Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger (Wayside School 3)

“Look at her totally tiny toes!” Bebe squealed. “Aren’t those the cutest things you’ve ever seen in your whole life?”

“Check out her nose!” said Myron.

“Oh, she’s so beautiful, Mrs. Jewls,” said Joy. “Can I touch her?”

“Sure,” said Mrs. Jewls.

They took turns touching the baby.

“Goo-goo, goo-goo,” said Mac as he gently shook Mav

is’s little hand.

“Iggle wiggle poo poo,” said Allison, tapping her on the nose.

“Iggle wiggle poo poo poo,” said Rondi, tickling her foot.

“Yibble bibble,” said Todd.

“Ooh goo boo boo,” cooed Joe.

“She’s never going to learn to talk around you kids,” said Mrs. Jewls with a laugh.

Dana was so happy she cried. She hugged Mrs. Jewls.

They all took turns hugging Mrs. Jewls.

Of course, there was one person who wasn’t happy. “May I hold her, Mrs. Jewls?” Miss Nogard asked sweetly.

Mrs. Jewls looked at the substitute teacher.

“It’s okay,” said Allison. “Miss Nogard’s a real nice teacher.”

“Sure, go ahead,” said Mrs. Jewls. “I’m sorry for interrupting your class like this.”

“Oh, that’s quite all right,” said Miss Nogard, picking up Mrs. Jewls’s baby. “She’s just adorable.”

The window by Sharie’s desk was wide open. That’s kind of dangerous, Miss Nogard realized. Somebody might accidentally drop something out the window.

She slowly moved toward it as she swayed with the baby. “I’ve heard so much about you, Mrs. Jewls,” she said. “The children have missed you.”

“I’ve missed them too,” said Mrs. Jewls.

There was a rubber-band ball on the floor next to Sharie’s desk. Sharie had been making it, although it wasn’t nearly as big as the one Mr. Kidswatter had been making.

If I tripped over that rubber-band ball, something awful might happen, thought Miss Nogard.

She was just about to step on it, when suddenly she became very curious about the kind of thoughts babies had. She had never listened to a baby’s brain before.

Miss Nogard held Mavis close to her heart and listened … .

She gasped. Her face turned white, and her legs wobbled beneath her. As she tried to get her balance, she stepped on the rubber-band ball and fell toward the open window.

Louis jumped over Sharie’s desk and grabbed her just in time.

Mrs. Jewls hurried over.

Miss Nogard tenderly handed Mrs. Jewls her baby. Then she fainted in Louis’s arms.