Read Online Ellen Tebbits by Beverly Cleary - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Beverly Cleary
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really meant to slap her at all, and they would be best friends again.
Now was the time to start. Ellen went outdoors and found Austine and Linda playing hopscotch. She walked slowly past the girls, but they were having so much fun they didn’t notice her.At least Ellen thought they didn’t notice her.
Austine leaned forward and threw her pebble into a square. “And I was going to have a party and invite her, but I’m not now,” she said to Linda.
“I don’t blame you a bit,” said Linda.“She thinks she’s smart just because her dress is nicer than yours.”
It was no use. When Ellen went home from school that day she changed her clothes and put the monkey dress behind all the other dresses in her closet. She hoped her mother would forget it.Then she sat on the front steps, just in case Austine might decide to come over to say she was sorry.
The shadows of the maple trees grew longer and longer and still there was no sign of Austine. When Ellen finally went into the house, she listened for Austine’s hop, one-two-three and dreaded going to school the next day. She was practically an outcast, a terrible person who had slapped her best friend, even if it was the best friend’s fault. If only she could begin her life over again some place where no one knew her.
“Mother, do I have to go to Rosemont School?” she asked. “Couldn’t I go to Glenwood?”
“No, of course not, dear,” answered her mother. “We don’t live in the Glenwood district. And you wouldn’t want to go to Glenwood when all your friends are at Rosemont, would you? Whatever put such an idea into your head?”
“Oh, nothing,” said Ellen, wondering if she had any friends.
The next day Ellen wore a blue dress to school. Austine appeared in a blouse and skirt. Whenever Ellen tried to catch Austine’s eye to smile encouragingly, Austine was looking in another direction.
When Joanne and Amelia invited Ellen to play hopscotch at recess, she felt a little better, but she couldn’t help noticing how much Linda and Austine laughed over their game of hopscotch.
That afternoon after school Ellen walked to the library. On the way home she decided to go the long way past Austine’s house. She really wanted to look at the gnomes on the lawn next door. She used to look at the gnomes before Austine lived there, and there wasn’t any reason why she couldn’t still look at them, was there? It would be nice if Austine happened to be in the yard and happened to speak to her, but of course that wasn’t the real reason she was walking that way. She just wanted to look at the gnomes, that was all.
But Mrs. Allen, not Austine, was in the yard. “Why hello, Ellen,” she said, and snipped another chrysanthemum. “We haven’t seen you for a long time. Linda and Austine are in the kitchen baking brownies.
Why don’t you go in and help them?”
“Oh no, thank you. Mother is expecting me.” Ellen hurried down the street. Why had she walked past Austine’s house anyway?
Now Mrs. Allen would tell Austine, who would think she had gone that way on purpose.
Then one morning the thing Ellen dreaded happened. Her mother asked her why she did not wear the dress with the monkeys and palm trees printed on it.
“I don’t like the material so much after all,” said Ellen, “but I’d wear it if you could take off the sash. It—it keeps coming untied.” So Ellen wore the sashless monkey dress to school. She hoped Austine might notice the change and use it as an excuse to say she was sorry. Unfortunately, Otis was the only person who noticed. He walked like a monkey and scratched himself whenever he saw Ellen.
That was the day Mrs. Gitler announced that Rosemont was planning to hold open house, so that all the mothers and fathers could visit school. Each class would have its best work on exhibit, and children would be on hand in each room to answer questions.
Others would entertain the parents. The little children’s rhythm band would
Now was the time to start. Ellen went outdoors and found Austine and Linda playing hopscotch. She walked slowly past the girls, but they were having so much fun they didn’t notice her.At least Ellen thought they didn’t notice her.
Austine leaned forward and threw her pebble into a square. “And I was going to have a party and invite her, but I’m not now,” she said to Linda.
“I don’t blame you a bit,” said Linda.“She thinks she’s smart just because her dress is nicer than yours.”
It was no use. When Ellen went home from school that day she changed her clothes and put the monkey dress behind all the other dresses in her closet. She hoped her mother would forget it.Then she sat on the front steps, just in case Austine might decide to come over to say she was sorry.
The shadows of the maple trees grew longer and longer and still there was no sign of Austine. When Ellen finally went into the house, she listened for Austine’s hop, one-two-three and dreaded going to school the next day. She was practically an outcast, a terrible person who had slapped her best friend, even if it was the best friend’s fault. If only she could begin her life over again some place where no one knew her.
“Mother, do I have to go to Rosemont School?” she asked. “Couldn’t I go to Glenwood?”
“No, of course not, dear,” answered her mother. “We don’t live in the Glenwood district. And you wouldn’t want to go to Glenwood when all your friends are at Rosemont, would you? Whatever put such an idea into your head?”
“Oh, nothing,” said Ellen, wondering if she had any friends.
The next day Ellen wore a blue dress to school. Austine appeared in a blouse and skirt. Whenever Ellen tried to catch Austine’s eye to smile encouragingly, Austine was looking in another direction.
When Joanne and Amelia invited Ellen to play hopscotch at recess, she felt a little better, but she couldn’t help noticing how much Linda and Austine laughed over their game of hopscotch.
That afternoon after school Ellen walked to the library. On the way home she decided to go the long way past Austine’s house. She really wanted to look at the gnomes on the lawn next door. She used to look at the gnomes before Austine lived there, and there wasn’t any reason why she couldn’t still look at them, was there? It would be nice if Austine happened to be in the yard and happened to speak to her, but of course that wasn’t the real reason she was walking that way. She just wanted to look at the gnomes, that was all.
But Mrs. Allen, not Austine, was in the yard. “Why hello, Ellen,” she said, and snipped another chrysanthemum. “We haven’t seen you for a long time. Linda and Austine are in the kitchen baking brownies.
Why don’t you go in and help them?”
“Oh no, thank you. Mother is expecting me.” Ellen hurried down the street. Why had she walked past Austine’s house anyway?
Now Mrs. Allen would tell Austine, who would think she had gone that way on purpose.
Then one morning the thing Ellen dreaded happened. Her mother asked her why she did not wear the dress with the monkeys and palm trees printed on it.
“I don’t like the material so much after all,” said Ellen, “but I’d wear it if you could take off the sash. It—it keeps coming untied.” So Ellen wore the sashless monkey dress to school. She hoped Austine might notice the change and use it as an excuse to say she was sorry. Unfortunately, Otis was the only person who noticed. He walked like a monkey and scratched himself whenever he saw Ellen.
That was the day Mrs. Gitler announced that Rosemont was planning to hold open house, so that all the mothers and fathers could visit school. Each class would have its best work on exhibit, and children would be on hand in each room to answer questions.
Others would entertain the parents. The little children’s rhythm band would
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