Junie B. Jones Has a Monster Under Her Bed - Barbara Park [4]
Daddy rubbed his tired eyes.
“There’s no monster, Junie B. There is nothing to be afraid of,” he said.
Then he kissed me. And he went out of my room. And Mother went with him.
I quick got out of bed and followed those two.
They turned around and spotted me.
“Hello. How are you today?” I said very pleasant. “I am going to sit in the kitchen and not bother anyone. Plus also, I might watch Eyewitness News at Ten.”
Mother carried me back to bed.
I followed her out again.
“Want to bake a lemon pie? A lemon pie would be fun, don’t you think?” I asked.
This time, Mother marched me back to my room real fast.
“Do not get up again, Junie B.,” she said. “Enough is enough.”
I waited for her feet to walk away.
Then I tippytoed to my baby brother’s room. And I climbed into his crib.
It was very crowded in there.
That’s how come I had to get out and put baby Ollie on the floor.
Then I climbed in his crib again. And I pulled up the blanket all warm and cozy.
Only too bad for me, ’cause just then that crybaby baby started to scream.
Daddy runned into the room speedy quick.
He turned on the light and saw me.
I did a gulp.
“Hello. How are you today?” I said kind of nervous. “I am all warm and cozy.”
Daddy quick swished me out of there.
Then he put baby Ollie back in the crib.
And he took me to my bed again.
“Okay. This is it,” he grouched. “This is the last time I want to have to come in here. Do you understand, missy? Do not get out of this bed one more time.”
I started to cry a teeny bit.
“Yeah, only what about the monster?” I said. “’Cause he is still under my bed, I think.”
Daddy throwed his hands in the air.
Then he turned on my light. And he looked for the monster all over the place.
First, he looked under my bed. Then he looked in my closet. And in my drawers. And in my trash can. Plus also, he looked in my crayon box.
“No monster, Junie B.,” he said. “No monster anywhere. You’re going to have to believe me. Monsters are not real!”
He sat down on my bed.
“I’m going to go now,” he said. “I’m going to leave your door open. And I’m going to leave the hall light on. But this is it, okay? You have to trust me, Junie B. There is no monster under your bed.”
I holded onto his shirt.
“Yeah, only tuck in my sheets. Okay? Tuck them in real tight. Or else my feet might hang over the side. And piggy toes look like little wiener sausages.”
Daddy tucked in my sheets. “There. Now good night.”
“Yeah, only get my teddy. Okay, Daddy? Plus also get my Raggedy Ann named Ruth. And my Raggedy Andy named Larry. And get my stuffed elephant named Philip Johnny Bob.”
Daddy got all those guys for me. He tucked them in my bed.
“There. That’s it. Now good night,” he said.
He walked right out of my room. And he kept on going down the hall.
I looked all around in the dark.
It was spooky and scary in there.
“PHILIP JOHNNY BOB WANTS A DRINK OF WATER!” I shouted out real loud.
I waited and waited.
“YEAH, ONLY HE REALLY, REALLY NEEDS ONE! ON ACCOUNT OF HE IS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH HIS TRUNK!”
Daddy didn’t come.
“RAGGEDY RUTH NEEDS A KLEENEX!” I yelled next.
After that, my voice got quieter.
“Raggedy Larry wants a cookie,” I said.
But still Daddy didn’t come.
5/My Worstest Night Ever
It was my worstest night ever.
I didn’t sleep any winks.
That’s because I had to keep my eyes open. Or else the monster wouldn’t stay invisible.
I heard Mother and Daddy go to bed.
“GOOD NIGHT, EVERYBODY! GOOD NIGHT! IT’S ME! IT’S JUNIE B. JONES! I AM STILL AWAKE IN HERE. ’CAUSE I CAN’T EVEN CLOSE MY EYES OR THE MONSTER WILL COME!”
Mother and Daddy didn’t yell back.
“PLUS HERE’S ANOTHER THING I NEED TO TELL YOU! DON’T TURN OUT THE HALL LIGHT. PLUS DON’T SHUT MY DOOR! PLUS DON’T SHUT YOUR DOOR, EITHER!”
“Go to sleep!” grouched Mother.
I smiled very relieved.
“It was good to hear your voice,” I said kind of quiet.
After that, Mother and Daddy got in bed. And they turned out their light.
Daddy started to snore.
“Oh no,” I said. “Now he won’t even be awake