Read The Great Smelling Bee for Free Online Page A

could pass. No way Barry could sit through it.
    I stared down at him. The cute guy wagged his stubby tail and grinned at me. I patted his head. Then I pulled his cap over his ears.
    I let out a long, sad sigh. “Let’s go, boy,” I said. “Time for your first—and last—exam.”
    The dining hall was already packed with kids when Barry and I walked in. All the classes weretaking the exam—second graders through eighth graders.
    Barry and I took seats at a table near the back. Three teachers were passing out test booklets and pencils. I took Barry’s test booklet for him and set it down on his desk.
    I started to show him how to mark the little boxes on the answer sheet. But Barry snapped his teeth around the pencil and started chewing.
    Hopeless. It was hopeless.
    The bell rang. “Okay, Rotten Students,” one of the teachers said, “you may begin your exams. Good luck to you all.”
    Yeah, good luck. I was going to need a lot more than good luck this morning. I gazed at Barry. He had a puddle of drool on his test booklet.
    I opened it for him, shoved the pencil into his paw, and started his paw moving over the answers. Then I opened my test, lowered my head, and went to work.
    The big room grew silent. I answered the questions on three or four pages without looking up. The test was pretty easy.
    Down the table, I saw April-May June. She raisedher beautiful head. She sniffed the air with her perfect, turned-up nose. Then she let out a cry. “Ooh—what’s that smell?”
    Moans and groans and cries spread around the room.
    â€œWhat STINKS? Something STINKS!”
    â€œEeeuuu! I can’t stand it! What’s that smell?”
    â€œRotten eggs? Dead fish? Burning rubber?”
    â€œOhhhhhh, help. I’m sick! It’s making me SICK!”
    Kids had tears running down their faces. Some were choking and gagging. The sound of loud vomiting echoed off the high ceiling.
    Once again, Gassy was showing off his main talent.
    And now the stampede was on.
    Groaning and crying and holding their noses, kids pushed out the door. Test booklets flew to the floor as kids leaped up and fled from the Dining Hall.
    In seconds, the big room was empty.
    I couldn’t stand the smell, either. I closed my test booklet and ran out the door. “Well,” I told myself, “that went well, didn’t it!”

Chapter 19
T HE L UCKY W INNER
    The next morning, Barry and I took our seats near the back of the class. I saw right away that Mrs. Heinie had a serious look on her face.
    The bell rang. Mrs. Heinie raised her hands to get everyone quiet. “People. People, may I have your attention? Headmaster Upchuck will be here in a moment to talk about yesterday’s exam.”
    Uh-oh.
    The exam really had turned into a SMELLING Bee! And it was all my fault. Mine and Barry’s, I mean.
    I started practicing my good-bye speech.
    Next to me, Barry started panting really loudly. Then, before I could stop him, he jumped down from his chair. I made a grab for him, but he got away.
    The dog’s cap flew off, and he went running to Mrs. Heinie at the front of the class. “Barry—come back!” I called. “No—please!”
    Too late.
    Barry jumped up on Mrs. Heinie and wrapped his front paws around her leg.
    â€œGet off me!” Mrs. Heinie screamed. She started twisting and kicking. Her glasses went flying.
    Sherman jumped up from his seat. “He’s a DOG!” Sherman cried. “He’s not a boy. He’s a DOG!”
    â€œGet him OFF me!” Mrs. Heinie shrieked.
    I flew to the front of the class and tried to pull Gassy off Mrs. Heinie’s leg. That’s when Headmaster Upchuck entered the room.
    He let out a loud gasp. “What is going on here?” he demanded.
    I pulled Gassy off Mrs. Heinie’s leg and held the panting cutie tightly in both hands.
    â€œYou’re looking very sharp today, sir,” I said to