Ralph S. Mouse - Beverly Cleary [25]
“I guess we took care of that editor,” said Ryan. “Come on, Brad, let’s go see if the cook will give us something to eat.”
Ralph watched the boys leave before he carefully polished every millimeter of his beautiful new car. Then he pushed his nest together for a nap while waiting for night to come. His day had been exciting, exhausting, and satisfying. Because of him, two boys had become friends. Ralph felt that he had done a good deed in a troubled world.
Ralph awoke much later when the clock began to grind and groan and slowly, as if in pain, strike eleven, the safe hour for mice to appear. Ralph was enjoying a good stretch when he saw five of his relatives peering in at him.
“He’s back!” said one.
“And he’s got a car,” said another.
“A sports car,” said a third.
Instantly there was clamor and confusion. “Give me a ride!” “Me first!” “Stop shoving!” “I should be first because I’m oldest.” “Get off my foot.”
Instead of getting excited and angry, Ralph stood calmly beside his car and looked at his relatives without speaking. Gradually the mice grew quiet.
“That’s better,” said Ralph. “I can’t hear anyone if you all speak at once.” The mice were silent, listening, the way Room 5 had grown quiet and listened to Miss K.
“Look, class—I mean, fellows,” said Ralph, “if you get in line, you can take turns. That way you can each have a ride.”
“Good idea,” murmured the mice, who had never before thought of such a thing.
Ralph was pleased with himself for putting his education to use. He climbed into his car and drove it out from under the clock. “My oldest cousin first,” he directed. His relative climbed into the passenger’s seat and pulled his tail in after him. “That’s the way,” said Ralph with approval. “Now take a deep breath, and we’ll both go vroom.” Together the cousins vroomed around the lobby, down the long hall and back, faster than Ralph could have driven alone.
“Next,” Ralph said, when he had returned his passenger. “And by the way,” he said to his relatives, as his next cousin in line climbed into the car, “in school human beings learn things by grades. So older human children learn harder things than younger human children.”
The mice caught on at once. “Riding in sports cars is for older mice,” one cousin said. “It’s too dangerous for little mice.”
“We won’t even tell our little relatives about it,” said another.
“We can’t have them messing up the lobby,” said a third.
“We’ll keep it a secret,” said a fourth.
“Good thinking,” complimented Ralph. As he and his cousins sped down the hall, Ralph was happy. He felt proud because he had helped Miss K educate her class. But he was humble enough to admit that he had learned from the children too, even though he never did find out where Miss Heidi Kuckenbacker kept her toothpaste. He guessed it really didn’t matter.
Epilogue
When Brad’s father came to the Mountain View Inn in his tow truck to take Brad home, he met Ryan’s mother. Six months later they were married, and Ryan and Brad became brothers. They all lived in a house in Cucaracha, California. Ryan was pleased to have a father, and Brad was happy to have a mother. Most of the time the boys were glad to be brothers.
And Ralph? The boys decided that the dog Arfy might take an interest in a mouse for the wrong reason. Ralph remained behind at the inn, where he rides around every night in his sports car, generously giving rides to his relatives and enjoying their company now that they have benefited from his education. He is strict about one thing, however. Ralph is the only mouse who sits in the driver’s seat of the Laser XL7.
About the Author
BEVERLY CLEARY is one of America’s most popular authors. Born in McMinnville, Oregon, she lived on a farm in Yamhill until she was six and then moved to Portland. After college, as the children’s librarian in Yakima, Washington, she was challenged to find stories for non-readers. She wrote her first book, HENRY HUGGINS, in response to a boy’s question, “Where are the books about kids like us?”
Mrs. Cleary’s books