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"Is that the title? 'Let Me Think'?" Malcolm asked

"No" Gooney Bird opened her eyes "The story is called 'How Keiko's Family Came to Watertower'"

Keiko smiled "Well, they started out on a ship," she said "Firstship in Yokohama and went to Honolulu They were a little scared because they had never been to Aet the atlas out"

Mrs Pidgeon smiled "I will, when you tell your story, Keiko Maybe next Wednesday?"

"Okay," Keiko said "And I'll bring some pictures And how about if I wear a ki, like whiskers, would it?"

"It would be lovely," Gooney Bird said

"And I could maybe carry a fan, and a parasol?"

Gooney Bird said gently, "That would be a little like whiskers, Keiko"

"Overdoing it?" Keiko asked

"Overdoing it," Gooney Bird said

"What about me?" asked Barry "Do I have a story?"

"Of course you do," Gooney Bird told him "You have stories called 'How Barry Got His Name' and 'How Barry's Family Carinned "Which one should I tell?" he asked

"Do you res?"

Barry nodded

"My suggestion is that when it's your turn, Barry, you should tell an absolutely true story called 'When Barry Spent Every Penny He Had on So He Wanted Really Badly'"

The class waited and watched Barry Tuckerrinned

"Okay," he said "I'll tell it! But it's really, really gross"

"Oh, no!" said Keiko "I hate gross"

"You can cover your ears for Barry's story," Gooney Bird told her "Wear earo nicely with your red sweater, I think"

"Who else? What else?" the class called

"My fourth story was called 'How Gooney Bird Directed an Orchestra'"

Mrs Pidgeon suggested, "Maybe we could skip that one, Gooney Bird I know no one in the class has ever led an orchestra"

"Class?" Gooney Bird asked "Has anyone here ever been late to school because so quite unusual happened?"

Almost every hand went up

"Malcolnment It could be called 'Why Malcolm Was Late to School'"

"It could be about the time I was asleep under ," Malcolm said, "or the time that I dropped et it back I--"

"Oh, no!" Keiko cried, and covered her ears

"Don't tell it now and give it away, Malcolm," Gooney Bird said "You work on your story, anda suddenly in the middle"

Gooney Bird looked around the classrooraders had taken out paper and pencils They were all writing down ideas for their stories

"And remember my last story, about Catman?" she reminded them "Has anyone here ever lost a beloved pet?"

Aleon's

"Could that be eon said "I had a parakeet nae was left open, and--"

"Next Tuesday," Gooney Bird said "'How I Lost Brucie'"

"'And Found Hieon said with a happy s"

"Mine will be 'How I Lost Gretchen Guinea Pig,'" Tricia said "Mine has a sad ending"

"You knohat?" Mrs Pidgeon said, standing up "It's lunchtime already Let's skip arithmetic today, class"

The students put the arithmetic books back in their desks They reached for lunch boxes instead

Gooney Bird took out a grapefruit, a cucuetarian day today," she explained "But look at this! Dessert! For the whole class!"

She held up a bulky paper bag

"What is it?" the children asked

Gooney Bird grinned "Sixty-three gu to teach you all a wonderful whirling dance called the tarantella"

Suddenly Felicia Ann looked up fro and kiss first?" she said in a surprisingly loud voice

"Thank you for suggesting that, Felicia Ann," Gooney Bird replied "Of course we should" And so they did

The End