12 OH NO!

CHAPTER 12 OH NO! Sassafras and I were in the kitchen figuring out what we wanted for breakfast when the magic doorbell rang. The doorbell this early? I really, really, really hoped it wasn't Gorp coming back with mold again. Mom looked over at me with a raised eyebrow

and handed me a piece of toast. "Thanks, Mom," I said. I grabbed the toast and gave her a quick hug on my way out the door. Sassafras grabbed one big mouthful of cat food, and trotted out the door behind me with stuffed cheeks. We flew through the barn and threw open the back door. And there was Gorp. "Gorp! What happened? Why are you all wet?" Gorp flung his hands in the air.

"Everything went wrong. Everything!" he spluttered. "First, on the walk back to my cave, everything stuck to me. Dirt, leaves, twigs, even little flying bugs! I looked ridiculous." Ohhh no. Of course sugar water would be sticky! Why hadn't I thought of that? I guess because I'd used the spoon instead of my hands, I didn't feel the stickiness at all. He continued, "I thought that was the worst of it, but I was wrong. It got much worse. I woke up to ants crawling all over me this morning. Even in my ears." Ohhh no. I'd forgotten how much ants like sweet things. And sugar water is very sweet. Gorp must have seemed like a giant monster-shaped candy to the ants!

"I ran and jumped into the stream and then came straight here," he said. "My fur didn't get any mold, but this was So! Much! Worse!" "Oh, Gorp! I'm so so sorry. I can't believe I didn't think of the stickiness or the ants." Oh man, I had totally messed up. I put my head in my hands. I was too embarrassed to look Gorp in the eye.

Sassafras bumped my leg. "Mrrrw?" I looked down to see why he was making that weird noise, and he had a ziplock bag in his mouth. Of course! "Sassafras! You're a genius!" I picked him up and kissed him on the head. Gorp made a sour face. "It's not over yet. We still have two more things we can try. And this time, I promise I'll choose more carefully." I opened the bag marked salt that Sassafras had brought over. I reached in to feel. My shoulders slumped. "No! The salt water fur is sticky, too." Gorp's eyes filled with tears and his lip trembled. "I give up! Nothing will work. I'll never

get to go to the Monster Ball." "Don't cry, Gorp! We still have the vinegar to try," I said. But I was worried. I took a deep breath. This had to work. Vinegar wasn't sticky, right? My hands were never sticky after playing with baking soda and vinegar. A little gritty from the baking soda, maybe. But no, definitely not sticky. I slowly reached one finger inside the bag. I gave the vinegar-covered Gorp fur a quick poke. I looked up at Gorp and smiled. "Feel it!" I took his hand and put it inside the bag.