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Amelia Bedelia was a cheerful and kind young woman who had just started a new job as a housemaid for Mr. and Mrs. Rogers. She was eager to do her best and please them. She wore her neat black dress, a white apron, and her favorite hat, smiling as she entered the Rogers’ house for the first time. She loved to help people, but she always took instructions very seriously—so seriously that she sometimes misunderstood what others really meant.
Mrs. Rogers greeted Amelia Bedelia warmly and showed her around the house. She had a long list of things for Amelia to do while she and Mr. Rogers were out. Amelia listened carefully, nodding and smiling as Mrs. Rogers spoke. “Dust the furniture, draw the drapes, measure two cups of rice, change the towels, and dress the chicken for dinner,” Mrs. Rogers said before leaving. Amelia promised she would do everything exactly as told. She really meant it.
Once they left, Amelia tied her apron tighter and got right to work. The first task was to dust the furniture. She looked around and thought for a moment. “Well, that’s strange,” she said. “If I dust the furniture, that means I’ll put dust on it.” So she went to the pantry, found a bag of dusting powder, and sprinkled it all over the tables, chairs, and shelves. “There! Now everything is nice and dusted,” she said proudly.
Next, she remembered Mrs. Rogers had said to draw the drapes when the sun came in. Amelia fetched her sketchbook and some pencils and sat by the window. She looked at the curtains carefully and began to draw them with great care. When she finished, she held up the paper and admired her work. “Those are some fine-looking drapes,” she said, feeling very pleased.
Then she went on to the next task—measuring two cups of rice. That one was easy, she thought. She took out two cups, filled each with rice, and set them neatly on the counter. “Done and done!” she said happily. She didn’t cook the rice yet because no one had told her to cook it. Amelia believed in doing exactly what she was told—no more, no less.
The list said “change the towels in the bathroom.” Amelia thought that was an odd request, but she took it literally. She went into the bathroom, pulled out the towels, and snipped them up with scissors to make them look different. “There! Now they’re changed,” she said proudly as she looked at her newly cut towels. She smiled at her cleverness.
The next task was to “dress the chicken.” Amelia went to the kitchen and found the raw chicken sitting on the counter. She thought for a moment. “Oh my, the poor thing doesn’t have anything to wear!” she said. So she went to her sewing basket, found a small doll dress, and slipped it over the chicken. “Now that’s one well-dressed bird!” she laughed. She even tied a little ribbon around its neck to make it look extra nice.
Feeling proud of her work, Amelia remembered there was one more thing Mrs. Rogers had said—“prepare dessert.” Amelia decided to make her favorite lemon meringue pie. She had her own secret recipe that she was very proud of. She measured the ingredients carefully, mixed the filling just right, and baked it until the crust was golden and the top was light and fluffy. The whole house soon smelled like sweet lemons.
When Mr. and Mrs. Rogers returned home, they were excited to see how well Amelia had done. But as soon as Mrs. Rogers stepped into the living room, her mouth fell open. “Amelia Bedelia! What have you done to my furniture?” she cried. Amelia smiled and said proudly, “I dusted it, just like you told me to!” Mrs. Rogers ran her fingers over a table, leaving a trail in the layer of dust. “Oh dear! You were supposed to remove the dust, not add it!”
They walked to the window, and Mrs. Rogers gasped again. “Why are there drawings of my curtains on the table?” Amelia said, “You asked me to draw the drapes, so I drew them. See? Aren’t they nice?” Mrs. Rogers rubbed her forehead. “Oh my goodness, Amelia,” she sighed.
When they entered the bathroom, Mrs. Rogers cried out, “What happened to my towels?” Amelia smiled and said, “You told me to change them, so I cut them up to make them different!” Mr. Rogers tried not to laugh, but it was difficult. He had never seen anyone take things so literally before.
They went to the kitchen next. Mrs. Rogers gasped when she saw the chicken wearing a little dress. “What is that?” she shouted. “It’s your chicken, all dressed for dinner,” Amelia said proudly. “Isn’t she cute?” Mr. Rogers couldn’t help it—he burst into laughter. Amelia looked a bit confused but was glad someone liked her work.
Mrs. Rogers looked around, trying to stay calm. She didn’t know whether to scold or laugh. Everything seemed like a disaster. Then Amelia remembered something. “Oh! Before you get upset, please have a slice of pie,” she said and set the lemon meringue pie on the table. The sweet smell filled the room again.
Mr. Rogers took a bite, and his eyes lit up. “This is the best lemon pie I’ve ever tasted!” he said. Mrs. Rogers tried a slice too and couldn’t help smiling. “Why, Amelia, this is wonderful!” she said. Amelia beamed with joy. “I’m so glad you like it! I make it the same way my mother taught me.”
Mrs. Rogers sighed and laughed softly. “Well, Amelia Bedelia,” she said kindly, “you certainly do things your own way. But maybe next time, I should explain things a little better.” Amelia nodded eagerly. “That would be nice, ma’am. I always do exactly what I’m told.”
The Rogers decided they couldn’t stay mad at her. She had made them laugh and baked the best pie they’d ever eaten. They realized that even though Amelia misunderstood their directions, she had a good heart and worked very hard. Mrs. Rogers wrote a new list for her, this time making sure it was clear. “Instead of ‘dust the furniture,’ I’ll write ‘wipe the furniture with a cloth,’” she said with a smile. Amelia nodded. “That’ll help me a lot,” she said happily.
The next day, Amelia came back early and got to work with the new list. She read every line carefully and made sure she understood it. When it said “put the lights out,” she didn’t take the bulbs out this time—she simply turned off the switches. When it said “trim the fat on the steak,” she didn’t decorate it with ribbons—she cut off the extra fat like Mrs. Rogers had shown her. She was learning, slowly but surely.
Later that afternoon, Mrs. Rogers came home and checked the house. Everything was neat and tidy, and dinner smelled delicious. She smiled and said, “Amelia, you’ve done everything perfectly!” Amelia beamed. “Thank you, ma’am. I just followed your list carefully.” Mrs. Rogers realized that Amelia was a treasure, even if she took things a bit too literally.
From that day on, the Rogers grew very fond of Amelia. She continued to make them laugh with her funny way of seeing things, but she also became a better helper with time. Every once in a while, she still made a mistake—like when Mrs. Rogers once said to “put out the lights” for a party, and Amelia set them outside on the porch. But the Rogers didn’t mind anymore. They knew that Amelia’s heart was pure and her intentions were always good.
One day, Mrs. Rogers’ friends came to visit, and they asked to meet the maid who always made them laugh with her stories. Amelia greeted them warmly and offered slices of her famous lemon meringue pie. The guests adored her instantly. They said she was one of a kind. Amelia blushed and said, “Oh, I just try to do what people tell me to!” Everyone laughed kindly, and the room filled with happiness.
After that, Amelia became not just the Rogers’ maid but also their friend. She took care of the house with pride and made the family’s life brighter every day. Her funny misunderstandings became stories the Rogers would tell for years, each one ending with laughter and pie. Even when Amelia didn’t quite get things right, she always managed to make people smile—and that was something truly special.
Whenever new guests came to visit, Mrs. Rogers would warn them gently, “If you give Amelia instructions, make sure you mean exactly what you say.” Everyone would laugh, but they all loved her just the same. Because even though Amelia Bedelia sometimes got things hilariously wrong, she always made life more joyful for everyone around her.
And so Amelia Bedelia continued her happy days, cooking, cleaning, and doing her best in her own wonderfully unique way. Whenever she made a mistake, she would smile and say, “I guess I’ll know better next time!” And then she’d bake another pie to make up for it. No one could ever stay upset with her—not when there was laughter in the air and the smell of lemon pie filling the kitchen.
Through her good heart, her cheerful nature, and her silly but sweet mistakes, Amelia taught everyone that sometimes doing things “exactly as told” can lead to a little confusion—but also a lot of joy. The Rogers learned to laugh more, Amelia learned to listen better, and their house was always filled with warmth, kindness, and the sweet scent of fresh-baked pie.