9. Mush 马希小姐

WARNING: Do not read this story right after eating. In fact, don't read it right before eating, either. In fact, just to be safe, don't read this story if you're ever planning to eat again.

Miss Mush wiped her hands on her apron¹. She smiled at the children who were lined up at the cafeteria. It warmed her heart to see how much they liked her food.

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Maurecia was first in line.

"And what would you like today, Maurecia?" Miss Mush asked. She knew the name of every child in Wayside School.

Maurecia looked at the sign.

Special Today: Mushroom Surprise

"Just milk," said Maurecia. "I brought my lunch."

Miss Mush smiled and gave Maurecia a carton of milk.

Joy was next in line.

"And what would you like, Joy?" asked Miss Mush.

"Milk," said Joy.

Miss Mush smiled and gave Joy a carton of milk. "And what would you like, Jason?"

"Milk, please," said Jason.

"Just milk," said Dameon.

"Milk," said D.J.

"Milk," said Leslie.

It was almost Ron's turn. He hadn't brought a lunch. He normally brought a peanut butter and jelly² sandwich to school, but there hadn't been a single slice of bread in his house this morning.

"I know!" his mother had said. "Ill give you some money and you can buy a nice hot lunch from Miss Mush!" She thought it was a brilliant idea.

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"Can't I just have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without the bread?" Ron had asked. Now he looked up at the sign.

Special Today: Mushroom Surprise

He wished he weren't so hungry.

This was the eighteenth day in a row that the special was Mushroom Surprise. It was called Mushroom Surprise because it would have been a surprise if anybody had ever ordered it. No one ever did- except Louis, of course. That's why they'd had it for eighteen days. There was always plenty left over.

"Milk," said Terrence.

"Milk," said Sharie.

"Milk," said Calvin.

"Milk, please," said Bebe.

"And what would you like today, Ron?" asked Miss Mush.

Ron took a breath. "Mushroom Surprise," he squeaked³.

Tears of joy filled Miss Mush's eyes. She blew her nose on her apron, then said, "One Mushroom Surprise, coming right up!"

Tears came to Ron's eyes too, but for a different reason. He looked at the Mushroom Surprise. It was sort of green.

So was Ron.

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Miss Mush proudly dumped a hot lump of Mushroom Surprise on a paper plate and handed it to Ron. He put it on his tray, then pushed it over to the cash register, where he paid for it.

The news quickly spread around the cafeteria, then up and down the stairs and out to the playground.

"Ron ordered the Mushroom Surprise!"

"Ron ordered the Mushroom Surprise!"

Mrs. Jewls was sitting in the teachers' lounge⁴ on the twelfth floor when Bebe burst into the room.

All the teachers were shocked to see her.

"Bebe, you're not allowed in here," said Mrs. Jewls. "This is a secret place."

"Ron ordered the Mushroom Surprise!" Bebe shouted; then she ran back up to the cafeteria.

As Ron sat down at a table, eighty-seven kids crowded around him to watch him eat.

"I wonder what the surprise is," said Deedee. She had the best view. She was pushed right up alongside⁵ Ron's chair.

"Maybe it tastes good," said Leslie. "Maybe that's the surprise."

"No, I think it's called Mushroom Surprise because after you eat it, it's a surprise if you don't die," said Mac.

"Louis eats it. He's not dead," said Jason.

"Louis has been eating Miss Mush's food for so long, he's immune⁶ to it," said Allison.

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Ron dug his plastic fork into the goop. He raised it to his mouth.

Dana covered her eyes. "I can't watch!" she exclaimed.

Ron opened his mouth wide. The fork entered. He brought the fork out again.

It was empty!

Ron chewed twice, then swallowed.

"He ate it!" Deedee announced for those who couldn't see.

Stephen screamed.

"Hmm," said Ron. "Not too bad. It sort of tastes like a mixture of bananas and spinach⁷."

"What's the surprise?" asked Deedee.

Ron looked at Deedee. His face flushed⁸ and his eyes changed color. His whole body began to shake, like a washing machine on the spin cycle.

Deedee was afraid he was going to throw up. She tried to get away, but with everyone crowded around, there was no room for her to move.

But Ron didn't throw up. He stood up, put his arms around Deedee's neck, and kissed her smack⁹ on the lips.

He sat back down. His eyes returned to their normal color.

"Ylah!" said Deedee, wiping her mouth on her sleeve.

"What's the matter?" asked Ron.

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"Don't you know what you just did?" asked Allison.

He shrugged¹⁰. "I ate some Mushroom Surprise. It wasn't bad. Sort of like a mixture of a hot dog and grape jelly. I wonder what the surprise is."

He dug his plastic fork back into the goop.

Everybody ran away.

When Mrs. Jewls entered the cafeteria, no one was there except for Ron. He was sitting alone at a table eating Mushroom Surprise.

Mrs. Jewls sat down next to him. "Hi Ron," she said. "So how does it taste? And what's the surprise?"

Ron swallowed another mouthful. He looked at his teacher. His face flushed and his eyes changed color. . . .

1 apron   

n.围裙；工作裙

参考例句：

• We were waited on by a pretty girl in a pink apron.招待我们的是一位穿粉红色围裙的漂亮姑娘。
• She stitched a pocket on the new apron.她在新围裙上缝上一只口袋。

2 jelly   

n.冻，果子冻，胶状物

参考例句：

• We had toast and jelly at breakfast.我们早餐吃的是烤面包和果冻。
• The medicine was a clear jelly.这种药是透明的胶状物。

3 squeaked   

v.短促地尖叫( squeak的过去式和过去分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者

参考例句：

• The radio squeaked five. 收音机里嘟嘟地发出五点钟报时讯号。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Amy's shoes squeaked on the tiles as she walked down the corridor. 埃米走过走廊时，鞋子踩在地砖上嘎吱作响。 来自辞典例句

4 lounge   

n.休闲室，休息室，长沙发；v.闲荡，闲散地度过，混日子

参考例句：

• We had coffee in the lounge.我们在客厅里喝咖啡。
• Don't lounge away your working hours.不要消磨工作时间。

5 alongside   

adv.在旁边；prep.和...在一起，在...旁边

参考例句：

• There was a butcher's shop alongside the theatre.剧院旁边有一家肉店。
• Alongside of him stood his uncle.他的身旁站着他叔叔。

6 immune   

adj.免疫的，有免疫力的，不受影响的，免除的

参考例句：

• I am immune from the disease,for I had it once.我对这病有免疫力，因为我已得过一次了。
• Be immune from corruption.拒腐蚀，永不沾。

7 spinach   

n.菠菜

参考例句：

• Eating spinach is supposed to make you strong.据说吃菠菜能使人强壮。
• You should eat such vegetables as carrot,celery and spinach.你应该吃胡萝卜、芹菜和菠菜这类的蔬菜。

8 flushed   

a.(～with sth.)兴奋的，充满喜悦的

参考例句：

• She flushed with anger. 她气得涨红了脸。
• Her face was flushed with anger. 她的脸气红了。

9 smack   

vt.拍，打，掴；咂嘴；vi.含有…意味；n.拍

参考例句：

• She gave him a smack on the face.她打了他一个嘴巴。
• I gave the fly a smack with the magazine.我用杂志拍了一下苍蝇。

10 shrugged   

vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
• She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》