3. Lucy’s Great Idea

Chapter 3 Lucy's Great Idea "How do we catch something we can't see?" Nate asked. Bradley thought about what he'd been reading in the encyclopedia about jungles. He remembered a section that showed people catching animals. "I have some ideas," he said. "But first, let's finish weeding the garden." "If I see one thing with legs and a mouth, I'm out of here!" Nate said. "We all have legs and mouths," Brian teased.

Nate giggled. "You know what I mean," he said. The four kids got busy. They yanked every weed they could find and threw them in the pile. Bradley removed every strawberry that had been bitten. There were some ripe red ones left, and a lot that would turn red soon. The kids were hot, dirty, and sweaty when they finished. The boys took off their T-shirts and hung them on the fence. Then they sprayed each other with the garden hose. "I just had an idea," Lucy said. She pointed at the three T-shirts on the fence. "We could build a scarecrow and stand it in the garden. It might scare the mystery creature into staying away." "How do you make a scarecrow?" asked Brian. "It's easy," Lucy said. "I helped my folks build one back home. We need wood, nails, and some old clothes to dress it in." "There's wood and nails in the barn," Brian said. "I could get some of my dad's old clothes," Bradley said. "Why can't we use our own?" Brian asked.

"Too small," Lucy said. "You want big, floppy shirts and pants." "Cool," Bradley said. "We'll meet in the barn after I talk to my father." The boys put their shirts back on. Brian, Nate, and Lucy ran into the barn. Bradley cut across the yard. "Dad, I need your clothes!" he yelled as he entered the kitchen. Bradley's father was standing at the stove. He was humming and stirring something in a pot. The kitchen smelled like tomato sauce. Pal, the family's basset hound, was under the table, snoring.

"My clothes?" he asked. "You want me to cook in my underwear?" Bradley laughed. "Not what you're wearing now," he said. "Old clothes." "Why do you want my old clothes?" his father asked. "Um, it's a surprise!" Bradley said. "Well, okay. Go ask your mom. I think she's upstairs." "Thanks, Dad." Bradley ran up the stairs. His parents' bedroom door was closed. He knocked.

"Mom? Are you awake?" "Come in," his mother called. She was reading, but put down her book and smiled. "Why is your hair wet, Bradley?" "We're weeding the garden and I got hot," he said. Bradley told his mother about the creature that was eating the strawberries and vegetables. He left out the part about wanting to make jam for Father's Day. He still wanted to do it, but he wanted it to be a surprise. "We want to make a scarecrow," he said. "What a good idea!" his mother said. She got up off the bed and opened the door to their big closet. "Okay, here's a shirt I've been wanting to throw out for a year!" She handed Bradley an old blue flannel shirt. "And take these jeans. They have paint stains all over the knees." Bradley's mother winked. "Don't tell Daddy," she whispered.

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