hopefully.
“No, chairs and bears,” said Miss Nogard.
What an idiot! thought Benjamin.
“Question four,” said Miss Nogard. “Ron?” … And so it went. Miss Nogard went through the entire homework assignment, and nobody gave a correct answer.
“I’m very disappointed,” she said when they were finished. “You obviously didn’t understand it. So I’m afraid I’m going to have to assign homework tonight after all.”
Everyone groaned.
“I don’t like it any better than you do,” said Miss Nogard. “But it’s for your own good.”
She assigned three pages of homework, plus they had to do yesterday’s homework over again as well.
But nobody blamed Miss Nogard. They liked her! She didn’t even want to give homework.
They blamed each other.
It’s not fair! thought Benjamin. I only missed one problem. But I have to do extra homework because everyone else is so stupid!
It was the same all around the room. Nobody missed more than two problems. Everyone thought everyone else was stupid!
Miss Nogard smiled as she listened to their thoughts.
I hate Joe! thought John.
I hate Calvin! thought Bebe.
I hate Joy! thought Maurecia.
I hate Allison! thought Rondi.
And everyone hated Ron.
g
Chapter 30
The Little Stranger
Wayside School was no fun anymore.
“Hey, out of my way, buster!” said Deedee as she pushed past Ron on her way to her seat.
“Hey, keep your hairy paws to yourself!” said Ron.
Nobody had any friends. Everybody hated everybody — except Miss Nogard. They all liked her.
But then a miracle happened.
A new kid came to school.
The new kid couldn’t talk. She had no teeth. She was almost bald.
She was beautiful.
Her name was Mavis Jewls. She was only four days old.
She really was a new kid.
Mrs. Jewls carried her into the classroom.
And when the baby came through the door, all the hate flew out the window.
Louis came in behind them carrying a bassinet, a diaper bag, an assortment of toys, and a baby bottle.
“It’s Mrs. Jewls and her baby!” Todd exclaimed.
Louis set the bassinet on Todd’s desk. Mrs. Jewls gently laid her baby down in it, on soft yellow blankets.
Everyone crowded around the little stranger.
“Look at her totally tiny toes!” Bebe squealed. “Aren’t those the cutest things you’ve ever seen in your whole life?”
“Check out her nose!” said Myron.
“Oh, she’s so beautiful, Mrs. Jewls,” said Joy. “Can I touch her?”
“Sure,” said Mrs. Jewls.
They took turns touching the baby.
“Goo-goo, goo-goo,” said Mac as he gently shook Mavis’s little hand.
“Iggle wiggle poo poo,” said Allison, tapping her on the nose.
“Iggle wiggle poo poo poo,” said Rondi, tickling her foot.
“Yibble bibble,” said Todd.
“Ooh goo boo boo,” cooed Joe.
“She’s never going to learn to talk around you kids,” said Mrs. Jewls with a laugh.
Dana was so happy she cried. She hugged Mrs. Jewls.
They all took turns hugging Mrs. Jewls.
Of course, there was one person who wasn’t happy. “May I hold her, Mrs. Jewls?” Miss Nogard asked sweetly.
Mrs. Jewls looked at the substitute teacher.
“It’s okay,” said Allison. “Miss Nogard’s a real nice teacher.”
“Sure, go ahead,” said Mrs. Jewls. “I’m sorry for interrupting your class like this.”
“Oh, that’s quite all right,” said Miss Nogard, picking up Mrs. Jewls’s baby. “She’s just adorable.”
The window by Sharie’s desk was wide open. That’s kind of dangerous , Miss Nogard realized. Somebody might accidentally drop something out the window .
She slowly moved toward it as she swayed with the baby. “I’ve heard so much about you, Mrs. Jewls,” she said. “The children have missed you.”
“I’ve missed them too,” said Mrs. Jewls.
There was a rubber-band ball on the floor next to Sharie’s desk. Sharie had been making it, although it wasn’t nearly as big as the one Mr. Kidswatter had been making.
If I tripped over that rubber-band
“No, chairs and bears,” said Miss Nogard.
What an idiot! thought Benjamin.
“Question four,” said Miss Nogard. “Ron?” … And so it went. Miss Nogard went through the entire homework assignment, and nobody gave a correct answer.
“I’m very disappointed,” she said when they were finished. “You obviously didn’t understand it. So I’m afraid I’m going to have to assign homework tonight after all.”
Everyone groaned.
“I don’t like it any better than you do,” said Miss Nogard. “But it’s for your own good.”
She assigned three pages of homework, plus they had to do yesterday’s homework over again as well.
But nobody blamed Miss Nogard. They liked her! She didn’t even want to give homework.
They blamed each other.
It’s not fair! thought Benjamin. I only missed one problem. But I have to do extra homework because everyone else is so stupid!
It was the same all around the room. Nobody missed more than two problems. Everyone thought everyone else was stupid!
Miss Nogard smiled as she listened to their thoughts.
I hate Joe! thought John.
I hate Calvin! thought Bebe.
I hate Joy! thought Maurecia.
I hate Allison! thought Rondi.
And everyone hated Ron.
g
Chapter 30
The Little Stranger
Wayside School was no fun anymore.
“Hey, out of my way, buster!” said Deedee as she pushed past Ron on her way to her seat.
“Hey, keep your hairy paws to yourself!” said Ron.
Nobody had any friends. Everybody hated everybody — except Miss Nogard. They all liked her.
But then a miracle happened.
A new kid came to school.
The new kid couldn’t talk. She had no teeth. She was almost bald.
She was beautiful.
Her name was Mavis Jewls. She was only four days old.
She really was a new kid.
Mrs. Jewls carried her into the classroom.
And when the baby came through the door, all the hate flew out the window.
Louis came in behind them carrying a bassinet, a diaper bag, an assortment of toys, and a baby bottle.
“It’s Mrs. Jewls and her baby!” Todd exclaimed.
Louis set the bassinet on Todd’s desk. Mrs. Jewls gently laid her baby down in it, on soft yellow blankets.
Everyone crowded around the little stranger.
“Look at her totally tiny toes!” Bebe squealed. “Aren’t those the cutest things you’ve ever seen in your whole life?”
“Check out her nose!” said Myron.
“Oh, she’s so beautiful, Mrs. Jewls,” said Joy. “Can I touch her?”
“Sure,” said Mrs. Jewls.
They took turns touching the baby.
“Goo-goo, goo-goo,” said Mac as he gently shook Mavis’s little hand.
“Iggle wiggle poo poo,” said Allison, tapping her on the nose.
“Iggle wiggle poo poo poo,” said Rondi, tickling her foot.
“Yibble bibble,” said Todd.
“Ooh goo boo boo,” cooed Joe.
“She’s never going to learn to talk around you kids,” said Mrs. Jewls with a laugh.
Dana was so happy she cried. She hugged Mrs. Jewls.
They all took turns hugging Mrs. Jewls.
Of course, there was one person who wasn’t happy. “May I hold her, Mrs. Jewls?” Miss Nogard asked sweetly.
Mrs. Jewls looked at the substitute teacher.
“It’s okay,” said Allison. “Miss Nogard’s a real nice teacher.”
“Sure, go ahead,” said Mrs. Jewls. “I’m sorry for interrupting your class like this.”
“Oh, that’s quite all right,” said Miss Nogard, picking up Mrs. Jewls’s baby. “She’s just adorable.”
The window by Sharie’s desk was wide open. That’s kind of dangerous , Miss Nogard realized. Somebody might accidentally drop something out the window .
She slowly moved toward it as she swayed with the baby. “I’ve heard so much about you, Mrs. Jewls,” she said. “The children have missed you.”
“I’ve missed them too,” said Mrs. Jewls.
There was a rubber-band ball on the floor next to Sharie’s desk. Sharie had been making it, although it wasn’t nearly as big as the one Mr. Kidswatter had been making.
If I tripped over that rubber-band
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