Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary Page B

new pajamas to wear in the first act. They were made of pink-and-blue-and-white-striped flannel. Henry felt that any pajamas were bad enough—but pink-and-blue pajamas! He didn’t even like to think about them.
    Henry swallowed hard every morning. He hoped his throat might be a little bit sore but it never was. Finally he gave up. There was no way out. Now all he wanted was to get it over.
    One afternoon during fifth period Henry looked out of the window and saw a few feathery snowflakes drifting down. They were so light he wasn’t sure at first. When Miss Roop wasn’t looking, he leaned over closer to the window. It was snow, all right! It wasn’t going to be a green Christmas after all! Now he would get to use his Flexible Flyer!

    The rest of the class soon noticed the snow, too, and everyone began to whisper. Miss Roop smiled and pretended not to hear. As soon as the bell rang, the children all scrambled for their wraps and rushed out to see the snow—all except those who had parts in the operetta. They took their wraps from the cloakroom and went to the auditorium.
    The auditorium was a busy place. In one corner of the room, mothers from the Parent Teacher Association were altering costumes for the polar bear chorus. Henry remembered those white suits. He had worn one when he had been an Easter bunny in a spring program. Now the mothers were ripping off the long ears and fuzzy tails, and were sewing on short ears and straight tails to change the suits into polar bear costumes.
    The stage crew was at work. Some of the eighth grade boys were turning different-colored lights on and off. At the back of the stage, Scooter, standing on a board laid across two stepladders, was painting scenery with green paint.
    Henry sat down to wait for his turn, while Mary Jane and Beezus rehearsed their dance, and Robert, wearing his dog suit, practiced walking on all fours.
    Henry waited and waited. He sat on the hard auditorium chair and looked out of the window at the snowflakes. He could hear the other kids laughing and yelling outside, so he knew there must be enough snow for snowballs. He wished his turn would come so he could leave. Now the tin soldiers were practicing their steps. At the end of their song and dance one of the stage crew threw a basketball across the stage in front of them. It was supposed to look like a cannonball, and the tin soldiers were supposed to fall over with one leg in the air. Miss Roop didn’t like the way they fell and she made them do it over several times.
    Henry wandered up on the stage behind the tin soldiers to watch Scooter paint scenery. “What’re you supposed to be painting?” he asked him.
    â€œTrees,” answered Scooter. “With real paint.”
    â€œWhere did you get it?”
    â€œA fellow in my room’s father has a paint store and he gave it to us.”
    Just then Henry heard a bark. It sounded like Ribsy. It was Ribsy. He bounded in through the door of the auditorium, ran up the steps to the stage, and wormed his way behind the row of tin soldiers to get to Henry. He shook himself and wagged his tail.
    â€œWell, Ribsy, old boy!” said Henry. “Did you get tired of waiting out in the cold?” Ribsy shook himself again. Henry patted him. “Why, Ribs, you’re all wet! It must be snowing hard.”
    â€œHe’s a dumb-looking dog,” said Scooter.
    â€œAw, he is not. He’s a smart dog. Aren’t you, Ribsy?”
    â€œI’ll bet he can’t climb a stepladder like my dog can,” said Scooter.
    â€œI’ll bet he can. Call him and see.”
    Scooter looked down at the dog. “Here, Ribsy,” he called. “Come on, boy.” Ribsy looked at him and then at Henry.
    â€œGo on,” said Henry. “Up the ladder.” He pointed to the ladder. Ribsy put one paw on the bottom step. “Atta boy, go on!” Ribsy carefully put a paw on the next step. “Good dog!”