In the Dinosaur's Paw by Patricia Reilly Giff
“You're right, Emily,” he said.
He went back to his seat.
Too bad his ruler wasn't really a dinosaur ruler.
He'd wish for something to happen.
Especially to Drake Evans.
Chapter 4
Richard pulled out his homework pad. It said:
Go to L.
Find out 5 things about D.
Write 3X:
dinosaur
Tyrannosaurus
He sighed.
He had made a great fort in the snow this afternoon.
He had forgotten all about the library.
He went upstairs. He took off his socks. They were soaking wet.
He was going to be in trouble tomorrow. He wouldn't be able to do part of his homework. The five dinosaur things part.
Ms. Rooney was going to be mad as anything.
“Can I borrow some looseleaf?” he yelled to Holly.
“Don't you ever have anything?” she shouted back.
“I just need one piece,” he said.
“Get your own,” she yelled.
He couldn't find any more socks. He went downstairs again.
“Are these your mittens on the floor?” his mother asked.
Richard felt like saying no. He felt like saying they belonged to a dinosaur.
He felt like telling Holly that a dinosaur was going to get her.
He picked up his wet mittens. They had a funny wool smell.
He threw them in the hall closet. Then he went out to the kitchen.
Holly was sitting at the table. Her papers were spread out all over the place.
“Do you have to take up the whole world?” he asked.
Holly made a face at him. She gave him two pieces of looseleaf. They were wrinkled.
He wrote dinosaur three times.
Then he wrote Ty —
He had forgotten his heading.
He crumpled up the first piece of looseleaf.
He started on the second.
Under the heading he wrote dinosaur three times again.
Then he wrote Tyrannosourrus.
Wrong. Tyrranosaurus.
“Can I borrow an eraser?” he asked Holly.
She slid her pink eraser across the table.
He erased the last part of the word.
There was a round dark spot from the eraser.
Ms. Rooney didn't like it when he had marks all over his homework.
He thought about asking Holly for more paper.
“How about—” he began.
“No,” she said.
He finished his spelling. Then he drew a fat black line underneath with his dinosaur ruler.
If only the library were still open, he could find out five things about dinosaurs.
“Do you know a thing about dinosaurs?” he asked Holly.
''Keep quiet,” Holly said. “They lay eggs.”
“That's chickens,” Richard said. “Don't you know anything?”
“Dinosaurs do so lay eggs,” Holly said.
Richard looked at her.
He wondered if she was telling the truth.
He stood up and went over to the window. He could see his fort outside.
It was the best fort he had ever made.
Drake Evans was walking all over the top of it.
“Hey,” he yelled. He knocked on the window as hard as he could. “Get off there.”
Drake stamped hard on the top of the fort.
“Hey,” Richard said. He ran upstairs to his bedroom. He pulled his jacket off the hook.
“I'm going to get you, Drake,” he whispered.
He ran downstairs again.
He looked out the window. Maybe Drake would be gone by now.
Drake was sitting there on top of the fort.
“How soon is supper?” Richard yelled to his mother.
“Ten minutes,” she called back.
Richard opened the front door a crack. “Get off my fort,” he yelled.
“Make me,” Drake shouted.
“I would,” Richard said. “But I have to have supper in a minute.”
“It's freezing in here,” Holly screamed.
Richard slammed the door shut.
He thought about asking his mother for some dinosaur things.
But she had gone down to the laundry room.
She probably didn't know about dinosaurs anyway.
He went upstairs to look out his bedroom window.
Drake was still sitting on the fort.
It was almost dark. He'd probably get sick.
Richard hoped he would get sick.
He hoped Drake would get so sick, he wouldn't be able to go on the trip to the museum on Friday.
Chapter 5
Richard watched Holly eat her cereal.
She was taking a long time. Good.
He took a huge bite of his toast and stood up.
'I'm ready for school,” he said. “I'd better not wait for Holly.”
His mother frowned. “I don't want you to cross Linden Avenue by yourself.”
Richard stamped upstairs to his room.
His mother thought he was a big baby.
“Cars whizzing all over the place,” his mother called after him. “And you never look both ways.”
“I don't want to walk to school with that dummy,” Holly said.
“You're the dummy,” Richard shouted back.
He sat on the floor. He pulled on his boots.
Everything was going wrong.
His homework. The looseleaf.
Then he remembered. Worst of all. The class trip. The trip with Drake Evans.
He picked his dinosaur ruler up off the floor.
If only he could think of five dinosaur things.
He closed his eyes. He rubbed the ruler.
Suddenly a dinosaur thing popped into his head.
Dinosaurs lived millions of years ago.
Of course. What else?
They lived in swampy places.
Easy. Why hadn't he thought of that last night?
He ran downstairs.
“Could I have one more piece of looseleaf?” he asked.
Holly wiped her mouth. “No.”
“How come I never have looseleaf?” Richard asked his mother. “How come Holly has everything?”
“Because you keep making mistakes/”“Holly said. “Because you keep wrecking up your paper.”
“Give him one piece,” his mother said. “Please.”
Holly yanked a piece of looseleaf out of her book.
Richard took it and knelt on the floor. Quickly he began to write:
Dinosaurs lived millyons of yeers ago.
Dinosaurs lived in sooamps.
He ran upstairs to get his ruler. On the way downstairs he remembered two more things:
They were as big as a school.
They ate grass.
“I'm ready,” Holly said. “Let's go.”
“I'm not ready,” Richard said. “Go alone.” Quickly he wrote:
They ate each other.
Holly leaned over. “Are you going to give that mess to Ms. Rooney?” She started to laugh.
Richard looked down at his paper.
He should have put a book underneath his paper.
The pencil had gone through the paper, right into the rug.
The paper had about four holes in it.
He stood up. So what?
He had five good things about dinosaurs.
Ms. Rooney would love it.
He grabbed his schoolbag. He put his homework and his ruler inside.
Then he put on his jacket and mittens.
He followed Holly out the door.
He thought about the five dinosaur things. They had popped right into his head.
Maybe it was because of the D.T. ruler.
''Come on, slowpoke,” Holly called. She was walking fast.
Richard walked as slow as he could.
He saw Holly look back. She w
Then she turned the corner.
Richard looked in the A&P store window.
They must have changed it last night. Now about a zillion cans were stacked up in front.
Soup cans. Pea soup cans.
Yuck.
Then he saw Emily Arrow and Jill Simon.
Emily picked up a scoop of snow with her mittens.
She licked the top of the snow.
64It tastes like my mitten,” she said.
Jill looked down the street. “We could go the long way,” she said. “We wouldn't have to pass the dog.”
“It's late,” Emily said. “We can run right past him.”
Jill looked as if she were going to cry.
Richard thought about the D.T. ruler. “Don't worry.”
“The dog moved away?” Emily asked.
Richard shook his head. “No. I'm going to wish the dog's not outside.”
“Don't be silly,” Emily said.
“You'll see,” Richard told her. They hurried down the block. They didn't see the dog.
“I told you,” Richard said.
He was glad he had the D.T. ruler.
He was going to keep it forever.
Chapter 6
“Today is National Handwriting Day,” said Ms. Rooney. “Does anyone know what that means?”
Richard slid down in his seat.
Too bad Matthew wasn't in school. His desk was empty. There was a big open spot in front of Richard.
Ms. Rooney could see him easily.
“National Handwriting Day,” said Ms. Rooney again.
Richard looked around.
Nobody knew what Ms. Rooney was talking about.
“I'll give you a hint,” said Ms. Rooney. “Nation means country.”
Timothy Barbiero's hand shot up. “I know,” he said. “Everyone in the country has to think about handwriting.”
“Very good, Timothy,” said Ms. Rooney.
The door opened.
It was Matthew. He was covered with snow.
Ms. Rooney looked at him. “I see we have a snowman in Room 113,” she said.
Matthew pulled off his blue hat. He shook it. Little lumps of snow dropped onto the floor.
“It's a little late,” said Ms. Rooney.
“I know,” said Matthew. “I fell.”
Richard sat up straight. He was glad Matthew wasn't absent. He wanted to tell Matthew about his five dinosaur things. And his D.T. ruler.
“Matthew,” he whispered in a loud voice.
But Matthew went to the coatroom.
“Don't put your wet stuff near mine,” Dawn called.
“How about putting your coat on the radiator?” Ms. Rooney said. “It will dry off a little.”
Matthew threw his coat on top of the radiator. Then he sat down.
“What was I talking about?” asked Ms. Rooney.
Richard gave Matthew a tap. “I was waiting for you.”
“I had a bad thing happen,” Matthew said. “Drake—”
“Don't worry,” Richard said. “I think nothing bad is going to happen anymore.”
Matthew turned around. “That's good. How come?”
“Let's settle down,” Ms. Rooney said.
Richard leaned forward.
He wanted to tell Matthew that all his wishes were coming true.
“Listen, Matthew,” he said.
“Listen, Richard,” Ms. Rooney said. “Let's get down to business.”
Emily Arrow put her hand up. “We were talking about handwriting.”
“Right,” said Ms. Rooney. “Today we'll try hard. We'll have the best handwriting in the Polk Street School.”
Richard thought about his homework.
Holly was right. It was a mess.
Maybe he should wish that it were neater.
Maybe he should wish that it were the neatest in the class.
Maybe he should wish that it were the neatest in the whole country.
He looked out the window.
It wouldn't be fair to wish about his homework. Besides, it might not work.
“Well, then,” said Ms. Rooney. “Make your handwriting the best today.” She smiled at Richard.
Everyone started to copy the boardwork.
It was a letter.
Dear Mother,
On Friday we are going on a trip. We'll take a bus. We'll see a dinosaur.
Please send your child with a bag lunch.
Love,
Dawn Bosco leaned forward. “You're not supposed to write the line,” she said. “You have to put your name in there.”
Carefully Richard wrote Richard Best on top of the line.
Then he read his note again.
He hoped his mother didn't think he was going to see a live dinosaur. Maybe she would be worried.
He thought for a moment. Then he wrote:
P.S. The dinosaur is dead.
He tapped Matthew on the shoulder.
Matthew turned around. He looked cold.
“My socks are all wet,” he said.
“I have exciting news,” said Richard.
“I have terrible news,” said Matthew. “My homework is all wet.”
“Will you be quiet?” Sherri Dent said.
“Yes,” said Ms. Rooney. “Everyone should be quiet.”
Richard looked down at his boardwork.
He wondered how soon he'd get a chance to talk to Matthew. He hoped recess would come soon.
Chapter 7
It was time for special-help reading.
Richard, Emily, Alex Walker, and Matthew raced down the hall.
Mrs. Paris was waiting. “I hear you're going on a dinosaur trip,” she said.
“Right,” said Emily. “We're going to see dinosaur bones. They're stuck together to make a dinosaur.”
Richard didn't want to think about the trip.
He didn't want to think about Drake Evans.
“Mrs. Gates's class is going too,” Alex told Mrs. Paris.
Richard looked at the new story in his reader.
On top was a picture of a king.
There was a girl too.
It looked as if she were made of gold.
Mrs. Paris sat down at the table with them. “Have you ever heard of King Midas?” she asked.
Everyone shook his head.
“Well,” said Mrs. Paris, “you're in for a treat. Here's a story you can zip right into.”
“He had a crazy name,” Emily said.
“Richard has a crazy nickname,” Matthew said. “Beast.”
Richard made a beast face.
Mrs. Paris smiled. “I'd hate to tell you what my first name is.”
“What?” Emily asked.
“I'll never tell,” said Mrs. Paris.
“Dawn must have a terrible middle name,” Emily said. “She won't tell anyone what it is.”
Emily narrowed her eyes. “She said it was Tiffanie. But it really begins with an M.”
“Probably Mabel,” Alex said.
“Mabel Cable,” Matthew said.
Mrs. Paris tapped the King Midas book. “Maybe we should get to reading.”
It was Richard's turn to read first.
Mrs. Paris was right. It was an easy book.
It was about a king who loved gold. First he turned his flowers into gold. He turned his socks into gold. Then he even turned his daughter into gold.
Richard thought about the trip.
Drake was going to get him.
Richard looked across the table. Matthew was still a little wet.
Drake Evans had probably pushed him.
If only Drake weren't going on the trip.
If only Drake would move before Friday.
“Wake up, Richard,” said Mrs. Paris.
Richard jumped.
Mrs. Paris smiled at him. “Do you think the king was happy?” she asked.
“King Midas?” Richard asked.
Mrs. Paris nodded.
“I think he was happy,” Richard said. “I'd love to have a bunch of gold.”
“That's wrong,” said Matthew.
Richard looked down at his book.
“He turned his daughter into gold,” Emily said. “She couldn't even move.”
“Oh,” Richard said.
“And how would you like to wear gold socks?” Matthew asked. “You couldn't even wiggle your toes.”
“I guess you'd get blisters,” Richard said.
He wished Drake had blisters. Big fat blisters.
Right on his two fat feet.
Then he wouldn't be able to get his boots on.
He'd have to stay home from the trip.
“Yes,” said Mrs. Paris. “I guess the king became sad about turning everything into gold.”
“Well,” said Richard. “It's too bad he couldn't turn just a few things into gold.”
Mrs. Paris laughed.
They closed their books. Then they drew pictures of the story.
Emily drew King Midas.
Matthew drew a gold sock.
Matthew wasn't such a good artist, Richard thought.
His sock looked like a yellow box. A box with a tail on the end.
Richard drew a dinosaur. It was even bigger than the one he had made the other day.
It had more black spots.
It had fire coming from its mouth.
Emily tapped him on the shoulder. “This picture is supposed to be about King Midas.”
“I forgot,” Richard said.
“It's a good dinosaur,” said Mrs. Paris.
“What's that in his paw?” Matthew asked.
“I don't think dinosaurs had paws,” Alex said.
“It's a ruler,” Richard said.
Matthew grinned. “I know why.”
The bell rang. It was time to go back to Ms. Rooney's room.
They stood up. “Come on, Mrs. Paris,” Emily said. “Tell us your first name.”
Mrs. Paris laughed. “Never.”
“What does it begin with?” Richard asked.
“If,” said Mrs. Paris. “And it's worse than Mabel.”
In the hall Richard and Matthew stopped for a drink.
“What's your exciting news?” Matthew asked.
“It's about the D.T. ruler,” Richard said. “All my wishes are coming true.”
“Wow,” said Matthew. “Just like King Midas.”
Richard counted. “First I found the ruler. Then there was the snow wish, and the homework wish, and the dog wish—” He broke off. “Not like King Midas.”