The Mouse and the Motorcycle - Beverly Cleary [27]
“Hey, Keith! I’ve got it!” Ralph was filled with triumph. “I’ve brought you an aspirin!”
13
A Subject for a Composition
Ralph was a hero in the mousehole that night. His admiring relatives gathered around, begging to hear the story of his adventures. Ralph could not help bragging a little as he told the story of his travels, beginning with the search of the second-floor rooms, skipping the part about the teacher trapping him under a drinking glass, and ending with Keith’s taking the aspirin and finally falling asleep.
“But are you sure it really was an aspirin tablet?” Ralph’s mother could always find something to worry about. “Are you sure it wasn’t some other kind of pill?”
“Keith put it on the bedside table and refused to take it until his mother saw it,” explained Ralph. “At first his mother and father got pretty excited and thought he was out of his mind from the fever when he started telling them there was an aspirin on the table. Then when they saw the pill and could tell from the letters on it that it really was an aspirin they decided the night clerk must have found it and brought it up. They thought the windows rattled so much they did not hear his knock.”
“Oh, Ralph, I am so proud of you,” said his mother with a sigh of relief while his brothers and sisters and cousins stared at him with shining eyes.
“Good work, Ralph. I didn’t think you could do it,” said Uncle Lester heartily.
“I feel much better about room service now that we have left an aspirin for a tip,” said Ralph’s mother. “I feel that at last we have done the right thing.”
“Our Ralph is growing up,” said Aunt Sissy.
“Yes, Ralph is growing up,” agreed his mother with a sad note in her voice. “It’s hard to believe. It seems only yesterday that he was a tiny pink mouse without any hair.”
Naturally this embarrassed Ralph, but now that his mother had finally admitted he was growing up, he decided to make the most of this moment. “Now can I go down to the first floor by myself?” he asked eagerly.
“We’ll see,” said his mother, looking worried once more.
“Nonsense,” said Uncle Lester. “Of course he may go. Ralph has shown that he can be a very responsible mouse.”
“I guess you’re right,” agreed Ralph’s mother nervously.
“Oh, boy!” exclaimed Ralph.
“Tell us again how you climbed down the vine and the owl nearly got you,” begged a cousin.
“No, tell us again how the ambulance got stuck in the crack,” said another.
“No, tell the part about how you got the dog to bark,” pleaded a third.
The only flaw in the evening for Ralph was the fact that he had not found the motorcycle on his travels through the hotel.
Keith slept soundly and the next morning, although he still had a temperature, Ralph was pleased to see he was feeling much better.
“Do you hurt anyplace?” Mrs. Gridley asked anxiously, after she had given her son an aspirin brought by the milkman. “Is your throat sore? Does your stomach ache?”
Keith shook his head. “I just feel sort of tired.”
“He’s going to be all right. He must have picked up a bug someplace,” said Mrs. Gridley to her husband. “A day in bed with plenty of fluids and he’ll be on his feet again.”
Mr. Gridley nodded. “Do you feel like eating any breakfast?” he asked Keith. “We can order something for you from room service.”
Keith brightened. “Can I really have something sent up from room service?” he asked, and when his father assured him he could, he slumped back into the pillow. “But I’m not hungry.”
“Some orange juice would be good for you,” suggested his mother.
“All right,” agreed Keith, and then added as if he suddenly had an inspiration, “and bacon and toast and jelly.”
“Your appetite seems to have come back in a hurry,” remarked Mr. Gridley, as he picked up the telephone and asked to be connected with room service to order, he thought, breakfast for his son.
As soon as the adults had gone, Ralph popped out into the room.
“Hi,” said Keith.