17. All Tied Up

CHAPTER 17 ALL TIED UP Wedgie Woman brought George and Harold back to her house and tied the boys tightly to two chairs. "Tell me the secret identity of Captain Underpants!" screamed Wedgie Woman. "No way!" said George. "Hmmmm," said Wedgie Woman. "You want to do this the hard way? No problem!"

Wedgie Woman's hair began uncoiling itself. Several twisted locks of hair stretched out into the living room and started taking apart the television, the computer, and a ThighMaster@.

Other tangled coils reached into the kitchen and began dismantling the dishwasher, the toaster oven, and a Ronco Food Dehydrator. "What are you doing?" asked Harold. "If you want to make robots," said Wedgie Woman, "you gotta break a few small appliances!"

George and Harold watched impatiently while Wedgie Woman's hair assembled thousands of assorted screws, bolts, wires, gears, cathode tubes, and computer chips. Soon, two small robots began taking shape. "I didn't know Ms. Ribble was smart enough to make robots," said Harold. "Me, neither," said George. "I think some of that Extra-Strength Super Power Juice must have soaked into her brain!"

The next morning, Wedgie Woman completed her robots, which she named "Robo-George" and "The Harold 2000." "You know," said Harold, "something about those robots seems a little familiar!" "Yeah," said George. "They kinda look like us... only not as dashingly handsome." Wedgie Woman opened the robots' chest plates and inserted a can of spray starch into each one. Then she sealed the chest plates, patted each robot on the head, and sent them both off to school. "Captain Underpants doesn't stand a chance now!" Wedgie Woman laughed.

"Wait a minute," said Harold. "How are those two robots going to stop Captain Underpants?" "All they have to do is wait and listen," said Wedgie Woman. "And as soon as they hear the words 'Tra-La-Laaaaa!' it'll all be over!"