Horrible Harry and the Christmas Surprise (5 page)

As soon as they got inside the lobby, they saw Harry's horrible gift. How could they miss it? It was big!

Mary's eyes bulged. “Oh, Harry, it's ... wonderful!”

“I love it!” Ida said.

“You draw little ants and spiders on it so nicely!” Song Lee said.

“You even spelled my name right!” Sidney said proudly.

We all stared at Harry's gift.

It was an old wooden chair painted white. On the back he'd printed MISS MACKLE'S READING CHAIR in bright red paint. On the seat was a message: BEWARE : THIS IS FOR THE TEACHER ONLY!

Harry painted black ants and brown tarantulas crawling up and down the legs. Everyone's name in Room 2B was somewhere on the chair.

“Mom helped me with the spelling,” Harry said.

“You were right, Harry,” Mary said. “Miss Mackle will love your gift!”

“Let's go outside and sing my song,” Ida said.

And we raced outside by the hospital building and got out our sheet music.

“Hmmmmmm.” Mary hummed the right note for us.

“Remember,” I said. “The words go to the tune of ‘Jingle Bells.' ”

We all nodded.

 

 

 

 

“2B!”
we shouted at the end.

“That's dumb,” Sidney said. “We live in the East. How can she be the best teacher in the West?”

“It has to rhyme,” Ida snapped.

“Who cares about the East or West! Where's Miss Mackle?” Harry complained.

We all looked up and groaned. No one saw Miss Mackle. While we were moaning some more, Harry screamed, “IT'S HER!” Quickly he wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

There on the fourth floor in front of the picture window was Miss Mackle. She was sitting in a wheelchair waving at us!

We all jumped up and down and waved back. “HI, MISS MACKLE!” we shouted.

Harry was so happy he stood on his head in the snow.

Mary hummed the note again. “Hmmmmmmmm.”

And we all began to sing Ida's song.

The best sounds of Room 2B are the happy ones we make together.