HATCHING A PLAN & OTHER BAD PUNS
No one had ever woken up Early Bird. It was a Very Serious Rule among all the animals:
Because if he didn’t get enough sleep, he would be tired, and if he was too tired, he might snooze past dawn, and if he snoozed past dawn, he wouldn’t get the worm.
And if Early Bird didn’t get the worm, who knew what other unexpected and crazy things might happen in the world?
No, it would all be too unpredictable. Early Bird had to get the worm. That was just the way things were.
“You’re right. It’s against the Very Serious Rule,” Speed Bump said, practically reading Slingshot’s mind. “We need to stop the Nightcrawlers ourselves.”
They hatched plans, but got eggsasperated because they knew none of them would work, and this was no yolking matter. All their ideas to stop the Nightcrawlers were as terrible as their puns.
“Let’s face it,” Speed Bump groaned. “We’re just a couple of birdbrains.”
“If only I had my slingshot,” mumbled Slingshot. “We could knock ’em out with nuts and berries.”
Speed Bump yelled.
“Who, me?”
“Not you! Your slingshot! You’re a genius, Slingshot!”
“Who, me?”
“Yes, you! I’ll explain later. First we need to get home!”
“Home?” The voice was right behind them. A pair of giant glowing eyes blinked twice. Speed Bump screamed and jumped into Slingshot’s arms once again.
The owl pulled a small device from under one of his large feathers.
There was a tiny burp in the bushes. The owl’s head spun all the way around.
“Soda Pop!” the owl said.
Speed Bump and Slingshot looked at each other. “Soda Pop?” they repeated at the same time.
“Yep. But you can call me just Soda, or just Pop. It’s all good,” Soda Pop said as he climbed onto the owl’s back. “Are we going on a trip, Hoover? Can I go with you guys?”
“Waaait a minute,” Speed Bump said. “Don’t owls make you nervous?”
“Not this owl. Snakes make me nervous. And Nightcrawlers. And cats. And clowns, but that’s another story.”
At the mention of Nightcrawlers, Speed Bump remembered Early Bird. “Hey, we need to go! NOW!”
Hoover turned his head back toward them. “What’s the big rush, boys?”
Meanwhile, Slingshot was trying, unsuccessfully, to make his head spin all the way around.
Speed Bump caught his breath and quickly told Hoover about Early Bird and the Nightcrawlers and the horrible, rubbery worm with the hooks and his own plan to save his brother.
Hoover spread his giant wings. “Sounds like you boys need help with a plan that big!” He turned his head around again to talk to the mouse. “Whaddaya say, Soda Pop? Shall we?”
Soda Pop just nodded. And burped.
“Man, night animals are definitely weird. And the big one has serious snake breath,” Slingshot whispered. But they both had to admit that they got home a lot faster flying in Hoover’s tailwind.