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"Brown," Chelsea replied after she had thought for a minute, "with some spots near his tail"

"Well," Felicia Ann said, "the o story"

"Yes, it could," Gooney Bird told her

"I know! I know!" Beanie called, with her hand raised

"Beanie?" Gooney Bird pointed to her

"It could be You don't have to be big or brave Like my bear fable"

"It could," said Gooney Bird

"How about this?" Mrs Pidgeon said "Could it be So? Like my panda fable?"

"It could," Gooney Bird said, and all of the second-graders nodded

"Or aroo story!" Keiko said "There's no place like home!"

"Any one of the morals fits just fine," Gooney Bird pointed out "Chelsea? What did you have in mind for the ered the leather rhinestone-trimmed collar that was still buckled around her neck "Here is the ood If you have a mink coat, you should stay put"

The classrooeon looked at her watch "You knohat?" she said "It's lunchtiry"

"Me, too!" Gooney Bird said "And guess what! I have an anchovy sandwich today, on date-nut bread I'll trade half if anyone wants"

10

No one wanted half of Gooney Bird's sandwich No one even wanted to sit near Gooney Bird's sandwich

"Are you sure you wouldn't like some? Last chance," she said "Keiko?"

"Not I," said Keiko

"Nicholas?"

"Not I," said Nicholas

"Barry?"

"Not I," said Barry

"Tricia?"

"Not I," said Tricia

The children began to giggle as they went around the table, answering one by one

Gooney Bird tied her bib "Well," she said, "in that case, I will eat it all myself" She took a bite and said, "Yum"

"We told the story of the Little Red Hen!" Chelsea said "Cluck cluck cluck!"

"I can't believe Mrs Pidgeon thought rumbled

"Here, have a piece of fried chicken," Nicholas said, and handed her a crispy wing froe, for a trade?"

Chelsea considered that "Okay," she said, and handed hi "Nobody would eat a Chihuahua," she said "None of our fable animals are edible"

"Bear is," Beanie pointed out "Soh, or kangaroo, or--what others did we have?"

"Bunny, and tortoise," Tricia said "People eat those"

"And bison," Barry added "Bison is a very healthful food You should eat bisonburgers instead of haers Less cholesterol"

"Nobody would eat a flao," Felicia Ann said "I think it would make you thick"

"How about T rex?" asked Ben

Tyrone, whose le rhythmically in his seat"Teee rex, Teee rex," he murmured "See my muscles flex, if I munch on ol' T rex" He lifted his arm and tried to demonstrate the muscle

"How about Malcol his own performance "You didn't do your fable yet, Malcolonna do?"

Malcol," he said "Secret Surprise"

"Well," Gooney Bird pointed out, "your turn coht after lunch, Malcol"

"How about Nicholas? Want a rap, Nicholas?" Tyrone was shifting back and forth in his chair, eager to dance

"I' last," Nicholas said

"You can't! Gooney Bird's going last! She already said so! The day go fast, and Gooney Bird be last--"

"Nicholas and I are doing our fable together," Gooney Bird explained "Look what I have for dessert! A kumquat!" She held it up, and the other children examined it with interest

"Kuh they are now cultivated in the United States The ku and compact Because of their thick rind, ku distances"

"I thought you only read up through D in the encyclopedia, Barry," Gooney Bird said

"I peeked into the K," he explained, "because I'" Gooney Bird bit into her kumquat

"You can't do your fable with Gooney Bird, Nicholas," Ben said "You're an N and she's a G"

"True," Gooney Bird replied She grinned at Nicholas and Nicholas grinned back

"Me and Gooney Bird have a surprise," Nicholas said

Gooney Bird, ier

"Gooney Bird and I," Nicholas said Then, to everyone's surprise, he chanted,"You and I, otta surprise, oh yes we doHe collected his crumpled paper napkin and an empty plastic cup Then he shuffled over to the trash can, still chanting Bruno, the Saint Bernard, lay dozing nearby