Horrible Harry and the Christmas Surprise (4 page)

“Okay, Harry. You can go,” the principal said. “But I expect very good behavior tomorrow. It's the last day before vacation. I want it to be a happy day, not a horrible day. Is that clear?”

Harry nodded as he listened.

“Miss Mackle won't be happy when she finds out you had to stay after school.”

“You're going to tell
her?”
Harry's eyebrows shot up high.

“I have to report the whole day.”

Harry's eyebrows sank down low. I could tell he was working on an idea.

When we were walking home in the snow together, Harry said, “Last Christmas my grandfather was in the hospital. I felt bad. My mom let me make him a gift and put it under the tall Christmas tree in the hospital lobby. They have someone dressed up like Santa Claus who delivers the gifts to the patients on Christmas morning.”

“Neato!” I said.

“So, I'm making Miss Mackle a gift and taking it to the hospital tomorrow after school.”

I put my arm around Harry as we stomped and squished some snow with our boots.

When Harry knows he's been bad, he tries to make up for it by being good.

 

 

 

“
J
ingle Bells!

Jingle Bells!

Jingle all the way ...” Mr. Cardini was singing by the record player as we walked into class.

“I love the way your mother fixed your hair!” Mary exclaimed.

“Thank you,” Song Lee replied. “We wear hair like this in Korea for happy occasion.”

“Do you celebrate Christmas in Korea?” Mary asked.

“Many people do. We have a big family feast. Many relatives come and we eat many dish of food.”

“What is your favorite?” I asked.

Song Lee grinned. “Mandduguk.”

“What's that?” we asked.

“Meatball soup.”

“Mmmmmm,” Harry and I said.

“Blaaaaaugh,”
Sidney groaned, falling on the floor and rolling over dead.

We all stepped over him except Harry. Harry stepped on Sidney's behind.

“OUCH!”

“He's not dead,” Harry said.

“Let's go see what Ida is doing,” Mary said.

Everyone walked over to the writing corner. Ida was tapping her pencil and humming something. “I got it!” she exclaimed.

“Got what?” we asked.

“I just made up a song we can sing to Miss Mackle after school.”

“We can't visit her,” I said. “Mr. Cardini told me so. You have to be an adult.”

“I know that!” Ida said, standing up. She waved her paper in the air. “We can sing this outside her hospital window.”

“Like carolers!” Mary exclaimed.

Mr. Cardini walked over and examined the refreshment table. “Look at all these goodies! Marshmallow Santas, candy canes, cheese and crackers with olive and pimiento happy faces, frosted cookies, fortune cookies, whoopie pies!
Mama mia! Magnifico!”

Everyone laughed. Sometimes Mr. Cardini spoke in Italian.

We went up to the principal as he admired the challah bread.

“Mom braided that,” Mary said proudly. “She braids bread just like she braids my hair.”

“Ah!” the principal replied. “Exquisite !”

“Mr. Cardini,” Ida said. “Could you Xerox the words of my song? Some of us who live near the hospital want to go and sing it outside Miss Mackle's hospital window after school.”

The principal quickly read Ida's lyrics.
“Bravo! Bravissimo!”

“MR. CARDINI!” we replied.

“Okay,” he said pulling on his moustache. “I'll ask our secretary, Mrs. Fox-worth, to do it right away.”

When the girls returned to their seats, Harry started talking about his gift.

“You're giving Miss Mackle a gift?” Mary asked.

Harry nodded.

“Did you wrap it?”

Harry shook his head.

“Did it cost very much?”

Harry shook his head.

“What is it?”

Harry shook his head again. Then he flashed his pink gums. “It's a surprise.”

“Well, what does it look like?”

Harry thought for a moment. “It has ants on it, and spiders on it ...”

“HARRY! THAT'S A HORRIBLE GIFT!” Ida and Mary exclaimed.

“The teacher will love it,” Harry replied.

“She'll
hate
it!” Mary said. “You can't give Miss Mackle a horrible gift. It's sad enough she has to spend Christmas morning in the hospital. She doesn't need a horrible gift from you, too!”

“I'm putting my gift for Miss Mackle underneath the Christmas tree at the hospital after school whether you like it or not.”

Harry pulled out his library book and started reading about
Tyrannosaurus rex.
Everyone knew he wasn't going to talk about it anymore.

Mary did at recess. The girls met by the dumpster.

“We have to stop him,” Mary said.

“How?” Ida asked.

“As soon as he puts his horrible gift under the tree, we wait behind a bush. We'll tiptoe into the lobby and get his gift.”

“How will we know which one?” Ida asked.

“His gift isn't wrapped, remember?”

Ida remembered.

“It will be the only horrible gift under the tree. I'll bring a big bag and we can stash it in there. When we're caroling, he'll never know his gift is in my bag.”

Mary got Sidney to join their scheme, too. He was angry with Harry for stepping on his behind.

I was sticking with Harry. When we stopped by his house to pick up the gift, boy, was I surprised!

We carried it up the hill to the hospital, and into the lobby. Harry put it right next to the tree.

When we came out, the girls and Sidney were waiting for us.

“Before we start to sing for Miss Mackle, we want to see the hospital tree. It's supposed to have beautiful decorations.”

“Heh! Heh! Heh!” I said. I knew what they were doing. They were spying on Harry's gift. They couldn't wait to take it away!