Episode 1, After Reading 4: Discuss in pairs: 1) Do you think Clara was a kind person? Why (not)? 2) How do you think the flower girl felt when her flowers fell into the mud? 3) Why did Clara think her mother had wasted a sixpence? 4) What can you tell about the flower girl’s upbringing? Think! If you were in Clara’s position, how would you treat the flower girl?

1. No, Clara was not very kind. She treated the flower girl rudely and complained about the money spent on her.
2. The flower girl probably felt upset, embarrassed and angry because her flowers were ruined and she had lost a chance to earn money.
3. Clara thought her mother had wasted a sixpence because the flower girl’s flowers had fallen into the mud, so the money seemed to have been spent for nothing.
4. The flower girl appears to have had a poor and difficult upbringing. Her speech and manners suggest that she has had little education.

If I were in Clara’s position, I would speak politely, help the flower girl collect or replace the flowers and give her fair payment.