Junie B. Jones Is Captain Field Day - Barbara Park [2]
I pulled on her sleeve.
“Maybe you should reward me for that behavior,” I said. “Huh, Mrs.? What do you think? Maybe you should make me the captain of Field Day. ’Cause that would teach the other children a good lesson, probably.”
Mrs. stood up. She walked me back to my table. And she pointed her finger at me.
“Sit,” she said.
“Stay,” she said.
After that, she went back to her desk. And she held up a little basket.
“Boys and girls, please listen carefully. In this basket, there are eighteen folded slips of paper. Seventeen of the papers are blank. But one of the papers has the word captain printed on it. Whoever picks that one will be the captain of our Field Day team.”
After that, Mrs. carried the basket around the room.
She stopped at every table. And she let all the children pick a paper.
“Keep your papers folded until everyone has chosen,” said Mrs. “We'll all open our papers together.”
My stomach felt nervous and jumpy inside. ’Cause I didn't want anyone else to pick the captain paper, of course.
When Mrs. got to my table, my heart was pumping very much.
She held up the basket for me to pick.
I reached in real careful. Then I digged and digged all around in there.
Mrs. tapped her foot. “Please, Junie B. Just pick one, okay?” she said.
“Yeah, but I don't think my fingers have touched the right paper yet,” I said. “I am waiting to get the right vives.”
“Vibes,” said Mrs. “It's short for vibrations.”
“Whatever,” I said. Then I digged and digged some more.
“For the love of Pete!” said Mrs. “Just pick one.”
After that, I quick picked a teensy paper from the basket. Then I waited at my seat very patient until all the rest of the children picked, too.
Mrs. smiled. “Okay, everyone. When I count to three, you can open your papers.
“One … two … three!”
I opened mine up.
Then I did a gasp.
’Cause I saw letters, that's why!
“MRS., MRS.! LOOK! MY PAPER HAS LETTERS ON IT! IT IS THE WORD CAPTAIN, I THINK!”
I zoomed to the front of the room to show her.
And guess what?
She said I was right!
I skipped around in a circle. “HURRAY! HURRAY! I AM IT, PEOPLE! I AM CAPTAIN FIELD DAY!”
After that, I laughed and danced and clapped and clapped.
Only what do you know?
Nobody else clapped with me.
Mrs. hurried over to me. She said to please stop dancing.
“Yeah, only I can't even control my feet that good. ’Cause they are excited about being Captain Field Day!” I said.
I jumped up and down. “I've always wanted to be the boss of these people! And now I am the captain of everybody! Captain means the same thing as boss! Right, Mrs.? Right?”
Just then, my whole mouth fell open. ’Cause I thought of something very wonderful!
“Mrs.! Hey, Mrs.! Guess what else captain can be? It can be the name of a superhero, I think!”
I clapped my hands. “Yes! Yes! I heard of that before! I heard of a superhero named Captain somebody-or-other. And so that makes this job even better!” I said.
I hugged myself real happy. “Maybe I can even wear a whole entire superhero outfit! Like a leotard and tights! And a cape! And a belt with lightning!”
Just then, Mrs. held her hand in the air. “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” she said. Then she quick took me into the hall. And she bent down next to me.
“Junie B., you are very mixed up about being a team captain. Team captains are not superheroes. They're not even close, in fact.”
I did a frown at that woman. “Why? Why aren't they?” I asked. “Captains are the bosses, right?”
Mrs. shook her head. “No, Junie B. Not in this case, they aren't. In this case, a team captain supports the team. A team captain keeps the team united.”
She looked at me. “You know what united means, don't you? You've heard of that word before, right?”
I thought and thought very hard. But I couldn't actually remember it.
Mrs. explained it to me.
“Unite means to join people together, Junie B.,” she said. “A team captain keeps her teammates working together in good spirits. Instead