because Maxwell didn't seem to care one bit that she was calling him a bad friend. It seemed to Jessie that all he cared about was staying away from the Sinclair house. She thought for a minute and decided to try a different approach.
"I thought you said you were smart."
"I am," he said. "Maxwell Smart."
"Well, if you're really Maxwell Smart, then tell me what you always say to the Chief." Jessie started talking in a deep voice that she hoped sounded like the Chief on
Get Smart.
"Maxwell, you'll be facing every kind of danger imaginable..." Jessie waited for Maxwell to reply. She knew that Maxwell had memorized every line of dialogue in all 138 episodes of the show.
Maxwell whispered his line so quietly, Jessie couldn't hear it. "Louder!" she shouted. "Maxwell, you'll be facing every kind of danger imaginable..."
"...and loving it!" shouted Maxwell. He broke into a big grin.
"You see! It'll be fun. We'll be just like Agent 99 and Maxwell Smart, and we'll find the bell!"
"We're not going to find the bell," said Maxwell.
"Don't be a pessimist," said Jessie, using one of her favorite big words. She headed for the door with the map in her hand. "We need to find binoculars. And flashlights. And maybe some kind of a weapon."
***
An hour later they were crouched behind a clump of young pine trees that grew on the edge of the woods. In front of them lay the bridge that crossed Deer Brook, and beyond that was the Sinclairs' house, their barn, and more woods.
Jessie stared through the binoculars they had borrowed from Maxwell's mom, but there wasn't much to see. She wished the binoculars were attached to a pair of eyeglasses, like the bino-specs on
Get Smart,
but there hadn't been time for that.
"We need to get closer," she said.
"Nuh-uh," said Maxwell, backing up slowly and bouncing a little.
Without waiting for Maxwell to agree, Jessie started running toward the house in a crouched-over position, keeping as low to the ground as she could. It was hard going because the snow was still deep, but she was determined to see what was happening inside the house.
When Jessie got to the porch steps, she scampered up and then pressed herself against the outside wall of the house. This, she thought, was the way a real agent would behave. She was good at this! It gave her a thrill to think that she was about to spy on a real suspect of a real crime.
She waited a minute without moving to see if Maxwell was going to follow her, but when she looked through her binoculars at the clump of pines she had just left, she could see that he was still there, hunkered down in the snow.
What a scaredy-cat!
Of course, her own heart was pounding like a drum, but at least she had made it to the porch. What should she do now? Continue with the spy mission, or go back and get Maxwell? She thought about what the real Agent 99 would do, and she knew she didn't have a choice. Secret agents always stuck together. That was the whole point of having a partner.
Jessie tiptoed off the porch and ran back to the clump of pines. She found Maxwell just as she had left him, squatting in the snow and rocking back and forth on his heels.
"You have to come right now," she said.
"No!"
"Yes!"
"I won't."
"You will!"
He closed his eyes and shook his head furiously.
"Maxwell Smart, you listen to me. You've got a mission to do, and you're going to do it. We're spies. And they're the enemy. And this is what spies do. We creep up on the enemy, and we spy!"
She grabbed the sleeve of Maxwell's coat, andâ Jessie couldn't believe itâhe came along. Just like that, he followed her across the yard and up the porch. In less than a minute, they were both pressed up against the wall with their heads just inches below the window.
But when they dared to lift their heads and peek inâthere was nothing to see. They were just staring at a regular old dining room.
Silently, Jessie motioned with her hand for Maxwell to follow her. Crouched down, she crossed the
"I thought you said you were smart."
"I am," he said. "Maxwell Smart."
"Well, if you're really Maxwell Smart, then tell me what you always say to the Chief." Jessie started talking in a deep voice that she hoped sounded like the Chief on
Get Smart.
"Maxwell, you'll be facing every kind of danger imaginable..." Jessie waited for Maxwell to reply. She knew that Maxwell had memorized every line of dialogue in all 138 episodes of the show.
Maxwell whispered his line so quietly, Jessie couldn't hear it. "Louder!" she shouted. "Maxwell, you'll be facing every kind of danger imaginable..."
"...and loving it!" shouted Maxwell. He broke into a big grin.
"You see! It'll be fun. We'll be just like Agent 99 and Maxwell Smart, and we'll find the bell!"
"We're not going to find the bell," said Maxwell.
"Don't be a pessimist," said Jessie, using one of her favorite big words. She headed for the door with the map in her hand. "We need to find binoculars. And flashlights. And maybe some kind of a weapon."
***
An hour later they were crouched behind a clump of young pine trees that grew on the edge of the woods. In front of them lay the bridge that crossed Deer Brook, and beyond that was the Sinclairs' house, their barn, and more woods.
Jessie stared through the binoculars they had borrowed from Maxwell's mom, but there wasn't much to see. She wished the binoculars were attached to a pair of eyeglasses, like the bino-specs on
Get Smart,
but there hadn't been time for that.
"We need to get closer," she said.
"Nuh-uh," said Maxwell, backing up slowly and bouncing a little.
Without waiting for Maxwell to agree, Jessie started running toward the house in a crouched-over position, keeping as low to the ground as she could. It was hard going because the snow was still deep, but she was determined to see what was happening inside the house.
When Jessie got to the porch steps, she scampered up and then pressed herself against the outside wall of the house. This, she thought, was the way a real agent would behave. She was good at this! It gave her a thrill to think that she was about to spy on a real suspect of a real crime.
She waited a minute without moving to see if Maxwell was going to follow her, but when she looked through her binoculars at the clump of pines she had just left, she could see that he was still there, hunkered down in the snow.
What a scaredy-cat!
Of course, her own heart was pounding like a drum, but at least she had made it to the porch. What should she do now? Continue with the spy mission, or go back and get Maxwell? She thought about what the real Agent 99 would do, and she knew she didn't have a choice. Secret agents always stuck together. That was the whole point of having a partner.
Jessie tiptoed off the porch and ran back to the clump of pines. She found Maxwell just as she had left him, squatting in the snow and rocking back and forth on his heels.
"You have to come right now," she said.
"No!"
"Yes!"
"I won't."
"You will!"
He closed his eyes and shook his head furiously.
"Maxwell Smart, you listen to me. You've got a mission to do, and you're going to do it. We're spies. And they're the enemy. And this is what spies do. We creep up on the enemy, and we spy!"
She grabbed the sleeve of Maxwell's coat, andâ Jessie couldn't believe itâhe came along. Just like that, he followed her across the yard and up the porch. In less than a minute, they were both pressed up against the wall with their heads just inches below the window.
But when they dared to lift their heads and peek inâthere was nothing to see. They were just staring at a regular old dining room.
Silently, Jessie motioned with her hand for Maxwell to follow her. Crouched down, she crossed the
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