The Night I Flunked My Field Trip #5 Read Online Free Page B

“That’s what I always tell young people. Yes, indeed. The greatest accomplishments are put into effect by doing something.”
    â€œI’ll never forget that, sir,” I said. “Thank you, but I have to get my permission slip to Ms. Adolf now.”
    I looked up at the clock on the wall. I had one-and-a-half minutes left. I really had to go, but Principal Love looked like he had more to say. Please let him be finished , I thought. Then a lucky thing happened. Phillip Gunning, a huge fifth-grader with size-twelve Nikes, came running down the stairs at breakneck speed.
    â€œMr. Gunning,” Principal Love said in his bushy-haired man voice. “There is no running in these halls. Approach me immediately.”
    That was my chance. I said a silent good-bye to the Statue of Liberty mole and started up the stairs as fast as I could go without running. I could hear Principal Love beginning to lecture Phillip Gunning, but I never looked back.
    My class had already started science when I came bursting in.
    â€œHere, Ms. Adolf,” I said, waving my blue permission slip at her. “I’ve got it.”
    Ms. Adolf looked at the clock, then at me.
    â€œYou’re late,” she said. “It’s thirty seconds past the hour.”
    Oh , no. She wasn’t going to keep me from going because I was thirty seconds late. She wouldn’t do that. Not even Ms. Adolf would do that.
    â€œPlease, Ms. Adolf,” I said, thrusting the permission slip practically in her face. “I did my super-speed walk all the way here, even though I have a big blister on my left heel and really shouldn’t be speed-walking at this moment in time. And, besides, Principal Love stopped me in the hall.”
    Ms. Adolf took the permission slip and looked it over. My heart was beating fast. I glanced over at Frankie and Ashley. They looked like they were hardly breathing.
    â€œAll right, Henry. I’ll make an exception this time,” she said.
    â€œDoes that mean I can go on the field trip?” I asked.
    â€œYes, Henry. You may go.”
    â€œThank you, Ms. Adolf! Thank you so much!”
    I was so happy, I could have hugged her. Wait. I take the hugging part back. But I was really happy.
    To my complete shock, everyone in the class burst into applause.
    â€œWay to go, Hank,” all my friends said. Wow, that made me feel really good.

CHAPTER 7
    I DON’T KNOW IF YOU’VE EVER BEEN in New York City at Christmastime, but it’s unbelievable. The best thing about it is that everybody’s in a great mood. Just walking down the street looking at the decorated store windows and watching the snow fall makes everybody happy. No one in the whole city is mean or grumpy.
    Well, that’s the way it felt that day in Ms. Adolf’s class. We were all so happy to be going on The Pilgrim Spirit and so excited about the trip, that no one was mean or grumpy. And, yes, that included Nick McKelty. The big lug actually turned nice.
    In the afternoon, we were discussing all the jobs kids were going to be assigned on the ship. Some people were going to be on the cleaning crew or on the ropes crew. Some were going to be line handlers. Other kids were going to work in the galley, which is what they call a kitchen on a ship.
    Nick McKelty said that his big brother Joseph had been on The Pilgrim Spirit three years before, and he thought the most fun job was the captain’s assistant. The captain’s assistant got to accompany the captain on his rounds and help give orders. That sounded so cool. I could see myself doing that.
    Just to show you how good a mood everyone was in, during our class discussion, Nick actually suggested that I should be the captain’s assistant. He said he thought I deserved it since I almost didn’t get to go. At first, I thought I was hearing things. I mean, ever since we were in preschool, Nick McKelty had only said mean things to me.
    â€œWhat’s up