Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11 "OH, HELLO, JUNIOR MONSTER SCOUTS!" said the mayor. "Have you come to play in the puddles with us?" "Actually," said Vampyra, "we were making sure everyone was okay." "Yeah," said Franky. "Wolfy and I helped Laguna and Mrs. Lagoon clear the river so it would not flood the village." "And Vampyra and Annabelle used the old windmill to clear the rain clouds," said Wolfy. The mayor clapped his hands together. "Oh, splendid! Splendid, indeed! Thank you, Junior Monster Scouts! As a token of our appreciation, we, the villagers, would like to

present you each with a pair of your very own galoshes!" "Really?" said Wolfy. "For us?" said Vampyra. "Cool!" said Franky. Before they left, the Junior Monster Scouts stayed for a few splashes of their own. After all, when someone gives you gift galoshes, it's quite rude not to make a few splashes. But then they were off, back to Castle Dracula, for that night's Junior Monster Scout meeting. "Good-bye, villagers!" they said. "Good-bye, Annabelle. Good-bye, ducks!" "Good-bye!" said the villagers. "Quack!" said the ducks. Off they marched in their new galoshes, down the road, jumping and splashing in every puddle they saw. They hopped across the covered bridge. They waded along the

bank of the river and stopped to say good-bye to Laguna and Mrs. Lagoon. "Congratulations on passing your swimming test, Laguna!" they said. "Thank you, Junior Monster Scouts, for helping me feel brave enough and confident enough!" Laguna said. "Come by for a swim anytime," Mrs. Lagoon said. Franky, Wolfy, and Vampyra were so proud of their new galoshes that they wore them to that night's Junior Monster Scout meeting. "What's with the galoshes?" said Wolf Man. Franky, Vampyra, and Wolfy took turns telling Dracula, Wolf Man, and Frankenstein what had happened that afternoon.

"And you learned how to swim?" asked Dracula. "You learned how to swim even though you were scared?" asked Wolf Man. "Sounds to me like you three earned your Swimming Merit Badges," said Frankenstein. He pinned their badges onto their sashes. "And your Bravery Merit Badges," said Wolf Man. "For doing something even when you were afraid," said Dracula. "That takes real courage." Frankenstein pinned the Bravery Merit Badges on the Junior Monster Scouts' sashes. "Wow," said Vampyra. "Our sashes are getting pretty full of merit badges!" "Hope you have room for this one," said Vampyra's mom, Vampirella. She fluttered in the castle window in her bat form and then

shimmered and shifted and appeared before Vampyra in her vampire form. "You, my dear, earned your Flying Merit Badge." "Way to go, Vampyra!" said Wolfy. "We knew you could do it!" said Franky. "Can I lead us in the Junior Monster Scout oath?" Vampyra asked. "Of course," said Vampirella. Vampyra cleared her throat and began: "I promise to be nice, not scary." Franky, Wolfy, and the rest of the monsters joined in.

"To help, not harm. To always try to do my best. I am a monster, but I am not mean." Franky, Wolfy, and Vampyra recited the last line, hand in hand. "I am a Junior Monster Scout!"