Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2 Josh led the group over to a guy juggling fruit. Big fruit! A watermelon, a grapefruit, a cantaloupe, and a pineapple circled through the air over the man's head. "My mother would tell him not to play with his food," Josh whispered. A boy a little taller than Dink stood in front of the man. "Ready, Dad?" he asked. When the man nodded, the kid tossed a bunch of bananas into the air. Everyone watching said, "Oooooh!" as the bananas joined the rest of the fruit.

Not far from the juggler, the kids noticed a man in a hat and vest leading a pony around a ring. Suddenly, an orangutan dressed as a clown leaped onto the pony. The ape stood on his head as the pony galloped faster and faster.

While everyone cheered, a woman also wearing a hat and vest passed out flyers. Dink took one and stuck it in his pocket. The man clapped his hands, and the pony jumped into a trailer with the ape still on its back. Josh started down the street. "Look at the dummy!" he said. "Takes one to know one," Dink said, grinning at Josh. "I think he means the wooden one," Ruth Rose said.

On a small stage sat a man with a wooden doll on his lap. The two were talking to each other. "I'm hungry!" the dummy said. His hinged mouth opened and closed as he spoke, and his bright eyes moved from side to side. "Go to sleep," the man answered in a deeper voice. "Feed me, or I'll report you for dummy abuse!" the dummy said. "How do they do that?" Josh asked. The man's voice seemed to be coming out of the dummy's mouth. The man pulled a cookie from an open bag at his feet. He grinned at the audience and ate it. "Hey gimme one of those!" his dummy yelled. "No." "Yes!" "No," the man said. "You've already had dessert." "Gimme a cookie, or I stop talking," the dummy said. The audience laughed. The man sighed and rolled his eyes. "Oh, all right. But just one."

The man reached down and took a second cookie from the bag. He put it in the dummy's mouth. "There, happy now?" The dummy chewed, swallowed, and burped. The audience loved it. "Thank you," the dummy said to the man. "You're welcome," the man said. Holding the dummy in his arms, he stood up and bowed. "Hey, mister. Where'd that cookie go?" Josh called out. The man smiled at Josh. "Down into his wooden tummy!" Josh laughed. He turned to Dink, Ruth Rose, and Uncle Warren. "That dummy made me hungry," he said. "How about some pizza?" Uncle Warren asked. "I think I noticed a vendor selling slices." The four walked to the pizza stand and bought slices. They ate them as they enjoyed more of the block party. When Dink started yawning, his uncle led the group back to the building. Roger was standing just inside the lobby door. "Did you have a good time?" he asked. "It was great," Dink said.

"I think the evening will be a big success," Uncle Warren said. "Good night, Roger." "I sure hope so," Roger said. "Night, Mr. Duncan." Uncle Warren pushed the button to call the elevator. A minute later, they entered his apartment. "Why don't you kids get ready for bed, and then we can see what's on TV?" he suggested, heading for his study. Just as Ruth Rose picked up her backpack, they heard Dink's uncle shout. The kids ran down the hall and practically bumped into Uncle Warren. His face was white, and he looked sick. "Uncle Warren, what's the matter?" Dink asked. "The … the painting," Dink's uncle stammered. "Someone's stolen Forest's painting!"