Ribsy by Beverly Cleary

Author:Beverly Cleary [Cleary, Beverly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780061972386
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 1964-04-29T17:53:57+00:00

Ribsy broke loose and ran under the flag. He put his paws in the chalk tray and made as much noise as he could. He would show that squirrel who belonged in this room. Frisky ran lightly up to the end of the staff that held the flag and scolded Ribsy. This infuriated Ribsy and delighted the class. If this kept up, there would be no time at all for arithmetic.

“People!” cried Mrs. Sonchek, banging on the desk with a ruler. “People, please!”

Then the door opened, and Mr. Woody, the principal, entered, followed by Mrs. Hildebrand, the school nurse. At the sight of the principal the class became a little quieter. Not much, but a little.

“I’m terribly sorry,” said Mrs. Yaxley, wringing her hands. “I didn’t mean to take up so much classroom time.”

Mr. Woody frowned at the class. “Quiet!” he ordered. “What’s going on in here?”

This time the class obeyed, but Ribsy did not. Neither did Frisky, who flirted his tail and scolded. Mr. Woody grasped the situation.

“Someone hold the dog,” said the principal. Three boys ran to the front of the room. One tackled Ribsy, and the other two grabbed his collar.

“Mrs. Sonchek, get me a jacket,” directed the principal.

“Here, take mine.” Danny pulled off his jacket and handed it to Mr. Woody.

Ribsy, straining at his collar, panted hoarsely. These boys were spoiling his fun.

“Quiet, everyone,” repeated the principal. He walked to the front of the room and stepped up on one of the chairs in the reading circle. “Now, Mrs. Sonchek, when I lift the flag down, you throw the jacket over the squirrel.”

Ribsy made strangling noises while the class, quiet at last, waited breathlessly to see if the principal’s plan would work. This was much better than a live clam.

Slowly the principal reached for the flagstaff, and slowly he lifted it from its bracket above the blackboard. The squirrel stopped chattering. Slowly, slowly the principal lowered the staff. Never had Ribsy wanted to leap at anything as much as he wanted to leap at that squirrel. Slowly, slowly Mrs. Sonchek lifted Danny’s jacket. “Ch-ch-ch,” scolded Frisky. Ribsy, who would accept anything from people, even a bubble bath and a little straw hat and spectacles, resented the sassiness of that squirrel. He growled.

Frisky leaped from the flagstaff. Mrs. Sonchek tried to throw the jacket over him, but it fell empty to the floor while Frisky ran lightly along the chalk tray, hopped to the floor, and ran under the teacher’s desk. Mrs. Sonchek picked up the jacket and prepared to try again, while Mrs. Yaxley and Mrs. Hildebrand took jackets from the cloakroom and prepared to stalk the angry squirrel.

Mr. Woody replaced the flagstaff in its bracket, and armed himself for the chase with the yardstick Mrs. Sonchek kept on the chalk tray to use as a pointer. When some of the boys started for the cloakroom to get their jackets, too, Mr. Woody said sternly, “In your seats, class.” There were enough people running around already.

Mr. Woody rattled the ruler under Mrs.

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