La Mission Impossible
Stanley Lambchop stood before the map that his teacher, Ms. Merrick, had yanked down at the front of the classroom. She nodded at him to begin. âIâve traveled all over the world,â Stanley told his class. âIâve been to Canada, Mexico, Egypt, Japan, Kenya, and China.â He pointed to each country as he spoke.
His classmate Molly raised her hand. âDo you always travel by mail?â she asked.
Ever since the bulletin board over Stanleyâs bed had fallen and flattened him, he had been easy to fold and mail in an envelope.
âNot always. Sometimes I fly,â Stanley replied. He thought for a moment. âOn a plane, I mean. Or I can float thousands of miles if the wind is right.â
Stanleyâs friend Carlos raised his hand next. âSo youâve never been to Europe?â
Stanley turned and found Europe on the map. He scanned the countries that made up the continent: England . . . Spain . . . France . . . Germany . . . Italy . . . âActually, no, I havenât been to any of the European countries. . . . But I have been to Australia. â He reached over, past Europe and Asia, and proudly tapped the country in the bottom right corner.
The map shuddered and snapped up like a window shade. All at once it was dark, and Stanleyâs body felt very tightly wound.
Heâd been rolled up with the map!
âHilph!â Stanley cried. He could hear his classmates laughing.
Suddenly there was a muffled announcement over the loudspeaker. A moment later Stanley felt himself being unwound.
âStanley,â Ms. Merrick said as she pulled the map back down. âYou are to report to the principalâs office at once.â
âBut it was an accident!â Stanley pleaded. âI wasnât trying to be funny. The map just snapped!â
âI know, Stanley,â his teacher said gently. âIâm sure itâs nothing serious.â
Stanley slouched into the office, but the principal wasnât there. Instead Stanley found someone elseâa man he recognized!
âMr. Dart!â Stanley cried. âWhat are you doing here?â
Mr. O. Jay Dart was the director of the Famous Museum. Stanley had once helped him catch some art thieves. Stanley had been forced to disguise himself as a shepherd girl in a painting, which was very embarrassing. It was worth it, though, because he caught the thieves red-handed.
âHello, Stanley,â Mr. Dart said, quickly closing the door. âThe principal was kind enough to lend me an office. Iâve come on official business.â He laid a leather briefcase on the desk.
âStanley,â he continued as he turned the combination lock on the front of his briefcase. âHave you ever heard of the Mona Lisa ?â
âThe painting?â
âThatâs right,â Mr. Dart said as the case unlocked with a click. âShe was painted around 1505 by the great artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci. When you see her, say hello for me, will you?â Mr. Dart winked mysteriously and lifted the briefcaseâs lid. A screen rose from inside with a whirring sound.
Suddenly a dashing man with a polka-dot tie, thick eyebrows, and large, round glasses flickered to life on-screen.
âStanley, I would like you to meet Agent Lunette of the Police Nationale in Paris, France,â Mr. Dart said.
âBonjour , Monsieur Lambchop,â the man said in a thick French accent. He looked down his nose. âEez it true you are v-air-y flat?â
Stanley nodded and turned to the side, and Agent Lunette whistled approvingly.
âThen you are the right boy for the job,â Agent Lunette said. âThe worldâs greatest art is goingâ poof! âinto thin air, and only you can stop it!â His glasses made his eyes look very large.
Mr. Dart cleared his throat. âThere have been a series of art thefts in Paris
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