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surprise?”

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

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    Chapter 10
    Music
    Benjamin still hadn’t told anybody he wasn’t Mark Miller.
    His grades had never been better. Mark Miller is a lot smarter than Benjamin Nushmutt, he thought.
    When they chose up teams for kickball, he was always the first one picked. Mark Miller is a better kicker than Benjamin Nushmutt, he realized.
    The girls in the class liked him too. Mark Miller is better looking than Benjamin Nushmutt, he decided.
    But unfortunately, he knew he had to tell Mrs. Jewls his real name. He sighed, then slowly raised his hand.
    Mrs. Jewls gave him a tambourine.
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    He had been so busy thinking about his problem, he hadn’t noticed that Mrs. Jewls was passing out musical instruments. She had just asked, “Who would like the tambourine?” So when he raised his hand, she gave it to him.
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    “Who would like the triangle?” asked Mrs. Jewls. Joe raised his hand, and Mrs. Jewls gave it to him.
    “Why is it called a triangle?” asked Joe.
    “I don’t know,” said Mrs. Jewls.
    “Maybe because it’s shaped like a triangle,” suggested John.
    “No, that can’t be it,” said Mrs. Jewls. “Then the tambourine would have to be called a circle.”
    “Maybe it was invented by a person named Joe Triangle,” said Rondi.
    “That’s probably it,” said Mrs. Jewls. She held up the next instrument. It was a glockenspiel. “Who would like the glockenspiel?” she asked.
    Sharie raised her hand.
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    Nobody asked why it was called a glockenspiel. It was obvious.
    Mrs. Jewls gave the bells to Stephen.
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    “Why are they called bells?” he asked.
    Nobody knew.
    Joy got the bongo drums. Todd got the bass drum. Jenny snared the snare drum. And Leslie got the kettledrum.
    When they banged on them, it hurt everybody else’s eardrums.
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    Mrs. Jewls gave one cymbal to Calvin and the other cymbal to Bebe.
    D.J. got the gong. The three Erics got kazoos.
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    Mrs. Jewls shouted, “Uno, dos, tres, cuatro!”
    The children all played their instruments. They shook, rattled, rocked, and rolled.
    Joy bonged her bongos. D.J. gonged his gong. Sharie glockened her glockenspiel. Stephen jingled his bells. Calvin and Bebe slapped their cymbals together. And Joe’s triangle went ting .
    But something didn’t sound right.
    “What’s wrong, Mark?” Mrs. Jewls shouted over the music. “Why aren’t you playing the tambourine?”
    “My name’s not Mark,” said Benjamin. “It’s Benjamin Nushmutt. I’m sorry for not telling you before.”
    “What?” asked Mrs. Jewls. “I can’t hear you.”
    “My name isn’t Mark!” he said. “It’s Benjamin.”
    “Louder!” said Mrs. Jewls.
    So everyone played louder.
    Todd bashed his bass drum. Leslie cooked on her kettledrum. Calvin and Bebe crashed their cymbals together. And Joe’s triangle went ting .
    “My name is Benjamin!” shouted Benjamin.
    Mrs. Jewls put her hand to her ear. “Louder!” she said.
    So everyone played louder.
    D.J. kabonged his gong. Joy chongoed her bongos. Paul splacked his castanets. Jenny spaghettied her snare drum. Calvin and Bebe wammered their cymbals. And Joe’s triangle went ting .
    “My name’s Benjamin Nushmutt,” hollered Benjamin Nushmutt.
    “Louder!” yelled Mrs. Jewls.
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    So everyone played louder.
    The there Erics screamed into their kazoos. Calvin and Bebe ran to opposite sides of the room with their cymbals, then charged toward each other.
    Suddenly the door flew open, and a man entered. Benjamin had never seen him before.
    The whole class became very quiet.
    It was Mr. Kidswatter, the principal.
    Calvin and Bebe screeched to a halt just in time. Their cymbals were less than an inch apart.
    “Is something the matter, Mr. Kidswatter?” asked Mrs. Jewls.
    “Several teachers have complained about your music,” said Mr. Kidswatter. “Their students are having trouble