The Indian in the Cupboard

Omri brings the two men an egg cup filled with warm water. He also provides snippets of a soap bar. Little Bear leans in and washes his top half with enthusiasm, though he doesn’t use the soap. Boone doesn’t want to bathe at all—he believes sweat keeps you clean—but Omri manages to get him to wash his hands and face, if little else.

He puts the men in his pockets, hurries through breakfast, and leaves for school. On the way, he warns the men to stay quiet, or they might be taken away and never return to their own time. Little Bear says, “Own time,” and thinks about that.

At the schoolyard, Omri hands off Boone to Patrick. A girl runs over and demands to know what’s in Patrick’s hand. She points at him, yelling, “Lookit Patrick bluh-shing, lookit Patrick bluh-shing!” (109), and a crowd forms. The boys push through them and dart toward the school building.

In class, the teacher senses something is up with the two boys, but they stay quiet. As the hours pass, Boone naps a lot, but Little Bear stays active. During an assembly, the Iroquois begins stabbing Omri through the pocket with his knife, and the boy yelps.