yelled. Rose skidded and bumped crazy-fast across a soccer field.
Ka-bump! Ka-bump!
She zoomed through a parking lot full of speed bumps. The van veered out of the lot. Rose zoomed off, still hot on the trail.
The ice-cream truck and news van turned into an old parking lot. The Birnbaums’ van roared through a neatly clipped hedge and screeched to a stop.
When the cloud of dust settled, Judy looked around. “Hey, look! It’s the Poop Picnic place!”
“Larkspur Pier?” asked Aunt Opal. “How’d that happen?”
Judy and Stink leaped out of the van and raced toward the ice-cream truck. Hot on their heels were the cameraman and the newscaster. As they got closer, Judy put her finger to her lips. “SHHHHHHH!”
They crept alongside the truck. Judy gasped. “Mr.
TODD?”
Mr. Todd smiled a big smile when he saw her. “Judy Moody! Long time no see! I was hoping I’d see you —”
“Yeah, because we’re saving you from —”
“BIGFOOT!” said Stink.
Bigfoot stepped out of the truck! Everyone gasped. Bigfoot grabbed his head and popped it off.
“ZEKE!” Judy and Stink shrieked at the same time.
Aunt Opal and Rose came running over, all out of breath. Judy and Stink started talking at the same time.
“It’s my teacher!”
“It’s Zeke!”
“I can’t believe he’s the ice-cream guy!”
“Since when are you Bigfoot?”
The newscaster waved to the cameraman. “A madcap ride through town has led us to this old pier, where Bigfoot appears to be nothing more than a teenager, wearing some kind of hairy costume!”
Mr. Todd shook hands with Opal. “Hi. Mr. Todd. I’m Judy’s teacher, when I’m not being the ice-cream man, that is.”
“So
you’re
the World’s Greatest Teacher,” said Aunt Opal. “Nice to meet you finally. I’m Opal Moody. Judy’s aunt. When I’m not in pursuit of runaway ice-cream trucks, that is.” Everybody cracked up.
“And
this
is Bigfoot,” said Mr. Todd. “You all know Zeke. I thought with all the Bigfoot fever around here this summer, it would be fun to get in on the action. I heard about the Bigfoot Club, and went and met Zeke. He came up with a costume, and I hired him to help me sell ice cream today.”
“Zeke, why didn’t you tell me?” Stink asked.
“Chill, dude! I just got the job. I only met the Todd-ster this morning!”
Judy swatted Stink on the arm. “Stink, why didn’t YOU tell ME that Mr. Todd was the ice-cream man? I’ve been looking for him ALL SUMMER!”
Stink shrugged. “How was I supposed to know?”
The newscaster spoke into the mike. “Today’s sightings have been much ado about nothing, but two questions remain. Is the real Bigfoot still at large? And, will he show up for the circus?”
“The circus? Wait! What? Today?” Judy asked.
For the first time, she noticed a huge, striped tent beyond the old Ferris wheel. The pier was all dressed up with banners and balloons.
“Yup! It’s today, all right,” said Mr. Todd. “And you get a prize for finding me, remember? Front-row seats!”
Judy beamed. “Wow, thanks a million! Was I the first one to find you?”
Mr. Todd’s eyes twinkled. “Not exactly…”
Opal, Stink, and Judy took their seats in the VIP row, next to a bunch of kids from Judy’s class. Judy sat next to Frank Pearl.
“Hey, thanks for getting me a ticket to the circus,” Frank said to Judy.
“I owe you,” said Judy. “Sorry I was such a fun mop.”
“Sponge.”
“Mop. Sponge. Rag. Whatever. Want some?” Judy held out her cotton candy to Frank. He made a yuck face.
A hairy gorilla hand grabbed a chunk. “Big-foot hun-gry,” said Zeke.
Doo doo doo doo doo doo!
A trumpet blared. The ringmaster came onto the stage, leading circus stars atop horses and baby elephants. The kids from circus camp, dressed as clowns, were sweeping up behind the elephants.
“Hey, look — there he is! Rocky! And he’s sweeping ELEPHANT POOP! Ha! I
knew
it!” Judy said. “Hey, Rock! It’s me!”
Rocky
Ka-bump! Ka-bump!
She zoomed through a parking lot full of speed bumps. The van veered out of the lot. Rose zoomed off, still hot on the trail.
The ice-cream truck and news van turned into an old parking lot. The Birnbaums’ van roared through a neatly clipped hedge and screeched to a stop.
When the cloud of dust settled, Judy looked around. “Hey, look! It’s the Poop Picnic place!”
“Larkspur Pier?” asked Aunt Opal. “How’d that happen?”
Judy and Stink leaped out of the van and raced toward the ice-cream truck. Hot on their heels were the cameraman and the newscaster. As they got closer, Judy put her finger to her lips. “SHHHHHHH!”
They crept alongside the truck. Judy gasped. “Mr.
TODD?”
Mr. Todd smiled a big smile when he saw her. “Judy Moody! Long time no see! I was hoping I’d see you —”
“Yeah, because we’re saving you from —”
“BIGFOOT!” said Stink.
Bigfoot stepped out of the truck! Everyone gasped. Bigfoot grabbed his head and popped it off.
“ZEKE!” Judy and Stink shrieked at the same time.
Aunt Opal and Rose came running over, all out of breath. Judy and Stink started talking at the same time.
“It’s my teacher!”
“It’s Zeke!”
“I can’t believe he’s the ice-cream guy!”
“Since when are you Bigfoot?”
The newscaster waved to the cameraman. “A madcap ride through town has led us to this old pier, where Bigfoot appears to be nothing more than a teenager, wearing some kind of hairy costume!”
Mr. Todd shook hands with Opal. “Hi. Mr. Todd. I’m Judy’s teacher, when I’m not being the ice-cream man, that is.”
“So
you’re
the World’s Greatest Teacher,” said Aunt Opal. “Nice to meet you finally. I’m Opal Moody. Judy’s aunt. When I’m not in pursuit of runaway ice-cream trucks, that is.” Everybody cracked up.
“And
this
is Bigfoot,” said Mr. Todd. “You all know Zeke. I thought with all the Bigfoot fever around here this summer, it would be fun to get in on the action. I heard about the Bigfoot Club, and went and met Zeke. He came up with a costume, and I hired him to help me sell ice cream today.”
“Zeke, why didn’t you tell me?” Stink asked.
“Chill, dude! I just got the job. I only met the Todd-ster this morning!”
Judy swatted Stink on the arm. “Stink, why didn’t YOU tell ME that Mr. Todd was the ice-cream man? I’ve been looking for him ALL SUMMER!”
Stink shrugged. “How was I supposed to know?”
The newscaster spoke into the mike. “Today’s sightings have been much ado about nothing, but two questions remain. Is the real Bigfoot still at large? And, will he show up for the circus?”
“The circus? Wait! What? Today?” Judy asked.
For the first time, she noticed a huge, striped tent beyond the old Ferris wheel. The pier was all dressed up with banners and balloons.
“Yup! It’s today, all right,” said Mr. Todd. “And you get a prize for finding me, remember? Front-row seats!”
Judy beamed. “Wow, thanks a million! Was I the first one to find you?”
Mr. Todd’s eyes twinkled. “Not exactly…”
Opal, Stink, and Judy took their seats in the VIP row, next to a bunch of kids from Judy’s class. Judy sat next to Frank Pearl.
“Hey, thanks for getting me a ticket to the circus,” Frank said to Judy.
“I owe you,” said Judy. “Sorry I was such a fun mop.”
“Sponge.”
“Mop. Sponge. Rag. Whatever. Want some?” Judy held out her cotton candy to Frank. He made a yuck face.
A hairy gorilla hand grabbed a chunk. “Big-foot hun-gry,” said Zeke.
Doo doo doo doo doo doo!
A trumpet blared. The ringmaster came onto the stage, leading circus stars atop horses and baby elephants. The kids from circus camp, dressed as clowns, were sweeping up behind the elephants.
“Hey, look — there he is! Rocky! And he’s sweeping ELEPHANT POOP! Ha! I
knew
it!” Judy said. “Hey, Rock! It’s me!”
Rocky
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