Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8 MRS. LAGOON'S PLAN WAS A TWO-PARTER. That means there were two things they had to do. Not one thing. If it were one thing, it would be a one-part plan. This was a two-part plan, and these two things were: Clear the trees so that the lake did not overflow and flood the village. Break up the giant rain cloud so that the water stopped rising. "It's going to take all of us to clear those trees," said Mrs. Lagoon. "Except for Vampyra." "I want to help!" Vampyra said.

"You have a very important job, Vampyra," said Mrs. Lagoon. "I do?" asked Vampyra. "You do," Mrs. Lagoon said. "You have to fly to the windmill and try to stop it." "But that won't make the clouds go away," said Wolfy. "They'll still be there." Franky twisted his bolts (he did this when he was thinking) and said, "Maybe if Vampyra can make the windmill go the other way, it will pull the clouds back—" "And break them up when they hit the paddles!" said Laguna. "This is an excellent plan," said Mrs. Lagoon. Vampyra did not look so sure. "I don't know if I can fly through all that wind," she said. Laguna put her arm around Vampyra. "You sure can! I didn't think I could swim

out to the middle of the river, but you, Wolfy, and Franky gave me courage." "Yeah, Vampyra," said Wolfy. "You can totally do it!" "And I'll bet that's just the thing that earns you your Flying Merit Badge!" Franky said. I know what you're thinking.… You're thinking, ANOTHER merit badge? Well, of course. What kind of scouts would they be if they were not earning merit badges? I'll bet you would like a merit badge. Perhaps you deserve a Good Reader Merit Badge? Or an Honorable Junior Monster Scout Merit Badge? "You're right," said Vampyra. "And we'll clear those trees," said Laguna. "By paw or claw, by tooth or wing, Junior Monster Scouts can do anything!" Franky and Wolfy said together. "Wish me luck," said Vampyra.

She shimmered. She shifted. And suddenly, she was a bat. A happy, flappy, little black bat. "There she goes!" said Franky. Wolfy cheered her on with his longest and loudest howl. "Quack!" said Annabelle. That means Wait… I'm coming with you! And she did. Annabelle flapped and pushed through the winds in pursuit of Vampyra. "Now let's clear those trees," said Mrs. Lagoon. But clearing the trees was going to be no easy task! The water was very choppy and very deep. You would have to be a strong swimmer in order to stay in that water. Franky and Wolfy were not strong swimmers. But that was okay because in order to clear the trees, someone would have to stand

on the shore and push while someone else stayed in the water and pulled. It was teamwork, and teamwork was something the Junior Monster Scouts were very good at. Franky and Wolfy climbed out of the river and stood on the shore. They were going to do the pushing. Laguna and her mom stayed in the river. They were going to do the pulling. "Laguna, this is the most challenging swim test of all," said Mrs. Lagoon. "I'd say you passed!" Laguna grinned. Franky and Wolfy gave her a thumbs-up. "On three," said Mrs. Lagoon. "One… two… three!" Laguna and Mrs. Lagoon pulled the biggest tree. Franky and Wolfy pushed the biggest tree. At first it didn't move. Then it moved a little.

A little more. They pulled. They pushed. They pulled and pushed together. And ever so slowly… The biggest tree broke free and floated downriver. With the biggest tree gone, the second broke free and floated right after it. They'd done it! The lake was no longer blocked up. The water could flow freely down the river again. But the rain was still pouring, and the lake was still filling up faster than it could drain. It was like running your bath on full blast when it's already filled to the top. All that water and only one little drain for it to go down.