Horrible Harry and the Christmas Surprise (3 page)

“After Christmas vacation, Harry. And then, she'll be teaching in a wheelchair for a while.”

“Oh ...” Sidney grumbled, “we won't be able to do our Christmas skit.”

Harry leaned over the aisle and put a fist next to Sidney's nose. “Who cares about the skits? Our teacher is in the hospital!”

“Wait a minute,” Mr. Cardini said. “Why can't you still give your skits?”

“We don't have a teacher!” Mary complained.

“Yes, you do.”

“WHO?” we all asked.

“Me.”

“But you're the principal!” I said.

“Most principals were teachers before they became principals.”

“They were?” Sidney made a face.

“Yes. And sometimes when a principal can't get a substitute at the last minute, he has to take over a teacher's classroom.”

Sidney pounded his fist on the desk. “We're doomed,” he whispered. “We have Mr. Cardini for a teacher.”

“No, we're not!” I whispered back. “Remember when I put mousse on his head in my demonstration talk? He liked his hair spiked. Mr. Cardini is a cool guy.”

“But who would play Miss Mackle's part in our Christmas skit today?” Mary moaned.

“I can!” Mr. Cardini said.

We all laughed. Sidney snorted like a pig.

“What's so funny? What part do I have to play?”

“MOTHER GOOSE!” we shouted.

Mr. Cardini fiddled with his moustache. “I can do Mother Goose. Where's her costume?”

Mary ran to get it in the costume box in the drama corner. “Song Lee's mother made it.”

We all stared at the principal as he put the elastic skirt over his head, then the blouse with the big collar, and then the flowered apron.

“Song Lee, come up and tie this for me, please.”

Song Lee got out of her seat and made a nice bow. “You need the bonnet,” she said softly. And she went back to the costume box.

When Mr. Cardini put the white bonnet on his head, we all laughed again!

“I never knew Mother Goose had a moustache!” Sidney cackled.

“Okay, boys and girls, the show will go on.”

Everyone cheered except Harry. He had his head down on his desk.

Mr. Cardini went over to him and patted his back. “Are you feeling horrible, Harry?”

Harry nodded. He didn't like this kind of horrible. “I don't feel like being Georgie Porgie. Miss Mackle is in the hospital. I just want to be sad.”

“Well, I know it would make your teacher sad if her accident kept you from doing your Mother Goose skits.”

“It would?” Harry put his head up.

“Yes. She would want you to give them as planned for the kindergarten and first-grade classes.”

“Could we dedicate our performance to our teacher?” Harry said, wiping his eyes again with his sleeve.

“I'll let you make the announcement before the skit begins. Okay, Georgie Porgie?”

Harry sat up and smiled. Then he lowered his thick eyebrows. I knew he had just gotten an idea. “Can we videotape it for Miss Mackle?”

“That's a great idea, Harry,” Mr. Cardini said. “Mrs. Michaelsen has a camera. Let's ask her.”

“YIPPEE!” we cheered.

After lunch everyone went to get their costumes. Harry put his thumbs in his ears and wiggled his fingers. “GIRLS BEWARE! Georgie Porgie is ready to
get
you!”

Mary, Ida, and Song Lee put their hands over their eyes. Harry had the horrible part of trying to kiss the girls and make them cry.

Mr. Cardini rolled his eyes. I think he was beginning to learn that there are two kinds of horrible.

“AAAAAUUUGH!” Mary screamed.

“HELP!” Ida shrieked.

Harry was chasing Song Lee, Mary, and Ida around the room.

“GEORGIE PORGIE IS TRYING TO KISS US!” the girls yelled.

 

 

 

Harry sat with his hands folded on his desk while the classroom clock ticked loudly. It was 3:15. I was finishing my get-well card to Miss Mackle at the library table.

“Are you about finished, Doug?” Mr. Cardini asked. “I want to take the letters and the videotape of our skit up to the hospital.”

“I just need to color in my Indian's headband. I gave him 15 feathers.”

“You're putting an Indian on Miss Mackle's get-well card?”

“Well, sometimes the Indians didn't have a very good Christmas. It was cold and there wasn't always enough food. I just thought it would make Miss Mackle feel better if she knew the Indians had hard times, too.”

“Good thinking, Doug. There's a saying for that—misery likes company.”

Mr. Cardini got up from his desk, and walked over to Harry's.

It was pin-quiet again. The second hand on the clock seemed louder than usual.

It wasn't a happy sound.

“You know why I am keeping you after school?”

“I chased too many girls?”

“Right. You overdid it, Harry. You started chasing girls at noon recess. The aides complained to me about it.”

“I was practicing my part for Georgie Porgie.”

“You were suppose to PANTOMIME ONE KISS, like this ...” Mr. Cardini made fish lips and a funny puckering sound.
“SmmmmmmACK!”

“I guess I got carried away.”

“Yes, you did. You actually kissed Song Lee on the cheek.”

Harry flashed his pink gums, and made his bushy eyebrows go up and down. I could tell he was thinking about his scene with Song Lee.

“It's not funny, young man.”

I colored hard on my get-well card. I didn't want Mr. Cardini to think I was listening.

“So, I want you to write a letter of apology to Song Lee, and say that it will NEVER happen again.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Do you have anything to say to me?”

“I'm sorry, Mr. Cardini. It won't happen again.”

“Good.”

“I'm finished, Mr. Cardini,” I said, handing him the get-well card.

“How colorful! I'm sure Miss Mackle will be very pleased.”

“Can we visit Miss Mackle at the hospital ?” I asked.

“No, Doug. You are not an adult. Only adults are allowed on the fourth floor. I'm sorry.”

I made a face. It wasn't fair.

When I looked over at Harry he was busy writing. “I'll wait for you outside,” I said.

Harry jumped out of his seat. “I'm done!”

Mr. Cardini looked at the letter as he pulled on his moustache.

“You'll have to change the last part. It's a little strong,” Mr. Cardini said, trying not to smile. “‘From', or ‘sincerely' is better.”

Harry took out his
Tyrannosaurus rex
eraser and started erasing so hard he made a hole in his paper. When Mr. Cardini blew the ends of his moustache up, I knew he was trying to keep his temper down.

“There,” Harry said, handing him back the paper.