Question

shortly after i had settled down to the beckoning of miss crocker, the rain began to pour down again, hammering with great intensity upon the tin roof. after school it was still raining as the boys and i, avoiding t.j. and claude, rushed along the slippery road alongside boyanting white classroom students.“you think well get there in time to see, stacey?” i asked.“we should. they stay in school fifteen minutes longer than we do and it always takes them a few minutes to load up.”when we reached the crossing, we glanced toward jefferson davis. the buses were there but the students had not been dismissed. we hastened on.expecting to see the yard-wide ditch we had dug at noon, we were not prepared for the twelve-foot lake which glimmered up at us.“holy smokes! what happened?” i exclaimed.“the rain,” said stacey. “quick, up on the bank.” eagerly, we settled onto the muddy forest floor and waited.“hey, stacey,” i said, “wont that big a puddle make that ole driver cautious?”stacey frowned, then said uncertainly, “i dont know. hope not. theres big puddles down the road that aint deep, just water heavy.”“if i was to be walking out there when the bus comes, that ole bus driver would be sure to speed up sos he could splash me,” i suggested.“or maybe me,” little man volunteered, ready to do anything for his revenge.stacey thought a moment, but decided against it. “naw. its better none of us be on the road when it happens. it might give em ideas.”“stacey, what if they find out we done it?” asked christopher-john nervously.“dont worry, they wont,” assured stacey.“hey, i think its coming,” whispered little man.we flattened ourselves completely and peered through the low bushes.the bus rattled up the road, though not as quickly as wewordsforeverydayusereck • less • ly (reklas lē) adv., carelessly1. what has happened since lunchtime?2. what suggestion does cassie make to increase the chances of success? why does stacey reject this idea?chapter three 35

Explanation:

1. For the first question: The text states that heavy rain filled the yard-wide ditch the children dug, turning it into a twelve-foot lake.
2. For the second question: Cassie suggests standing on the road when the bus comes, thinking the driver will speed up to splash her, which would make him hit the hidden lake. Stacey rejects this because he worries being on the road will tip off the bus driver and the white students about their prank, ruining their plan.

Answer:

1. What has happened since lunchtime?

Heavy rain filled the ditch the children dug at noon, turning it into a twelve-foot lake.

1. What suggestion does Cassie make to increase the chances of success? Why does Stacey reject this idea?

Cassie suggests standing on the road when the bus comes, so the driver will speed up to splash her. Stacey rejects it because he fears being on the road will alert the bus driver and white students to their prank, which could ruin their plan.