Second Grade Baby, Page 3

  “We could all chip in some money,” added Sara.

  “And we could surprise Natalie with her new Buzzy,” said Nancy.

  “Fantastic,” agreed Ms. Colman. “And now, class, Natalie will be back at any moment. So please open your books. And zip up your lips.”

  BUZZY TWO

  Natalie hurried along the hallway. She was carrying an envelope for Ms. Colman. It was from Mr. Posner. It looked important. And Natalie felt important to have been trusted with it. She opened the door to 2A. Her classmates were reading their science books. They seemed very, very interested in them. Natalie handed the envelope to her teacher.

  “Thank you, Natalie,” said Ms. Colman.

  “You’re welcome.”

  Natalie returned to her seat. She was glad that no one said anything else to her. She was especially glad that no one giggled.

  That afternoon, Natalie realized something very interesting. It was about Buzzy Bear. Natalie realized that she was doing all right without him. She still loved Buzzy, of course. And she missed him, and was very sad that he was gone. But she was doing all right. After all, Buzzy had now been away for quite awhile. And Natalie was pretty much the same. Or better. She had brought home an extra good report card. She had played at Karen’s house a couple of times. She had even lost two teeth and grown half an inch. Her mother thought her feet were growing again, too, and that soon Natalie would need new sneakers.

  All this without Buzzy, thought Natalie. Huh.

  On Monday morning, Natalie hurried into her classroom. The bell was about to ring. The rest of the kids were already sitting at their desks. They grinned at Natalie as she ran to her seat.

  Uh-oh, thought Natalie. I wonder what is wrong. She checked her clothes. No name tags were sticking out. Her underwear was not showing. She pulled up her socks. No one said anything. But no one stopped smiling, either.

  After the morning announcements, Ms. Colman said, “Jannie? Karen? Would you come to the front of the room, please?”

  Grinning more widely than ever, Jannie and Karen flew to the front of the room. They pulled a box out from under Ms. Colman’s desk. Together they picked it up and set it on Natalie’s desk.

  “Natalie, this is for you from all of us,” said Jannie.

  “To say thank you for letting Buzzy go on the trip,” added Karen.

  “Oh —” Natalie started to say.

  But Karen hurried on. “It was really, really nice of you to lend us Buzzy,” she said. “No one else was brave enough to let their bears go away. We really, really appreciate what you did. And we —”

  “And we want to say thank you,” said Ms. Colman quickly.

  “You’re welcome,” said Natalie.

  “Open your present!” cried Karen.

  Natalie looked at the big box. She untied the ribbon. She tore off the wrapping paper. Then she lifted the lid of the box, and pulled away some tissue paper. Staring up at her were the black button eyes of Buzzy Bear. Not her own Buzzy, Natalie realized. But another bear that looked very much like Buzzy. He was even wearing Buzzy’s knitted hat and his blue and yellow coat.

  “Wow,” said Natalie. “Um, thanks. Thanks a lot.”

  “Guess what his name is,” said Karen. “It is Buzzy Two.”

  “Buzzy Two,” repeated Natalie. “Well … well, thanks.”

  When Natalie returned home from school that day, she took Buzzy Two to her room. She sat him on her bed in Buzzy’s old spot. But he did not look quite right there. So Natalie moved him to her bookshelf. She put him with some other toys.

  Natalie knew a secret. Her secret was that she liked Buzzy Two. But she did not need him.

  LOVE, MARY

  Another week went by without word from Buzzy. It was almost winter now. The days were short and cold.

  One afternoon when Natalie’s mother picked her up after school, she said, “Honey, a package came for you today.”

  “What?” said Natalie. She had not been listening. She had been looking out the car window at the dark sky. She was wondering if it might snow soon. “I got a package?” she said.

  “Yes. All the way from Ireland. Isn’t that odd? We do not know anyone in Ireland.”

  “Ireland,” repeated Natalie. “I know where that is.” She thought of the map on the wall in her classroom. “It is near Scotland. The capital is Dublin. Who is the package from?”

  “Someone named Mary Bowen.”

  Hmm. Mary Bowen. Natalie wondered about Mary and the package all the way home. As soon as her mother parked the car, Natalie hopped out. She ran inside. The package was sitting on a bench in the hallway.

  “Here, honey. Let me help you,” said Mrs. Springer. She found a pair of scissors and cut the tape that was wound around the box.

  Natalie looked at the address. Just as her mother had said, the box had been mailed by Mary Bowen from Dublin, Ireland.

  “Her handwriting looks just like mine, Mommy,” said Natalie. “I bet Mary Bowen is seven, too.”

  “But who on earth could she be?” asked Mrs. Springer.

  When the tape had been cut away, Natalie opened the top of the carton. The first thing she saw was an envelope with her name on it. Natalie opened the envelope. She pulled out a letter. It said:

  “This bear!” cried Natalie. “This bear?!”

  Natalie let Mary’s letter fall to the floor. She shoved aside the newspaper in the box. And she pulled out … Buzzy Bear.

  “The real Buzzy!” Natalie cried. “Oh, he is back! Mary found Buzzy and she sent him back! But why didn’t she send him to school? That was what the note on his tag said to do. And where did she find my address? Oh, my gosh. I cannot believe Buzzy is back!”

  Mrs. Springer was smiling. “Buzzy’s tag must have come off,” she said. “See, Natalie? He looks a little bedraggled. Now let’s see how Mary found your home address.” Mrs. Springer took off Buzzy’s cap.

  “Oh! Oh, it is the name tag!” exclaimed Natalie. “You sewed one of my name tags in Buzzy’s hat! Boy, I thought that was silly when you did it. But now I am glad!”

  Natalie read the rest of Mary’s letter. It told how Mary had found Buzzy while she was waiting in the Dublin airport. He was stuck behind a seat. Mary had started to play with Buzzy when she saw the name tag with Natalie’s address on it. The end of her letter said:

  “Oh, this is too wonderful!” said Natalie.

  “This was awfully nice of Mary,” added Mrs. Springer.

  “I want to write to her and thank her. Can I?” asked Natalie.

  “Of course.”

  So Natalie settled down at the kitchen table. A piece of her mother’s best writing paper was in front of her. In her lap sat Buzzy.

  Dear Mary, Natalie began.

  NATALIE’S GIFT

  That night, Natalie slept with Buzzy Bear again. It was just like old times. Except that when Natalie woke the next morning, she found Buzzy on the floor. “You must have fallen out of bed during the night,” she said. “And I did not even notice.”

  When Natalie left for school later, Buzzy was tucked under her arm. In her school bag was the letter from Mary.

  “Hey, you brought Buzzy Two to school!” exclaimed Jannie, when Natalie entered the classroom. “That’s nice.”

  Natalie just smiled. She did not say anything.

  Not until Show and Share.

  But during Show and Share time, Natalie brought her bear to the front of the class. Then she read Mary’s letter aloud.

  “You mean that is the real Buzzy Bear?” cried Jannie.

  “Oh, Natalie. How wonderful,” said Ms. Colman.

  The kids gathered around Buzzy. They examined him. They looked at the name tag in his hat. (They did not laugh.)

  “Well,” said Ms. Colman, “I guess we will never know exactly what happened to Buzzy. We will never know how he got from Poland to Ireland, how he lost his tag, or how he got stuffed down behind a seat in the airport. But at least he is back.”

  “So we have an end to our
story,” said Chris.

  “We could finish the book about his adventures,” added Natalie.

  “And take it to the hospital,” said Omar.

  The kids set to work. They got out all of the postcards, letters, and photos from Buzzy. They lined them up in the order they had received them. Then they found a small map of the world, one that would fit in an album. They traced Buzzy’s journey on it. They copied their lists of state birds and flowers and nicknames.

  Ms. Colman let Natalie make the cover for the book about Buzzy. Natalie wrote THE ADVENTURES OF BUZZY BEAR in very beautiful letters. Under it, she glued a picture of Buzzy.

  Then the kids began the job of gluing everything into the album. The first thing they glued down was the story of their project. Then they glued down the things Buzzy had sent from his trip. They wrote a caption under each one to explain what it was.

  When Mary’s letter had been glued down on the last page, Ms. Colman said, “I think our project is ready.”

  Natalie raised her hand. “Almost ready,” she said. “I have one more thing to go with the album.” Natalie stood up. She walked to Ms. Colman’s desk. She set Buzzy Bear on the album.

  “Oh, that is lovely, Natalie,” said Ms. Colman. “You are going to let the kids at the hospital see Buzzy in person.”

  “No,” said Natalie. “I am going to give them Buzzy. I do not need him anymore. But I bet the kids in the hospital do.”

  “Why don’t you give them Buzzy Two?” asked Nancy.

  Natalie shook her head. “You gave me Buzzy Two. He was a present from all of you. That was very special. So I do not want to give him away. But the kids in the hospital should have the real Buzzy to go with the album.”

  Ms. Colman was smiling at Natalie. Natalie smiled back. Then she grinned at her classmates.

  “Hey, I have an idea,” said Audrey. “Ms. Colman, could Mr. Berger take a picture of us with Buzzy and the album? We could hang it on our bulletin board. Then we will always remember Buzzy and his trip and our project.”

  So Mr. Berger came into the room with his Polaroid camera.

  “Say cheese!” he said.

  THE ADVENTURES OF BUZZY BEAR

  “Is it time to line up?”

  “Wait, I cannot find my boots.”

  “Is Buzzy Bear ready? Where is the album?”

  “Karen, you are my partner today.”

  Natalie looked around the classroom. Everyone was very excited. In just a few minutes they would climb on a yellow school bus and ride to the hospital. It was time to visit the kids there, and give them Buzzy and the album.

  “Okay, class. Line up at the door,” said Ms. Colman.

  The kids found their bus partners. They lined up with them by the door. Then they followed Ms. Colman down the hall, out the front door, and into the parking lot. Natalie’s mother and the twins’ father followed behind them. (They were the room parents for the trip.)

  “All aboard!” called the bus driver.

  Natalie and Hannie were the first two on the bus. Natalie carried Buzzy, and Hannie carried the album.

  “Everybody! Everybody! I have to tell you something!” called Omar. He was waving his hand back and forth.

  “Yes, what is it?” asked Ms. Colman as the bus turned onto the street.

  “I have to tell everyone about the hospital,” said Omar. “Since I was in it not long ago, I know all about it. Now,” he went on, “kids usually are not allowed to visit people in the hospital, not even other kids. So we will not be able to see the playroom in the kids’ wing. The playroom is where the nurses will probably put Buzzy and the album after we leave today. And it is very boring. There are just a few brokendown old toys in it, but Buzzy will cheer it up.”

  “Omar is right,” said Ms. Colman. “We cannot go upstairs when we get to the hospital. We are going to go to a special room downstairs. The doctors and nurses are going to bring some kids there to meet us. They are kids who do not have to worry about catching germs from us.”

  “They probably have broken legs and stuff,” said Omar importantly. “They will be really glad to see us.”

  Natalie glanced at Hannie. “Are you nervous?” she asked.

  “A little,” said Hannie.

  “Me, too,” said Natalie. She clutched Buzzy Bear tightly.

  A few minutes later, the bus pulled up in front of the hospital.

  “Last stop!” called the driver.

  Ms. Colman led the kids inside.

  A doctor met them at the door. “You must be the kids in Ms. Colman’s class,” she said. “My name is Dr. Longwood. Thank you so much for coming. The children are waiting for you.”

  Dr. Longwood took the kids to a big room. It was decorated with streamers and balloons. Natalie saw that eight kids were waiting for them. Many of them were in wheelchairs. Two kids were on crutches. One girl was bald.

  At first, Natalie and her friends did not know what to say or do. So Ms. Colman told the story of Buzzy and his adventures. Then she explained that her students were going to give the kids the album. “Along with something else,” she added. “Natalie?”

  “Along with the real Buzzy,” said Natalie, and she held him up.

  “Cool,” said the girl who was bald.

  “Is he really for us?” asked a boy in a wheelchair.

  “He really is,” replied Natalie. She handed Buzzy to the boy.

  The kids crowded around. They patted Buzzy. They looked at the name tag. They turned the pages in the album.

  “Buzzy is famous!” exclaimed one girl.

  “Thank you for Buzzy,” another girl said to Natalie.

  “You’re welcome,” replied Natalie.

  The kids in Ms. Colman’s class visited for a while. When it was time to go, they called good-bye to Dr. Longwood and the kids. Then they turned to leave. And Natalie whispered, “Good-bye, Buzzy. I still love you.”

  About the Author

  ANN M. MARTIN is the acclaimed and bestselling author of a number of novels and series, including Belle Teal, A Corner of the Universe (a Newbery Honor book), A Dog’s Life, Here Today, P.S. Longer Letter Later (written with Paula Danziger), the Family Tree series, the Doll People series (written with Laura Godwin), the Main Street series, and the generation-defining series The Baby-sitters Club. She lives in New York.

  Copyright © 1996 by Ann M. Martin

  All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc., Publishers since 1920. SCHOLASTIC, BABY-SITTERS LITTLE SISTER, and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.

  The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., Attention: Permissions Department, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  First edition, 1996

  e-ISBN 978-1-338-09255-4

 

 

  Ann M. Martin, Second Grade Baby

 

 

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