12. Wizzle-what

Chapter 12 Wizzle-what? Monday morning, Marvin left his house carrying a package of paper plates. He tapped the red post for luck as he walked through the gate. Nick and Stuart were waiting at the corner. "What are the paper plates for?" asked Stuart. "Wizzle-fish," said Marvin. "Wizzle-what?" asked Nick. "Wizzle-fish. It's a cool game. Joe taught it to me. He spent the night on Friday." Marvin waited to see what his friends would say about that. "How do you play?" asked Stuart. Marvin explained it to them. He hoped they'd give it a chance. He hoped all the kids at school would like wizzle

fish. Then maybe they'd like Joe, too. "You just walk around on plates?" asked Nick. "Do you try to get anywhere?" asked Stuart. "It's fun just to walk around," Marvin said. "You only have two plates. If you toss a plate too far away, you're in big trouble. Then the sharks will get you!" "What sharks?" Marvin told them about Lake Wizzle, and about the people who try to walk across the lake stepping on big, flat, slimy fish. "Man-eating sharks swim below the fish." "Let me try," said Stuart. Marvin gave Stuart two paper plates and watched him try to walk on them. Stuart took two steps, then fell when he reached back to pick up the plate behind him. Nick laughed. "You're dead. A shark just bit off your head." Marvin gave Nick two plates and took out two more for himself. The three friends headed to school stepping only on wizzle-fish, while sharks swam around beneath them. Casey Happleton and Judy Jasper caught up to them.

"What are you doing?" asked Casey. "Walking on wizzle-fish," said Stuart. "You are so weird, Stuart!" said Judy. "It's a game Joe taught Marvin," said Nick. He told the girls about Lake Wizzle. He said that sea monsters lived at the bottom of the lake. "Can I have a wizzle?" asked Casey. "You need two," said Nick. "Me, too," said Judy. Marvin gave them each two plates. "And by the way, Casey," he said. "Joe doesn't kiss the flagpole. He just likes to press his nose against it. He says it feels good." "Well, that's how Eskimos kiss," said Judy. "They rub noses." "That's because it's too cold for Eskimos to kiss on the lips," said Casey. "Their lips would get stuck together." They walked on wizzles all the way to school. Casey Happleton continued right up to the flagpole. Then she pressed her nose against it. "Joe's right," she announced. "It does feel good." Joe walked into class and took his seat next to Nick.

"Hi, Joe," Nick said. "I was wondering. Have you ever tried playing wizzle-fish tag?" "No, but it sounds like a good idea." "You want to try it at recess? Marvin's brought a whole thing of plates." "Can I play, too, Joe?" asked Gina. "Me, too," said Heather. "Sure," said Joe. He turned and smiled at Marvin. Seventeen kids played wizzle-fish tag at recess. Everyone, including the person who was "It," could only step on wizzles. There were only twenty-eight plates in the package Marvin brought to school, so only fourteen kids got wizzles. The other three—Clarence, Travis, and Melanie —were the sea monsters. If anybody fell off a wizzle, a sea monster would grab him or her.

"I can bring more wizzles tomorrow," said Nick. "I got a bunch left over from my birthday party." "My birthday's on Saturday," said Clarence. "So I'll get my mom to buy lots of paper plates. Hey, Joe, can you come to my birthday party?" "Sure. I think so," said Joe. Marvin felt very glad for his friend.