Henry and Beezus Read Online Free PDF Page B

“There has been more gum chewing than usual at Glenwood School in the last few days. I wonder if someone can tell me why it is not a good idea to chew gum in school.”
    The class was silent.
    â€œCan’t someone give me a reason?” she asked. “Henry Huggins, why do you think it is not a good idea to chew gum in school?”
    Henry’s ears felt as if they were on fire. He hadn’t known Miss Mullen even knew his name. “Uh…” he said. Why couldn’t he think of something to say? “Well…” He had to think of something. “It…uh…well…uh…I guess it is…lots of trouble for teachers to make kids throw it in the wastebasket.” The words came out in a rush. At least, he had said something.
    â€œThat is an excellent reason,” said Miss Mullen. “Chewing gum wastes valuable time. Who else can give me a reason?”
    One of the girls timidly raised her hand and said, “Sometimes it gets stuck on the floor and things.”
    â€œSplendid,” said Miss Mullen. “I was hoping someone would mention that, because our janitor tells me he has spent most of his time in the last few days scraping gum off the floors and desks.”
    The class began to feel less shy and was suddenly full of reasons why gum should not be chewed in school.
    Then Mary Jane raised her hand and said, “Miss Mullen, I know where the gum is coming from.”
    Leave it to old tattletale Mary Jane, thought Henry. And after I showed her how to blow bubbles, too.
    Miss Mullen said, “That isn’t important, Mary Jane. What is most important is that so many boys and girls have been chewing gum in school.”
    What a relief! At least, Miss Mullen wasn’t going to point him out in front of everyone.
    Miss Mullen smiled at the class. “Now that we have talked about our problem, I wonder how many boys and girls have decided not to chew gum in school anymore.”
    Thirty-five hands shot into the air. “Splendid,” exclaimed the principal. “I knew I could count on Miss Bonner’s room to cooperate.”
    When Miss Mullen left, Roger whispered across the aisle to Henry, “Now see what you’ve done.”
    â€œAw, keep quiet,” answered Henry out of the corner of his mouth, as he bent over his reader. He knew one thing. Even though the class forgot its promise in a few days, he wouldn’t be able to sell any gum around Glenwood for a long time.
    After school he wasted no time in finding Mary Jane. “Tattletale!” he yelled.
    â€œPooh to you,” answered Mary Jane, with her nose in the air. “Everybody’s tired of your old gum anyway. It’s all that funny cinnamon-peppermint flavor.”
    â€œCome on, Ribsy,” said Henry to his dog, who had been waiting under the fir tree. He popped a ball of gum into his mouth, chewed, and blew a halfhearted bubble that broke with a little spip . He spat out the gum. Somehow, he didn’t enjoy cinnamon-peppermint flavor anymore.
    When Henry reached home, he threw his jacket and Daniel Boone cap onto a chair and went straight to the refrigerator. “Hi, Mom!” he said to Mrs. Huggins, who was frosting a chocolate cake. “That sure looks good.”
    â€œYou may lick the bowl when I’m finished.” Mrs. Huggins swirled the icing in a pattern on the cake. “And by the way, I want to talk to you.”
    With a swipe of his finger, Henry wiped a drop of frosting from the edge of the bowl. It was peppermint-flavored.
    â€œHenry, your hands aren’t very clean,” said his mother. “It’s about those boxes of gum you have under your bed. How do you expect me to run the vacuum cleaner in your room? Why don’t you give the gum to your friends? I’m sure they’d be glad to have it.”
    Henry sighed. That was all his mother knew about his friends. Suddenly he found it made his jaws tired just to think