time.
They went in the hall and did whispering.
Pretty soon, Daddy came back to me.
He said we would look for the monster after dinner. But first we would cook some hamburgers on the grill.
“Oh boy!” I said. “Oh boy! ’Cause hamburgers are my most favorite things in the whole wide world! Plus also I like pasketti and meatballs.”
After that, me and Daddy went outside.
He got a flipper for the hamburgers. Then he gave me a flipper, too. ’Cause I am old enough, that’s why.
I runned all over with that thing.
I flipped a rock and a flower and a dirt ball. Plus also, I flipped a dead lizard I found in the driveway.
Then Mother took my flipper away.
’Cause I am not old enough, that’s why.
After dinner I took my bath.
Then Mother and Daddy read me astory. And they hugged me good night.
“See you in the morning,” said Mother.
“See you in the morning,” said Daddy.
I sat up in my bed.
“Yeah, only I can’t even sleep in here. ’Cause you guys didn’t bash that monster yet.”
Daddy rubbed his tired eyes.
“There’s
no
monster, Junie B. There is
nothing
to be afraid of,” he said.
Then he kissed me. And he went out of my room. And Mother went with him.
I quick got out of bed and followed those two.
They turned around and spotted me.
“Hello. How are you today?” I said very pleasant. “I am going to sit in the kitchen and not bother anyone. Plus also, I might watch Eyewitness News at Ten.”
Mother carried me back to bed.
I followed her out again.
“Want to bake a lemon pie? A lemon pie would be fun, don’t you think?” I asked.
This time, Mother marched me back to my room real fast.
“Do
not
get up again, Junie B.,” she said. “Enough is enough.”
I waited for her feet to walk away.
Then I tippytoed to my baby brother’s room. And I climbed into his crib.
It was very crowded in there.
That’s how come I had to get out and put baby Ollie on the floor.
Then I climbed in his crib again. And I pulled up the blanket all warm and cozy.
Only too bad for me, ’cause just thenthat crybaby baby started to scream.
Daddy runned into the room speedy quick.
He turned on the light and saw me.
I did a gulp.
“Hello. How are you today?” I said kind of nervous. “I am all warm and cozy.”
Daddy quick swished me out of there.
Then he put baby Ollie back in the crib.
And he took me to my bed again.
“Okay. This is
it
,” he grouched. “This is the
last
time I want to have to come in here. Do you understand, missy? Do
not
get out of this bed
one more time
.”
I started to cry a teeny bit.
“Yeah, only what about the monster?” I said. “’Cause he is still under my bed, I think.”
Daddy throwed his hands in the air.
Then he turned on my light. And he looked for the monster all over the place.
First, he looked under my bed. Then he looked in my closet. And in my drawers. And in my trash can. Plus also, he looked in my crayon box.
“No
monster, Junie B.,” he said. “No monster anywhere. You’re going to have to believe me. Monsters are
not
real!”
He sat down on my bed.
“I’m going to go now,” he said. “I’m going to leave your door open. And I’m going to leave the hall light on. But this is it, okay? You have to trust me, Junie B. There is
no
monster under your bed.”
I holded onto his shirt.
“Yeah, only tuck in my sheets. Okay? Tuck them in real tight. Or else my feet might hang over the side. And piggy toes look like little wiener sausages.”
Daddy tucked in my sheets. “There. Now good night.”
“Yeah, only get my teddy. Okay, Daddy? Plus also get my Raggedy Ann named Ruth. And my Raggedy Andy named Larry. Andget my stuffed elephant named Philip Johnny Bob.”
Daddy got all those guys for me. He tucked them in my bed.
“There. That’s
it
. Now good night,” he said.
He walked right out of my room. And he kept on going down the hall.
I looked all around in the dark.
It was spooky and scary in there.
“PHILIP