7. There’s No Place Like Home

7 There's No Place Like Home The next day was the last of their vacation. Calamity was off at a rodeo, and the Lambchops were enjoying the park as a family. Many interesting activities filled the day, but Mr. and Mrs. Lambchop noticed the boys seemed subdued. "It's the lack of fresh vegetables and fruits, George," Mrs. Lambchop fretted back at the campsite that afternoon. "I dare say you're right, dear," Mr. Lambchop said. "You know the boys so well." Just as they were packing up, a park ranger strode into their camp. "Why, hello there, Bob," Mrs. Lambchop greeted him, remembering how he felt about his name.

"Hello, Lambchops all," Ranger Bob said. "Sure are sorry to see you folks go." "We've had a grand time," Mr. Lambchop told him. "Worth every penny of our admission fees!" "That's what I'm here about," said Ranger Bob. "Your brave son Stanley paid his fee like everyone else, and given what a hero he was, something doesn't seem right about that. I'm here to refund that fee, with the park's gratitude!"

"Excuse me," Stanley interrupted politely, "but my brother was a hero, too. If it weren't for him being out there, I would never have grabbed on to the face of that rock." "I can see how that is," agreed the ranger. "Two heroes, two refunds it is!" Then Ranger Bob personally affixed the Mount Rushmore State Park sticker to the rear window of

the Lambchops' car, and bade them a safe trip home. Mrs. Lambchop looked into the car, overstuffed once more. "I'm sorry, boys, but…" "No," said Stanley. "Arthur can have the space. You can mail me home. I don't mind." So the Lambchops drove to the nearest post office and slipped their elder son into a large mailing envelope, along with the rest of the graham crackers, a slice of American cheese, and a deck of cards. "Insurance?" asked the postmaster. Mr. Lambchop chuckled as if the postmaster had made a good joke. "No need. There's no finer postal system in the world. I say, if you can't trust the United States Postal Service to deliver a package safely, then whom can you trust?" Mrs. Lambchop asked that the envelope be marked Fragile, but Stanley was horrified at that suggestion. He did allow the postmaster to stamp Do Not Bend, however.

And then the four Lambchops made their way home from South Dakota: three of them in a car, and one in postal trucks and planes.

Stanley arrived home first, refreshed by his restful trip, and helped unpack the car when his weary family appeared. "It's always good to get away," Mr. Lambchop noted with a sigh. "But…" "But it's always good to get back home," finished his wife. Then Stanley and Arthur hurried to their room to unpack, while their parents tended to the stack of mail that had piled up.