repeated. “You’re the Beast from the East!”
Spork raised a paw lazily and scratched his open eye socket.
I felt a chill of fear. What if Spork refused to obey the rules?
“Sorry,” Spork said softly. “Not this time.”
“Hey—!” I shouted angrily. “You have to obey the rules! I tagged you, fair
and square!”
Spork stared at me as if I were being very funny. Something was wrong. But
what? What was it? Why didn’t he say something? Spork’s lips curled into a nasty
grin.
25
“You tagged me from the west,” Spork whispered. “It doesn’t count.”
I could feel the blood rush to my face. “No fair! I tagged you! I tagged
you!” I wailed.
Spork shrugged.
“You have to tag me from the east. Remember?” Spork’s little eyes nearly
disappeared as his face crumpled in laughter. “You’re still the Beast
from the East!”
I groaned.
How could I have forgotten? That was the most important rule of all.
How was I supposed to know which way was east? I couldn’t even see the sun
anymore!
My head throbbed. My whole body ached. I was sore and hungry.
Spork stood there, shaking with silent laughter.
I glanced at the darkening sky.
Wait a minute!
I climbed up on the boulder. The sun was setting behind me. That was the west. In front of me was east.
I studied Spork. Without Fleg around, the big beast seemed less menacing.
Harmless almost.
After all, he was supposed to be baby-sitting. And what had happened? He’d
lost the little beast.
And now he was so busy laughing at my mistake, he had practically forgotten
about me.
“Hey, Spork,” I called. “Do you want to play one of my games now?”
“But we’re still playing this one.” Spork blinked in surprise.
“I’ll pause it. It’s kind of boring anyway, isn’t it?” I asked. “My game is
lots more fun.”
Spork scratched the hole where his eye used to be. He pulled a big, black bug
out of it, and tossed the bug away. “What’s your game called?”
“Freeze Frame,” I answered quickly.
Nat and Pat loved to play this game.
“We spin around and when I say stop, we freeze—and see if one of us can
keep our balance and not fall over.”
“Sounds fun,” Spork agreed. “Why not?”
“Okay then,” I said. “Let’s try it. Spin!” I shouted.
We both started to spin.
I peeked at Spork. His arms swung out as he whirled around.
“Faster!” I called out. “Much faster.”
Spork whirled faster and faster as he turned around in circles.
His tail swished against the bushes. I jumped out of the way.
Spork started to wobble.
“Game— unpaused !” I shouted.
Spork didn’t seem to hear me. He teetered and stumbled into a tree.
“Freeze!” I shouted.
Spork froze in place.
I leaped at him and tagged him. Hard.
From the east.
“You’re It!” I shouted. I backed away. “I tagged you from the east! This time
you’re really It!”
Spork placed both paws against his head and closed his eyes. I could tell he
was still dizzy. He spread his legs and balanced himself against the tree.
He bopped himself in the face with his paw. “You did it,” he agreed. He ran
his bumpy tongue over his lips. He exhaled a deep breath. “I’m It,” he admitted.
“Yes. Yes. Yes!” I cried. I jumped up in excitement.
Spork plopped down against the boulder.
“I’m free!” I shrieked. “The game is over.” I clenched my hand into a fist
and pumped my arm.
“I’m going to rescue Nat,” I said. “Which way is he?”
Spork pointed his clawed finger to my right.
“We’re outta here!” I shouted.
I’d never been so happy in all my life.
“Well, Spork old pal,” I said, beaming at him. “This is good-bye. See you!”
“Not so quick,” Spork said. “I’m afraid you can’t leave.”
26
“Forget it,” I said. “You can’t change the rules again! No way.”
“You can’t leave,” he repeated. “The game continues until sunset.” He glared
at me stubbornly.
I gazed
Spork raised a paw lazily and scratched his open eye socket.
I felt a chill of fear. What if Spork refused to obey the rules?
“Sorry,” Spork said softly. “Not this time.”
“Hey—!” I shouted angrily. “You have to obey the rules! I tagged you, fair
and square!”
Spork stared at me as if I were being very funny. Something was wrong. But
what? What was it? Why didn’t he say something? Spork’s lips curled into a nasty
grin.
25
“You tagged me from the west,” Spork whispered. “It doesn’t count.”
I could feel the blood rush to my face. “No fair! I tagged you! I tagged
you!” I wailed.
Spork shrugged.
“You have to tag me from the east. Remember?” Spork’s little eyes nearly
disappeared as his face crumpled in laughter. “You’re still the Beast
from the East!”
I groaned.
How could I have forgotten? That was the most important rule of all.
How was I supposed to know which way was east? I couldn’t even see the sun
anymore!
My head throbbed. My whole body ached. I was sore and hungry.
Spork stood there, shaking with silent laughter.
I glanced at the darkening sky.
Wait a minute!
I climbed up on the boulder. The sun was setting behind me. That was the west. In front of me was east.
I studied Spork. Without Fleg around, the big beast seemed less menacing.
Harmless almost.
After all, he was supposed to be baby-sitting. And what had happened? He’d
lost the little beast.
And now he was so busy laughing at my mistake, he had practically forgotten
about me.
“Hey, Spork,” I called. “Do you want to play one of my games now?”
“But we’re still playing this one.” Spork blinked in surprise.
“I’ll pause it. It’s kind of boring anyway, isn’t it?” I asked. “My game is
lots more fun.”
Spork scratched the hole where his eye used to be. He pulled a big, black bug
out of it, and tossed the bug away. “What’s your game called?”
“Freeze Frame,” I answered quickly.
Nat and Pat loved to play this game.
“We spin around and when I say stop, we freeze—and see if one of us can
keep our balance and not fall over.”
“Sounds fun,” Spork agreed. “Why not?”
“Okay then,” I said. “Let’s try it. Spin!” I shouted.
We both started to spin.
I peeked at Spork. His arms swung out as he whirled around.
“Faster!” I called out. “Much faster.”
Spork whirled faster and faster as he turned around in circles.
His tail swished against the bushes. I jumped out of the way.
Spork started to wobble.
“Game— unpaused !” I shouted.
Spork didn’t seem to hear me. He teetered and stumbled into a tree.
“Freeze!” I shouted.
Spork froze in place.
I leaped at him and tagged him. Hard.
From the east.
“You’re It!” I shouted. I backed away. “I tagged you from the east! This time
you’re really It!”
Spork placed both paws against his head and closed his eyes. I could tell he
was still dizzy. He spread his legs and balanced himself against the tree.
He bopped himself in the face with his paw. “You did it,” he agreed. He ran
his bumpy tongue over his lips. He exhaled a deep breath. “I’m It,” he admitted.
“Yes. Yes. Yes!” I cried. I jumped up in excitement.
Spork plopped down against the boulder.
“I’m free!” I shrieked. “The game is over.” I clenched my hand into a fist
and pumped my arm.
“I’m going to rescue Nat,” I said. “Which way is he?”
Spork pointed his clawed finger to my right.
“We’re outta here!” I shouted.
I’d never been so happy in all my life.
“Well, Spork old pal,” I said, beaming at him. “This is good-bye. See you!”
“Not so quick,” Spork said. “I’m afraid you can’t leave.”
26
“Forget it,” I said. “You can’t change the rules again! No way.”
“You can’t leave,” he repeated. “The game continues until sunset.” He glared
at me stubbornly.
I gazed
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