Junie B. Jones Smells Something Fishy - Barbara Park [3]
She got an empty mayonnaise jar out of the cabinet.
Then she poked holes in the lid for air. And she put the baby worm inside.
Mother looked at him in there.
“You don’t even know where you are, do you, little fella?” she said. “I bet it’s kind of scary in there all by yourself.”
I turned my back on her. ’Cause I knew what she was up to, that’s why.
“You can’t make me like him, Mother,” I said. “Nobody can make me like him.”
“Of course not,” said Mother. “But just because you don’t like him doesn’t mean I can’t like him.”
She talked to the worm some more.
“Hmm. Maybe you’d be happier if you had some dirt to crawl around in,” she said. “Let’s go outside and see what we can do.”
After that, Mother put on her jacket. And she went outside. And she digged in the dirt from her garden.
She came inside and showed me the jar.
It looked kind of cute in there.
There was a rock and a stick and a dandelion and some clovers.
I peeked at the baby worm.
He peeked back, I think.
“Yeah, only I still don’t like him,” I said kind of softer.
I rocked back and forth on my feet.
“And anyway…even if I did like him, I don’t know what worms eat. And so what would I even feed that guy?”
Mother ruffled my hair.
“Are you kidding? That’s the best part about worms,” she said. “They get all of their food right from the soil. You don’t have to feed them anything at all.”
Just then, my baby brother started to cry.
“Uh-oh. The baby’s crying,” she said. “Here. Take this.”
Then she quick handed me the jar.
And she runned right out of the room.
5/Catching Friends
I watched the little worm very careful.
He wiggled himself into the dirt.
I tapped on the glass.
“Yeah, only here’s the problem. Now I can’t see you anymore. And so what fun is that?” I asked.
I took off the lid and put my lips in the jar.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are!” I said real loud.
Then I waited very patient. But the worm did not come out.
“Hey, in there! Don’t you even know I’m talking to you?”
Then—all of a sudden—my brain thought of something very important!
Of course he didn’t know I was talking to him!
How could he know I was talking to him if he didn’t even have a name!
I quick closed my eyes real tight. And I tried to think of a worm name.
Pretty soon, my eyes springed wide open.
“NOODLE!” I said real thrilled. “I will name you Noodle! ’Cause noodles and worms are twins, practically!”
I yelled in the jar again.
“HERE, NOODLE! HERE, NOODLEY LITTLE NOODLE!”
Just then, Mother peeked her head in the kitchen door.
“What’s all the shouting about in here?” she asked. “Who’s Noodle?”
I pointed to my dirt jar.
“Noodle is my worm,” I said. “Only he crawled way into the dirt. And now he won’t come out. Not even when I call his name.”
Mother looked in the jar.
“Hmm…maybe he’s taking a nap,” she said. “Or maybe he’s just exploring his new home.”
I tapped on my chin.
“Maybe,” I said. “Or maybe he might be looking for some friends to play with.”
Just then, I did a gasp.
“Mother! Mother! I bet that’s it! I bet little Noodle is lonely in there! I bet he’s looking for friends!”
I zoomed to the closet speedy fast. And I put on my sweater.
“HOLD ON, LITTLE NOODLE! HOLD ON! HOLD ON! ’CAUSE I CAN HELP YOU WITH THIS PROBLEM, I THINK!”
After that, I grabbed Noodle’s jar.
And me and him zoomed outside to the garden again.
Friends do not come easy.
First, I tried to catch a butterfly. But it quick flied away.
Then I tried to catch a grasshopper. But it wouldn’t stand still.
Also I tried to catch a cricket and a gnat and a lizard. But those guys would not cooperate, either.
Finally, I sat down in the grass real glum.
“I am a flop at this job,” I said.
Only just then, I saw something very wonderful!
And it’s called three ants were walking in the grass! And they were carrying a cheese puff on their heads!
My heart got very thumping.
“NOODLE! HEY, NOODLE! I FOUND FRIENDS! AND THEY’VE BROUGHT A DELICIOUS CHEESE SNACK!”
After that, I picked up the ants and the cheese puff. And I dropped them right inside the jar.
And that is not the only