Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary

Author:Beverly Cleary
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2012-01-14T20:26:54+00:00

“I think that can be arranged,” said Aunt Jill. “You’ve told me what you don’t want to do and what you don’t want other people to do. Now tell me what you want to do.”

Ralph could tell from Garf’s silence that this request was a difficult one. Aunt Jill seemed to have plenty of time to wait while he thought. Outside the craft shop some boys were gathering bamboo husks to float in the irrigation ditch. Ralph watched to see if they might uncover his crash helmet and motorcycle, but they did not go to the far side of the bamboo.

“Well…uh,” began Garf, and stopped.

Aunt Jill waited. So did Ralph, who noticed that Chum was also listening. Garf looked uncomfortable. Still Aunt Jill waited. Go on, say something, thought Ralph.

When Garf finally spoke he no longer sounded angry. “I guess…I guess I just want to be alone once in a while,” he said.

“You want to be alone,” repeated Aunt Jill.

“Yes,” said Garf. “At home I have to share my room with my big brother, who gets the top bunk and keeps his weight-lifting stuff all over the floor. And every time I go to our room and shut the door, he comes in and starts playing those records I don’t like. And after school and on Saturdays it’s always Scouts or the Y or supervised recreation on the playground. My mom and dad say city kids have to be kept busy. And then they send me here.”

“So they sent you to camp,” said Aunt Jill, encouraging him to go on. “And you come into the craft shop to be alone.”

“Yes,” said Garf. “I don’t like to sit around after meals with a bunch of kids singing You Are My Sunshine.”

But you come in here and sing about the rabbit banging mice on the head, thought Ralph.

“I don’t like singing with other people,” said Garf, “because I can’t carry a tune. I know I sing funny, and I don’t like people turning around staring at me.”

“Nobody cares whether you can carry a tune or not,” said Aunt Jill, “but if you don’t want to sing, you don’t have to. And we all need to be alone sometimes.”

For the first time Garf looked at the camp director.

“And I know something that might help,” Aunt Jill continued. “See that clump of bamboo over there? Any time you feel like being alone, you may go sit behind the bamboo as long as you wish.”

Garf looked as if he wanted to believe her.

“Remember, Garf,” said Aunt Jill, “it is possible to be alone in your thoughts even when there are others around.” She rose from the bench where she and the boy had been sitting and found a piece of cardboard and a felt pen from the supply shelves. “Now about your mouse. You take this pen and make a sign saying this is your mouse and no one else is to feed it. I’ll sign it to make it official, and we’ll tack it up over his cage.

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