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"What on earth are those, Gooney Bird?" Mrs Pidgeon asked, watching as Gooney Bird sat on the floor and tried to wrestle so off her feet

Gooney Bird scowled "Well," she said, "I thought they were high-fashion boots I got them at the Goodwill store, on the half-price table One dollar and forty-five cents"

"Quite a bargain," Mrs Pidgeon co at Gooney Bird's feet "Need some help?"

"Thank you" Gooney Bird hobbled to a nearby bench, sat down, and held her legs out One at a tiht blue, with very high, thin heels

When Mrs Pidgeon had set the puddled row of ordinary rubber boots, Gooney Bird looked at theht the stiletto heels were very cool," she said "Stilettotool, and that's why they call these stiletto heels See?" She held one up "But they're not comfortable They do stab And they were slippery on the ice I fell twice on eon felt the dahts sympathetically "Goodness," she said

"I have buyer's remorse," Gooney Bird said

"What'th that?" asked Felicia Ann, as nearby, watching

"It's when you wish you hadn't bought so," Gooney Bird explained "I hardly ever have it I make my purchases carefully But today I have a bad case of buyer's remorse about those dumb boots" She looked at them with a frown and slid her feet into the soft bunny slippers she kept in her cubby

"My dad has buyer's remorse about our car," Ben said "It always needs repairs, and it's noisy" He drove an i sound

"My ht at the corner store!" Malcolm said "It was too old and when she opened it she eon held up her hand to ask for quiet, because it was clear that all of the second-graders were going to startnoises She went to the front of the room and picked up a folder from her desk She took a paper out of the folder and looked at it with a suess why I chose it"

She began to read but was interrupted after the first tords "'Over the--'"

"Please excuse eon," Keiko said, with her hand up "But youthe title and the author's naht us that"

"Tyrone used to say 'Arthur' instead of 'author,'" Malcol, reht it was 'Arthur'? All poems ritten by Arthur? Is Tyrone du the paper, went to Malcolm's desk and put her calm-down hand on his shoulder

"Actually, there are probably many poets named Arthur, so it may be that Tyrone was smarter about poetry than ood poet Tyrone is, when he creates his raps! Got one now, Tyrone?"

Tyrone, whose face had turned very gluht for a onna write me a pome--" he chanted

"Good Maybe we all will Maybe that could be our hoht, Keiko It is correct to read the title and the author's nalanced at Malcol to read the poem, and then I'll explain the title and tell you the author Okay Ready? Shall I begin again?"

All of the children nodded

In a quiet, clear voice, Mrs Pidgeon read:

Over the pavement

Snow falls in January--

Soap flakes wash our tracks

"It'th another little poem," Felicia Ann pointed out

"It doesn't rhyme," Barry Tuckerman said "All of our snow day poeh," Tricia said "It makes a picture in my head"

"Poems don't have to rhyme," Beanie reminded them

"I see London, I see France That rhymes," Ben called out "France rhy at hieon, Mrs Pidgeon!" Keiko churned her arm in the air It was unlike quiet Keiko to be so excited Her face was pink with enthusiasm

"What is it, Keiko?"

Keiko stood beside her desk "It's haiku, isn't it?" she said, grinning "It's haiku! I recognize it! Haiku is Japanese!"

Keiko's farown up in Japan, though they lived noith her whole faone back with them once, to Yokohama, for a visit She had sent a postcard with a picture of Mount Fuji to Mrs Pidgeon; the postcard was still on the bulletin board

"That's correct And in fact," Mrs Pidgeon said, "that's the reason I didn't start with the tide The title of this poem is simply 'Haiku'"

"Is it by an Arthur?" asked Nicholas

She laughed "No," she said

"It's by a Japanese person, stupid!" called Malcolht?" said Ben "He's Japanese"

Mrs Pidgeon wrinkled her forehead "Who is Daisuke?" she asked

All of the boys began to laugh Mrs Pidgeon was not a sports fan, and Daisuke was a famous baseball player Nicholas explained that to her

"Oh," she said "Thank you I didn't know that Andin the--what is that place called? The birchbark?"

"The dugout!" the boys all yelled

Mrs Pidgeon laughed "I knew that I was just teasing But no, this haiku isn't by Daisuke In fact, it isn't by a Japanese person The Japanese invented haiku, that's true; but anyone is allowed to use the form And the author of this haiku is actually our room mother"

The children were silent for a moment "But our room mother is your mother!" Chelsea said at last

"That's true"