help noticing all the crumbs along the way. Lunchrooms were delightfully messy.
Of course, she shouldnât think about food with Henry in trouble.
On the other hand, she had to keep up her strength. She snatched a taste of this and a nibble of that as she scurried along beneath the lunch tables.
When she reached the cakes, she climbed up, up, up the Tower of Taste and waited. Maybelle had a plan.
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8
Yoo-hoo!
âBoys and girls! Here is todayâs Something Interesting,â said the Principal. âGo ahead, Samantha.â
Samantha Snerdly took Ramona out of her carrying case. The Peabodys glowed. Ramona did not look pleased.
Maybelle stood tall atop the pile of fruit on Mrs. Peabodyâs cake.
âThis is Ramona Peabody,â Samantha said in a small voice.
Maybelle waved her antennae. Ramonaâs eyes widened.
âHiss!â Ramona said.
Mrs. Peabody saw Maybelle at the same moment Ramona did. âHerbert! Thereâs a cockroach on my cake!â she whispered.
Samantha went on. âShe is a tabby cat. She has tiger stripes. See how shiny her stripes are?â Samantha held Ramona up high.
Maybelle wiggled her antennae and five of her six legs at the cat.
âRrrrrr,â Ramona said.
âItâs standing up and waving its nasty little feet!â Mrs. Peabody said.
Samantha struggled to hold Ramona up even higher so everyone could see her. âSheâs really big, too.â
From the top of the cake, Maybelle waved her antennae and four of her legs and jumped up and down.
âOh no!â Mrs. Peabody wailed.
âRAAOO-OOOW!â Ramona yowled. She scratched Samantha, leaped into the air, and landed on Mrs. Peabodyâs famous Tower of Taste. SPLAT!
But Maybelle was already off and running.
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9
Ramona to the Rescue
âMy cake!â Mrs. Peabody screeched.
âOur cat!â Mr. Peabody roared. âCatch her!â
The Peabodys ran after Ramona. Ramona sprinted after Maybelleâ âSpit! Hiss!â âand Maybelle fled across the lunchroom to Henryâs glass.
Ramona chased Maybelle across the tables. The cat ran so fast, she slipped on a glob of Mystery Meat and skidded into some macaroni and cheese. But she didnât slow down. She leaped after Maybelle through a pile of succotash and knocked over cartons of milk. Still, she didnât slow down.
Little humans squealed and giggled and jumped out of their chairs. Lunch trays crashed to the floor. Pudding cups exploded. The Lunch Lady shouted, âOrder! Order!â But even that didnât slow Ramona down.
Maybelle had never run faster, but she could feel Ramonaâs whiskers close behind her.
Samuel Snerdlyâs Dressed Flea under a glass was just ahead.
Oh, poor Henry! Maybelle thought. She dashed up the table and onto the top of the glass. Ramona was so close and going so fast that she slid into itâand knocked it over!
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10
Henry Wears the Pants
Henry was free.
âCome on, Henry! Letâs go!â Maybelle said.
But Henry wasnât going anywhere in a hurry. His pants were too big. The best he could do was hold them up and shuffle along.
âTake the pants off, Henry!â
âNo,â Henry said. âI wonât.â
Maybelle couldnât flee without her friend, but she was in terrible danger. Ramona crouched over her.
Before Ramona could pounce, Mr. Peabody seized his cat. She was covered with Todayâs Lunch Menu.
âOhhh,â Mr. Peabody moaned. He held her at armâs length so she wouldnât ruin his clothes. âThe beautiful stripes! The shiny coat! Gone!â
âOur poor Precious! It isnât her fault this school is full of revolting bugs,â Mrs. Peabody said. âI expect you to complain to the Principal, Herbert.â
âI intend to, dear,â Mr. Peabody said.
The Peabodys carried their cat off in a huff.
Maybelle grabbed Henry and hid under a table while
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