Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11 BARON VON GRUMP'S SMILE HAD gone from a big grin to a little twitch, to a thin line, to a frown. A full, frumpy, sour frown. Baron Von Grump was angry. He was so angry that he hopped up and down. He stomped his feet. He wrinkled his eyebrows. He even shook his fist in the air and yelled, "I am so angry!" "Caw! Caw!" said Edgar. Edgar was angry too.

First it had been the villagers. Then it had been those cheese-nibbling rats. And then, when things had finally gone quiet, when he'd finally picked his violin back up and set the bow against the strings so that he could tune it, someone had howled. A long, loud, rolling howl. Then a kitten. A hissing, spitting kitten. Then there had been a boy with a flute. No, a boy playing a flute, and three little monsters all smiling and, and, and... breathing! Breathing can be very, very loud.

Everything was loud to Baron Von Grump. His own breathing was loud. His hollering, hopping, and stomping was loud. He could barely hear himself think. With the rats gone, the villagers would move back in. With the villagers back, there would be more smiling, and singing, and gum-chewing, and "good mornings." There would be laughing and breathing and good cheer. "I am so angry!" roared Baron Von Grump, pacing and stomping around. See? He was really, really angry. Think of some time when you were really angry. Think of when you had to go to bed early, or eat lima beans, or clean up your toys before you could go out and play. That probably made you angry, right? Well, Baron Von Grump was even angrier than that! Like, a hundred times angrier. Maybe a zillion times.

"Caw! Caw!" said Edgar. "Stop cawing!" hollered Baron Von Grump. He shook his fist at Edgar and stomped some more. Edgar's little eyes twinkled mischievously. "Caw?" He flew up to the top rafter and stayed out of Baron Von Grump's way. "Argh!" yelled Baron Von Grump. He stuffed cotton into his ears and slammed his shutters closed. That was how angry he was.