Claudia And The Terrible Truth Read Online Free PDF Page B

we all sit on the grass over here?" she asked.
    Kristy, Jessi, and I helped round up all the kids. As we were organizing them into a circle, I heard Nate say to Joey, "Better not sit on the grass. You might stain your pants." Joey nodded. "Okay. I'll sit on that stone," he said, pointing to a flat rock. "You can sit on your jacket because it's dark. Stains won't show." Ordinarily, I would have told my charges not to worry. Now, after I'd seen Mr. Nicholls blow up over an open jar of peanut butter, I wasn't so sure. The boys were probably right to be careful. But it made me sad.
    "Okay," said Kristy, after she'd whistled for everyone's attention. "Some of you have mentioned wanting to march in the St. Patrick's Day parade that Stoneybrook is sponsoring this year. Any ideas about what we could do that would be special and fun?" Andrew, who was sitting between Joey and me, said something I couldn't quite hear.
    "Speak up, dummy! Nobody can hear you," said Joey.
    Andrew looked as if he were about to burst into tears.
    I was shocked. I hadn't heard Joey talk that way before. I could see that my friends were surprised too. "Joey, calling names can hurt people's feelings," I said. "You could ask him nicely." Joey looked ashamed. "I didn't mean — " he began. "Sorry," he said to Andrew. "I just wanted to make sure everyone could hear your idea." He looked at me as if to ask if that was better. I nodded.
    "What was it, Andrew?" asked Kristy.
    "I said I wanted us to have a marching band with big hats," he said. Everyone cracked up.
    "I know what he means," Kristy said. "We went to the St. Patrick's Day parade in New York City once, and Andrew loved those guys in the big, tall, furry hats. They play bagpipes." "We could do that!" cried Margo.
    Kristy rolled her eyes. She hates bagpipes.
    "I don't know," said Mal. "I think it might be pretty hard to learn to play bagpipes by St. Patrick's Day." Kristy shot Mal a grateful look.
    "Well, how about just the marching part?" asked Becca. "We could learn to do a march together." "What if we dance instead of march?" asked Karen. "I remember those dancing girls in the parade." She stood up and did an imitation of an Irish dancer, feet moving quickly and arms held straight down by her sides.
    "Hey, that's great!" said Joey, sounding more like the boy I knew. He stood up and started dancing too.
    "Irish dancing," mused Jessi. "That sounds like a great parade idea." "But I was thinking of a float," I said. "Something with an Irish theme. And the kids could be dressed like leprechauns, and — " 'A float is too complicated," said Kristy. "You have to build it, and paint it, and everything." 'And paint is too messy," Nate agreed. I had a feeling he was worrying again about staining his clothes. "Let's just be dancers." "Can we at least make costumes?" I asked. The dancing sounded good, but I wanted to be involved too, and I don't know much about dance.
    Everyone agreed that costumes would be great, and we started thinking of ideas. Then, suddenly, Claire rolled over in the grass and gave a loud shriek.
    "What is it?" asked Mal, rushing to her.
    "I found one! I found one!" She was on her feet now, dancing around, holding something in her fist. Guess what it was?
    A genuine four-leaf clover.
    Chapter 6.
    "Who's the bounciest baby," I sang as I walked around the kitchen with Lynn on my hip. "Who's the jounciest girl?" Lynn giggled. She loves the little songs I make up for her.
    I tested the formula I was heating. Nope, still too cold. I walked around some more. It was late Saturday afternoon, and before long I was going to have to leave Lynn in order to sit for the Nicholls boys. Now, I'd enjoyed sitting for the Nicholls boys, and I was looking forward to sitting for them again. But I didn't want to go just then. It meant giving up my last few hours with Lynn. While I was away, Peaches