get Evan in
trouble?
“That boy Conan is big,” Aunt Dee commented. “You really shouldn’t pick on
him.”
Good advice, Evan thought bitterly. He lifted the mile-long sweater
sleeve, then let it drop back to the floor.
“I’m going to fix Conan,” Kermit declared. “I mixed up a formula that grows
hair. I’m going to give it to Conan to drink—and he’ll grow hair on his
tongue. Whenever he tries to talk, he’ll just go, ‘Woffff woffff.’”
Aunt Dee laughed. “Kermit, stop!” she scolded. “You’re starting to sound like
a mad scientist!”
“I am a mad scientist!” Kermit declared proudly.
He and his mother laughed. But Evan couldn’t even force a smile.
It’s no joke, Evan thought. Kermit really is a mad scientist. He
spends all his time down in his lab in the basement mixing bottles of green
stuff with bottles of blue stuff.
One afternoon down in the lab, Evan asked Kermit what he was trying to
discover. “I’m searching for a secret formula,” Kermit replied, pouring a red
liquid into a test tube.
“A secret formula that will do what?” Evan had asked.
“How should I know?” Kermit exclaimed. “It’s secret!”
Now Evan had to spend the next ten days watching Kermit do his mad scientist
act. And somehow he had to keep Kermit out of trouble.
“I’m so glad you’re staying with us,” Aunt Dee told Evan. “I just think it’s
great that you two cousins are so close.”
“Yeah. Great,” Evan muttered.
“Wofff wofff!” Kermit declared, giggling.
Aunt Dee led the two of them to Kermit’s room at the back of the house.
Kermit had a foldout bed where Evan would sleep.
Books and computer disks and papers and science magazines cluttered the
floor. Evan had to step around a giant plastic model of the solar system to get
to the dresser.
Aunt Dee helped him unpack his suitcase. Then she said, “You two run along.
Go outside or something. I’m going into the kitchen to make dinner.”
Dinner. The word sent a chill down Evan’s back.
“What are we having?” he asked.
“It’s a surprise,” Aunt Dee told him.
Another chill.
“I brought my Super-Soaker,” Evan told Kermit. “Let’s go outside and have a
water fight.”
Kermit shook his head. “I don’t think so.” He led the way down the basement
stairs to his science lab. “I want to show you something.”
Evan stared at the shelves of jars and bottles and test tubes, all brimming
with mysterious, dangerous materials. “I really don’t feel safe—” he started.
Something bumped him hard from behind.
Evan spun around and gazed down at Dogface, Kermit’s huge sheepdog. “Stop bumping me!” Evan snapped.
The dog stuck out his fat tongue and licked Evan’s hand. It left a sticky gob
of dog drool in his palm.
“Dogface likes you,” Kermit said.
“Yuck,” Evan groaned. He searched the lab table for a paper towel to wipe off
the gunk.
“I want to try a little test,” Kermit told him.
“No way!” Evan protested. “No little tests! The last time you tried a little
test, you turned my nose blue.”
“That was a mistake,” Kermit replied. “This test is different. This test
isn’t dangerous.” He raised his right hand. “I swear.”
“What do I have to do?” Evan asked warily. “Drink something and have my
tongue grow hair?”
Kermit shook his head. “No. I’m not ready to test that on a human yet.”
“Good,” Evan said, relieved. “Let’s get our Super-Soakers and go outside.”
Evan really wanted to have a water fight. It was the only time he was allowed to
attack Kermit and get away with it!
“After the test,” Kermit replied. “The test only takes a minute. I promise.”
Evan sighed. “Okay. What do I have to do?”
Kermit held up a black bandanna. “A blindfold,” he said. “Put it on.”
“Excuse me?” Evan cried, backing away. “Do you really think I’m going to let
you blindfold me?”
“It isn’t dangerous!” Kermit insisted in his high,
trouble?
“That boy Conan is big,” Aunt Dee commented. “You really shouldn’t pick on
him.”
Good advice, Evan thought bitterly. He lifted the mile-long sweater
sleeve, then let it drop back to the floor.
“I’m going to fix Conan,” Kermit declared. “I mixed up a formula that grows
hair. I’m going to give it to Conan to drink—and he’ll grow hair on his
tongue. Whenever he tries to talk, he’ll just go, ‘Woffff woffff.’”
Aunt Dee laughed. “Kermit, stop!” she scolded. “You’re starting to sound like
a mad scientist!”
“I am a mad scientist!” Kermit declared proudly.
He and his mother laughed. But Evan couldn’t even force a smile.
It’s no joke, Evan thought. Kermit really is a mad scientist. He
spends all his time down in his lab in the basement mixing bottles of green
stuff with bottles of blue stuff.
One afternoon down in the lab, Evan asked Kermit what he was trying to
discover. “I’m searching for a secret formula,” Kermit replied, pouring a red
liquid into a test tube.
“A secret formula that will do what?” Evan had asked.
“How should I know?” Kermit exclaimed. “It’s secret!”
Now Evan had to spend the next ten days watching Kermit do his mad scientist
act. And somehow he had to keep Kermit out of trouble.
“I’m so glad you’re staying with us,” Aunt Dee told Evan. “I just think it’s
great that you two cousins are so close.”
“Yeah. Great,” Evan muttered.
“Wofff wofff!” Kermit declared, giggling.
Aunt Dee led the two of them to Kermit’s room at the back of the house.
Kermit had a foldout bed where Evan would sleep.
Books and computer disks and papers and science magazines cluttered the
floor. Evan had to step around a giant plastic model of the solar system to get
to the dresser.
Aunt Dee helped him unpack his suitcase. Then she said, “You two run along.
Go outside or something. I’m going into the kitchen to make dinner.”
Dinner. The word sent a chill down Evan’s back.
“What are we having?” he asked.
“It’s a surprise,” Aunt Dee told him.
Another chill.
“I brought my Super-Soaker,” Evan told Kermit. “Let’s go outside and have a
water fight.”
Kermit shook his head. “I don’t think so.” He led the way down the basement
stairs to his science lab. “I want to show you something.”
Evan stared at the shelves of jars and bottles and test tubes, all brimming
with mysterious, dangerous materials. “I really don’t feel safe—” he started.
Something bumped him hard from behind.
Evan spun around and gazed down at Dogface, Kermit’s huge sheepdog. “Stop bumping me!” Evan snapped.
The dog stuck out his fat tongue and licked Evan’s hand. It left a sticky gob
of dog drool in his palm.
“Dogface likes you,” Kermit said.
“Yuck,” Evan groaned. He searched the lab table for a paper towel to wipe off
the gunk.
“I want to try a little test,” Kermit told him.
“No way!” Evan protested. “No little tests! The last time you tried a little
test, you turned my nose blue.”
“That was a mistake,” Kermit replied. “This test is different. This test
isn’t dangerous.” He raised his right hand. “I swear.”
“What do I have to do?” Evan asked warily. “Drink something and have my
tongue grow hair?”
Kermit shook his head. “No. I’m not ready to test that on a human yet.”
“Good,” Evan said, relieved. “Let’s get our Super-Soakers and go outside.”
Evan really wanted to have a water fight. It was the only time he was allowed to
attack Kermit and get away with it!
“After the test,” Kermit replied. “The test only takes a minute. I promise.”
Evan sighed. “Okay. What do I have to do?”
Kermit held up a black bandanna. “A blindfold,” he said. “Put it on.”
“Excuse me?” Evan cried, backing away. “Do you really think I’m going to let
you blindfold me?”
“It isn’t dangerous!” Kermit insisted in his high,
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