Junie B. Jones Is Captain Field Day (4 page)

Paulie Allen Puffer did a big grin.

“I only
need
one try,” he said. “I have been throwing softballs my whole life.”

After that, he picked up the ball from the ground. And he winded up with all his might.

Then—bam!—he threw the ball as hard as he could!

Only too bad for Room Nine. Because
he didn't actually aim that good. And the ball went straight down into the playground.

It made a round hole in the dirt.

Room Nine stared and stared at that thing.

“Bummer,” I said.

“Bummer,” said Meanie Jim.

“Bummer,” said Charlotte.

Paulie Allen Puffer jumped up and down real upset.

“I need another try! I need another try! Please, Teacher! Please! Please!” he said.

But Mrs. gave him a pat on the back. And she moved him out of line.

I walked over to my bestest friend named Grace.

“He blew it,” I said very disappointed. “Paulie Allen Puffer blew it for our team.”

“Yes,” said that Grace. “Just like when you blew the relay race, Junie B.”

I made squinty eyes at that girl.

“Thank you, Grace. Thank you for reminding me,” I said.

“You're welcome,” she said back.

That Grace does not understand sarcastic, apparently.

After that, lots of other boys and girls in our class threw the softball, too.

Roger threw the farthest in Room Nine. The ball went all the way to the fence.

Room Nine shouted his name real thrilled.

“ROGER! ROGER! ROGER!”

The next person to throw was Strong Frankie.

He picked up a softball from the basket. Then he rolled and rolled it all around in
his hands. And he threw that thing with all his muscles.

I did a gasp.

’Cause the ball flied all the way over the fence! And we never even saw it again!

Room Eight screamed and shouted and skipped and danced. Also, they hopped and jumped and twirled.

Room Nine slumped our shoulders very depressed.

’Cause guess why?

Losing does not feel joyful.

The skipping race came next.

Room Nine chose our fastest skippers.

Their names were Charlotte, Jamal Hall, that Grace, Lynnie, and Meanie Jim.

Those people can skip like lightning, I tell you!

I made up a cheer for them. Its name was GO, SKIPPERS. Here are the words to it:

I cheered real loud in front of Room Eight. ’Cause I really thought we would win this one.

Only what do you know?

We didn't.

Some of our skippers cried a little bit.

“We got skunked,” said Lynnie very sniffling.

“Skunked
means our score is a goose egg,” said Jamal Hall.

“A goose egg is a big, fat zero,” said that Grace.

“A big, fat zero is when you're stinking up the place,” said Meanie Jim very glum.

Mrs. did not like that kind of talk.

“Hey, hey, hey! That's enough of that,” she said. “I'm very proud of all of you. You did your best and that's all anyone can ask. Right, Junie B.?”

“Yes,” I said. “Plus also, a win would be nice.”

I sat down. Mrs. looked at me a real long time.

“The tug-of-war is the next event,” she said finally. “How about another cheer from our team captain to get us charged up?”

“No, thank you,” I said. “I already did a cheer for the skipping team. And look where that got us.”

Mrs. made squinty eyes at me.

“Try,” she said.

I stood up.

“Rah,” I said.

“Thank you,” said Mrs.

I sat back down.

All of us lined up for the tug-of-war.

Room Eight held on to one side of a rope. And Room Nine held on to the other side.

Mrs. tied a bow right in the middle of it. Then she drew a line on the ground in front of each team.

“Okay, people,” she said. “Whichever team pulls the bow over their own line is the winner. Is everyone ready?”

“YES! YES! YES!” shouted Room Eight.

Room Nine just looked at her.

William was behind me.

“I'm not that good at the tug-of-war, Junie B.,” he whispered. “I never even did the tug-of-war before.”

“Join the club, bud,” I grumped.

After that, the Room Eight teacher blew her whistle. And both our teams started to pull.

Room Nine pulled and pulled with all our strength.

“People! People! We're doing it! We're doing it!” I shouted very shocked.

We pulled some more.

Then, all of a sudden, we heard a loud holler.

It was Strong Frankie.

He yanked the rope as hard as he could.

Then Lynnie and Ricardo fell down in
the grass. And the bow went over the line.

Room Eight went crazy and happy. They were loud and laughing.

Room Nine walked to the water fountain very sad.

Then we sat down next to the building.

And we didn't talk for a real long time.

Finally, Mrs. came and got us.

“Come on, boys and girls. There's just
one more event to go,” she said.

She took us to the pull-up bar.

The Room Eight teacher smiled real big.

“All right, everybody. It's time for the pull-up contest,” she said.

Paulie Allen Puffer stared at her.

“Big whoop,” he said.

Then the Room Eight teacher tattled on him. And Paulie Allen Puffer had to sit by himself for a time-out.

Mrs. was not happy with us.

“Okay, children. I understand that you're not in a good mood. But one of the things we learn in Field Day is to never give up. Room Nine is not a bunch of quitters. Are we, Junie B.?”

I looked at Room Nine's faces.

“Pretty much,” I said.

Mrs. threw her hands in the air. “Okay,
that's it,” she said. “I'm not going to take no for an answer. There must be
someone
in Room Nine who has the spirit to keep trying. Which one of you children has the courage not to give up? Huh? How about you, Jamal? Will you try to do a pull-up for the team?” she asked.

Jamal Hall pulled his shirt up over his face so no one could see him.

“I believe that's a no,” I said.

Mrs. looked around some more.

“Grace?” she said. “How about you? Will you try to do a pull-up for us?”

“No, I
cant”
she said. “I really, really can't. I'm only strong in my feet.”

“I'm
not!” yelled a loud voice. “I'm strong all over my whole body!”

Room Nine turned around.

It was Strong Frankie again.

He made another arm muscle at us.

I stamped my foot at that guy.

“Stop doing that, Frankie!” I hollered. “Stop tooting your own horn! ’Cause that is not even polite! And anyway, Room Nine has strong people, too! We have people
who can do a jillion pull-ups, in fact! So there! Ha!”

Strong Frankie crossed his muscle arms.

“Like who?” he asked.

I put my hands on my hips.

“Like
lots
of people, that's who! Like, um, well, like … like …”

Just then, a boy from Room Nine raised his hand a teeny bit.

“Like me,” he said.

Then he walked right up to the pull-up bar. And he stood there all by himself.

I did a gasp.

Then the other children did gasps, too.

’Cause what do you know …

It was William.

All of Room Nine kept on staring and staring at that boy.

“Look at his little arms,” whispered that Grace. “Where are his little muscles, do you think?”

“William doesn't
have
any little muscles,” said Paulie Allen Puffer. “I've seen the wind blow him down on the playground.”

“Yeah,” said Roger. “William doesn't even know what a pull-up
is,
I bet. Our team is going to look worse than ever.”

Mrs. snapped her angry fingers at us.

That woman has ears like a hawk.

Strong Frankie went first.

The Room Eight teacher lifted him up to the high bar.

Then, quick as a wink, he did a loud grunt. And he pulled his chin right up to the bar.

“ONE!” hollered Room Eight.

Strong Frankie did another grunt. Then he pulled himself up again.

“TWO!” shouted Room Eight.

After that, he just kept right on going. Strong Frankie kept grunting and pulling. And Room Eight kept on counting.

“THREE!”

“FOUR!”

“FIVE!”

“SIX!”

“SEVEN!”

Finally, Strong Frankie dropped down to the ground.

“SEVEN! SEVEN! STRONG FRANKIE DID SEVEN!” shouted New Thelma.

Room Nine sat down in the grass real gloomy.

’Cause William was next, that's why.

We covered our eyes and peeked through our fingers.

Mrs. lifted him up to the pull-up bar.

It was not fun to watch. ’Cause William just kept dangling and dangling up there. And he didn't even move a muscle.

Pretty soon, Room Eight started to laugh. It was loudish and meanish.

I made a fist at those people.

“Hey! You want a piece of this?” I shouted real mad.

Mrs. snapped her fingers at me again.

Then, all of a sudden, William kicked his legs a little bit.

Then he kicked them again.

And wowie wow wow!

His chin went right up to the bar!

And that is not even the best part! Because as soon as he came down, he went right back up again!

I springed up from the grass.

“TWO, WILLIAM! YOU DID TWO PULL-UPS! AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN GRUNT!” I hollered very thrilled.

William went up again.

My mouth fell all the way open.

“THREE, WILLIAM! YOU DID THREE!”

After that, all of Room Nine springed up from the grass, too.

“FOUR, WILLIAM! FOUR!” we shouted.

“FIVE, WILLIAM!” we shouted.

“SIX!” we shouted.

“SEVEN … EIGHT … NINE … TEN!” we shouted.

William dangled for a little while longer.

Then he kicked his legs one more time.

And what do you know?

“ELEVEN!”

It was the happiest day of our whole entire kindergarten.

When William dropped down, all of Room Nine piled on top of him.