Gooney Bird and the Room Mother Read Online Free PDF Page A

from under the brim of his tall black Pilgrim hat, added, "Feathers are for babies. Pilgrims were tough and mean. They battled pirates."
    "Actually," Mrs. Pidgeon said, "I don't think the Pilgrims encountered pirates at sea. But they certainly were brave. You're right about that, Ben. Can you lift your hat up a little, so your eyes show?"
    Ben tilted his head back so that he could see. All of the Pilgrims had their heads tilted back. Somehow
the Pilgrim hats were all a little too large.
    "Good work, everyone!" Mrs. Pidgeon continued, looking around at the class. "And you've all memorized the words to the food song?"
    All of the Native Americans and Pilgrims nodded.
    "We'll practice it again when we get the headgear all done."
    "Have you written the room mother song, Mrs. Pidgeon?" Gooney Bird asked. She was coloring Squanto's headband carefully.
    "I'm working on it. There's a little problem with rhyming," Mrs. Pidgeon said. "If only she'd let us use her
name—
"
    "Absolutely not," Gooney Bird said. "Incognito."
    "Well, if you'd explain to her what a problem it creates. For example," Mrs. Pidgeon said, "if the song went,
Hail to thee, Room Mother Greene,
then the next line could easily be
Best room mother we've ever seen—
"
    Gooney Bird Greene stopped coloring. She glared at Mrs. Pidgeon.
    "I just used that as an example," Mrs. Pidgeon explained hastily. "I didn't intend to give anything away. I could have used a different example.
Room Mother Brown
, for instance.
Best room mother in town—
"
    Gooney Bird put her hands on her hips. "I talked to her last night, and she said that if anyone says her name, if anyone reveals her identity, she will
not
bring cupcakes and she will
not even come to the pageant, no matter how many songs you write."
    "Well then, she will remain incognito." Mrs. Pidgeon laughed. "And I'll create the best song I can, under the circumstances."
    "Thank you."
    "And what about Squanto's dance, Gooney Bird? Have you been working on it?"
    Gooney Bird frowned. "Yes. It's hard, though. I keep wanting to do the hula."
    "The
hula?
"
    "My grandma can do the hula," Keiko said. "She lives in Hawaii."
    "That's lovely, Keiko. If she comes to visit, maybe she can give us lessons," Mrs. Pidgeon said.
    "
My
grandma can do the funky chicken!" Chelsea said. She stood, with her white Pilgrim hat falling forward, in order to demonstrate.
    "Gross!" Nicholas and Ben said together, watching Chelsea wiggle her behind.
    Mrs. Pidgeon played a loud chord on the piano in order to get the class's attention. Then she began to play some low notes in a repetitive way. "Pretend this is a drumbeat, Gooney Bird. Squanto should simply move across the stage, keeping time to the sound of drums. Maybe some
rhythmic foot-hopping too?"
    "I guess so," Gooney Bird said. "I'll work on it at home. And it'll be easier when I have my costume on. I'll feel more like a real Squanto in my costume. I'll feel authentic, then."
    Mrs. Pidgeon picked up the chalk and added AUTHENTIC to the word list.
    "
True and original, known to be trustworthy,
" Beanie read from her dictionary.
    "That's Squanto, all right," said Gooney Bird.

7.

    "I've got the room mother song finished," Mrs. Pidgeon announced. She sat down at the piano. "We'll need to learn it quickly because, as you know, the Thanksgiving pageant is next week.
    "Gather round," she said. "And now that we've finished the hats and headbands, why don't we wear them while we sing? This will be a sort of a dress rehearsal.
    "Pilgrims over here." She pointed to the left. "And Native Americans here." She pointed to the right. The second-graders, wearing their headgear, arranged themselves around the piano.
    "I can't see!" Nicholas called. His Pilgrim hat had slid down over his eyes. Beanie, her own white bonnet falling across her forehead, leaned over and lifted his hat up. "Stand very still," she told him, "so it doesn't fall down again."
    "How about me?" Gooney Bird asked. "Where should Squanto