4 Sneeze of Doom

SNEEZE OF DOOM ARE YOU PREPARED TO BE SLIMED?

When Stink got home from school, he took Mr. McGoo upstairs. Mr. McGoo looked a little raisiny— as wrinkled as a monkey ball. "I know you had a bad day at school," Stink said. "But look at the bright side. At least YOU don't have any homework." To cheer him up, Stink told Mr. McGoo, "Riley's coming over." Riley Rottenberger could be annoying, for sure, but at least she was a good partner in slime. In baby talk, Stink said, "Riley likes slime mold. Yes she does."

"Slime time!" Riley said when she got to Stink's house. Stink moved his light-up globe in closer so they could inspect their pets. "My slime mold is way bigger than your slime mold," she said in a braggy voice. "Don't listen to her, Mr. McGoo," whispered Stink. "I like how you gave your slime mold a cool name," said Riley.

"Didn't you name yours?" asked Stink. "Um," said Riley. "Sure. Its name is... um... Mrs. McGoo." "Gross!" said Stink. "Our slime molds are not married." "Fine. Then I'll change her name to Princess Slime Mold." "How did you get Princess Slime Mold to grow so much?" Stink asked. "Easy cheesy," said Riley. "I fed her. And you have to do stuff that makes her happy. Like they had us do for the animals at that farm we visited on our field trip." Stink remembered. "Oh, yeah. We read books to the chickens and sang songs to the cows." So Stink and Riley sang "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Slime" to Mr. McGoo and Princess Slime Mold. They read Squish Squash Moo till the cows came home.

Stink told a story about the time he got 21,280 jawbreakers in the mail for free. Stink told a joke. "What do molds, mucus, and big sisters have in common?" "What?" asked Riley. "They're all slime," said Stink. He laughed himself silly. "I bet Mr. McGoo will grow like crazy now." "I think you're good to goo," said Riley. "I mean go." They started into fits of laughter all over again.

"Don't forget to feed him." Riley unzipped her backpack. "I brought snacks!" She held up an apple and a bag of cheese doodles. Stink took a bite of mealy apple while Riley ripped open the bag of munchy-crunchy cheese doodles. A wonderful waft of cheesy air puffed out of the bag. Crunch-munch-crunch. "Cheese doodles sure are loud," said Stink. "Yep," said Riley, munching. "Cheese doodles sure smell milky and creamy," said Stink. "Yep," said Riley, crunching.