Purple Pop's Arc

Chapter 4 of 16

Purple Pop did not wait for the mayor's name to do her work. She did it herself. She tore a strip of purple paper, wrote bold letters, and pinned a flyer in the town square. Then she ran back to the arch and got to work on the path. She rolled fat gumdrop stones from the shade out to the main road, one by one, until a glossy purple trail curved through the grass like a ribbon. White blossoms peeked between them. The trail pointed straight to her cart. She sat on her crate and lifted a small harmonica to her lips. A soft tune drifted out. A bright pink-and-purple songbird landed on the arch and sang along. A fluffy lavender bunny hopped onto a stone and stayed. People in the square turned their heads. Feet followed the stones. Children pointed at the bunny. Grown-ups smiled at the bird. Purple Pop offered free samples on a small tray, and hands reached for jars. Coins clinked into her apron all afternoon. By sunset, her cart held only a scatter of bright wrappers on an empty tray. Purple Pop counted her coins twice. She had sold out. Tomorrow she would need more candy than she had ever made.