Read Online The Boys Start the War by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
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going to be hard enough.”
“Who gets the note?” Caroline wanted to know.
“You’re going to give it to Wally. If we gave it toJake or Josh, they wouldn’t even read it—probably just make a spitball out of it.” Eddie said.
Caroline could hardly wait to get to class. When the bell rang and she went in her room, however, Wally wouldn’t even look at her, which told her just how upset the boys were that they had lost their father’s flashlight.
She decided to wait until Miss Applebaum finished talking before she dropped the note over Wally’s shoulder. But Miss Applebaum wouldn’t shut up. She was talking about the invention of the telegraph or something, which did not interest Caroline in the least. Caroline rested her head on one hand and drew a picture of Miss Applebaum in her notebook.
The more the teacher droned on, the wilder the drawing became. She gave Miss Applebaum a monstrous mouth, with fire coming out of it. She gave her horns and a tail and scales like a dragon. The dragon lady even looked like Miss Applebaum—had the same kind of hair and the same kind of glasses. Clickety, clackety went the teacher’s mouth, like a telegraph of its own.
Walty raised one hand to go to the bathroom and Miss Applebaum nodded that he could go.
Now , thought Caroline, while he was out of the room. She waited until Miss Applebaum was looking the other way, then quickly leaned forward and dropped the note onto Wally’s desk.
When Wally came back, Miss Applebaum wasstill carrying on, and Caroline was busily drawing claws on the teacher’s hands and feet.
She saw Wally’s head bend down over the desk as though he were looking at something, saw his arms move slightly as though he were unfolding a piece of paper, and then she watched as his ears turned from pink to red.
A few minutes later a small piece of paper came flying over Wally’s shoulder and landed on her notebook. Caroline opened it.
Malloy Musketeers , it said. Drop dead.
The telegraph led to the telephone and the phonograph, and Caroline felt that she could not stand it another minute. This time she raised her hand to be allowed to go to the rest room, and when the teacher nodded, she tiptoed out. Once in the hallway she gave a big sigh of relief.
The girls’ rest room was on the other side of the auditorium, and Caroline did a risky thing. Instead of going around she opened one of the great doors to the darkened room, took the four steps up on stage, and walked out to the middle, staring up at the rows of seats before her. Goose bumps rose on her arms.
Someday, she was sure, she would be here, with lights shining down on her, in a gorgeous costume, and she would dazzle the people of Buckman as they’d never been dazzled before. She walked to the very edge of the stage and whispered to the audience, “A faithful and obedient servant of therealm, now and forever.” It sounded wonderfully mysterious and romantic. That done, she crossed over, went down the steps, and out the door on the other side.
All heads were bent over desks when Caroline came back into the room, and as she went down the aisle to her seat, Miss Applebaum said, “We are all writing a paragraph about what we think is the world’s greatest invention, Caroline.”
Thank goodness the lecture was over, Caroline thought, and reached for her pencil
When she looked down at her notebook, however, she realized that the picture of Miss Applebaum was gone. There were little bits of paper around the three metal rings, as though a paper had been quickly snatched away. Her heart leapt. She stared up at the teacher, wondering if Miss Applebaum had come by and taken it.
But the teacher seemed completely undisturbed. Caroline stared at the back of Wally’s head. He had taken it! He must have. When he came back from the rest room and walked by her desk, he must have seen what she was drawing. And somehow, when she was out of the room herself, he had managed to turn around and take the
“Who gets the note?” Caroline wanted to know.
“You’re going to give it to Wally. If we gave it toJake or Josh, they wouldn’t even read it—probably just make a spitball out of it.” Eddie said.
Caroline could hardly wait to get to class. When the bell rang and she went in her room, however, Wally wouldn’t even look at her, which told her just how upset the boys were that they had lost their father’s flashlight.
She decided to wait until Miss Applebaum finished talking before she dropped the note over Wally’s shoulder. But Miss Applebaum wouldn’t shut up. She was talking about the invention of the telegraph or something, which did not interest Caroline in the least. Caroline rested her head on one hand and drew a picture of Miss Applebaum in her notebook.
The more the teacher droned on, the wilder the drawing became. She gave Miss Applebaum a monstrous mouth, with fire coming out of it. She gave her horns and a tail and scales like a dragon. The dragon lady even looked like Miss Applebaum—had the same kind of hair and the same kind of glasses. Clickety, clackety went the teacher’s mouth, like a telegraph of its own.
Walty raised one hand to go to the bathroom and Miss Applebaum nodded that he could go.
Now , thought Caroline, while he was out of the room. She waited until Miss Applebaum was looking the other way, then quickly leaned forward and dropped the note onto Wally’s desk.
When Wally came back, Miss Applebaum wasstill carrying on, and Caroline was busily drawing claws on the teacher’s hands and feet.
She saw Wally’s head bend down over the desk as though he were looking at something, saw his arms move slightly as though he were unfolding a piece of paper, and then she watched as his ears turned from pink to red.
A few minutes later a small piece of paper came flying over Wally’s shoulder and landed on her notebook. Caroline opened it.
Malloy Musketeers , it said. Drop dead.
The telegraph led to the telephone and the phonograph, and Caroline felt that she could not stand it another minute. This time she raised her hand to be allowed to go to the rest room, and when the teacher nodded, she tiptoed out. Once in the hallway she gave a big sigh of relief.
The girls’ rest room was on the other side of the auditorium, and Caroline did a risky thing. Instead of going around she opened one of the great doors to the darkened room, took the four steps up on stage, and walked out to the middle, staring up at the rows of seats before her. Goose bumps rose on her arms.
Someday, she was sure, she would be here, with lights shining down on her, in a gorgeous costume, and she would dazzle the people of Buckman as they’d never been dazzled before. She walked to the very edge of the stage and whispered to the audience, “A faithful and obedient servant of therealm, now and forever.” It sounded wonderfully mysterious and romantic. That done, she crossed over, went down the steps, and out the door on the other side.
All heads were bent over desks when Caroline came back into the room, and as she went down the aisle to her seat, Miss Applebaum said, “We are all writing a paragraph about what we think is the world’s greatest invention, Caroline.”
Thank goodness the lecture was over, Caroline thought, and reached for her pencil
When she looked down at her notebook, however, she realized that the picture of Miss Applebaum was gone. There were little bits of paper around the three metal rings, as though a paper had been quickly snatched away. Her heart leapt. She stared up at the teacher, wondering if Miss Applebaum had come by and taken it.
But the teacher seemed completely undisturbed. Caroline stared at the back of Wally’s head. He had taken it! He must have. When he came back from the rest room and walked by her desk, he must have seen what she was drawing. And somehow, when she was out of the room herself, he had managed to turn around and take the
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