Read The Magical Ms. Plum for Free Online Page B

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    “Now, class, please note this for your scientific pleasure,” Ms. Plum said.
    As she tapped each glass, the water turned a different color.
    “Awesome,” cried Carlos. The rest of the class chimed agreement.
    Ms. Plum looked up, beaming.
    But everyone was looking into the corner behind her.
    She didn’t bother to whirl around. She knew all she would see was the peacock closing its tail and acting like it didn’t know anything.
    “All right, if that’s the way you want it,” she said darkly.

    She tapped each glass, and a different flower blossomed above the water.
    The kids murmured their amazement.
    The peacock snapped open its tail. It looked like an American flag.
    The kids gasped.
    Ms. Plum wafted her spoon above the flowers, and each flower sounded like a different instrument.
    “Wow!” said the kids.
    The peacock snapped open its tail.
    “Amazing!” the class shouted as stars appeared to twinkle up and down its plum age.
    Ms. Plum played “Mary Had a Little Lamb” with the glasses and flowers.
    The peacock opened its tail. It looked like a garden of jewels.
    Ms. Plum played “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
    The peacock opened its tail. Miniature fireworks erupted all over it.
    The entire class stood up and gave the peacock a standing ovation, stamping their feet and whistling.
    Ms. Plum set down her spoon.
    “Come along, please,” she said firmly to the bird.
    She shooed it back into the closet and shut the door.
    Then she marched back up to her desk and picked up her spoon.
    Darma hesitated, then raised her hand.
    “Yes, Darma.” Ms. Plum looked rather cross.
    Darma took a deep breath. “Well, uh, why did you get a peacock?”
    “I guess he just happened to wander out,” Ms. Plum said with a curious look at the closet. “I’m very sorry he distracted you all so horribly.”
    “Oh, he wasn’t distracting. He was beautiful,” said Mindy.
    “Super,” “Awesome,” “Fantastic,” “Unbelievable,” echoed the other kids.
    “Yes, I suppose he was,” Ms. Plum said. “It’s perfectly understandable that you would rather see him.” Her lip trembled just a bit.
    The kids nodded and agreed they’d never seen anything so grand.
    Ms. Plum said, “Oh,” and turned back to her lineup of glasses. She began to pull the flowers from the water.
    “So, I guess that’s enough science for today,” she said, sounding a little sad.
    The kids glanced at each other.
    Darma raised her hand.
    “Yes, Darma,” said Ms. Plum.
    “Please, don’t stop,” she said. “We want to see it.”
    Every student nodded his or her head.
    “Please!” cried Mindy.
    “Please!” said Nadia.
    Even Carlos said, “Please, Ms. Plum. Your demonstrations are the best.”
    “Really?” said Ms. Plum.
    “Totally,” said Brad.
    “Well, I suppose we do have some time.”
    The class clapped and smiled, and Brad gave a piercing two-fingered whistle.
    Ms. Plum straightened her plum-colored skirt, smoothed down her hair, and pushed her sparkly glasses a little higher up her nose.
    She smiled, then said quietly, “Thank you, class.”
    Then, like a famous conductor, Ms. Plum raised her spoon over the glasses and flowers and proceeded to play Beethoven’s world-famous “Ode to Joy.”

One day in April, while Carlos snooped around the empty classroom during lunch recess, he opened the door to the closet and slipped inside. Being supersmart, he wondered why he hadn’t thought of this before.
    Carlos smelled the mysterious smell. He looked at all the colored pencils and glue sticks. He took a red licorice stick from the big jar on the shelf. He was just about to take a bite when he heard a faint rustle. He looked around, but there wasn’t anything there. Even so, it felt like something was watching him from the dark. He decided he better leave.
    Stuffing the licorice in his pocket, Carlos sneaked out of the closet and shut the door.
    Just then Eric came into the classroom. “What’s that?” he said.
    “What’s