Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1 "ON YOUR MARK," SAID FRANKY. "Get set," said Vampyra. "Float!" Wolfy said. Franky, Vampyra, and Wolfy set their paper boats in the river and watched them sail away. It was springtime, and the April showers had made a wet, muddy mess of everything. Yesterday, the Junior Monster Scouts had raced frogs across the lily pads in the swamp. Today, they were racing boats in the river.

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"Look at them go!" said Franky. "I'll bet they go all the way to the waterfall," Wolfy said. "I wonder whose boat will win the race." Franky and Wolfy ran along the riverbank, following the boats. Vampyra spun three times in a circle and POOF, turned into a bat. She flittered ahead of them, flapping her bat wings. She was practicing for her Flying Merit Badge. "Come on, slowpokes," she said. "What's taking you so long?" "No fair!" Wolfy said. "You can fly." "And you don't have to run through this mud," said Franky. "It's slowing me down!" "Excuses, excuses," Vampyra teased. Wolfy dropped to all fours and raced ahead of Franky. "Race you to the waterfall, Vampyra!" "You're on," she said.

"Guys?" said Franky. But Wolfy and Vampyra pulled ahead of Franky and even ahead of the boats. "You go ahead," he said. "I'll just keep an eye on the boats." The boats, however, did not need much keeping an eye on. They bobbed and swirled and raced along the river while Franky did his best to keep up. The Junior Monster Scouts were not the only ones enjoying the light rain. The villagers were also celebrating spring. No afternoon showers were going to keep them inside. They put on their raincoats, rain hats, and rain boots, and they jumped from puddle to puddle with resounding kersplashes! They stomped and splashed and sang in the rain. "Attention, villagers!" said the mayor. "I declare an umbrella contest!" He wiped the

rain from his mustache. "Prize goes to the best decorated umbrella!" "There should be a parade!" said Peter, the young piper. "Quack, quack!" said the ducks, paddling about in a deep puddle. And just in case you don't speak duck, "quack, quack" means Yes, we should have a rainy day parade and an umbrella contest, and we will be the judges. "Oh, this will be splendiferous!" said the mayor. But not everybody was enjoying the rain. Not everybody was excited about umbrellas and puddles and parades. "Caw, caw!" said Edgar, Baron Von Grump's friend and pet crow. "Yes," said the baron, "of course I—"

PLINK! A big, wet drop of water fell from the ceiling and landed directly on the tip of his nose. "Don't you think I know that we need another—" PLINK! PLUNK!! Two big, wet drops of water dripped from the leaky ceiling of the crooked old windmill and fell right atop Baron Von Grump's head. "—bucket," growled Baron Von Grump. "Caw, caw!" said Edgar. "Well, don't just sit there. Grab an empty —" PLINK! PLUNK! PLINK!! Three big, wet drops of water dripped from the ceiling in three different spots. "—pail," said Baron Von Grump. He moved one bucket. PLINK. He adjusted a pail. PLUNK. He slid a can over to