Read School Days According to Humphrey Online

Authors: Betty G. Birney

School Days According to Humphrey (18 page)

BOOK: School Days According to Humphrey

5.81Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

ads

I tried to shake and wiggle my worries away, but this time, it didn't work.

I waited and waited and waited to get the bad news, but nothing happened until after lunch, when Miss Becker came in, accompanied by Richie and Gail. They were smiling, naturally, because they were happy they were getting me back.

“Mrs. Brisbane, your students from last year wanted to share some news with you. Do you have a minute?” Miss Becker asked.

Mrs. Brisbane looked surprised, but she said, “Sure, if you can share the news with my whole class.”

Miss Becker smiled. “Yes, of course.” She turned toward the class. “Mrs. Brisbane's students from last year wanted to get a classroom pet,” she told the class. “Of course, they missed Humphrey and Og. So, I've finally made a decision. Richie and Gail, would you like to announce it?”

“Hermit,” Richie said, stepping forward.

That didn't sound like my name at all.

“Crabs,” Gail said, giggling.

That didn't sound like Og's name, either.

“What?” Mrs. Brisbane looked amazed.

“We decided on something completely different. Six hermit crabs,” Miss Becker said. “It was Ms. Mac's suggestion.”

“Wonderful!” Mrs. Brisbane said. “How did you choose them?”

“We decided there would never be a frog as great as Og,” Richie said.

“Or a hamster as perfect as Humphrey,” Gail added.

I wasn't sure if that was true, but it was nice to hear.

“And,” Miss Becker added, “hermit crabs are very quiet. But they do better if they live in groups.”

“I hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoy Humphrey and Og,” Mrs. Brisbane said. “Perhaps we'll come and visit them someday.”

But at the end of the day, before she left, Mrs. Brisbane said, “You notice it takes six hermit crabs to replace the two of you.”

That made me feel VERY-VERY-VERY good.

“Whew! That was a close call, Og,” I told my neighbor when we were alone again.

I was unsqueakably delighted that I'd be staying in Room 26. After all, someone needed to keep a close eye on Kelsey to make sure she didn't have any accidents. Joey wouldn't get to hear me giggle if I weren't around. Harry's family's clock could be set back at any time. I still wanted to find out why Phoebe was so forgetful, and I wasn't sure yet whether all of Thomas's stories were real or just tall tales.

I had a second surprise later that afternoon when Ms. Mac appeared at the door.

“Are you ready?” she asked.

“Come on in,” Mrs. Brisbane said.

I guess I'd been dozing when Mrs. Brisbane had announced what was going to happen. Suddenly, my classmates were arranging the spare chairs stacked in the corner and setting them next to their own chairs. Then I was SURPRISED-SURPRISED-SURPRISED when Ms. Mac and her entire class of first-graders entered the room.

Ms. Mac directed each of the first-graders to sit next to an older student.

“The idea behind Brisbane's Reading Buddies is that the older children will share their favorite books with the younger children,” Mrs. Brisbane told them. “Any questions?”

A small boy who was missing both of his top front teeth raised his hand. “What's over there?” he asked, pointing toward the table Og and I shared.

“Why, that's our hamster, Humphrey, and our frog, Og,” Mrs. Brisbane explained.

“HI-HI-HI!” I squeaked, which made most of them giggle.

“Maybe you'll be in this class someday and they'll be
your
classroom pets,” Mrs. Brisbane said.

That seemed to please the first-graders. It pleased me, too.

What pleased me even more was watching the students in my class patiently sharing books with the first-graders and helping them learn to read.

How on earth could I have ever thought they were the worst class in the world?

The third surprise of the day came just before school was over for the day. Principal Morales stopped by for a visit. He was wearing a tie with colorful autumn leaves on it.

“Class, I just want to say that Mrs. Brisbane has told me that in the last few weeks, your class has improved more than any class she's ever had. Mrs. Brisbane has been teaching for a long time, so that's quite a compliment.” Mr. Morales paused and smiled at the class.

“She said you've made special progress in learning to work together,” he continued. “So I would like to congratulate you and encourage you to keep up the good work!”

Every face in Room 26 had a smile on it. Even mine.

After school, Mrs. Brisbane hummed to herself as she gathered up her papers and her purse.

“Fellows, this has been quite a week, hasn't it? It's the kind of week that makes me glad I'm still teaching,” she said.

That was nice to hear, because I didn't want Mrs. Brisbane to stop teachingâever!

“I still have to decide who takes you home this weekend, Humphrey,” she said. “It will have to be a surprise.”

I didn't mind being surprised. The new students in Room 26, who had seemed like strangers a few weeks ago, all felt like friends now.

That was a very nice feeling.

When Aldo came into the room that night, the first thing he said was, “Hermit crabs!”

He laughed so hard, his mustache shook. “I never would have guessed she'd pick hermit crabs. They're crustaceans, you know.”

“No, I didn't know,” I told Aldo. “But it doesn't matter whether they're crustaceans or primates or amphibiansâthey're classroom pets. And I'll bet they'll do a very good job.”

Of course I couldn't resist the temptation to pay a visit to Room 18 after Aldo's car had pulled out of the parking lot that night.

But as I slid under the door of Miss Becker's classroom, I was a little nervous. What if hermit crabs were as unfriendly as George?

I looked at the table by the windows, but there were only stacks of folders there. An eerie glow from another wall caught my attention and there, on a table, was a large aquarium with a small light on it.

I inched closer and looked up at the unsqueakably odd sight of the hermit crabs. They weren't golden and furry, like me. And they weren't green and googly-eyed like Og. They were pinkish and shiny and had pincers that I wouldn't like to come in contact with. But I have to admit, they were interesting.

“Welcome to Longfellow School,” I said, even though they probably couldn't understand me. “I hope you know that you're in one of the best classes in the world.”

They just kept wiggling, so I continued. “And I'm in one of the other best classes in the world.”

Since they didn't have anything to say, I turned away, but before I left the room, I turned back.

“By the way,” I squeaked. “My name is Humphrey. I'm the hamster in Room Twenty-six.”

I'm not completely sure, but I think one of the hermit crabs waved to me. I waved back.

Once I was back to my classroom, I told Og about the hermit crabs.

“I guess it's nice that they're all crustaceans,” I told him. “But personally, I'd rather have an amphibian as a neighbor. It makes life more interesting.”

“BOING-BOING-BOING!” he said, which made me think he was happy to share the table with a rodent.

I took out my little notebook and I finished my poem, writing in the moonlight.

Autumn, oh, autumn,
You had my poor head spinning.
But now I am happy
To have a new beginning!

HUMPHREY'S RULES OF SCHOOL:
Love the class you're in. I do!

Humphrey's Top 10 Rules for Classroom Pets

(hamsters, frogs and even hermit crabs)