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Josefina Learns a Lesson is the second book in the Josefina series.

The Spanish title is Josefina aprende una leccion: Un cuento de la escuela (Literally: "Josefina Learns a Lesson: A School Story")

Characters[]

Introduced[]

Chapter by Chapter Summary[]

Chapter One: Light and Shadow[]

Tía Dolores compliments Josefina on the dress she has just finished making. Josefina is especially pleased because she thinks the new high waisted style of the dress is elegant. Tía Dolores has brought material for all of the sisters to make dresses with, like their Mamá taught them. It is a rainy October evening outside, but inside the fire is cheerful and cozy and Josefina’s twirling in the new dress makes the shadows on the wall swoop like fluttering birds.

Tía Dolores reminds Clara to keep her thread short and Josefina comments that Mamá used to say “If you make your thread too long, the devil will catch on to the end of it!” Everyone sadly, but fondly, remembers Mamá, including her younger sister Tía Dolores. Tía Dolores has returned to the rancho, along with a servant Teresita, from visiting with her parents in Santa Fe so that she can help the girls adjust to running a household without their mother and has been back for two weeks. Clara says that Josefina was smart to make her dress long enough to grow into, Ana says that the dress is perfect as is, and Francisca worries over her own dress. Everyone was excited to try something new from the sewing diary Tía Dolores gifted them. Clara chose a simple and practical pattern and Francisca chose the most elaborate one. The work is long and slow and Francisca has complained the entire time. It’s clear that Francisca is hoping Tía Dolores will complete the work for her, but Josefina knows that Tía Dolores will only give help and advice.

Tía Dolores has been teaching the girls many things in her time at the rancho. She has shown Josefina how to prepare her flowers for the winter months and makes it clear that the flowers are Josefina’s responsibility. Tía Dolores has also shown Josefina how to play her piano, which now sits in the family’s gran sala. Learning to play the piano has been much harder than Josefina realized, but Tía Dolores is encouraging and has never given up on her. Clara and Francisca get into an argument over Francisca’s hem stitches, with Clara saying they are too big and look bad, but Francisca saying it won’t matter if no one sees them. Josefina tries to keep peace by asking if they can see her own stitches when she dances. She starts to sing a song that Mamá loved and soon everyone is clapping and dancing, with Tía Dolores playing the song on piano.

Papá comes in and is happy to see his family having a good time together. He compliments Josefina’s dress and says it was thoughtful of Tía Dolores to bring them material. Tía Dolores explains that her father traded for the material with the americanos in Santa Fe. Papá is hopeful that trade with the americanos will bring good things for the rancho and the girls are excited to visit the city someday soon. For now, Papá plans to visit his older sister, Tía Magdalena, who lives alone in the nearby village. The girls are nervous for him to go out into the storm, but the storm is why he wants to make sure his sister is safe from flooding. Josefina fears what a flood might mean, but Papá reassures her that the family and their harvest will be safe before kissing the girls goodbye.

Josefina lies in bed awake, worrying and praying for her Papá. Church bells begin to ring, alerting the entire house to the danger of the storm. Tía Dolores takes control and has the rancho workers herd their animals to higher ground, reinforce the stream to prevent flooding, and has the sisters help her save as much as possible from their garden. But Josefina is terrified of the lightning and unable to move, remembering how her mother would hold her and cover her eyes during storms. Tía Dolores takes hold of Josefina and steps into the rain with her. Josefina is encouraged by Tía Dolores’ confidence and remembers the faith that Tía Dolores has in her. Everyone works very quickly to save the garden and are sad to see their hard work be washed away in the rain. Josefina is able to ignore her fear of the storm because she knows Tía Dolores has faith in her and does not want to let her down.

Chapter Two: Turning Blankets Into Sheep[]

Chapter Three: Rabbit Brush[]

Chapter Four: The First Love[]

Looking Back: School in 1824[]

Discusses education in New Mexico. Topics include:

  • How New Mexican children were schooled, including Catholic mission schools for Puebo Indian children.
  • The use of a silabario (alphabet syllabary) to teach a child how to read, and what quill pens and ink-horns were made out of.
  • Why paper and books were so precious to families, and what kinds of books settlers would have.
  • What children were taught from their parents and grandparents, including household chores and farm work.
  • The religious education children received from their parents, and what Catholic priests taught children.
  • The use of cuentos (short stories) and dichos (sayings) to teach good behavior lessons to children.
  • What children were taught through Spanish songs, poems and plays, including the history of Spain.

Glossary of Spanish Words[]

In the back of Josefina Learns a Lesson is a glossary listing and defining the Spanish words used throughout the book along with an approximate pronunciation.

Cover Versions[]

Items associated with Josefina Learns a Lesson[]

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