21. Forever Is Never 永远还是永不

Allison was still stuck on the nineteenth story. Fourteen two-minute breaks had passed. "It's dictionary time," said Miss Zarves. Everybody got out a dictionary. Allison found a dictionary in her desk, too.

"What are we supposed to do with it?" she asked. "Memorize it," said Nick. "But that's impossible!" said Allison. "No, it's easy," Virginia assured her. "You memorize

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one word at a time, until you get a whole page. Then you go on to the next page."

"How many words have you memorized?" asked Allison.

"I'm almost finished with the B's," Virginia said proudly. "And I've only been doing it for thirty-two years!"

Allison opened her dictionary. Mrs. Jewls's class! she suddenly remembered. She sighed with relief. For the last six days she'd been trying to remember where she came from.

In her mind she went through everybody in her former class. She didn't want to forget again. As she thought about each person, tears filled her eyes. She missed them very much. Even Jason. They were all so wonderful in their own special ways.

When the two-minute break came, she talked to Mark again. He was the only person in the class who still seemed to have a brain.

"How did we get here?" she asked.

"Maybe we're dead," said Mark. "Maybe we died and went to-"

"This isn't Heaven!" said Allison.

"That wasn't what I was going to say," said Mark.

Allison felt a chill run up her spine¹. She looked at Miss Zarves. Miss Zarves smiled back at her.

"But she seems so nice," said Allison. "Could someone as nice as her really be the devil?"

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"I don't know," said Mark. "She always gives good grades."

"What would happen if we didn't do our work?" asked Allison.

"We have to do our work," said Mark.

"Why?" asked Allison. "What's Miss Zarves going to do to us-keep us after school?"

'"I don't know," said Mark. "Teachers can always find new ways to punish you. They're experts at it."

"Your two minutes are up, boys and girls," announced Miss Zarves. "Everyone back to work."

Allison returned to her seat. She tried to figure it all out, but she had so much busy work to do, she didn't have time to think.

That's her plan! Allison suddenly realized. She shivered as it all came together for her. Miss Zarves assigns us lots of busy work so we don't have time to think. She makes us memorize stupid things so that we don't think about the important things. And then she gives us good grades to keep us happy.

Miss Zarves walked around the room. "Very good, Virginia," she said. "You are doing so well. Excellent, Ray! Good job, Nick." She stopped when she got to Allison. "Allison, why aren't you working?"

Allison looked at her. She knew Mark was right. Teachers are experts at finding ways to punish you.

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And if Miss Zarves was the devil, who knew what she might have up her sleeve? Still, Allison had to take a chance. If she wanted to get back to Mrs. Jewls's class, she had to act as if she were in Mrs. Jewls's class.

She took off her shoes and socks, sat on the floor, and sucked her toes.

"Allison, what are you doing?" asked Miss Zarves.

Allison took her toe out of her mouth. "Get off my case, Buzzard Face," she said.

Miss Zarves was furious. "Return to your desk, young lady!" she ordered.

Allison returned to her desk. But instead of sitting at it, she climbed on top of it and sang a song.

"I got one sock!

Lookin' for the other. One sock!

Lookin' for its brother. When I find that sock!

I'll tell you what 111 do. I'll put it on my foot,

and I'll stick it in my shoe!"

Mark Miller² smiled at her and silently clapped his

hands. Everyone else looked at her like she was crazy.

"Your socks are on the floor, next to your shoes,"

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Miss Zarves said coldly. "Ill give you ten seconds to put them on your feet. Ten . . . nine . . . eight. . . seven ..."

Allison climbed down from her desk. She picked up her socks and put them on her ears. "How's this?" she asked.

"Six . . . five . . . four . . ."

"Albert Einstein didn't wear socks," said Allison. "Why should I?"

"Three . . . two ..."

Allison closed her eyes.

"One!"

She felt something slam down on her foot. Something else jammed into her stomach. "Umph!" she grunted³ as she fell and rolled down three steps.

"Are you all right?" asked Deedee.

"Huh?" said Allison. She was on the stairs, somewhere between the eighteenth and twentieth stories.

"Sorry," said Ron. "I didn't see you. Deedee and I were racing⁴ up the stairs, and then you suddenly appeared."

"You knocked off her shoes and socks!" exclaimed Deedee.

"Oh, I ripped your windbreaker, too," said Ron. "I'm sorry."

"That's okay," said Allison. She picked up her shoes and socks. "Race you up the stairs!"

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All three ran up to Mrs. Jewls's room. When they got there, they were so pooped, they sat with their heads flat on their desks and their tongues hanging out.

"Hi, Allison," said Rondi.

Allison raised her head. "Hi, Rondi," she said happily. "What did I miss while I was absent?"

"When were you absent?" asked Rondi. "Hey, how come you're not wearing your shoes and socks?"

Allison hung her socks from her ears. "What do you think?" she asked. "It's the new look!"

Rondi laughed.

"Allison," said Mrs. Jewls, "you seem to have a bad case of the sillies this morning."

Allison giggled⁵.

Jason entered the room carrying a glass bowl with a goldfish swimming inside it. "Look what I brought!" he said.

"What's the name of your goldfish?" asked Mrs. Jewls.

"Shark!" said Jason.

Everyone laughed.

"It makes him feel important," Jason explained. "Where should I put him?"

"How about on top of the coat closet?" suggested Mrs. Jewls.

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Jason had to stand on a chair on his tiptoes. He held the bowl at the very bottom as he tried to nudge it over the edge of the closet.

Allison turned around to watch. She didn't want to miss this!

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20, 21, & 22. Eric, Eric, & Eric

Mr. Kidswatter's voice crackled over the loudspeaker. "MRS. JEWLS, SEND ERIC TO MY OFFICE, AT ONCE!" He sounded mad.

Mrs. Jewls was confused. "When did we get a loudspeaker?" she asked.

"Louis put it in yesterday," said Jenny.

Mrs. Jewls was still confused. There were three Erics in her class. She didn't know which one Mr. Kidswatter meant.

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Eric Fry was fat, but not short.

Eric Bacon was short, but not fat.

Eric Ovens was short and fat.

Mrs. Jewls chose the biggest Eric. "Eric Fry, Mr. Kidswatter wants to see you."

Eric Fry trembled as he slowly stood up.

The other two Erics smiled.

The principal's office was on the first floor. It's not fair, Eric thought as he headed down to his doom⁶. Anytime any Eric does something wrong, I'm the one who gets in trouble.

He stood in front of the principal's door. His heart beat very fast. He took a couple of breaths, then knocked lightly.

"Enter!" boomed Mr. Kidswatter.

Eric turned the doorknob. He took one step inside, then stood with his back against the wall, as far away from Mr. Kidswatter as he could get.

Mr. Kidswatter sat behind an enormous desk. He wore mirrored sunglasses so Eric couldn't tell where he was looking. "Sit down, Eric," he said.

Eric moved to the small metal chair in front of the desk. A bare light bulb hung above his head.

Mr. Kidswatter cracked his knuckles⁷. "We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way," he said. "It's your choice."

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Eric. "I didn't do anything."

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"So it's the hard way, is it?" asked Mr. Kidswatter. "Very well. You 11 talk. One way or another, you'll tell me everything I want to know."

"But-"

Mr. Kidswatter pounded his fist on his desk. "When was the last time you sharpened your pencil?"

Eric tried to remember, but he was too nervous to think. "Um, wait, let me think," he stammered⁸. "We had a spelling test on Friday, but I borrowed-"

"Where were you yesterday afternoon, at a quarter past twelve?" asked Mr. Kidswatter.

"Yesterday?" asked Eric. "I was here, at Wayside School. I remember I ate lunch and then I played kickball."

Mr. Kidswatter smiled. "Do you kick with your left foot?" he asked.

"No, I'm right-footed," said Eric Fry.

"Humph!" grumbled⁹ Mr. Kidswatter. "Have you ever gotten your hair cut at Charley's Barber Shop?"

"Yes," said Eric. "Two weeks ago."

"Aha!" said Mr. Kidswatter. "So you admit it! Do you know what a Mugworm Griblick is?"

Eric Fry turned pale. "No, please!" he begged. "I didn't do it! I'm innocent! You've got the wrong Eric. There are two other Erics in my class."

Mr. Kidswatter scowled¹⁰. "So that's the way you're going to play it, is it? Well, that's fine with me. I've got all the time in the world."

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He flicked¹¹ on the microphone. "MRS. JEWLS! SEND ME ANOTHER ERIC!"

Twenty-nine floors above them, Mrs. Jewls looked at the two remaining Erics.

"Okay, Eric Ovens," she said.

Eric Ovens shivered. His eyes filled with tears.

Why me? he asked himself over and over again as he walked down the stairs. It's my parents' fault! Why did they have to name me Eric? Why couldn't they name me Osgood?

He tapped on the door to the principal's office.

"Come in!" bellowed¹² Mr. Kidswatter.

Eric Ovens gulped¹³, then walked inside. He sat in the little chair in front of Mr. Kidswatter's enormous desk.

Eric Fry was nowhere to be seen.

"Wh-what ha-happened to Eric Fry?" he asked

"I'll ask the questions!" barked Mr. Kidswatter. "But don't worry, Eric," he said gently. "You have nothing to fear. So long as you tell the truth." He cracked his knuckles.

Eric Ovens was very scared. Mrs. Jewls always said that there was more than one answer to every question. He hoped he gave Mr. Kidswatter the right ones.

"Did you have a spelling test last Friday?" Mr. Kidswatter asked.

"Yes," said Eric Ovens. "How did you know that?"

"I have my ways," Mr. Kidswatter said slyly,

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behind his mirrored glasses. "When was the last time you sharpened your pencil?"

"This morning," said Eric Ovens. "Maurecia accidentally stepped on it and-"

"Did you play kickball yesterday at a quarter after twelve?"

"No, I played tetherball."

"Right- or left-handed?"

"Right."

Mr. Kidswatter tossed a stapler¹⁴ at him.

Eric caught it with his right hand.

Mr. Kidswatter scowled. "Okay, Eric, tell me this. Have you ever gotten your hair cut at Charley's Barber Shop?"

"No, but I will. I'll go right now if you want."

"You're not going anywhere!" shouted Mr. Kidswatter. "Have you ever heard of a Mugworm Griblick?"

Eric Ovens screamed.

Upstairs, Mrs. Jewls heard Mr. Kidswatter's voice resound¹⁵ over the loudspeaker. "MRS. JEWLS, SEND ME THE LAST ERIC!"

"On my way!" said Eric Bacon. He hopped¹⁶ out of his chair and bounced down the stairs.

He didn't bother knocking on Mr. Kidswatter's door. He just walked right in. "What can I do for you?" he asked.

There was no sign of Eric Ovens.

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"Have a seat," said Mr. Kidswatter. "I just want to ask you a few questions."

"Sure thing," said Eric Bacon. He sat in the little chair. He leaned back with his hands behind his head and his feet up on Mr. Kidswatter's desk.

He looked at himself in Mr. Kidswatter's mirrored glasses, took a comb out of his back pocket, and combed his hair. His hair was very neat and trim. He had gotten it cut yesterday, at 12:15, at Charley's Barber Shop.

Mr. Kidswatter cracked his knuckles. "When's the last time you sharpened your pencil?" he asked.

"November eleventh," Eric Bacon answered right away. "It was three minutes before five o'clock in the afternoon. I remember because my watch stopped."

"Where were you yesterday at twelve fifteen?"

"I was in the garden, having tea."

"Did Maurecia step on somebody's pencil this morning?" asked Mr. Kidswatter.

"Yes."

"Whose?"

"She stepped on everybody's pencil," said Eric Bacon.

"Are you left-handed or right-footed?" demanded Mr. Kidswatter.

"I write with my left foot, and I kick with my right hand," replied Eric Bacon.

Mr. Kidswatter scowled. "Have you ever gotten your hair cut at Charley's Barber Shop?"

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"No, I never get my hair cut," said Eric Bacon. "I'm bald. This is a wig¹⁷."

Mr. Kidswatter took off his glasses and glared at him. "Do the words 'Mugworm Griblick' mean anything to you?"

Eric Bacon shook his head. "I can look it up in the dictionary if you want."

Mr. Kidswatter shook his head. "I tried that," he said. "It's not there." He rubbed his chin. "Okay, boys, you can come out now."

Eric Ovens and Eric Fry crawled out from under the desk.

Mr. Kidswatter looked at each Eric. "One of you is lying," he said. "I don't know who it is, but I'll find out. And when I do, whoever it is will be very sorry. Now I'll give you one last chance to come clean."

Eric Fry trembled.

Eric Ovens shivered.

"C'mon, let's blow this Popsicle stand," said Eric Bacon. He walked out of the room. The other two Erics followed.

Mr. Kidswatter rubbed the back of his neck. He looked at the white card on top of his desk. On one side it said:

CHARLEY'S BARBER SHOP Under that, in blue ink, it said:

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Eric, Tuesday, 12:15

He turned the card over. On the other side, a left-handed person had written with a sharp pencil:

Mr. Kidswatter is a Mugworm Griblick.

1 spine   

n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊

参考例句：

• He broke his spine in a fall from a horse.他从马上跌下摔断了脊梁骨。
• His spine developed a slight curve.他的脊柱有点弯曲。

2 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

3 grunted   

（猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说

参考例句：

• She just grunted, not deigning to look up from the page. 她只咕哝了一声，继续看书，不屑抬起头来看一眼。
• She grunted some incomprehensible reply. 她咕噜着回答了些令人费解的话。

4 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

5 giggled   

v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The girls giggled at the joke. 女孩子们让这笑话逗得咯咯笑。
• The children giggled hysterically. 孩子们歇斯底里地傻笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 doom   

n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定

参考例句：

• The report on our economic situation is full of doom and gloom.这份关于我们经济状况的报告充满了令人绝望和沮丧的调子。
• The dictator met his doom after ten years of rule.独裁者统治了十年终于完蛋了。

7 knuckles   

n.（指人）指关节( knuckle的名词复数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝v.（指人）指关节( knuckle的第三人称单数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝

参考例句：

• He gripped the wheel until his knuckles whitened. 他紧紧握住方向盘，握得指关节都变白了。
• Her thin hands were twisted by swollen knuckles. 她那双纤手因肿大的指关节而变了形。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 stammered   

v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He stammered most when he was nervous. 他一紧张往往口吃。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Barsad leaned back in his chair, and stammered, \"What do you mean?\" 巴萨往椅背上一靠，结结巴巴地说，“你是什么意思？” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

9 grumbled   

抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声

参考例句：

• He grumbled at the low pay offered to him. 他抱怨给他的工资低。
• The heat was sweltering, and the men grumbled fiercely over their work. 天热得让人发昏，水手们边干活边发着牢骚。

10 scowled   

怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He scowled his displeasure. 他满脸嗔色。
• The teacher scowled at his noisy class. 老师对他那喧闹的课堂板着脸。

11 flicked   

（尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的过去式和过去分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等）

参考例句：

• She flicked the dust off her collar. 她轻轻弹掉了衣领上的灰尘。
• I idly picked up a magazine and flicked through it. 我漫不经心地拿起一本杂志翻看着。

12 bellowed   

v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的过去式和过去分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫

参考例句：

• They bellowed at her to stop. 他们吼叫着让她停下。
• He bellowed with pain when the tooth was pulled out. 当牙齿被拔掉时，他痛得大叫。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

13 gulped   

v.狼吞虎咽地吃，吞咽( gulp的过去式和过去分词 )；大口地吸（气）；哽住

参考例句：

• He gulped down the rest of his tea and went out. 他把剩下的茶一饮而尽便出去了。
• She gulped nervously, as if the question bothered her. 她紧张地咽了一下，似乎那问题把她难住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 stapler   

n.订书机

参考例句：

• The stapler belongs to her.这订书机是她的。
• Can you hand me that stapler?请你把订书机拿给我，好吗？

15 resound   

v.回响

参考例句：

• A roar of approval resounded through the Ukrainian parliament.一片赞成声在乌克兰议会中回响。
• The soldiers' boots resounded in the street.士兵的军靴踏在地面上的声音在大街上回响。

16 hopped   

跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花

参考例句：

• He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。
• He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车，向市区开去。

17 wig   

n.假发

参考例句：

• The actress wore a black wig over her blond hair.那个女演员戴一顶黑色假发罩住自己的金黄色头发。
• He disguised himself with a wig and false beard.他用假发和假胡须来乔装。