Category : Word Processors
Archive   : READ.ZIP
Filename : CHILD.TXT

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RIBSY BECOMES A MASCOT, BEVERLY CLEARY, P.110-111
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"Never mind, Danny. You showed him, and that is enough." His
mother spoke sharply before she escaped from the classroom with
Frisky safe inside the box.
It was all over. The class slid back into their seats and
waited to see what Mr. Woody would say about the interesting time
they had had when they were supposed to be learning arithmetic.
The principal came to the front of the room and gave Ribsy a
stern look. Then he faced the expectant class. "Boys and
girls." Mr. Woody sounded very serious. "Dogs are not allowed
on the school grounds." The class looked guilty. They all knew
this, but it was Mr. Woody himself who had called the dog their
mascot.
"And I'm afraid I made a mistake in making an exception -"
Mr. Woody looked once more at Ribsy.
Now Ribsy looked guilty. He understood he had done
something wrong, but he was not sure what it was. He thought
dogs were supposed to chase squirrels and get rid of them.
"- but this dog looked like such a friendly dog," continued
Mr. Woody, "and he seemed so well behaved that I overlooked the
rule."
Ribsy waved his tail wistfully to show that he did not mean
to do anything wrong, that he was really a very nice dog.
"Now we know," said Mr. Woody, "that a dog does not make a
good mascot and that the rule is right. This should be a lesson
for all of us. I'm afraid the dog will have to go."
"Oh-" The class made a sad sound. They loved their mascot
and did not want him to go. Neither did they want this morning,
which had been such fun, turned into a lesson in obeying rules.
When Mr. Woody looked at Ribsy, the dog stopped waving his
tail and let it droop. He knew he had not succeeded in making
everything all right again. He hung his head and looked
dejected.
"Come on, boy," said Mr. Woody kindly, and took hold of
Ribsy's collar. "Come along with me."