Flat Stanley’s Worldwide Adventures #12: Escape to California

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by jeff brown


  Lily silently pulled another spoke from the Escapist’s wheel: the crowbar. She stuck it in the side of the door, and gave a quick push. The lock broke with a crack.

  “Check the other side,” whispered Lily. “If the coast is clear, we’ll make a break for it.”

  Stanley slipped under the bottom of the door, and the salty night air struck him in the face. All was quiet in the deserted grounds of the prison, and the waters of San Francisco Bay lapped onto the shore far down below. He stood up outside and stretched his arms.

  With a flourish, Stanley opened the door for his partner—and an earsplitting siren pierced the air.

  He’d tripped the alarm!

  “Come on!” Lily barreled forward, scooping Stanley onto her lap. A spotlight flicked on somewhere above them. Lily weaved the wheelchair just out of its reach.

  Stanley suddenly saw that they were surrounded by a barbed wire fence that cut them off from the shoreline. That wasn’t on the blueprint! he realized.

  “Prepare for emergency takeoff!” said Lily.

  “We’re too far from shore!” screamed Stanley over the sirens. “If you launch me from here, your wheelchair will never clear that fence!”

  “PREPARE FOR EMERGENCY TAKEOFF!” repeated Lily fiercely, turning the wheelchair on a dime as the spotlight’s glare grazed her elbow.

  Still on Lily’s lap, Stanley quickly connected the wires attaching him to the Escapist. Lily backed away from the fence, and the spotlight caught them. “DO NOT FLEE!” a voice commanded over a loudspeaker.

  Lily took Stanley’s hands and looked him squarely in the eye.

  “Let’s blow this taco stand,” she said through gritted teeth.

  And she threw Stanley over the fence and right off the edge of the Rock.

  Sky High

  Stanley kept his eyes trained on Lily as her wheelchair lifted off. They climbed swiftly, but then he felt a terrible lurch—the wheels of the Escapist had snagged the barbed wire at the top of the fence.

  “Lily!” screamed Stanley. No matter how hard the wind pulled, it couldn’t blow them free. The force against Stanley was so great, he could barely breathe. Caught like a bug in the spotlight, Lily took a spoke from the Escapist’s wheel, and pulled it apart into two handles. They were wire cutters! Lily was snipping the barbed wire!

  All at once, the Escapist was free, and Stanley blew out over the bay. Almost immediately, he felt a series of hard, jagged tugs on the wires that ran down to the wheelchair.

  Lily must be bumping the rocks on her way to the water! thought Stanley. He angled upward, pulling her higher.

  The San Francisco skyline twinkled up ahead, a slim pyramid-shaped building leading the way. She must be over the water by now, thought Stanley, and he slowly descended until he felt a smooth bump in the lines. Lily’s wheelchair was skimming the surface of San Francisco Bay.

  Down below, a spotlight caught Lily in its circular halo. But it wasn’t coming from Alcatraz. It was coming from across the bay, from Oda Nobu’s press conference. The world was watching Lily speed along, miraculously rolling on the surface of the water. Doing the impossible.

  Stanley was overcome by a wave of happiness. Then a faint sound filled his ears: people cheering from the shore. Lily was almost there!

  Stanley got ready for the moment his friend would detach the wires, rolling onto the shore without anyone knowing how she’d crossed the bay. He felt a slight jerk as the line was released, and he let himself safely descend, floating down like he’d learned to do at the wind farm in Texas.

  Stanley fluttered on top of a building overlooking the press conference. Below, TV cameras were swarming around Lily. From the stage, his friend Oda Nobu said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Lily Fox, the first person in history to escape from Alcatraz!”

  The crowd went wild. Lily beamed.

  “Thank you! Thank you all!” she shouted into the microphone. “I couldn’t have done it alone! I had someone special looking down on me!” She scanned the rooftops, her eyes twinkling. And Stanley, invisible in his suit, took an invisible bow.

  Two hours later, Stanley was out for a crab dinner on Fisherman’s Wharf with his parents; his brother, Arthur; and his friend Thomas Anthony Jeffrey.

  “What do you mean you won’t tell us where you’ve been for the last three days?” cried Arthur.

  “It’s a secret,” said Stanley.

  “George, you said someone needed Stanley’s help,” said Stanley’s mother. “Who was it?”

  “I can’t say,” said Stanley’s father.

  “Come on, Stanley,” said Thomas. “Can’t you tell us anything about this latest adventure of yours?”

  Stanley looked down at his cracked crab. He felt bad. “I’ll let you try on my superhero suit,” he offered.

  “You got a superhero suit?” cried Arthur. “How come I can’t have a superhero suit?”

  Suddenly a murmur swept through the restaurant. Everyone was turning to look. And then Stanley saw them: Lily and her parents had arrived, right on schedule. They rolled right up to the Lambchops’ table.

  Lily gave Stanley a triumphant high five.

  “You’re the girl who escaped from Alcatraz!” Stanley’s mother exclaimed.

  “May I have your autograph?” Thomas asked.

  “Everyone, this is my friend Lily,” said Stanley, “and these are her parents. You all want to know about my adventure? Well, it’s not my adventure to share. It’s hers.”

  “Hi, everybody,” said Lily. “Thanks for lending me Stanley and Mr. Lambchop.” She paused, and Stanley was surprised to see that she was blushing. Then she took a deep breath and began. “It started with a dream. And the trick with any dream is figuring out how to make it real.”

  When the Lambchops finally returned home the next day, Stanley was awfully happy to see his and Arthur’s room. Somehow, of all his adventures, this one seemed like the biggest journey.

  Stanley studied his bulletin board. There he had souvenirs from his travels: a newspaper article about how Stanley saved Mount Rushmore, a photo of him bullfighting in Mexico, and on and on. He rummaged through the front of his bag and pulled out the front page of this morning’s California Chronicle: “Daredevil Escapes Alcatraz Without Getting Wet.” In the photo was Lily, beaming. Stanley, of course, was nowhere to be seen.

  And, as he tacked the clipping to his bulletin board, Stanley realized that this was the souvenir that made him proudest of all.

  What You Need to Know about Alcatraz and San Francisco

  The word alcatraz means “strange bird” or pelican. The island “de los alcatraces” was named by Spanish explorer Lt. Juan Manuel de Ayala in 1775.

  Al Capone played the banjo in the Alcatraz prison band, the Rock Islanders, which gave concerts for other inmates.

  Thirty-six inmates put the “escape-proof” Alcatraz to the test. But there were no confirmed prisoner escapes from Alcatraz.

  Alcatraz was home to the Pacific Coast’s first lighthouse, activated in 1854.

  In 1849, San Francisco’s harbor was filled with abandoned ships. The crews had deserted the ships to head inland for the gold fields.

  The Golden Gate Bridge was not supposed to be red. The steel beams used to build the bridge were coated in a red-and-orange color to protect it from corrosive elements.

  The night before the 1906 earthquake, world-famous Italian opera singer Enrico Caruso performed in San Francisco.

  President Millard Fillmore made Alcatraz a military fortress in 1850.

  When the Golden Gate Bridge was finished in May 1937, Chief Engineer Joseph B. Strauss wrote a poem called “The Mighty Task is Done.”

  The cable car is a national historic monument, the only one in the world that moves! It was built in 1873 and today transports 9.7 million people around the city each year.

  In 1914, Makoto Hagiwara made the first fortune cookie in San Francisco. He was a Japanese immigrant and the designer of Golden Gate Park’s famous Japanese Tea Garde
n.

  San Francisco has some weird laws: it is illegal to clean your rug by beating it outside, to walk an elephant down Market Street without a leash, and to wipe your windshield using your underwear.

  Denim jeans were invented in San Francisco for Gold Rush miners in California. The denim was tough enough to last and protect their skin.

  James Marshall found gold at Sutter’s Mill in 1848. His discovery caused many immigrants to come into the city to seek their fortune.

  Irish coffee was first invented in San Francisco. And there are now more than 300 coffee shops in San Francisco.

  Excerpt from Flat Stanley’s Worldwide Adventures #1: The Mount Rushmore Calamity

  There’s No Place on Earth

  That a Flat Kid Can’t Go!

  Don’t Miss the First Worldwide Adventure:

  Turn the Page for a Sneak Peek!

  Ready, Set . . .

  “Sleeping bags?” George Lambchop called out to his wife, Harriet.

  “Check!” answered Mrs. Lambchop. “Wholesome snacks for the boys?”

  “Check!” replied Mr. Lambchop.

  The Lambchop family was preparing for their vacation to Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota. They were each very excited about the adventure.

  Mr. Lambchop was excited because he was going to collect another state park sticker for the rear window of the car.

  Mrs. Lambchop was excited because she was going to learn more about the history of South Dakota.

  Their younger son, Arthur, was excited because he was hoping to meet some real, live cowboys.

  And Stanley, the Lambchops’ older son, was excited because he was going somewhere nobody would recognize him.

  Not long ago, Stanley had awakened to find that his enormous bulletin board had fallen upon him during the night. Since then, the family had gotten used to having a flattened boy in the house. But when he ventured outside, he often caused a commotion: “Look, Marge! There he is . . . the famous flattened kid! Wonder what new adventure he’s up to now?” Or, “Say there, Flatty, mind if we take a picture?”

  The truth is, both Lambchop brothers were getting a bit tired of all the attention Stanley was getting. It would be nice, they agreed, to get away someplace where people didn’t make such a fuss.

  “Well, I think we’re ready,” said Mr. Lambchop, surveying the mountain of suitcases and camping equipment in the hall.

  “Not quite, dear,” replied Mrs. Lambchop. “Remember, we still have to consult Dr. Dan about Stanley’s travel needs. Better safe than sorry.”

  “Well, the boy is still flat,” Doctor Dan pronounced, when he was finished with his examination.

  “Yes, we know that,” said Stanley’s father. “We were wondering whether such a trip would be suitable for Stanley in his present condition. Mount Rushmore’s elevation is 5,725 feet, for one thing. And we’ll be traveling by automobile along the scenic highways at a fairly high velocity.”

  Here Mrs. Lambchop interrupted her husband with a chuckle. “Not too high a velocity, of course,” she said.

  Mr. Lambchop smiled at his wife’s joke. Both she and Mr. Lambchop were always careful to obey local speed limits. “Still,” he said, “we did feel it would be wise to check with you.”

  “It’s a good thing you did. More people should be concerned about the effects of travel on the body. The human being is a very complex organism. Even we doctors, with our extensive knowledge, don’t completely understand it.”

  “Oh, dear,” Mrs. Lambchop said anxiously. “Will it be all right for Stanley to come with us?”

  “Of course!” said Doctor Dan. “I can’t think of any reason why not!”

  GO!

  The next day, after a hearty breakfast, the Lambchop family began to pack the car for their big trip. In went the tent, four sleeping bags, and the rest of the camping gear. In went the suitcases, the cameras, and coolers. Arthur came out with his arms full—his authentic cowboy saddle, his authentic cowboy harmonica, and his authentic cowboy lasso.

  “Oh, dear,” Mrs. Lambchop murmured, surveying the overstuffed car. “There doesn’t seem to be much room for the boys!”

  “Playing cowboys is for little kids,” Stanley said. “Now that I’ve been in the newspaper, I’m too grown-up for that sort of thing. I think Arthur should leave all that stuff behind.”

  Arthur glared at his brother. “Stanley can ride on the roof,” he suggested.

  Mr. Lambchop considered this. “Well, if we lash him down securely . . .”

  “I think not,” decided Mrs. Lambchop. “We will be pointing out many sights along the way. I don’t want Stanley to miss them.”

  And so both boys squeezed into the backseat with much grumbling, and the family set out.

  Along the way, the Lambchops did indeed come upon many wondrous sights: inspiring cityscapes, fields of bountiful crops, and numerous glories of nature.

  “We should all be grateful to have good eyesight as we travel through this great land of ours,” Mr. Lambchop noted. The rest of the Lambchops agreed they were very fortunate indeed.

  Every time they crossed into a new state, the family recited its motto and sang its song. They played License Plate Bingo and I Spy, and the hours passed fairly quickly. Nonetheless, everyone was delighted to arrive at the gates of Mount Rushmore State Park. The boys craned their heads out the windows to gaze up at the sixty-foot-tall faces carved in the mountain, while Mr. Lambchop paid the admission fees. And as soon as the car was parked, they sprang out.

  “I’m all crumpled!” Stanley groused, trying to smooth himself out.

  “Well, I’m practically flattened!” complained Arthur.

  “Boys, hurry along,” said Mrs. Lambchop. “We’re just in time to catch the last tour group.”

  Back Ad

  About the Authors and Illustrator

  JEFF BROWN created the beloved character of Flat Stanley as a bedtime story for his sons. He has written other outrageous books about the Lambchop family, including Flat Stanley, Stanley and the Magic Lamp, Invisible Stanley, Stanley’s Christmas Adventure, Stanley in Space, and Stanley, Flat Again! You can learn more about Jeff Brown and Flat Stanley at www.flatstanleybooks.com.

  JOSH GREENHUT once mailed Flat Stanley, in costume, to a Halloween party 300 miles away. He is now married to the woman who hosted the party, and they live in Toronto with their two children.

  MACKY PAMINTUAN is an accomplished illustrator. He lives in the Philippines with his wife, Aymone; their baby girl, Alison; and their pet Westie, Winter.

  Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors.

  Books by Jeff Brown

  CATCH ALL OF FLAT STANLEY’S WORLDWIDE ADVENTURES:

  The Mount Rushmore Calamity

  The Great Egyptian Grave Robbery

  The Japanese Ninja Surprise

  The Intrepid Canadian Expedition

  The Amazing Mexican Secret

  The African Safari Discovery

  The Flying Chinese Wonders

  The Australian Boomerang Bonanza

  The US Capital Commotion

  Showdown at the Alamo

  Framed in France

  Escape to California

  AND DON’T MISS ANY OF THESE OUTRAGEOUS STORIES:

  Flat Stanley: His Original Adventure!

  Stanley and the Magic Lamp

  Invisible Stanley

  Stanley’s Christmas Adventure

  Stanley in Space

  Stanley, Flat Again!

  Credits

  Cover art by Macky Pamintuan

  Cover design by Alison Klapthor

  Copyright

  Flat Stanley’s Worldwide Adventures #12: Escape to California

  Text copyright © 2014 by the Trust u/w/o Richard C. Brown a/k/a Jeff Brown f/b/o Duncan Brown.

  Illustrations by Macky Pamintuan, copyright © 2014 by HarperCollins Publishers.

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American
Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

  www.harpercollinschildrens.com

  * * *

  Library of Congress catalog card number: 2014942408

  ISBN 978-0-06-218991-2 (trade bdg.) — ISBN 978-0-06-218990-5 (pbk.)

  * * *

  EPUB Edition JUNE 2014 ISBN 9780062189929

  14 15 16 17 18 OPM 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  First Edition

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