was Miss Stephanie Crawford’s sweetheart but Jem said that he lives down the country and he wouldn’t care about us. Who could it possibly be? The only answer that popped into my mind was Mr. Arthur Radley. He is the only person who can look at us without us knowing.

   We found a whole package of gum, a tarnished medal and a pocket watch from the knot-hole during the following weeks. Jem and I decided to write a letter to thank the person who gave us these gifts. Jem said that it had to be a guy but I thought it could’ve been Miss Maudie who is always friendly to me. Jem said that Miss Maudie doesn’t like chewing gum and ladies don’t use a pocket watch. We finished that letter as soon as we could and planned to put it into the knot-hole the next day. However, next morning on our way to school Jem ran faster than I did to the knot-hole. I saw him standing straight in front of the tree and holding the letter tightly. I walked up next to him……  Mr. Nathan Radley filled the hole with cement. Why would he do that? It must be because he doesn’t want us to get touch with that nice man any more. Mr. Nathan Radley knows that the kind man is Mr. Arthur Radley (Such an evil old man, Mr. Nathan Radley!).

Scout's diary 6

Aug 30, 1937

  Dill is leaving tomorrow. I know I’m going to miss him even though he likes to play with Jem more often now. In the evening, they said that they were going to go for a walk. I knew that their plans weren’t that simple. I asked them where they were going and Jem told me that I didn’t need to go with them using a soft tone of voice. I was sure that they were going to do something (I ready know your trick, Jem.). Finally, they told me that they were going to peep in Radley’s house from the window. I thought they were completely stupid and unaware of what they were getting themselves into. They were too curious to even consider whether what they were about to do was right or wrong. They completely forgot about the talk Atticus gave us about being impolite.

I tried to stop them but Jem told me to hush up again. We went in from the high wire fence at the rear of Radley’s lot. It took us some time to get near the house without people seeing us. We couldn’t see anything from the window which we planned to peep in from, so Jem decided to try the back window. When Jem crawled up close to the window, a shadow of a man with a hat moved towards Jem. The three of us were so shocked we just ran away. Jem ended up losing his pants when we were on the run. After we got home, Jem said that he would go get his pants back and told me to wait for him at home. I was afraid that Jem might get killed by Mr. Radley. I laid in bed waiting for Jem. After he came home, he didn’t say a word and I thought to myself that he just needed time to calm down. Something must’ve happened to Jem but I didn’t want to make him tell me at the time. I hope he’ll come to me and learn to trust me.

Scout's Diary 5

  July 8, 1937

Dill said that he’d love me forever but I don’t think he really cares about me. He only cares about Jem and his stupid plans to find out more about the Radleys. Jem and Dill both think that I’m too girly and that I will somehow destroy their plans, so I found a new friend, Miss Maudie. Yesterday, Miss Maudie told me a few things about Boo Radley that I never knew. She said that Boo Mr. Arthur is still alive and that he remains in the house because he doesn’t want to come out. Apparently no one locked him in the basement. Miss Maudie also said that Mr. Arthur was friendly and gentle. It sounds like Arthur Radley isn’t as evil as other people describe him to be. I believe Miss Maudie’s words because she is one of my friends. But I still fear Mr. Arthur.

This morning, I noticed that Jem and Dill were whispering secretly to each other in the front yard. At first, they didn’t want to let me in on their plans but they ended up telling me soon after (I think it was because they knew I didn’t and would not leave.). They told me that they were going to send Arthur Radley a note. They wanted to ask him to come out and chat with us. I didn’t think it would work out but Jem didn’t listen to me. He told me that I couldn’t just quit after joining them. Jem had Dill and I watched as he was going up to send the note to the house. In the end we failed because Atticus came home and caught us. He told us to leave Arthur Radley alone and that the thing, we tried to do, wasn’t polite. I already told Jem that Atticus knew what we were doing but he didn’t believe me (See! I told you, Jem.).

Scout's diary 4

  July 8, 1937

Dill said that he’d love me forever but I don’t think he really cares about me. He only cares about Jem and his stupid plans to find out more about the Radleys. Jem and Dill both think that I’m too girly and that I will somehow destroy their plans, so I found a new friend, Miss Maudie. Yesterday, Miss Maudie told me a few things about Boo Radley that I never knew. She said that Boo Mr. Arthur is still alive and that he remains in the house because he doesn’t want to come out. Apparently no one locked him in the basement. Miss Maudie also said that Mr. Arthur was friendly and gentle. It sounds like Arthur Radley isn’t as evil as other people describe him to be. I believe Miss Maudie’s words because she is one of my friends. But I still fear Mr. Arthur.

This morning, I noticed that Jem and Dill were whispering secretly to each other in the front yard. At first, they didn’t want to let me in on their plans but they ended up telling me soon after (I think it was because they knew I didn’t and would not leave.). They told me that they were going to send Arthur Radley a note. They wanted to ask him to come out and chat with us. I didn’t think it would work out but Jem didn’t listen to me. He told me that I couldn’t just quit after joining them. Jem had Dill and I watched as he was going up to send the note to the house. In the end we failed because Atticus came home and caught us. He told us to leave Arthur Radley alone and that the thing, we tried to do, wasn’t polite. I already told Jem that Atticus knew what we were doing but he didn’t believe me (See! I told you, Jem.).