3. Ow!

3 Owl I walked home from my bus stop very slow. Walking is good for thinking, I think. Talking is good for thinking, too. "I just wish I wasn't the first one, that's all," I said out loud to myself. "I wish the other children in Room One were losing their teeth, too. Then all of us would look toothless together. And no one would throw fruit." I did a big breath at me.

"Yeah, only that is the dumbest thing I ever heard of," I said. "'Cause you can't make other children have loose teeth, Junie B." I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, only I already know that, Junie B.," I said. "But I really don't want to be first. And so why can't my tooth just stay in my mouth a little longer? That's what I would like to know." I crossed my arms at myself. "'Cause you keep wiggling it, that's why," I said. "Maybe if you didn't wiggle it, it would get tight again. Did you ever think of that? Huh? Did you?" I walked and walked some more. Then, all of a sudden, I did a gasp. 'Cause I did think of that! Ha! I ran to my house speedy quick. My grampa Frank Miller was babysitting

my fussy brother named Ollie. "Grampa Miller! I know what to do about my tooth! I know what to do about my tooth!" I hollered real happy. Grampa Miller was bouncing Ollie on his lap. Ollie was wearing his drool bib. Also, he was slobbering and chewing on his arm. Ollie will not be popular in school, probably. Mother says he is drooly and fussy because he will be getting teeth soon. She is kidding herself, I think. Just then, Ollie started to cry. Grampa Miller looked weary of that boy. I took Ollie away from him. "Don't worry, Grampa. I know how to calm this baby down," I said.

After that, I patted Ollie's back very nice. Then I hummed real soft in his ear. And I put him in the hall closet. Grampa quick got him out of there. He put Ollie in his playpen. And he gave him animal crackers. Animal crackers are crackers that make babies stop crying. Also, I enjoy an occasional cracker myself. After Ollie stopped fussing, Grampa Miller came back in the kitchen. And he put me on his lap. "Okay, little girl. I'm ready to listen to your news now," he said. "What were you saying about your tooth? Did it get any looser at school today?" I clapped my hands together. "That's what I was going to tell you about, Grampa!" I said. "'Cause at school I found

out that I am the first person in Room One to lose a top front tooth. And so at first I felt proud about that news. Only then I got nervous. On account of who wants to look like toothless Uncle Lou, that's why. And so then I had a long talk with myself. And hurray, hurray! I decided not to lose my tooth after all!" My grampa raised his eyebrows at me. "Really?" he said. "You're not going to lose your tooth, huh? Do you really think you can do that, honey?" "Yes!" I said. "I know I can do it, Grampa. 'Cause all I have to do is not wiggle it anymore. And then it will get real tight in my mouth again! I am sure of it! I'm positive." I reached in my mouth and touched my tooth very light with my finger. "Yup!" I said. "I can feel it! It's tighter already!"

I opened my mouth and pointed. "See it, Grampa? See how tight it's getting?" Grampa Miller squinted his eyes. "Gee, honey, I don't know," he said. "It still looks pretty loose to me." Then—without even asking—he reached in my mouth. And he started to wiggle it. "No!" I yelled. "No! No! No!" I snapped my mouth shut. "OW!" said my grampa. He quick pulled out his finger. "OW!" I said right back. 'Cause I felt a pinch, that's why! I poked all around with my tongue. Something did not feel right in there. My heart started to pound very fast. I held my breath. Then I opened my mouth kind of sickish.