happened,” Andy urged. “We need help. We can’t
round these creatures up on our own.”
The three of them took off, running across the slime-puddled grass to the
back door. A few seconds later, they burst breathlessly into the kitchen.
Kermit’s mom had her back to them. She was stirring a long spoon in a big
aluminum pot on the stove. She turned as the storm door slammed.
“What’s up, guys?” She smiled at them.
“We need help!” Kermit blurted out.
Aunt Dee’s smile faded. “Help? What’s wrong?” She turned back to the stove.
“Keep talking. I just have to stir this. I’m mixing up a new batch of spaghetti
with hot sauce for my reading club tonight.”
“We have a real problem. Andy found a can of Monster Blood, and Kermit opened
it,” Evan told her, all in one breath.
“That’s nice,” Aunt Dee replied, frowning at her hot sauce. She sniffed and
peered down into the steaming pot. “I think it needs more peppers.”
“Mom—you’ve got to listen !” Kermit pleaded.
“I am listening,” she insisted, stirring harder. “Go on with your story.”
“It’s not a story. It’s real,” Evan told her.
Still stirring, she glanced back at him. “I hope there isn’t any serious
trouble, Evan. You are in charge, you know. Being out in the middle of the night
and ruining my flower garden is enough trouble for one visit. When I tell your
parents—”
“Mom, please !” Kermit begged.
“I’m afraid we do have more trouble,” Andy told her.
“The Monster Blood poured out and formed a little blob creature,” Evan
continued, his voice trembling. “It was cute at first. But it drank a lot of
water and exploded into two. Then the two exploded into four.”
Evan glanced out the kitchen window. The creatures were rolling and bouncing
all over the backyard. Some of them had discovered the garden hose and were
soaking up water, inflating rapidly.
Several of them were forcing their way into the big wooden doghouse in a
corner of the yard.
Oh, no, Evan thought. That’s where I stashed the Super-Soakers. Plenty of
water for them in Dogface’s house.
“Now there are hundreds of them, Mom,” Kermit continued the story. “And
they’re not cute anymore. They’ve grown hair, and they’ve turned really fierce.
They’re spreading out all over the neighborhood, and—”
“That’s nice,” Aunt Dee said absently, frowning at her hot sauce.
“Mom—just take a look at them!” Kermit pleaded. “Look out the window. Now!”
“I can’t right now,” she replied. “I have to stir—”
The phone rang.
She handed the long wooden spoon to Evan. “I’ve been waiting for that call.
Stir for me till I get back, okay?”
Before Evan could reply, she ran from the kitchen.
“I don’t think she heard us,” Kermit said, shaking his head unhappily. “If
only she would take one look out the window. Then maybe…” His voice drifted
off.
Evan sighed and stirred the sauce. The steam rising up from the pot burned
his eyes. “This stuff is deadly!” he declared.
And that gave him an idea.
He glanced out the window in time to see a wet explosion of slime from the
doghouse. The creatures had found the Super-Soakers. More of them had clustered around the
little wooden structure.
He turned to Kermit and Andy. “Let’s try Aunt Dee’s hot sauce,” he whispered.
“Excuse me?” Kermit and Andy stared at him, confused.
“You want to eat now?” Kermit asked. “I thought you hated Mom’s hot sauce.”
“I do,” Evan admitted, still whispering. “Because it kills !”
“I get it!” Andy declared, her dark eyes widening in excitement. “You think
maybe the hot sauce will kill the Monster Blood creatures.”
Evan nodded. “It’s liquid. So they’ll try to drink it. And maybe it will be
too hot for them to handle.”
“Maybe it will blow them up for good!” Andy exclaimed.
“Worth a try, I guess,” Kermit said softly.
Evan glanced to the door. No sign of Aunt
round these creatures up on our own.”
The three of them took off, running across the slime-puddled grass to the
back door. A few seconds later, they burst breathlessly into the kitchen.
Kermit’s mom had her back to them. She was stirring a long spoon in a big
aluminum pot on the stove. She turned as the storm door slammed.
“What’s up, guys?” She smiled at them.
“We need help!” Kermit blurted out.
Aunt Dee’s smile faded. “Help? What’s wrong?” She turned back to the stove.
“Keep talking. I just have to stir this. I’m mixing up a new batch of spaghetti
with hot sauce for my reading club tonight.”
“We have a real problem. Andy found a can of Monster Blood, and Kermit opened
it,” Evan told her, all in one breath.
“That’s nice,” Aunt Dee replied, frowning at her hot sauce. She sniffed and
peered down into the steaming pot. “I think it needs more peppers.”
“Mom—you’ve got to listen !” Kermit pleaded.
“I am listening,” she insisted, stirring harder. “Go on with your story.”
“It’s not a story. It’s real,” Evan told her.
Still stirring, she glanced back at him. “I hope there isn’t any serious
trouble, Evan. You are in charge, you know. Being out in the middle of the night
and ruining my flower garden is enough trouble for one visit. When I tell your
parents—”
“Mom, please !” Kermit begged.
“I’m afraid we do have more trouble,” Andy told her.
“The Monster Blood poured out and formed a little blob creature,” Evan
continued, his voice trembling. “It was cute at first. But it drank a lot of
water and exploded into two. Then the two exploded into four.”
Evan glanced out the kitchen window. The creatures were rolling and bouncing
all over the backyard. Some of them had discovered the garden hose and were
soaking up water, inflating rapidly.
Several of them were forcing their way into the big wooden doghouse in a
corner of the yard.
Oh, no, Evan thought. That’s where I stashed the Super-Soakers. Plenty of
water for them in Dogface’s house.
“Now there are hundreds of them, Mom,” Kermit continued the story. “And
they’re not cute anymore. They’ve grown hair, and they’ve turned really fierce.
They’re spreading out all over the neighborhood, and—”
“That’s nice,” Aunt Dee said absently, frowning at her hot sauce.
“Mom—just take a look at them!” Kermit pleaded. “Look out the window. Now!”
“I can’t right now,” she replied. “I have to stir—”
The phone rang.
She handed the long wooden spoon to Evan. “I’ve been waiting for that call.
Stir for me till I get back, okay?”
Before Evan could reply, she ran from the kitchen.
“I don’t think she heard us,” Kermit said, shaking his head unhappily. “If
only she would take one look out the window. Then maybe…” His voice drifted
off.
Evan sighed and stirred the sauce. The steam rising up from the pot burned
his eyes. “This stuff is deadly!” he declared.
And that gave him an idea.
He glanced out the window in time to see a wet explosion of slime from the
doghouse. The creatures had found the Super-Soakers. More of them had clustered around the
little wooden structure.
He turned to Kermit and Andy. “Let’s try Aunt Dee’s hot sauce,” he whispered.
“Excuse me?” Kermit and Andy stared at him, confused.
“You want to eat now?” Kermit asked. “I thought you hated Mom’s hot sauce.”
“I do,” Evan admitted, still whispering. “Because it kills !”
“I get it!” Andy declared, her dark eyes widening in excitement. “You think
maybe the hot sauce will kill the Monster Blood creatures.”
Evan nodded. “It’s liquid. So they’ll try to drink it. And maybe it will be
too hot for them to handle.”
“Maybe it will blow them up for good!” Andy exclaimed.
“Worth a try, I guess,” Kermit said softly.
Evan glanced to the door. No sign of Aunt
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