Aunt answered so quickly Katriona knew she had thought of this herself. “ It is unlikely that any of the wishes you did not hear were substantially unlike those you did. But I think you should also have a little more faith in our Rosie. Look at how many of the wishes she has vitiated merely by being herself. Since she seems unable to carry a tune, the undoubted sweetness of her singing voice is irrelevant; that roar that serves her for a laugh might be bell-like if one could find a bell suitable for comparison purposes. What would it be made of, one wonders? Most of the village children before they’ re her age are already trying to learn the round dances on the feast days; you know Rosie’ s views on dancing.” (“ Stupid,” were Rosie’ s views, and, if not bound by potent promises, she would disappear into the shadows at the edge of the feast-day bonfire, looking for better sport.) “ I feel certain she’ ll feel the same about flute playing. We can omit teaching her to embroider or to— to spin, which omission will please her; we will ask Barder to teach her to whittle instead, in a few more years.
