Gooney Bird on the Map Read Free Page B

subtraction!"
    "My mom says that when she's forty she's not going to tell anybody," Chelsea announced. "She's going to be thirty-nine forever!"
    "Forty minus thirty-nine equals one," Barry Tuckerman pointed out.
    "But what about her driver's license?" Tyrone said. "It'll say forty on her driver's license! You can't lie to the po-leece!"
    Mrs. Pidgeon took a deep breath. "Let's think about the number forty-four, class," she said. "It would be how many tens, and how many ones?"
    "
Lie to the cops and they bust you in the chops,
"Tyrone chanted.
    "
Bust you in the chops!
"the other children echoed. Malcolm stood and began to dance. Ben threw a fake punch at Nicholas.
    Mrs. Pidgeon put down the pointer. She pulled the little string that made the map recurl itself. She looked frustrated. "In your seats with your hands folded, please!" She said loudly. "Right this minute!" The children obeyed quickly.
    "I didn't get to see how far Disney World is from the equator!" muttered Beanie.
    "Everybody!" It was Gooney Bird's voice. She raised her hand, and Mrs. Pidgeon nodded at her.
    "Is it time for your idea, Gooney Bird?" asked Felicia Ann.
    "Yes," Gooney Bird said.
    The children waited and listened.
    "But first I have to get permission from the principal," Gooney Bird said. "Mrs. Pidgeon, is it okay if I go see Mr. Leroy for a minute?"
    Mrs. Pidgeon nodded. "Yes, but if I were you, I think I'd take off the tiara. I don't think Mr. Leroy has ever fully understood your sense of style the way the rest of us do."
    "I agree." Gooney Bird reached up and removed the tiara from her red hair. "Anyway, it's a good plan to look businesslike when you are conducting business. I'm going to wear gloves. I always wear gloves for serious meetings."
    She went to her cubby, stored her tiara there, and pulled on a pair of white gloves that had been folded on the shelf.
    The children didn't think her appearance unusual. It was just typical Gooney Bird, and they were used to it.
    She stopped at the door of the classroom and smoothed the fingers of her gloves. "How do I look?" she asked.

    "
Trés Chic
!" the second-graders all said loudly.
    "Good. May I take Mr. Leroy a heart?" she sked. Mrs. Pidgeon held out the small bag of candies, and Gooney Bird selected one."
U Da Man
"she read. "He'll like that. I'll be right back," she said.
    At the door she looked back and added, "William Henry Harrison never once in his life snowboarded or surfed or wore mouse ears. Moment of silence."
    The class became quiet. They could hear the door open and close as Gooney Bird headed out on her visit to the principal.
    Â 
    "Mr. Leroy says yes!" Gooney Bird announced when she returned. Carefully she removed her gloves, folded them neatly, and put them back into her cubby. "He is definitely
Da Man.
"
    "Yay!" the children all called. "Awesome!" They clapped and cheered. Then Barry Tuckerman asked, "What did he say yes to?"
    "He donated a piece of land to us," Gooney Bird said, "at my request."
    "A piece of land?" asked Mrs. Pidgeon.
    "Yes. You know that corner of the playground where in good weather there's a seesaw but they take it down for winter?"
    Mrs. Pidgeon nodded. She looked through the window. "My goodness! There's Mr. Furillo out there! What's he doing?"
    All of the children began to stand up. They wanted to see what the school custodian was doing. Ordinarily he was inside the building, emptying the trash cans, mopping the halls (sometimes he had to clean up throwup, usually in the kindergarten, but he said he didn't mind), and fixing broken things such as pencil sharpeners and towel dispensers.
    "Stay seated, children," Mrs. Pidgeon said. She shaded her eyes against the sun with one hand and peered through the window. "It's all packed snow out there. I'm glad he has his warm boots on. He seems to have something in his hand, like a spray can? Yes. A spray can of paint! He's painting a line on the snow!"
    "Our borders!" Gooney Bird explained. "Inside that line is our