Junie B. Jones Is Captain Field Day - Barbara Park [4]
Pretty soon, I heard Mrs. blow her whistle.
Then Grampa Miller put me down. And I hurried back to my team.
’Cause it was Captain Field Day to the rescue!
“CAPTAIN FIELD DAY TO THE RESCUE! CAPTAIN FIELD DAY TO THE RESCUE!” I shouted my loudest.
Then I zoomed and zoomed all over the place. My cape flied in the air behind me.
Those things are marvelous, I tell you!
I ran in and out of all the children.
Then, all of a sudden, Mrs. grabbed the back of my cape. And she held it very tight.
I looked back at that woman.
“Yeah, only here's the problem. I can't fly to the rescue when my cape is crumpled,” I said.
“Junie B., please” said Mrs. “You need to settle down. No one needs rescuing. I blew the whistle so we can start the first race.”
Just then, the Room Eight teacher blew her whistle, too.
“The first event between Room Eight and Room Nine is going to be a team relay race,” she said. “Since both of our classes have eighteen children today, everyone will get to run.”
After that, Mrs. made a line in the grass where the race would start. Then she told us the rules.
“Each team will line up behind this white line,” she said. “The first person in line will run down to the fence, come back, and tag the next runner. The race keeps going on and on like that until everyone in the line has run. Does everybody understand?”
I jumped way high in the air.
“I do!” I shouted. “I understand perfectly perfect! ’Cause I am Captain Field Day, of course!”
After that, I hurried to my bestest friend named Grace.
“You go first, Grace,” I said. “You are the fastest runner in kindergarten. And so you have to be at the front of the line.”
I grabbed that Grace's hand. And I pulled her to the front.
Only too bad for us. Because Charlotte was already standing there.
“No cuts!” she said. “I was here first!”
I crossed my arms at that girl.
“Yes, I know that, Charlotte,” I said. “But I am Captain Field Day. And Captain Field Day says that speedy Grace needs to go first. So move it, missy.”
Charlotte stamped her angry foot.
“No! I was here first, I told you!” she said real snappish.
Just then, Grace smiled at Charlotte very nice. And she whispered a secret in her ear.
And then, what do you know? Charlotte backed right up! And she let Grace go first!
“Wowie wow wow! How did you do that, Grace?” I asked. “What did you say?”
That Grace did a shrug. “I just said the word please.”
I tapped on my chin. “Please, huh? I'll have to remember that one,” I said.
Pretty soon, Mrs. blew her whistle for us to line up.
“Is everyone ready?” she asked.
“Yes!” we hollered back.
Then Mrs. shouted in her loudest voice. “ON YOUR MARK….
“GET SET….
“GO!”
Then—boom!—fast as a rocket, Grace started to run!
“GO, GRACE! GO! GO! GO!” shouted Room Nine.
Grace zoomed to the fence and back again.
She tagged Charlotte on her hand.
“GO, CHARLOTTE! GO! GO! GO!” shouted Room Nine. “WE'RE WINNING! WE'RE WINNING! WE'RE WINNING!”
After that, Charlotte tagged a girl named Lynnie. And Lynnie tagged Jamal Hall. And Jamal Hall tagged a boy named Ham. And Ham tagged Paulie Allen Puffer.
Then all of Room Nine kept on tagging each other … until finally, there were just three more runners to go!
Their names were Ricardo, and Junie B. Jones, and Crybaby William.
Ricardo made noises like a race car. “Varoooom, varoooom, varoooom,” he said.
Then, all of a sudden, he got tagged. And he took off running!
Me and William watched him go.
“Ricardo runs fast for a boy in cowboy boots,” I said kind of proud.
Crybaby William pulled on my cape real urgent. He quick whispered a secret in my ear.
“I'm not good at this, Junie B.,” he said very nervous. “I'm not a fast runner.”
I patted his slowpoke little head.
“Do not worry, little William. I am Captain Field Day, remember? I will save the day,” I said. “I will run so fast, you will even be able to walk, probably.”
Just then, Ricardo came running back.
“Here I go, William! Here I go saving the day! Watch me!” I shouted.
Ricardo tagged my hand.
I took off as fast as a rabbit!
Then I kept on getting faster and