The Case of the Missing Library Book Mr. Berry, the librarian, had a reputation for being strict and for never making mistakes. He maintained complete order in the library and could tell immediately if a book was missing or misplaced. He did not say much. This struck fear into the students. They always said that Mr. Berry did not have to talk. When someone was careless with a book, the look on Mr. Berry’s face told that person everything he or she needed to know.
All of this contributed to making Tom feel terrible about losing the copy of Animal Farm that he had borrowed nearly four weeks earlier. It was as if the book had disappeared from the face of the earth. In fact, Tom had completely forgotten about the book until he received an overdue notice from Mr. Berry through the mail. Tom did not look forward to facing the librarian directly. When he left for school that morning, he felt as if he were going to his execution.
Tom’s fear increased with each tick of the clock. It was already fourth period by the time he talked himself into going to see Mr. Berry. As he walked to the library, his palms were sweating and he felt as though he had butterflies performing acrobatics in his stomach. When he walked through the doors, he saw that the library was deserted, except for Mr. Berry. Tom was happy that nobody would witness the embarrassing scene that was sure to erupt.
Upon seeing Tom, Mr. Berry said, "Oh Tom, I owe you an apology. I guess I made a mistake. I didn't realize that you had already returned Animal Farm." At first, Tom didn't know what to say, and then, much to his surprise, he found himself telling Mr. Berry that he hadn't returned the book, that he'd lost it, and that he'd looked all over for it but couldn't find it. Tom could not stop the words from coming out of his mouth.
When Tom finished, Mr. Berry smiled and said, "Well, somebody found it and returned it. That's the important thing. It's important to remember that everybody makes mistakes. I guess we both did in this case." Tom smiled too; he felt relieved. As he made his way back to class, he decided that he really liked Mr. Berry and that he would try to use the library more often.
3
Why was Tom afraid of Mr. Berry?
A.
Tom had seen Mr. Berry be mean to people.
B.
Mr. Berry had been mean to him in the past.
C.
Mr. Berry had a reputation for being strict.
D.
Tom's parents told him to be afraid of all adults.