Read Ellen Tebbits for Free Online

look up, and all the boys and girls who had been watching Otis were instantly busy with their arithmetic. Otis was busiest of all.
    Ellen hastily picked up her workbook.
    Goodness, she had better be more careful.
    Miss Joyce certainly wouldn’t send her out to clap erasers if she interrupted the lesson.
    However, the teacher did not say anything, but went on with the reading.
    In a few minutes Otis was playing with the little brown objects again.
    “Aw, come on, Otis. What are they?” whispered George once more.
    “Wouldn’t you like to know?” answered Otis.
    Ellen couldn’t keep still any longer.
    “What makes them move?” she whispered.
    “I see London, I see France,” murmured Otis, as he watched the little brown objects in his hand.
    “You do not!” said Ellen, and quickly returned to her arithmetic.
    Linda, who sat in front of Otis, turned around to watch. “I know what they are,” she boasted.
    Just then the little group noticed that the reading circle in the front of the room had stopped reciting. Miss Joyce had closed her book and was watching Otis and the boys and girls who sat near him.

    “Otis, what do you have in your hand?” Miss Joyce asked.
    “Nothing,” answered Otis. Miss Joyce looked at him, but did not speak. “Aw, just some Mexican jumping beans,” he admitted.
    “I’m sure all the boys and girls are interested in your jumping beans, Otis,” said Miss Joyce, “but instead of interrupting our lessons by playing with them, I think it would be much nicer if you showed them to the class during our science lesson.”
    “I know what makes them jump,” said Linda eagerly, without even raising her hand. “It’s a little worm . . .”
    “Never mind, Linda,” interrupted Miss Joyce. “Otis will tell us about the jumping beans during the science lesson. Put them in your pocket until this afternoon, Otis.” Then Miss Joyce went on with the reading lesson.
    Ellen and Austine exchanged worried glances. They both knew everyone would rather hear about jumping beans that came from far-off Mexico and jumped all by themselves than about Ellen’s beet, which just grew in a vacant lot a few blocks from school and didn’t do anything.
    That old Otis Spofford, thought Ellen. He would have to bring his jumping beans to school today.Why couldn’t he have brought them yesterday or tomorrow? And after I worked so hard to bring the beet to show Miss Joyce. It’s just like Otis. If I had brought jumping beans to school, he’d probably walk in leading a kangaroo or something. Now Miss Joyce is more interested in his beans than my beet. He’ll probably get to clap erasers, and he’s already clapped them three times since school started. It just isn’t fair.
    Ellen found she could not keep her mind on her arithmetic.After a while she saw Otis slip his hand in his pocket and take out his jumping beans again. He put them on the 77
    seat beside him and watched them roll back and forth. Ellen couldn’t help watching.
    “Otis Spofford!” said Miss Joyce suddenly.
    “If I have to tell you once more to put those Mexican jumping beans back in your pocket, I shall have to take them away from you.”
    “Yes, Miss Joyce,” said Otis.
    Ellen was secretly pleased, but she wished Miss Joyce had said Otis would not get to tell about his beans. She didn’t know what she would do if Miss Joyce forgot all about her beet. Maybe she could remind her somehow.
    Then Miss Joyce dismissed the Away We Go readers, and they took their seats. She went to the section of the blackboard that was reserved for the class’s daily news.At the top was printed “Our News.” Under that Miss Joyce printed the date. Ellen watched her chalk move across the blackboard.
    “Today is Thursday,” she wrote. “It is raining.” Then she asked, “Has anyone any suggestions for news?”
    After glancing anxiously at Ellen, Austine waved her hand so frantically that Miss Joyce could not help seeing her. “You could put down that