Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 ï>¿The talent show

   The weekend of the talent show is finally here.  Sally's school has a
fundraiser-carnival every year, with special events, picnics, activity
booths, and of course the talent show.  The weather is a little cooler, but
with the humidity it will get uncomfortable.  There are isolated
thunderstorms in the area that may cause a cloud or two to drift through
the sky.

   The back of the school has a soccer pitch, baseball and softball
diamonds, and at the end of the property it opens up into the local park.
The park has a water fountain that is really one of the new fangled "squirt
up from the flat sidewalk" types.  Little kids and toddlers absolutely love
to chase the water jets and get totally wet.  The rest of the park has a
few stands of trees but there is mostly just grass.

   As the families of the Tahitian dancers arrive in their cars, they see
that the stage is set up on the border between the school and the park. 
Some trailers and tents are in this same area as they deliver supplies to
the carnival booths that are in the process of setting up.  A bit farther
along, next to a collection of picnic tables, the gourmet food trucks are
getting parked and loaded with groceries.

   As Sally, Lisa, and Becky get out of their cars, they are told to
scatter, find the administrator desk, then report right back to the cars.
That done, they come back to collect the costumes out of the car trunks and
go sign in for the talent show.  By this time the activity booths that do
not need constant supervision are running.  Eddie spies a water barrel with
a series of squirt-guns in various sizes setting on a table.  His eyes
light up, begs $5 for entrance tickets from his father, and then he is off
on his own adventure.  Daddy sighs and thinks "I know where HE's gonna be
all day!"

   Sally, her friends, and the family crew of older sibling helpers locate
the change tent so the dancers can start suiting up.  Lisa's big sister
Gail is in the crew and had the foresight to bring some roll-on costume
glue.  Sally is the first to step into her skirt and be ready for the
accessories, so with a little extra time on her hands she notices the glue
stick on the table.  Picking up the object and reading the label, she asks:

   [Sally] Hey Gail, whats this glue stuff for?

   [Gail] You rub the stick on your skin and tack the hair down.  When you
move as you dance, it should keep the hair from flying all over the place.
This stuff is used by movie stars as they walk the red carpet to keep
slinky dresses from slipping into a wardrobe malfunction.  Try to only use
it in the most important places or the hair will look kinda painted on,
unnatural.

   Sally dabs a little on her finger and checks the stickiness by giving a
light touch to her wig hair.  With a wild guess as to how much to use, she
rubs the stick on a narrow band of her breasts, adjusts the wig, and then
plants the hair into the glue.  She twirled around a couple of times to
check what the hair does and is satisfied with the results.  Sally turns to
Becky and offers the glue stick.  Becky brushes the hair back off her
chest, accepts the glue bottle, and reads the instructions.  She was all
set and positioned to run the stick down the first breast when her cultural
pride kicked in.

   [Becky] Wait a minute.  Using this glue is like half way to a coconut
bra!  This isn't a lesson in how to live the American culture in a faraway
land.  This is a Tahitian dance, not the Twist in a grass skirt.  I'm gonna
skip this.  Lisa, you want the glue?

   Lisa is the least adventurous of the three, so she accepts the pass from
Becky.  After Lisa applies the glue to her nipple areas and fixes her hair,
the support crew gets busy adding the ankle and armbands, jewelry and
headdress to the dancers.  The girls feel like stars as the helpers fuss
over them, touching up makeup, adjusting accessories, blotting up sweat.

   One of the talent show workers comes up to the tent and calls through
the canvas "Tahitian Dance, you're on in five minutes." Now the excitement
really starts to build in the girls.  A last quick check shows everything
ready so they duck through the tent flap and file off toward the stage.  As
the three girls come out they see Alicia and her band entering another tent
dressing room in preparation for their part in the show.

   [Sally] Hi Alicia, hi Tina.  Wow!  Your group has grown!  How many are
you now?

   [Alicia] Hi you guys.  Yeah, we picked up a few for our dance.  We have
four girls and 3 boys.

   [Sally] Are you nervous?  I'm getting butterflies.  Will you have the
same costume you used to practice with us?

   [Tina] Well, practicing in a backyard is one thing.  Going in front of a
big crowd is something else.  Now I'm getting scared.  We brought a few
backup bras in case some of us chicken out.  I see you glued your wig to
the important parts.

   [Sally] Yeah.  Lisa and I did, but Becky is going whole hog for the
island culture.  (Becky flicks her hair around to emphasize the lack of
glue).  Well, we gotta go now.  See you after the show!

   The girls continue on and see that the school principal is waiting for
them at the stage platform steps.  When he sees the costumes his eyes get
big and he lets a soft "Whoa!" escape.  Not quite regaining his composure
he almost stutters "You all sure you want to do this?"

   With assurances all around he leads them behind a curtain and up onto
the stage.

   [Principal] (quietly) The EmCee is doing your intro right now.  When the
curtain goes up, start your act.

   Very shortly after the principal withdraws, Becky quietly whispers to
Lisa "He must not have seen Alicia's costume yet.  That will really freak
him out."

   As Becky and her little troupe take their places, the stage curtain
parts.  Since this venue is not staffed by professionals it takes about 30
seconds for the music to cue up and start playing.  The three girls use
that time to search the crowd for their family members.  Becky is the first
to spot a friendly face, Grams, then she sees the rest of her family
sitting in adjacent seats.

   Sally sees Penny first, as she is jumping up and down on a chair and her
mother is trying to get her down.  Jane is out there waving with a big
smile and two thumbs up.

   As the music starts, Lisa finally spots her family way in the back. 
Then the attention of the girls focuses on each other allowing them to sync
up to the dance they have practiced so many times.  At first there was the
usual light chattering in the spectators as they talk and gossip amongst
themselves.  Apart from the wildly gyrating hips the dance is not that
"active", so it takes almost a minute before some of the audience notice
that the dancers are not wearing the expected tried and true full "hula"
costume that Americans have come to expect.  This was replaced by a growing
silence as the people out in the chairs were trying to understand what
their eyeballs were seeing.  As it became clear that wig bras were the only
tops on these three girls there were a few gasps that were loud enough for
Sally to hear.

   Sally's dance moves are not demanding, so she put her brain on
auto-pilot and took time to look out into the crowd.  There are quite a few
cell-phones getting used as cameras, along with normal photography
equipment.  Since so many were still getting their gear set up, Sally
figured that nobody really cared about Tahitian dancing ...  until now. 
"So they were thinking  -- We'll blow this off and wait for the good
stuff." she thought.  "Hah!  They missed a lot of our dance.   Serves them
right."

   Sally picks out one man at the edge of the crowd, looking bored,
scanning through the program guide.  He finally looks at the stage, does a
double take, and quickly brings out a video camera to start shooting.  A
woman, Sally figures her to be his wife, pushes his arm down to stop him
from recording.  But they still stay and watch the performance.  Sally
grins and giggles as she imagines that the woman had just now told him "See
it live.  You are NOT gonna fap to that on a computer screen."

   The dance has a lot of hip rotation and wiggles, but since there is no
jumping around, it takes nearly to mid dance before Becky does a
turn-around and the wig hair finally slides sideways off her breasts.  She
feels this, and is very proud about keeping her hands away and not breaking
the rhythm of steps for the dance.

   By the end of the dance, Becky's hair hides nothing.  In the audience,
some sections are applauding wildly and the girls notice that other
sections are sitting on their hands.  Becky takes this personally and
thinks her part in the show was a flop.  It is a big surprise when the
EmCee invites them to do an encore in about an hour when the regular part
of the show is done.

   Next up is a singer from 8th grade.  This gives the dance troupe time to
exit the stage and go into the audience to sit with family.  As the singer
gets into her music the girls are surprised at how good she is.  None have
seen her in school.  When Becky asks Grams about her, the program guide
says she is from the Arts Magnet School.  Everyone in the group agrees that
the extra voice training is paying off.

   After the singer is done the girls hears a familiar tune, the music that
played in Sally's back yard as Alicia and her friend practiced.  As the
stage curtain parts, the Reed Dancers are getting into position.  Off to
the side the principal is staring blankly, having forgotten to get off the
stage.  As the dance starts he snaps back to life and quickly exits.  Lisa
remarks that all the Reed girls have gone native by not wearing bras. 
"With tight curly hair they don't even have an option for long hair wigs."

   The same section of audience that gave the Tahitian dancers an
enthusiastic applause is also loudly cheering this dance group.  The
scattered families that sat on their hands after Becky and Sally's
performance are starting to get up and leave.  Becky says "They didn't
cheer for us and they are not cheering now.  Its not the dance they don't
like."

   Sally says "Must be our native costume.  Half of everyone ever born has
breasts.  What is their problem?"

   The Reed Dance goes flawlessly, which was not a surprise to the three
girls, and was followed up with a big round of applause.  The Reed troupe
left the stage, put bikini tops on, and went into the audience to sit with
family and watch the rest of the show.  The remaining lineup was a karate
demonstration, another singer, and a magician.  Then the planned show was
over.  The Emcee called out for the Tahitian dancers to come back to the
stage and requested a short encore.  This was met with wild approval by the
audience.  Becky was feeling the heat by this time so as she reached the
top of the stage stairs she dropped her wig to the side.  Sally's glue was
washed away by the sweat but she was unfazed and just lets the hair go. 
Lisa's hair was still stuck, mostly, but the glue was rapidly losing its
grip.

   The girls danced a short 2 minute segment and took a few bows.  The
Emcee came up and announced that they would share the talent show trophy
prizes with the lovely and talented singer.  As the stage was emptying, a
woman sitting next to Gramma leaned over and asked "Do you think the dances
in this show were appropriate?"

   Granny scowled and said "Hell no its not appropriate!  Damn kids and
their flexible spines!  Reminding me how old I am." She made a big show of
grimacing, reaching behind to massage her back, struggling to get her old
decrepit body (HA!) out of the chair.  And with that she took her leave to
claim a lunch picnic table in the shade of some big trees.

   When the girls were off the stage and back on the ground, Lisa mentioned
going to her family to grab her regular clothes and change.  Becky promptly
piped up with "Change?  What for?  Those clothes are too hot.  Besides, I
think we're allowed to be like this all day.  Let's take advantage." Becky
reached back onto the stage and grabbed her wig, putting it on her head in
a haphazard position, strictly as an easy way to keep from losing it. 
Lisa's hair has finally come completely loose and all three are making no
effort to use the hair for modesty.

   Sally sees little sister Penny break away from her mother and walk over
to the squirt-gun battle station area.  She pays for a ticket and selects a
water gun.  There are a few boys hanging around since this station is where
the recharge water barrel is located.  Penny picks a few squirt fights and
gets her shirt very wet.  She does the smart thing and off the shirt comes,
tossing it toward her mom.  A few minutes her pants are soaked so off they
go.  After a clumsy slide through some mud her panties have to come off. 
Soon after she is naked and she charges after some boys, ready for revenge.

   Sally and her two friends take a tour of the carnival area, remarking on
the booths they want to see again.  Many eyes are following them with
pleasant surprise at the topless costume.  As they look over the kiddie
rides Becky decides that she is hungry so they amble out to the food
trucks. The carnival organizers have done an excellent job of soliciting a
wide variety of quality food vendors.  In addition to hot dogs, hamburgers,
and garlic fries, there are booths and trucks with cuisine from around the
world.

   As they each decide what part of the world they want to sample, Sally
sees a streak of odd color in the corner of her eyes.  Its Penny.  She has
a happy grin, shrieking a war cry, a water-pump-gun at the ready, dripping
wet and sprinting nude after Eddie and another boy.  Sally now notices that
a few under-10yo kids have also taken off all their clothes, some with
squirt-guns, the rest chasing the water jets at the fountain.

   The three girls now have rumbling tummys but realize that since the
grass skirts have no pockets, they have no money.  While discussing how
they can quickly find one of their parents, Becky sees 4 boys from school:
"Oh look, there's Andy.  HI ANDY!"

   Sally gasps in fright, "Becky!  What are you doing?  They're not
anonymous strangers!  Those boys know us!  They go to school with us!  And
we are, you know ..."

   Becky: "Yeah!  Isn't it great?  You're hungry right?  We don't have
pockets for money and our parents are somewhere in the crowd.  I'm going to
get them to buy us lunch."

   Sally is skeptical, not realizing the psychological power 3 topless
girls have over very young men.  As Becky gets the attention of the boys
and calls them over, the other two do a half-hearted hand-bra when as the
guys get closer.

   Becky "invites" the boys to buy lunch for the group, and they object,
not having grown into the understanding of exactly what a treat it is to be
around Tahitian dancers in their native costumes.  So they complain, and
ask "Why should we buy your food?"

   Becky: "Because, our table is over there", pointing in the direction of
the table Grams has staked out, "and there aren't any empty spots." To
emphasize the choice the boys must make, she reaches up behind her head and
flips the wig's long hair down her back, "Buy us lunch and you can sit with
us at those tables in the shade, instead of on the ground in the sun."

   Becky says: "You can sit with us at those tables in the shade ..." Evan
hears: "You can eat lunch with 3 topless girls ..."

   Becky says: "...  instead of on the ground in the sun." Evan hears: "...
or you can waste your lunchtime sitting in the dirt with boys."

   Evan instantly recognizes the benefits offered for such a low fee and
quickly says "Oh hell, I'm in." before the other boys have finished
understanding what Becky really meant.  With this signal of getting a quick
meal, Sally and Lisa gradually stop hiding their breasts, slowly dropping
the hand bras.

   The girls move back and forth between the food trucks, sometimes
sniffing the fragrance of exotic spices, trying to decide which meal to
select.  With the breasts of three classmates in full view the boys have
forgotten if they are hungry or not.  Their attention is nowhere near their
stomachs, although they do their best to be looking elsewhere when one of
the girls glances their way.  Finally the selections are made and the boys
pool their money.  Lisa sees David squirm as he fishes through his pockets,
digging as deep as he can.  He does manage to contribute his share, but
Lisa sees that he orders for himself only a small bag of chips.

   When everybody is ready, the boys and girls, pick up their food packages
and they walk over to the table that Becky's Gram has reserved.  David
tosses his bag of chips on the table and thumps down on the bench, looking
a little grumpy.  Lisa, always a schemer, thinks about David's situation,
puzzling out what would make her sullen in his place, and finally figures
out his problem.  She gets up, moves her food to his side of the table and
sits back down beside him, saying "I can't eat all these sticks of chicken
satay.  Can you help me?"

   This brings the spirits of David booming way up.  Naturally after the
first bite or two of food the kids start yacking, and the talk quickly
turns to the dance.  All the boys say the dance was very good, where did
you learn to do that?  how long did it take to practice?  and more blah
blah blah.  Finally one gets the nerve to start down the path of questions
all the boys really want answered.  Andy says "We really like the costumes,
well Chip wasn't so sure at first, but we managed to convince him!"

   With this, Chip sputters "What?  Didn't like?  When did I say that?  I
like the costume, really.  Really!"

   As Andy breaks out in a fit of laughter, it becomes obvious he was just
kidding.  "Gotcha!  But really, where do they come from?"

   Lisa says Becky's Gram made them, except for the wigs.  Sally added she
started with bark right from a tree.  Gram just sat there with a proud
smile, absorbing the compliments.  Chip says "I am just asking, not
complaining or anything, but Tahitian dance costumes usually involve
coconuts.  Why aren't you all wearing any?"

   Becky sets them straight with "Those aren't from our culture.  That's
from Hawai'i, and even then the Western invaders brought it with them. 
Coconut bras.  How lame is that concept?  It's sad.  Hard to think of a
culture more pimped out and destroyed by tourism than that of Hawai'i."

   Sally gives a practical explanation of "Besides, its too hot to wear
anything we don't really HAVE to."

   The boys all agree with that sentiment and immediately take off their
T-shirts.  Lisa tells the boys "If you are going to dress like that, sit up
straight and don't slouch." She puts one hand on the small of David's back,
the other near his collarbone, and with gentle pressure guides him to
straighten up.

   Becky says "Like this", laughing as she exaggerates the posture with her
back straight and stiff, thrusting her breasts out.  She takes the wig off,
stiffly and formally turning to Grams to hand it over.

   Sally smilingly exclaims, "I see the problem!  You guys don't have the
right kind of equipment on your chest to remind you to sit correctly."

   The other two girls mimic Becky's move, with stiff ramrod upright backs,
also taking off their wigs and handing them to Grams for safe keeping. 
Lisa is somewhat exalted by the feeling of air movement over her bare
torso. Even with the sticky heat, it feels much better that having to cover
up with a shirt.  "I can see why you boys like to run around without
shirts. This feels mighty nice." The boys all quickly agree and voice their
sorrow that girls don't have more opportunities to dress more freely. 
Especially Chip, not wanting to give his mates any chance to "convince"
him.

   David looks over the food plate that Becky is eating.  It is so
unfamiliar and looks unappetizing.  He asks Becky "Are you eating
Polynesian food?  In my neighborhood, there are Chinese restaurants
advertising 'Polynesian' cuisine.  Having never been to Polynesia, I have
no idea what this is.  However, people tell me that real Hawaiian food is
pretty gross stuff - steamed pork parts and mashed taro root (poi).  Is it
true that poi can be used as a substitute for library paste?" (Becky
punches him in the arm) This got a good laugh out of everyone, including
Grams.

   As the group were finishing their lunch meal, Penny hustled over to the
table still naked, set down her water gun, and started snacking on some
leftover chips.  Grams saw this and gave her some money, telling her to go
get some real food from the trucks.  When she returns, Sally smells
sunscreen on Penny and asks where she got it.

   [Penny] "Oh, there's a spot near the main entrance with some man running
a sun-screen spray squirter.  Its real fast and you can get everything
covered."

   [Grams] Penny, do you know where Eddie is?

   [Penny] (giggling) He's hiding from me.  He doesn't want to get soaked
again.

   [Grams] Alright, but the tables here are base.  No squirting when you
are in range.  If you see Eddie, tell him to come get lunch.

   The big boys and girls leave the table heading for the sun-screen spray
as Penny starts wolfing down her lunch.  When Penny is done and gone, Eddie
shows up with another boy, both dripping wet.  Grams makes sure they both
get some food, as it looks like they have had a busy day playing water war.
Grams asks who the friend is and Eddie replies that he is Kevin, an online
buddy that plays networked video games.

   After a few minutes a woman approaches, calling Kevin's name.  "Kevin,
come away from that table right now!" And to Grams she scolds "I don't want
my son anywhere near that immoral disgusting display put on by those three
hussies in their outrageous costumes."

   Grams says "Eddie plays video games with your son.  I've seen those
games.  You are disturbed that some young boys and girls had a pleasant
lunchtime conversation, and yet allow your son to play violent, murderous
video games with spraying blood and gore in high definition slow motion?"

   The interloper barked "YOU LEAVE MY SON OUT OF THIS!"

   Gram calmly replied "But here you are sticking your face into what my
girls do."

   As the other woman storms off, Grams comments to Eddie "As you grow
older and become interested in politics, remember.  No matter what pretext
they wrap around it, its all about controlling access to breeding females.
Heh, maybe nudity interferes with the murderous vigor her culture needs in
order to put its stamp across the world".

   Eddie has no idea what she means, but he files it away for future
contemplation.   After eating, Eddie thanks Grams for the food and puts
the all the table trash into a rubbish barrel, then goes back to the
water-war.

   Sally's group of boys and girls wander across the festival, going in the
general direction of the sun-screen booth.  They pass a few clusters of
acquaintances and schoolmates, all have the look of complete surprise. 
Becky has no problem chatting them all up, boys or girls, even though she
is topless.  Sally and Lisa start to become a little defensive going
against the grain of American modesty.  They finally bump into a small
group of boys and girls that are mildly hostile to the idea of bare breasts
in public.  Becky gently stamps down the disapproval from a girl and tells
her, "You look like you are overheating.  Can we take you to the fountains
to cool off?  Its really too hot today to be dressed like you are." With
this signal from mother nature, Sally and Lisa relax and accept the sanity
of their current costume.  Becky leads the heat stressed girl and her group
on a side trip to the water fountains, with one of her friends on each side
just in case she stumbles.

   At the fountain, Becky tells her "Most of the heat from your body is
given off through your head.  Next comes your arms.  Get your hands and
arms wet and cool in the fountain, then splash some water on your face and
hair.  Since the park is letting little tots play here, you don't have to
be careful about keeping this water out of your eyes and ears.  Its safe
and clean."

   When the girl is recovered enough to be left with her friends, the gang
resumes their march to the sun-spray.  As the booth comes into view, Sally
sees that the Reed dancers are just finishing up getting coated with sun
screen.  All Reed girls are picking up their bras, preparing to put them
back on.  She says "Hi Alicia, we don't need to do that.  We can go
native!"

   Alicia and Tina look at each other, smile, and drop their tops into
their swag bags.  The biggest girl thinks about this for a few seconds,
then continues to wiggle her way into the bra, "That's fine for you smaller
ladies, but gravity is not my friend."

   Each girl in Sally's group takes a turn in the spray area, reaches up to
hold the hair away from the spray, then twirls around a few times until the
coverage is complete.  Then its the boys turn, which was not nearly so
entertaining to the operator as the girls.  As the group drifts back into
the carnival, several college age girls take their turns to get topless for
the sun spray and do not dress up again.

   Leaving the sun spray, the Tahitian and Reed groups wander aimlessly
through the carnival checking out the game booths.  The carnival is put on
with a core of professional traveling entertainers and roustabouts, with
some elaborate activities.  The first stop is at a target practice spot. 
The kids line up to shoot a B-B gun at paper targets.  This booth is run by
a professional from the carnival company, who is VERY happy to see kids. 
Its a low paying job but the group is large enough that he can afford to
let the topless girls have some extra free shots at the targets.  He takes
great delight in the pleasure of the visual bonanza that is presented.

   The kids pay for several turns at the guns, thinking that experience
will improve their scores, but all they get (well, due to the joy of the
carney man, all the girls get) are some large stuffed fluffy animals.  The
group moves on to the booth in the next slot.  Its a ring toss, and since
it is a simple easy game the staff is made up of school parent volunteers.
The reaction inside the booth to the half dressed girls is "Oh wow!  Are
you sure you can do that?"

   Sally says "We've been like this half the day and nobody has told us its
a problem."

   "Ok.  I don't want the police storming through here wrecking everyone's
fun.  Were you part of the talent show?  I heard about that.  Native
indeed, sorry I missed it.  Here are your rings, hook a blue bottle for the
biggest prize."

   The boys are tasked with carrying more big fluffy stuffed animals as the
girls get lucky with the rings.  As the group slowly walks over to the next
attraction Lisa sees a small group of boys that seem to be shadowing them.
She nonchalantly guides her group into the house of mirrors action theater.
The real reason Lisa has for going in there is to spend so much time that
the shadows get bored and go away.  On the other hand, theres gobs of fun
to be had with all the mirrors, taking wrong turns, going in circles, and
getting lost.  Her determination to stay within the mirrors outlasts the
enthusiasm of her friends, so they finally have to drag her out the door.
Lisa is relieved that the shadows have moved on.

   The day goes on with the group meandering randomly from one booth to
another.  Along the way they must have bumped into nearly everyone in their
grade (it is a school carnival after all).  Sally and Lisa can't quite stop
tensing up as they talk to friends they meet along the way.  Becky takes it
all in stride, thinking as she meets her other girlfriends how lucky she is
to be topless in this heat, and how uncomfortable the other side looks.  If
the friend gets too uptight about the dancer's attire, Becky mentions that
no matter how light and airy an outfit seems in an air conditioned store,
ANY clothing at all will make the hot sticky air worse.

   As they drift along a row of booths Sally sees the college girls that
got topless at the sun-spray, and notes that they have not put their shirts
back on but are using those shirts to dress up a big stuffed animal.  They
are talking with park officials and a bunch of upset adults.  Sally says to
her group "Hey guys, what's up over there?"

   Just then the two topless ladies break away leaving the upset adults in
an animated argument with the park workers.  As the ladies pass Sally she
gives them a small wave and a smile.  When the ladies smile back Sally asks
what the disturbance is all about.

   "That bunch over there got upset that we were topless.  We saw you on
stage and heard about the 'true to culture' thing.  We are from Germany and
in our culture this is how we go to the park on hot days.  Then at the
sun-spray we saw your group with no tops, so we did the same."

   Lisa piped up with "They bought that Germany angle?"

   "Well, we talked in a fake German accent ...  did you ever watch the old
TV show 'Hogans Heroes'?  We talked like that sargent fellow.  They were
still going to throw us out but then we showed the park guys our German
passports.  Then it was all cool.  We are glad to see the USA is finally
joining the rest of the civilized world.  We'll spread the word back in
Europe."

   The group had time for a last ride on the Ferris Wheel before the
carnival closed down.  The good news was that the school year was almost
over.  The bad news for Eddie was that his low grades mandated some weeks
of summer school.

   On the first weekend after the regular school classes ended, Sally's
young cousin Ellen came to visit for the summer.  She is the same age as
Penny and they get along famously.