by Judy Delton
The girls walked over and read the notices. Some were for baby-sitters and dog-walkers. Some were for carry-out clerks at the grocery store. And some were for help in the bank itself.
“Applications Inside” it said. The girls went in. When they came out, Molly had five more forms for her father to fill out.
“The banks have the most money,” said Mary Beth. “You would be rich if your dad takes that job.”
When Molly got home, she put the forms on her dad’s desk. She put them under a pile of papers so they would be a surprise.
Finally it was Halloween. As soon as school was out, the Pee Wees got ready to go trick-or-treating.
“We have to wait till it’s dark,” said Sonny. “Otherwise it isn’t scary.”
“You’d be scared of your own shadow, Stone,” said Roger. “I’ll bet your mama is going trick-or-treating with you.”
“So what,” muttered Sonny. “She has to take the twins anyway. I have to go along and help her.”
“Ha!” laughed Roger. “You’re going along because you’re scared of the goblins.”
“Am not,” said Sonny.
“Are too,” said Roger.
“We’ll meet you guys at the park,” said Lisa.
“See you there,” said Rachel.
Right after supper, the Pee Wees met at the park. They had their costumes on and their bags in hand. Kevin had a flashlight. And he had glow-in-the-dark patches on his costume.
“It’s for safety,” he said. “So the cars can see me crossing the streets.”
The Pee Wees had the maps they had drawn. They would go only to houses they knew. Sonny’s mother was there with the twins in a stroller. They were dressed up as twin angels. They even had silver foil halos. Mrs. Stone was an angel too. Her halo bounced up and down as she walked. Sonny was a red devil. He had a long red tail and two red horns on the top of his head. He carried a black pitchfork in his hand. It was made out of cardboard. He ran after Roger with it.
“Get out of here, Stone!” Roger cried, chasing Sonny with his pirate’s sword.
Roger had a black patch over one eye and a rag tied around his head that had red paint on it. The paint was supposed to be blood.
Molly and Mary Beth came running up late.
“Where are your costumes?” asked Rachel. Everyone stared at the two girls. They were the only ones not in costume.
“We can’t wear it till after trick-or-treating,” said Mary Beth.
“Why not?” asked Patty.
The girls giggled. “Just wait and see,” they said.
CHAPTER
6
A Trick on the
Pee Wees
“Hey, Meyers, you didn’t make that costume!” shouted Roger, pointing to Rachel’s riding outfit. She had on jodhpurs and riding boots and a black riding hat. “No way is that homemade,” said Roger again. “You can’t win if you bought your costume. Can you, Mrs. Stone?”
Mrs. Stone didn’t hear him because the twins were crying loudly. They were afraid of the pirate.
“It’s what real riders wear,” snapped Rachel. “So I still can win.”
The Pee Wees all started to argue about if handmade was homemade. Molly did not care if Rachel won. Rachel had been poor. She knew how Molly felt, having a father without a job. Rachel deserved to win, no matter where her costume came from.
All the costumes were good. Molly had been sure she would win. But now she saw that lots of the costumes were as good as hers.
Patty and Kenny Baker were dressed like the TV cartoon characters Tom and Jerry. Patty was the little gray furry mouse, and Kenny was the cat. He even had whiskers.
Tom began to chase Jerry around a tree. Then the pirate chased the red devil down the street. The trick-or-treat bags flapped in the wind.
Mrs. Stone left to take the twins home. “I’ll see you all at the food bank in one hour,” she said. “It will still be light then. Be sure to go to only the houses you know.”
When Mrs. Stone left, Roger said, “I wish it was dark. It’s not scary in the daylight.”
“We couldn’t go out alone after dark,” said Tim. “We’d have to have some grown-ups along, and that’s no fun.”
The Pee Wees all agreed grown-ups were no fun.
“I don’t think we should all go to the same houses,” said Roger. “I mean all together. They won’t give us as many treats.”
“I think we should go all together,” said Tracy, who was dressed like a rock star. “That’s what the Pee Wees are all about. Doing things together.”
“Yeah,” said Kevin. “That’s right.”
So all the Pee Wees walked down the street together. They all trooped onto the porches together. And they all shouted “Trick or treat!” together when the door opened.
At the first house, they got a peppermint stick each.
“I’ll bet these are left over from last Christmas,” said Tracy.
At the next house, they all got orange popcorn balls.
And at Mrs. Mill’s drugstore, they all got candy bars.
“Let’s go to that big house up on the hill,” said Tim, pointing. “Those people are real rich. I’ll bet they give out money.”
The Pee Wees looked at the house. “We don’t know them,” said Molly. “We can’t go to people we don’t know. They may be criminals.”
“My uncle’s boss lives there,” said Lisa, who had on a bridal dress with a real veil. “He came to our house for dinner once. James Somebody.”
“That’s good enough,” said Roger. The Pee Wees all agreed.
“The house looks haunted,” said Mary Beth.
“Naw,” said Roger. “It’s just big and old.”
The Pee Wees walked up the hill. They got closer and closer. The wind whistled in the trees. There was a wailing sound.
“What’s that?” asked Tracy. “It sounds like a ghost.”
“It isn’t even dark,” said Rachel. “No ghost comes out in the sunlight.”
But the sun was going behind a cloud, Molly noticed. It looked as if it might rain.
When the Pee Wees got to the door, Roger rang the bell. Everyone looked nervous. Suddenly the door flew open, and a lady with lots of jewelry on stood there. Molly counted her rings. On one hand alone she had five! With real diamonds, Molly was sure.
“That’s not my uncle’s boss!” said Lisa.
The Pee Wees were so surprised, they forgot what they were there for. Then they remembered. It was too late to leave now. The woman had answered the door. The woman who was not Lisa’s uncle’s boss!
“Trick or treat!” they shouted. “Money or eats!”
“What sweet little children!” said the lady. “My name is Mrs. Hudson. Won’t you come in?”
The Pee Wees looked at each other. No one else had invited trick-or-treaters in. Was it safe? Why did she want them to come in?
It seemed impolite to refuse, thought Molly. But she remembered what Mrs. Stone had said: “Go only to the homes of people you know.”
“Is this where James Somebody lives?” asked Lisa.
“James is my son,” said Mrs. Hudson. Lisa told Mrs. Hudson about her uncle. It’s safe, thought Molly. She stepped inside the door. Not all of the other Pee Wees followed. Molly noticed that Tim and Lisa and Tracy hung back. Then they turned and ran down the steps and down the hill. Molly half wished she had run too.
“Now,” said Mrs. Hudson. “Sit down and tell me your names!”
Each Pee Wee said her or his name for Mrs. Hudson. Her bracelets were jingling and jangling. Molly had never seen such a big living room. It was as big as her whole house.
“Now,” said Mrs. Hudson, “You must each do something for your treat. Do you have some talent you can show us?”
Molly started to panic. She had no talent! What would she do?
“I don’t like this,” whispered Mary Beth. “I want to go.”
“I’ll bet she locked the door!” said Patty.
“We don’t have to work
for our treats at other houses,” said Sonny. He looked like he wanted to cry. “She tricked us!”
Rachel began to tap-dance, even though she had her riding outfit on and no music.
The lady clapped. “Why, that is wonderful!” she said. “Who wants to be next?”
The Pee Wees were all feeling angry at Lisa, who had an uncle who knew this lady’s son. It was her fault they were trapped here on the best day of the year.
“I don’t have any talent,” said Molly.
“Come, come, don’t be modest. Everyone has a talent,” laughed the lady.
What would she do if they didn’t perform? wondered Molly. Would she lock them up? Put them in a bubbly stew?
Now real tears were rolling down Sonny’s face. They made his costume wet. The wet made the material fade. Soon his whole face was streaked red from the devil suit dye.
Patty was singing a song, but she looked scared to death. When she finished, Kevin counted up to ten in Spanish and recited the Presidents of the United States in order.
Molly was so impressed, she knew she had to marry Kevin. He was the smartest one in the Pee Wees. In her school. In the world!
“I can count up to ten!” said Sonny, waving his hand.
“In what language?” asked Roger.
“English,” said Sonny.
Roger hooted and hollered at this. “Who can’t, dummy? I’ll bet your baby sisters can too!”
But Sonny did it, and so did all the other Pee Wees, and Mrs. Hudson laughed a light musical laugh like her tinkling bracelets. She said, “I think you have all worked very hard for your treat.”
“This better be good,” muttered Roger.
Mrs. Hudson stood up and handed each Pee Wee a dollar bill!
They all thanked her and filed out the door, and Mrs. Hudson called, “Come again! Come to see me whenever you like!”
“Not on your life,” said Sonny. “I’m not going back to that place again!”
“It wasn’t so bad, and Tim was right—they did give out money!” said Roger.
All the Pee Wees agreed it wasn’t scary now that they were safely out, and that the money was a better treat than a candy cane.
When they met Tim and Tracy, Roger said, “We got money!”
“And we met this real nice lady,” said Kenny.
“You should have seen her fancy house,” said Rachel.
The two were sorry they had run away. “Darn,” said Tim. “I knew they gave out money!”
The Pee Wees went to a few more houses and then decided the hour was up and it was time to go to the food bank. But first Mary Beth and Molly had to run home and get their costumes on.
Would they have a chance at winning the prize?
CHAPTER
7
A Happy Ending
Molly and Mary Beth hurried into their costumes. It was not an easy job. The costumes had to be tight-fitting to look right.
Molly pulled and tugged.
Mary Beth pulled and tugged too.
“It’s hard to breathe in here!” said Mary Beth in a muffled voice.
“I can’t see anything!” shouted Molly.
“Maybe it’s on backward,” said Mary Beth.
Sure enough, when Molly scrambled out of the costume and turned it around, she found the eye holes. She could see and breathe.
Soon both girls were ready. They ran to the food bank. When they went in, the other Pee Wees stared.
“What are you?” asked Sonny.
“You can’t give out treats in that,” said Rachel.
“I know what they are,” shouted Roger. “You two are a Popsicle! A cherry Popsicle. One of you is in each side of it!”
“Hey, give me a bite!” shouted Sonny.
“Let’s break this Popsicle in half,” said Roger, wrestling the Popsicle to the floor.
“Leave us alone!” shouted Molly in a muffled voice. “You’re going to rip our costume.”
Mrs. Peters, who was Santa Claus (baby Nick was an elf), laughed and said, “That is a very good costume, girls. It is very creative. You look good enough to eat on a hot day.”
“I thought of it when I saw Rachel eating a Popsicle,” said Molly. “The only thing is, we just have one hand each to use.”
“That’s why you didn’t wear your costume trick-or-treating!” said Patty. “I’ll bet you can’t hand out treats with it on, either.”
But Molly and Mary Beth did. Mrs. Kelly showed them how they could make a little hole in the middle of their costume to put their hands out. She cut the costume neatly with a pocket knife. But they did have to go everywhere together.
“Like Siamese twins!” said Kevin. “You have to move together!”
Molly and Mary Beth could not move much anyway because their legs were in tan stockings, one each. These were the sticks of the Popsicle.
So Kevin had noticed her! Maybe he liked her. Molly hoped that he thought that she was creative. A mayor would have to have a smart wife someday. Or a smart husband. It was a long way off, but it wasn’t too soon to plan.
Molly and Mary Beth looked out of small holes in the Popsicle. They were so small, they could not be seen unless the other Pee Wees looked very hard.
“I’m hot,” said Mary Beth. All the Pee Wees looked hot. “Halloween should be in January,” said Molly, “when it’s cold out.”
Molly’s parents were there giving out canned goods. The Kellys were putting apples in bags. Other parents weighed potatoes and saw that the grown-ups got what they needed.
While adults got pumpkins for pies and other food at one counter, the Pee Wees handed out lots of treats to the children at another. After the Pee Wees gave out the treats, Mrs. Peters gave each child an animal mask. Mrs. Stone helped them put the masks on.
There were little children and big children. Thin ones and fat ones. Tiny babies in strollers and toddlers walking and running. There was lots of noise and lots of crying. Sonny’s twins were there playing with all of the children. Nick was there too. Even Lucky, the Pee Wee mascot, was there looking for a treat. Everyone was having a good time together.
It was just getting dark when the last customers came. Just about all the treats were gone. What was left, Mrs. Peters divided up among the Pee Wees for all their hard work.
“That was as much fun as a party,” said Mary Beth.
“I guess so,” muttered Roger. “Anyway, now we get to go over to the Peterses’ and scare old Sonny with horror stories!”
Roger came after Sonny like a monster, snorting and growling.
“You don’t scare me,” boasted Sonny.
“Just wait,” said Roger.
The Pee Wees helped their parents clean up the room. They picked up wrappers and candy, and Mr. Duff swept the floor. When the room was all in order, they turned out the lights and locked the doors. It was time for the Halloween bonfire and scary stories.
In the Peterses’ big backyard, Mr. Peters had the fire all laid. Larry Stone, the fire chief, lit it and showed the Pee Wees how far back to sit. “Remember, never light a fire by yourselves. Ask an adult to make sure it’s a safe thing to do,” he said. The Pee Wees nodded.
“Hey, we don’t have to worry about this fire,” shouted Tim. “Sonny’s dad is fire chief!”
Mrs. Peters gathered the Pee Wees in a big circle around the fire. There was no light except for the firelight. It shone on the Pee Wees’ faces. With all the masks and costumes, it was very scary, thought Molly. Even without the stories. The firelight made the colors in the costumes flash. The cherry Popsicle looked even redder than it was. Somewhere an owl hooted. And there was another sound like a wolf call.
“It’s probably just a dog,” said Mary Beth to Molly. But she didn’t sound as if she was sure.
Mrs. Peters began the scary stories by reading a poem called “The Goblins Will Get You If You Don’t Watch Out!” by an author called James Whitcomb Riley. Afterward, Roger said, “Boo!” right behind Sonny. Sonny jumped, and the Pee Wees laughed.
/> “Don’t you do that again, White!” said Sonny, who was shaking.
Molly told her story first. The story about the poor girl who did not have food to eat or a house to live in. “Then her brother won the lottery and they bought a house and food and lived happily ever after.”
“That’s not scary!” said Sonny.
“It is too,” said Tim.
“But it’s got a happy ending,” said Sonny.
Molly didn’t care if they didn’t think it was scary. It was scary to her. And she had made it up, and she had told it!
Sonny told his one-line story, and everyone laughed. So far nothing was really, really scary.
But then Kevin told his story. It was about a haunted house. The people in the house were afraid to go to sleep at night because there were tap-tap-taps at the window. And from under the bed came a low moaning sound! There was a bloody hand on the piano and a voice outside the back door that said “Get out of my house” over and over again!
Kevin lowered his voice when the ghosts talked. He made all the moaning and voice noises so well that Molly was really scared. All of the Pee Wees looked over their shoulder for a ghost.
“I’m going to be afraid to go to bed tonight!” said Rachel.
“So am I,” said Molly.
The story got scarier and scarier, and it seemed to get darker and darker outside. The moon was just a sliver, and the fire snapped and crackled. It flickered and made shadows that looked like Kevin’s ghosts. Every single Pee Wee was scared, and even some of the parents!
When Kevin told how the creature broke in the back door and drove the people out, Sonny burst into tears.
“I want to go home!” he cried. “I hate this story!”
“Ho, Stone, if you go home, those creatures could be waiting for you there!” said Roger.
“I want my mother!” shouted Sonny, with more red dye from his red devil costume running over his skin. He got up and crawled over all the Pee Wees and ran to find his mother.
“What a baby!” said Rachel.
“It isn’t his fault,” said Molly. “Roger should leave him alone.”
“He was crying before Roger said anything!” said Kenny.