Beanbag (Fry Grade Level: First Grade)
By Janice Marriott
Illustrated by Sandra Cammell
1. Beanbag curled his paws over his eyes, and started to “Zum zum zumty-zum” a very happy purr tune.
2. Beanbag’s favorite hobby was sleeping.
3. In fact, he planned to do a lot of sleeping today.
4. Then Tom ran into the bedroom and ruined Beanbag’s plans.
5. “Mom says I can take you to our school pet show!”
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6. Beanbag uncurled a paw from one eye.
He looked at Tom, then poked his nose deeper into his fur. 6. ____________
7. Tom went to see if his mom had any ideas about getting Beanbag to school. 7. ____________
8. “Take him in the box Sue’s birthday present came in,” she said. 8. ____________
9. “But, Mom, it’s pink.” 9. ____________
10. “It’s a good, strong box. 11. Punch some 10. ____________
11. ____________ breathing holes in it. 12. And don’t forget about
Sue’s party after school.” 12. ____________
13. “I don’t want to go,” groaned Tom.
14. Just yesterday, Sue had told everyone in class
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that Tom still slept with his old teddy bear.
15. His mom pretended not to hear.
16. But Beanbag heard.
17. He flicked his tail and opened a yellow eye.
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18. After a big battle,
Tom got Beanbag into the pink box. 18. ____________
19. He started the long walk to school. 19. ____________
20. An angry “Hiss hiss hissy-hiss” came out of the ragged airholes.
22. Tom smiled weakly and kept walking.
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21. “Got a snake in there?” asked the mailman. 21. ____________
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23. Beanbag dug a claw into a hole until he could see much more of the world.
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24. He dug his claw in again and pulled and yowled.
25. “Bad cat!” said Tom.
26. Beanbag hissed into the air.
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27. “Hiss! Hiss! Hissy-hiss!” 27. ____________
28. ____________ 28. She giggled when Tom walked in.
29. “Hello Tom,” said Miss James. 29. ____________
30. “What do you have in that box?” 30. ____________
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31. Tom could clearly see all the other pets.
32. No one could see Beanbag hidden in the pink box.
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33. All the other pets were quiet.
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34. But Tom’s pink box was making strange noises.
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35. Tom’s skin felt all prickly. 35. ____________
36. “Yowl! Yowl! Yowly-yowl!” screamed Beanbag like a chain saw. 36. ____________
37. A paw punched out of a large hole in the box. 37. ____________
38. His claws stretched into the air. 38. ____________
39. “You brought that horrible cat,” said Sue. 39. ____________
40. “Put it over by the dogs,” said Miss James.
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41. “That should keep it quiet.”
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42. Then she smiled at the children.
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43. “Now when I call your name, you can tell us the name of your pet.”
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44. All through roll call, Beanbag hissed and yowled. 45. Tom’s face turned bright red.
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46. Through the hole, Beanbag saw a yellow dog sitting next to him. 47. Beanbag hissed.
48. No dog ever sat next to Beanbag!
49. Beanbag hissed again.
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50. The dog’s ears twitched.
51. Beanbag hit and clawed at the box.
52. Soon, his whiskers and teeth
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51. ____________ were poking out of the hole. 52. ____________
53. “Tom?” asked the teacher. 53. ____________
54. “Your pet’s name?” 54. ____________
55. “Er, Beanbag, Miss James.” 55. ____________
56. Sue giggled. 57. She looked at her friends.
58. They giggled.
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59. Mis James checked off Tom’s name.
60. At that moment,
Beanbag burst out of the hole he’d made in the box.
61. Beanbag leapt onto the yellow dog.
62. The dog shot across the room, yelping.
63. It ran through trays of paint and glue laid out of “A Picture of My Pet.”
64. Beanbag bounced after the dog.
65. He skidded through the paste.
66. He slid onto the construction paper, where the yellow dog stood.
67. Paper and glue and paint flew everywhere.
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68. Miss James was frozen with shock.
69. As the dogs bolted out of control, some children started running after them.
70. Other children cried and clung to Miss James.
71. A big Doberman chased Beanbag around the desks.
72. Beanbag jumped onto the math table.
73. The counting rods, beads, and buttons rained down and hit the Doberman on the nose.
74. Beanbag clawed his way to the top of the curtains.
75. He gathered himself into a spiky ball,
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hissing like a firecracker. 75. ____________
76. Tom knew it was up to him to save the day. 76. ____________
77. He grabbed a fishbowl and tipped it over the Doberman’s head.
83. The Doberman went home in a taxi.
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78. For two seconds, Tom thought he was a hero.
80. “That cat!” squeaked Miss James.
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79. Then Sue wailed, “Those were my goldfish!” 79. ____________
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81. Tom knew he wasn’t a hero. 81. ____________
82. He looked up at the curtain rod, but Beanbag had disappeared. 82. ____________
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84. The yellow dog went to the vet.
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85. Tom scooped Sue’s goldfish into a jar.
86. “Don’t you dare come to my party!”
87. Sue said as she left with her mom.
88. Tom just mopped the floor and worried.
89. Where was Beanbag?
90. “What’s the matter?” asked Tom’s mom when she saw him coming up the path, covered in paint and glue.
91. “I lost Beanbag. 92. He ran away from the pet show.”
93. “Change your clothes,” said Mom.
94. “He never goes far. 95. We can find him before you go to Sue’s party.”
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96. “I’m not going to Sue’s party,” said Tom, cheering up a little. 96. ____________
97. “Oh, yes you are,” said Mom firmly. 97. ____________
98. Although Tom tried to explain,
Mom didn’t change her mind until she called Sue’s mom. 98. ____________
99. “Oh dear. I am sorry,” Mom kept saying.
“I guess we’d better not come, then.” 99. ____________
100. Tom went into his bedroom, and there in the middle of his bed was… a huge, round shape breathing in and out, purring “Zum zum zumty-zum.” 100. ___________

101. The large cat uncurled one paw, opened one eye, and let the eyelid slowly drip shut again.
102. It was one of Beanbag’s most wicked winks.
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