was a very lively mouse indeed.
It ran all round Jenny, sniffing here and there at shoulder-straps and tapes, and Jenny couldn't stop wriggling.
Miss Ranger noticed her. "Jenny! What in the world is the matter with you this morning? Do sit still."
"Yes, Miss Ranger," said Jenny. But a second later the mouse went under her left arm-hole, where Jenny really was very ticklish indeed, and the little girl gave a giggle and another wriggle. Miss Ranger looked up.
"Jennifer! You are behaving like a child in the kindergarte n! And Elizabeth, what is the matter with you?"
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There was nothing the matter with Elizabeth except that she simply could not help laughing at Jenny, because she knew so well why Jenny was wriggling. The mouse popped lis head out of Jenny's neck and stared at Elizabeth and Joan. The two girls tried to stop their giggles, but the more they tried to stop, the worse they got.
"This class is a disgrace this morning," said Miss Ranger impatiently. "Come up here to the board, Jennifer, and point out some things to me on the map. If you can't sit still, perhaps you can stand still!"
Jenny got up and went to the board, The mouse was pleased to find it was having a ride, and it scampered all round Jenny's back. Jenny put her hand behind her and tried to stop it.
"Jenny! What is wrong?" asked Miss Ranger. By this time the whole class knew about Jenny's mouse, and everyone was bending over their books, red in the face, trying their hardest not to giggle. A little squeal came from Kenneth, and Miss Ranger put down her book in despair.
"There is some joke going on," she said. "Well, let me share it. If it's funny, we'll all have a good laugh. If it isn't, we'll get on with the lesson. Now, what's the joke?"
Nobody told her, Jenny looked at the class with pleading eyes, begging them silently not to give her away. The mouse also looked out of Jenny's sleeve. Miss Ranger was really puzzled.
And then the mouse decided to explore the world a bit! So out it ran, jumped on to Miss Ranger's desk, and sat up to wash its whiskers, The class went off into shouts of laughter. Miss Ranger looked down in the greatest astonishment, She had not seen where the mouse had come from, "How did this mouse come here?" she asked.
"It jumped from my sleeve, please, Miss Ranger," said Jenny. "I was playing with my white mice when the bell rang, and I suppose I didn't put them all back into the cage.
This one was still up my sleeve."
"So that's the joke!" said Miss Ranger, beginning to smile. "Well, I agree it's a good joke, and no wonder everyone laughed. But it's not a joke to be repeated, Jenny. It's funny this time-but if it happens a second time, I shan't think it is at all funny. You quite understand that, don't you? White mice are very nice in their cage, but not at all suitable running round people's necks in a classroom."
"Oh' yes, I do understand that, Miss Ranger," said Jenny earnestly. "It was quite an accident, May I put the mouse up my sleeve again?"
"I'd much rather you didn't," said Miss Ranger. "I feel this lesson will not be very successful as long as that mouse is in the room. Take it back to its cage. It will have plenty to tell all its brothers and sisters,"
So off went Jenny, and the class settled down again. But the laughter had done everyone good, especially Elizabeth, She felt almost her old happy self again after that!
KATHLEEN IN TROUBLE.
ELIZABETH enjoyed the games in the winter term very much indeed. She didn't know which she liked best, hockey or lacrosse!
"I almost think I like lacrosse best," she said to Joan. "The catching is such fun."
"If you go on playing well, you'll be in the next match," said Joan. "I heard Eileen say so!"
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"Did you really and truly?" said Elizabeth joyfully. "Oh, I say! Nobody else out of our form has been in a school match yet. If only I could be!"
Somebody else in the form was extremely good at lacrosse too-and that was Robert!
He had never played the game before,
Jimmy Fallon, Gloria Fallon