Chapter 19

Scottie awoke the next morning with Merlin again tugging at his ear. “What do you want?” Scottie asked, “I’m still trying to sleep.”

“Quack, quack,” Merlin whispered.

“He’s gone?” Scottie questioned. “When did he leave?”

“Quack?” Merlin didn’t know either. All the two of them knew for sure was that Peppermint T. Bear was gone and they didn’t know where they were. It seemed that while they were having so much fun dancing and singing the night before they had forgotten to pay attention to where they had been going.

“Do you know where we’re at?” Scottie asked.

“Quack.”

“That’s what I was afraid of. Does this mean we’re lost?”

“Quack.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. So what do we do now?”

“Quack.”

“Yeah, me neither,” Scottie replied. “What if we just start walking?”

“Quack, quack, quack,” Merlin explained that lost children and lost ducks should never just start walking. Merlin said that the number one rule of being lost is to stop and wait right where you’re at. Someone might be looking for you, but if you start walking it will take them longer to find you and you might get more lost that you already were.

“Really?” Scottie asked, “do you think someone will really find us?”

“Quack.”

“Yeah, I hope so too. I don’t like being lost.”

The two of the waited most of the morning. They were beginning to wonder if anyone would ever come. They were also getting hungry as all that singing and dancing the night before had burned a lot of calories. You know what calories are, right? No, calories don’t just make you fat, calories are the stuff in food that gives you energy. That’s why getting hungry makes you feel tired and eating makes you feel good.

Time passes slow when you’re lost and so it was for Merlin and Scottie. They were beginning to think no one would come when they heard a motorcycle far off in the distance. “Quack?” Merlin asked.

“I do hear it,” Scottie said, “and it sounds like it’s getting closer.”

“Quack!”

“Do you really think it might be Sally’s motorcycle? I sure hope it is.”

The two of them listened as the sound of the motorcycle drew closer and closer to where they were standing. Intently they watched the horizon until they saw a motorcycle with a sidecar come into view. “QUACK, QUACK, QUACK!” Merlin shouted as he took to flying in circles above Scottie’s head. “QUACK, QUACK, QUACK!”

Seconds later Sally’s motorcycle roared to a stop right beside where Scottie was standing. “Hello Scottie, hello Merlin,” Sally said. “How are you today?”

“Quack!”

“Yeah, me too!” Scottie smiled.

“Where’s Peppermint?” Sally asked. “He invited me to have a picnic with him today and it’s time he was here.”

“You know Peppermint?” Scottie asked.

“Of course I know Peppermint,” Sally laughed. “Peppermint T. Bear and I have been friends for years. Sometimes, when I’m too busy on the farm to ride my motorcycle to town, Peppermint rides it to town and sells hot dogs for me. Who do you think helps him to die his hair all red and white?”

“You die his hair?”

“Sure, after all, who ever heard of a red and white bear?”

“But why?”

“It’s for his disguise,” Sally answered. “You know he ran away from the circus, right?”

“Oh yeah,” Scottie said. “So where do you think Peppermint went.”

“I’d say he’s coming up right behind you,” Sally said pointing behind where Scottie and Merlin were standing.

“What’s he carrying?” Scottie asked pointing at the huge basket Peppermint carried with both paws.

“It’s our lunch,” Sally answered, “and it looks as if he’s picked more than enough for all of us.”

“What did he pick?”

“Why, wild candy, of course. It grows in the tops of all the trees around here. I’m surprised you didn’t know that.”

“Quack?”

“I’ve never heard of wild candy either,” Scottie said. “Is it good?”

“Oh yes,” Sally exclaimed, “wild candy is the best kind of candy there is. It’s all natural, you know, no preservatives, chemical additives, nasty pesticides, or anything that might be bad for you. There’s no better tasting candy in the world?”

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