Free Ramona's World by Beverly Cleary

I want to have dinner early. I’m behind because Roberta pushed a jar of tomato sauce onto the floor in the market.” Moving quickly, she picked up Roberta, said “Upsy-daisy,” set her in her high chair, scooped up the pan and wooden spoon, and tossed them into the sink. She placed a plastic dish of Roberta’s dinner and a cup with a spout on the high-chair tray, and handed Ramona a spoon.
    Ramona examined Roberta’s dinner. “What’s this green stuff?” she asked as she tied a bib around Roberta’s neck. Roberta, in a happy mood, squealed and patted her hands on the tray.
    â€œPeas,” answered their mother, busy rolling wet lettuce in a towel. “I was in a hurry and I found an old jar of baby food. I know Roberta has outgrown strained peas, but I didn’t want to waste them.”
    â€œYuck,” said Ramona. The peas were unappetizing, and Roberta looked so innocent and trusting. Oh well, Roberta was the one who had to eat them. Spooning food into the baby’s rosy mouth or guiding her little hand clutching her spoon made Ramona feel grown up and responsible, a big sister for a change.
    The telephone rang in the hall. Mrs. Quimby answered. “Oh, hello, Sally,” she said.
    A book club lady, Ramona thought. That meant a long, boring conversation. Maybe if she hurried she could see part of Big Hospital before her mother finished her conversation and told her to turn it off. Curly-haired Doctor had fallen in love with Blond Nurse, who was secretly married. . . . Ramona couldn’t wait to see what happened next. She decided to hold the spoon herself to feed Roberta more quickly.
    Mrs. Quimby was saying, “Let’s read a shorter book this time. I thought I would never finish Moby Dick .”
    Ramona dipped up a spoonful of cottage cheese. “Open wide,” she said to Roberta. “Down the little red lane.” That was what her mother said when she fed Roberta. Ramona opened her own mouth, because she was Roberta’s role model. Roberta obediently imitated her and accepted the cottage cheese. “Good girl,” said Ramona. Roberta smiled a messy smile and pounded her heels against the high chair.
    Mrs. Quimby was saying, “I really enjoy our book club. Now that I am no longer working—not that looking after my daughters isn’t work—I enjoy exercising my brain.”
    Ramona was surprised and a little hurt that her mother found her daughters work. Roberta reached for the spoon. Ramona held on to it because Roberta would finish faster if she was fed. Ramona tried strained peas next. “Come on, Roberta. Down the hatch,” she said, using her father’s words.
    The hatch remained closed. Ramona tried to poke the spoon between Roberta’s lips. Roberta did not care to be poked. She began to look stubborn. Ramona was growing impatient to get to the television. If the husband of Blond Nurse found out about Curly-haired Doctor—
    Roberta kept her lips tightly closed. “Look, Roberta. Watch your big sister.” Ramona opened her mouth wide, and after thinking it over, Roberta did the same. Ramona popped the peas into her mouth. Roberta frowned but accepted another spoonful. Then she leaned out of her chair, opened her mouth, and let peas dribble out onto the linoleum.
    â€œRoberta!” cried Ramona. When Roberta looked worried, she changed the tone of her voice and said, “Yum-yum. Nice peas full of vitamins and good things.” She smiled as she held a generous spoonful to Roberta’s lips and thought, Horrid, nasty peas, before she said, “Open wide.” When Roberta did as she was told, Ramona spooned in the peas.
    With her mouth full of peas, Roberta looked both surprised and disappointed, as if her sister had betrayed her. Then she blew hard, spraying mushy, squishy, smelly green peas all over Ramona.
    â€œRoberta!” cried Ramona, dropping the spoon on the high-chair