Henry and Ribsy (Henry Huggins #3)(14)

Ribsy did not care to go into the house. He was busy sniffing the rosebushes along the edge of the Grumbies’ property.

“OK, you old dog,” muttered Henry, and steeled himself for the meeting with Scooter and Robert.

Side by side the two boys walked down the street. They did not seem to see Henry. Looking straight ahead, they stalked past the Hugginses’ house.



Henry stared after them. What’s the matter with them anyhow? he wondered. What did I do to them? Then a thought struck Henry. Could it be? No, it couldn’t. Yes, it must be! Suddenly Henry had a feeling he was no longer the only boy with a chewed-up haircut. “Hey!” he yelled.

Robert and Scooter stalked on.

Why are they acting like that, Henry wondered. It’s not my fault if they have home haircuts. Henry felt he had to know for sure. If he wasn’t the only one with chewed-up hair, things wouldn’t be so bad. “Hey, fellows,” he yelled again and as he yelled, his tongue touched one of his loose teeth. What were a couple of loose teeth anyhow? He made up his mind. “Want to watch me pull my teeth?”

Robert and Scooter hesitated. Then they stopped and turned around.

“I’ve thought of a keen way to pull them,” said Henry, trying frantically to think of an unusual way to get those teeth out of his mouth.

“How?” demanded Scooter, as he and Robert came up to the steps.

“You’ll see,” said Henry feebly. But, he thought, how am I going to pull them? To stall for time, he fished through his pockets and found a piece of string. “Uh…how come you fellows are wearing hats?” he ventured.

“Come on, Robert,” said Scooter. “He said he was going to pull his teeth, but I guess he didn’t mean it.”

“I am too going to pull them.” Henry was determined not to let the boys get away before he found out what had happened. He carefully untangled the string and tried to sound casual. “Did you fellows get your hair cut?” he asked.

“We sure did,” said Scooter, “and it’s all your fault.”

“What do you mean, it’s all my fault?” asked Henry. “What did I do?”

“You know.” Scooter scowled at Henry. “And if you ask me it was a pretty mean trick. As bad as tattling.”

“Worse,” said Robert.

“What mean trick?” Henry demanded. “What are you talking about?”

“Your mother phoned our mothers and told them about the sale of hair clippers, that’s what,” said Scooter. “She phoned just like you told her to. And they both went right over to the clipper sale at the Colossal Drugstore.”

“My mother?” Henry was genuinely bewildered. “My mother phoned your mothers?”

“Honest, didn’t you know about it?” Robert asked.

“Cross my heart and hope to die,” said Henry. Well, so that was what his mother had been thinking about at dinner last night! Leave it to her to think of something. Henry wanted to laugh and shout but he didn’t dare, not with Scooter glowering at him.

“See?” said Robert to Scooter. “I told you it wasn’t his idea for his mother to tell our mothers. I knew Henry wouldn’t do a thing like that and you said he would.”

Henry looked injured. “You’re some friend, thinking I’d do a mean thing like that.”

“Well, maybe you didn’t,” said Scooter grudgingly, “but I bet you haven’t really thought of a way to pull your teeth.”

“I have, too,” said Henry. Now how was he going to get out of this fix, he wondered, as he slowly tied one end of the string to his right tooth. Then he slowly tied the other end of the string to his left tooth while he tried to think of a way to stall for time. “How about letting me have a look at your hair?” he suggested, anxious to see if their haircuts were worse than his.

“Come on! Let’s see you pull your teeth,” said Scooter.

“I need some more string,” explained Henry. “I can’t pull them until somebody gives me some more string.”

Robert and Scooter searched their pockets. “I don’t have any,” said Robert.

“Me neither,” said Scooter. “You’re just stalling.”

“I’m not either stalling.” Should he suggest they go around to the backyard, Henry wondered. Maybe he could climb the cherry tree and hang the string that joined his two teeth over a branch and jump out of the tree. It was not much of an idea, but it would have to do.

Henry started to call Ribsy, who was napping with his nose on his paws, when suddenly he had an inspiration. Of course! Why hadn’t he thought of it before! All he needed was a little cooperation from Ribsy, and this time he had a feeling that for once Ribsy would do the right thing at the right time.

Henry picked up Ribsy’s tug-of-war rope. He tied one end to the middle of the string that joined his two teeth and tossed the other end onto the grass. “Here, Ribsy,” he called. Ribsy opened one eye and looked at Henry. Then he opened the other eye and bounded across the lawn. “Wuf!” he said.

Henry braced himself in case it hurt to have his teeth pulled. Ribsy grabbed the end of the rope, growled deep in his throat, and tugged. Henry’s teeth flew out of his mouth so fast he didn’t even feel them go.

Henry put his hand to his mouth and stared at his teeth lying on the grass. They had come out so easily he could scarcely believe they were gone. He poked his tongue into the right hole in his mouth and then into the left hole. They were gone, all right. “How’s that for a way to pull teeth?” he asked. “They were canine teeth, so I thought I’d let my dog pull them out.”