the book in his hand and walked over to

take the stapler from her. “Thank you, Mr.

Cardoza,” she said, because she knew he

expected good manners.

“You’re welcome, Ramona Q.,” said Mr.

Cardoza with a smile that was a friendly

smile, not an amused-by-a-funny-little-girl

smile. “We’re always glad to be of help.”

Ramona had not felt so happy since she

was in Miss Binney’s kindergarten. Too

bad Beezus had first dibs on Mr. Cardoza.

Ramona might have married him herself

someday if she ever decided to get married.

She reached Room One just as the two first

grades were returning from recess. She heard someone from Room Two say, “Ramona

must have hurt her foot.”

Someone else said, “I bet it hurts.”

169

Ramona began to limp. She was enjoying the attention her slipper attracted.

“Oh, there you are, Ramona,” said Mrs.

Griggs, who was standing by her door to

make sure her class entered the room in an

orderly manner.“Where have you been? We

missed you on the playground.”

“I was making a slipper.” Ramona looked

up at Mrs. Griggs. “I didn’t want to wear a

dirty old boot.” She had not felt so brave

since the day she started off to the first grade.

“After this you should ask permission to

stay in during recess.” Mrs. Griggs looked

down at the slipper and said, “You have

made a very good slipper.”

Encouraged by this bit of praise, Ramona

said, “I could make a better slipper if I had scissors and crayons. I could draw a bunny

face on the toe and make ears like a real

bunny slipper.”

Mrs. Griggs’s expression was thoughtful.

170

She seemed to be studying Ramona, who shrank inside herself, uncertain as to what

her teacher might be about to say. Mrs.

Griggs looked more tired than cross, so

Ramona summoned her spunk and said,

“Maybe I could finish my slipper instead of

making a Thanksgiving turkey.”

“We always—” began Mrs. Griggs and

changed her mind. “I don’t see why not,”

she said.

Mrs. Griggs approved of her! Ramona

smiled with relief and pretended to limp to

her seat as her teacher closed the door.

She no longer had to dread turkeys—or her

teacher.

The class took out arithmetic work-

books. While Ramona began to count

cowboy boots and butterflies and circled the correct number under the pictures, she was

busy and happy in the private corner of her

mind planning improvements in her slipper.

171

She would round the heel and toe. She would draw a nose with pink crayon and

eyes, too, and cut two ears. . . . Ramona’s

happy thoughts were interrupted by another

less happy thought. Her missing brown

oxford. What was her mother going to say

when she came home without it? Tell her

she was careless? Tell her how much shoes

cost these days? Ask her why on earth she