Free I'm Still Scared by Tomie dePaola Page B

smell. It was even worse than “wet wool.” It was Miss Luby’s bright idea. She was the school nurse. After recess our mittens were always soaking wet from making snowmen and snowballs. Miss Luby said that they had to be dry before we could put them on to go home. “Wet mittens will give you a cold,” she said.
    So, since the radiators in each room were hot, we lined up our mittens on the tops, just like hot dogs on a grill at a picnic.
    The steam from the wet mittens would start rising as they dried. The classroom got hotter. The windows dripped. The smell got stronger.

    Now we had a second winter smell—the “hot wool mittens” smell. It was even stinkier than the plain “wet wool” smell.
    But today no one was thinking about mittens.
    Suddenly, the door to our classroom opened. It was the school secretary, Miss Philomena.
    â€œBoys and girls,” she said, “we are going to have a school assembly. When the bell rings, go to the auditorium exactly the way Miss Gardner has taught you.” Miss Philomena and Miss Gardner whispered to each other, and Miss Philomena left. Why did they always whisper? The teachers didn’t want us to hear stuff. Why?

    Jeannie and I looked at each other. What was going on?

Chapter Three
    â€œBoys and girls,” Miss Gardner said. “When the bell rings, line up in order. Then, we will go down to the auditorium when our turn comes.”
    The bell rang. We got in line. Miss Gardner opened the door and waited as kids from the upper floor of the school filed by on the way to the auditorium. Sixth-graders, fifth-graders, fourth-graders.

    Next Miss Fisher’s combination second and third grade went by. Then we went, followed by the first-graders. The kindergartners stayed in their room.

    We went down the staircase with “NO TALKING” until we came to the door to the auditorium. It was also the gym.
    Mr. Walters, the janitor, had opened up the big wooden doors that separated the gym part from the auditorium. All the seats, made up of six wooden folding chairs connected to each other, were set up in rows, filling the whole room.
    This was serious.
    The teachers helped us get settled in our chairs.
    Miss Burke walked up onto the stage. She always wore purple. Today she looked very stern.
    â€œStudents, please all rise.” A sixth-grade boy came up on the stage holding the flag.
    â€œWe will now say the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.” We did.

    â€œYou may now sit. Yesterday, as many of you know, a terrible thing happened at Pearl Harbor. It is in Hawaii. Our entire Pacific Fleet of ships is based there. Even though it is far away from here, it affects us as well. Later, at noontime, President Roosevelt will talk to the American people over the radio. Mr. Brown, the superintendent of schools, has informed us that we are closing the schools early so you can be at home with your families when the president speaks.
    â€œI want you all to go right home. Older children, if you have a younger brother or sister, be sure to see that you take him or her home safely. We’ll see you all back here tomorrow when school will be in session, as usual.”
    Buddy came down to Miss Gardner’s room to walk me home. Jeannie lives just around the corner from our house, so she came with us.

    When we got home, Mom was surprised to see us. She was in the kitchen with Maureen.
    â€œSchool got out early,” Buddy said.
    â€œSo we could hear the president on the radio,” I added.
    â€œThat’s good,” Mom said. “Your dad is coming home to hear the president, too. I’m fixing cream of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. We’ll eat as soon as he gets here.”
    We heard Dad’s car pull into the driveway. Dad came in, kissed Mom and Maureen, patted Buddy on the shoulder, and mussed up my hair.
    We all sat down at the kitchen table and ate our lunch. Dad got up and turned on