Read Ramona's World for Free Online

home from work, he left an armload of groceries in the kitchen before he came into the living room. “Hi, kids,” he said, and when he looked at Beezus, said, “Well, well, what have we here?”
    Beezus dropped the magazine to face her father, ready to defend her ears. “They are my ears and I used my own money,” she informed him. “I don’t care what you say.”
    â€œRelax, Beezus.” Mr. Quimby kissed the top of her head and said, “So our little girl is growing up. I’m surprised you didn’t have your nose pierced while you were at it.” He rumpled her hair affectionately.
    â€œDad, don’t be silly,” said Beezus, obviously relieved. “You know I wouldn’t do a thing like that.”
    â€œYou never can tell,” said Mr. Quimby. “Kids today . . .” He left to change out of his supermarket clothes.
    Beezus fell back in her chair and said, “Whew. That’s over.”
    Ramona felt the same way. Now, if she ever wanted her ears pierced, which was hard to imagine, but if she ever should, all she would have to say was, Beezus had her ears pierced. And then when Roberta’s turn came—Ramona did not even want to think of Roberta’s tender little ears being shot with a thing that looked like a staple gun.
    â€œRamona, time to set the table,” Mrs. Quimby called out.
    â€œOkay,” said Ramona, but she was thinking about Beezus growing up and about what it would be like to grow up herself. She felt the way she felt when she was reading a good book. She wanted to know what would happen next.

5
THE PRINCESS AND THE WITCH
    R amona was impatient to go to Daisy’s house again, especially now that Beezus was talking so much about the upcoming party. She liked the Kidds’ big untidy house with a dog, a cat, and a big brother. She also liked licking juice bars while watching Big Hospital . When the next visit was arranged, Ramona and Daisy ran from the school bus to Daisy’s house. Jeremy was already lounging in front of the television set watching an ice hockey game.
    The girls exchanged looks. “Germy, aren’t you going to walk Mutley?” Daisy asked as if the dog were all she had on her mind. On hearing his name, Mutley raised his head, decided Daisy’s words were not important, and rested his nose on his paws once more.
    â€œNope.” Jeremy was definite. “And no, I’m not going to let you have the TV this time.”
    â€œOh, well.” Daisy was used to her big brother. “Come on, Ramona, let’s go upstairs to my room and play dress-up.”
    â€œNice try,” said Jeremy.
    As the girls climbed the stairs, Ramona could not help thinking that if the Quimbys’ house had a second story they would have more bedrooms, and she and Beezus would not always be arguing over whose turn it was to dust the crowded space they now had to share because Roberta had Ramona’s old room. Daisy, Ramona could see, was not neat at all.
    Daisy pulled a carton to the center of her room and began to pull out clothes: satins, velvets, hats with flowers and veils, a long black cape, high-heeled shoes.
    â€œWow!” breathed Ramona. “Where did you get all this?”
    â€œOh—around,” said Daisy. “Mom collected most of it for me, because she loved to dress up when she was my age, only she couldn’t find much to dress up in.”
    Nice mom, thought Ramona as she chose a long red dress with a flounce around the bottom and slipped it over her head.
    Daisy pulled out a long yellow dress trimmed with little things that glittered, but before she poked her head into it she pulled off her slacks. “Dresses don’t look good over pants, and besides, I like the swishy feeling against my legs,” she explained.

    Ramona, deciding she was right, pulled her pants off, too. Her dress felt smooth and silky against her bare legs. She snatched up a hat