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"Let's try that first verse again frorim hat down like that?"

"No," said Nicholas fro"

"Roooo enthusiastically, in unison

Wearing her top hat jauntily and singing as loudly as possible, Gooney Bird began testing some dance steps in the center of the rooland," she explained

8

Gooney Bird and the Roo week, the day before the pageant, Mrs Pidgeon wrote another neord on the board, below AUTHENTIC She wrote FIASCO She sighed, and stared at the word

"Dictionaries, class," she instructed, though she hadn't needed to The second-graders had already reached for their dictionaries and begun turning to the F section

Barry Tuckerman waved his hand in the air "I found it!" he called out When Mrs Pidgeon nodded to Barry, he stood and read aloud, "A total failure"

Mrs Pidgeon sighed "Correct, Barry Good dictionary work The word fiascoone Say it after raders said aloud

The gerbils, usually quiet in their cage in the corner, unexpectedly began to fight They chittered noisily and chased each other in a circle A paper thumbtacked to the bulletin board suddenly came loose and fluttered to the floor The radiator hissed Outside, it was raining in a steady drizzle

"What's wrong, Mrs Pidgeon?" asked Beanie "You look sad Did we do so?"

"No, no You children have all worked so hard I'eon said "But I'eant," she confessed "I'm afraid it will be a fiasco"

"No, it won't! Look! I gotup his arm "And my arm works!"

"We sent the invitations," said Felicia Ann "And, remember, we put turkey stamps on them?"

"The Muriel's done," Barry pointed out "It turned out great! We only have to hang it up in the multipurpose room"

"The room mother says the cupcakes are all ready for tomorrow afternoon," Gooney Bird said "And lemonade"

"Yes, you've all done wonderfully And all of your ? I know yours is, of course, Gooney Bird," Mrs Pidgeon said "Everyone else? And some dads? And little brothers and sisters?"

All of the children nodded "And my auntie," Keiko said

"Anda face "I hoped they would get chicken pox, but they didn't"

"Please, please tell ed

"No," Malcolm said with a scowl "They don't have naeon said, putting her arently across his shoulders "They probably have beautiful names and I hope someday you will tell them to us

"You children have all worked very hard It's just that--" She hesitated

"What?" asked Beanie "We know all the words to the songs"

"Well, I'eon said "I'writer, and they seem, well, a little slapdash to me"

She wrote the word on the board

"Oh, dear," said Ben when he found it in the dictionary "That's bad"

"I know," Mrs Pidgeon said, and she wrote the definition on the board: "Careless, hasty, unskillful"

"Our costumes are all made," Tricia added

"I'eon said "I'ner, and they seem--"

"Slapdash?" asked Tyrone

"Maybe a little," Mrs Pidgeon said, "and ill-fitting"

"We know our lines," Nicholas said "Mine is 'Thank you, good friend Squanto!' I know it by heart"

"I'eon said

"But you wrote the lines, Mrs Pidgeon!" Tricia pointed out

Gooney Bird and the Room Mother

"I know And I'm not really a writer The lines are slapdash"

All of the children looked at Mrs Pidgeon She looked very sad Felicia Ann, the ave her a hug "You're a very good teacher, Mrs Pidgeon," she said "You don't have to be a writer, or a songwriter, or a costuner, or even a Muriel ht me to read!"

"Me too!" called Tyrone "I couldn't read worth nuthin' when I came to this class! Now lookit! I can read a whole dictionary!"

"Me too!" called Ben "I only could read baby books before, but now I can read whole long words!"

"We all can!" the other children shouted

Mrs Pidgeon began to cheer up She smiled at the children "Thank you," she said "I'm sorry that I was depressed for ais such a truly wonderful story, about beco thankful I wish I could have presented it better, instead of writing a du about succotash"