The Magical Ms. Plum Read Online Free PDF

feet from Brad and then rolling to a stop at his feet.
    Throw number five: Brad to Ron. A good, hard throw. And no matter how much Ron ducked and dodged, the thing seemed to follow. And for the fourth time Ron had to wipe cold, wet snow from his eyes.
    Ron turned and walked up the playground slope.
    “I’m done,” he said.
    The rest of the fifth-grade boys clustered around Brad, walking with him back to theupper play yard, laughing and yelling about the best snowball fight in history.
    “You turning out for baseball this spring?” asked Michael.
    “Maybe,” said Brad, who hadn’t been planning on it. But now, with Chompers on his side, anything was possible.
    It had probably been the best day of his life, Brad decided on the bus ride home.
    He’d been a little worried that Chompers might disappear back into the closet after recess. Then he’d been worried that Chompers would disappear once he left the school grounds. But there he was in Brad’s coat pocket. He did seem a little sleepy, but who wouldn’t be after vrooming around on an icy snowball.
    Brad hung out in his room with Chompers for the rest of the afternoon. But a little worm of worry began to curl and twist in his stomach. Chompers wasn’t looking so good. His bright eyes had become dull. He sat on Brad’s desk, staring at the falling snow.
    Brad tried to feed him a banana, but Chompers wasn’t interested. He tried cheese, almonds, an Oreo. Chompers wouldn’t even try a taste.
    “Don’t you want to stay, Chompers? Don’t you like it here?” Brad asked.
    He stroked the tiny monkey’s back. “We could have so much fun,” Brad said. “Snowballs are nothing. Wait till you ride a Frisbee! And that supply closet is all dark. I mean it’s not like outside.”
    Chompers sighed.
    Brad swallowed.
    And suddenly he had that feeling again, like he was Chompers. He felt like he was in the closet with his brothers and sisters, chattering and shrieking. Happy and excited.
    “You’re the coolest thing that ever happened to me,” Brad whispered, pushing back something that might have been tears.
    The next morning, he hurried into class as soon as the bus arrived at school. He took Chompers from his pocket, opened the closet door, crouched down, and set him inside. Chompers immediately perked up. His eyes snapped with life; his fur glowed.
    “Goodbye, Chompers,” Brad said quickly, before the little monkey disappeared.
    Chompers turned and stared at him for a moment. Then he gave a big monkey grin and started to scramble up the shelves toward the sound of other monkey voices.
    Brad suddenly knew that up there, back behind the markers and paper and glue, was a big place of open sky, green trees, and soft, warm breezes that felt like … that felt like home.
    “Are you okay, Brad?”
    Brad jumped. There behind him stood Ms. Plum.
    “I—I lost something,” Brad said, standing up. “I was looking for it.”
    “Here, I’ll help you,” said Ms. Plum, kneeling on the floor.
    “Well, actually—” Brad started to say.
    Ms. Plum stood back up, holding a brochure. “Here, perhaps this is what you need?”
    Brad stared at the blue and white brochure. He hadn’t seen anything on the floor before. Then he saw the picture on the front: a guy launched into the air against a bright blue sky. It looked a lot like Chompers on a snowball.
    Brad glanced at Ms. Plum. Did she know?
    Underneath the picture were the words “Mad Monkee Snowboarding Lessons. Ever wanted to snowboard? Now’s your chance!”
    Inside was information about costs and times and equipment.
    Brad folded the brochure and stuck it in his pocket. He’d ask his dad about lessons tonight.
    Brad looked at Ms. Plum again. She was busy marking some folders.
    She knows, thought Brad.
    And he said “Thanks” to no one in particular as he headed back out to the playground.
    He ran for the slope to the parking lot and skidded down it. A couple of fifth graders were heaving snowballs, but Brad turned