Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13 DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN I told you that sphinxes love building things? Well, Cleo wanted to build something for the villagers. The new cheese factory was what had gotten Cleo's attention in the first place. And since they were so close to being done, and Cleo felt so bad, she used her magic to do the last of the work. She put the last beams in place, put up the last wall, and even lowered the roof onto the new factory. Baron Von Grump suddenly found himself without a grump to gripe about. There was no more hammering, or sawing, or bulldozing, or banging.

"It's too big," he growled. "It's an eyesore." "I know," said Baroness Von Grumpier, wringing her hands. "Isn't it atrocious? There's going to be so much cheese, and so many trucks." That gave Cleo one last idea. If there was going to be that much cheese, they would need a place to store it all. They would need a cheese warehouse. Better yet, a cheese pyramid! Cleo swept up, up, up into the air, and quicker than you could say, Pick a pyramid

packed with packaged cheese (go ahead and try saying that three times in a row), she had built the villagers their very own Cheese Storage Pyramid… right next to Baron Von Grump's windmill. "That's it!" roared Baron Von Grump. "You win! You all win! You can all have your cheese factory, and clanking trucks, and Snurgle Ball, and gum chewing, and 'good morning's and 'How do you do?'s!" "Oh?" asked Baroness Von Grumpier, raising one bushy black eyebrow. "And what of your precious windmill?" "You can have it!" said Baron Von Grump. "Good riddance!" Baron Von Grump stomped off to collect his things (two things, really: his violin and his picture). That's all he had left. "Caw!" said Edgar, flying after him. That meant "Wait for me!"

But that wasn't the last the Junior Monster Scouts, or the village, would see of Baron Von Grump. And Baroness Von Grumpier didn't win that easily. But that's a story for another day. Perhaps the next story. But this story ends with one last riddle, of course. You see, the Junior Monster Scouts had a riddle for Cleo. "What goes in your pocket, but keeps it empty?" Franky asked. Know the answer? Ready to earn your Riddle Merit Badge? I think you are. So… what's your answer? Are you sure? Are you really, really sure? Well, turn the page. Let's see if you're correct.

RIDDLE ANSWERS R: What goes in your pocket, but keeps it empty? A: A hole R: What has a head and a tail but no body? A: A coin R: What has legs but cannot walk? A: A table R: A pearl white chest without key or lid, inside which a golden treasure is hid. What am I? A: An egg R: The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I? A: Footsteps