Pee Wees on Skis

by Judy Delton

  OTHER YEARLING BOOKS YOU WILL ENJOY:

  The Pee Wee Scout books by Judy Delton

  COOKIES AND CRUTCHES

  CAMP GHOST-AWAY

  LUCKY DOG DAYS

  BLUE SKIES, FRENCH FRIES

  GRUMPY PUMPKINS

  PEANUT-BUTTER PILGRIMS

  A PEE WEE CHRISTMAS

  THAT MUSHY STUFF

  SPRING SPROUTS

  THE POOPED TROOP

  THE PEE WEE JUBILEE

  BAD, BAD BUNNIES

  ROSY NOSES, FREEZING TOES

  SONNY’S SECRET

  SKY BABIES

  TRASH BASH

  PEE WEES ON PARADE

  LIGHTS, ACTION, LAND-HO!

  PILES OF PETS

  FISHY WISHES

  YEARLING BOOKS/YOUNG YEARLINGS/YEARLING CLASSICS are designed especially to entertain and enlighten young people. Patricia Reilly Giff, consultant to this series, received a bachelor’s degree from Marymount College and a master’s degree in history from St. John’s University. She holds a Professional Diploma in Reading and a Doctorate of Humane Letters from Hofstra University. She was a teacher and reading consultant for many years, and is the author of numerous books for young readers.

  Published by

  Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers

  a division of

  Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc.

  1540 Broadway

  New York, New York 10036

  Text copyright © 1993 by Judy Delton

  Illustrations copyright © 1993 by Alan Tiegreen

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law.

  The trademarks Yearling® and Dell® are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries.

  eISBN: 978-0-307-80000-8

  v3.1

  With thanks to Winnie Shaffner

  and all her young readers

  Contents

  Cover

  Other Books by This Author

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Acknowledgements

  1 New Badge Talk

  2 Make-Believe Snow

  3 Next Stop, the Little Alps

  4 Warming Up

  5 Bend the Knees!

  6 Stuck in a Drift

  7 Rescued!

  CHAPTER 1

  New Badge Talk

  “I’m freezing!” said Tracy Barnes, jumping up and down on the sidewalk.

  “I’m not,” said Lisa Ronning, letting her coat blow open in the wind. “I’m hot. My new goose-down coat makes me really hot.”

  Lisa twirled around, showing off her new coat. “My aunt just bought it for me.”

  “For Christmas?” asked Tracy.

  “No,” said Lisa. “Just for nothing. I’m her favorite niece.”

  “It makes you look like a football player.” Roger White laughed.

  Roger pretended to tackle Lisa, and the other boys joined him. They walked around with their chests out like football players with lots of padding.

  “You’re just jealous,” said Lisa, “because you haven’t got an aunt who buys you down jackets.”

  “It wasn’t cold this morning,” said Mary Beth Kelly, her teeth chattering. “Maybe it’s going to snow.”

  “Nah,” said Roger. “It won’t snow already. It won’t snow till winter.”

  “It is winter, dummy,” said Rachel Meyers.

  Sonny Stone shook his head. “It’s not winter till it snows,” he said.

  “Winter comes whether it snows or not,” said Kevin Moe. “Some winters there isn’t any snow at all, and it’s still winter.”

  No one could argue with Kevin, thought Molly Duff. Kevin was the smartest one in second grade. And he was the smartest one in Pee Wee Scout Troop 23.

  It was Tuesday, and the Pee Wees were on the way to their Pee Wee Scout meeting at Mrs. Peters’s house. She was their troop leader. There were eleven Scouts all together.

  “Look, I can see my breath!” shouted Tim Noon. “That’s a sure sign of winter.”

  Kevin shook his head. “It doesn’t have to be winter to see your breath.”

  “It’s not winter till it snows,” insisted Sonny again.

  “What a baby,” said Mary Beth to Molly. “He never listens to anybody. He always thinks he’s right.”

  Sonny was a baby. Molly felt sorry for him. He still had training wheels on his bike, and he was seven. For a long time he hadn’t had a father, and his mother babied him. He was an only child.

  But Molly was an only child, too, and she wasn’t a baby. Anyway, now Sonny’s mother was married to the fire chief, and Sonny had a new adopted brother and sister. But he was still a baby.

  By the time the Pee Wees got to Mrs. Peters’s house, even Lisa had pulled her coat up over her head to keep warm.

  “Come in, come in!” called their leader. “Winter is here!”

  “See?” said Kevin.

  It was one thing not to believe Kevin, thought Molly. But no one could not believe Mrs. Peters. Scout leaders did not lie.

  “What rosy cheeks you all have.” Mrs. Peters laughed. “And red noses! Come into the kitchen for some hot cocoa!”

  “We never have refreshments till after the meeting,” said Molly to Mary Beth. Molly did not like a change in the routine.

  “And we never have it in the kitchen,” said Mary Beth.

  “We need our hot chocolate early today,” said Mrs. Peters, “to warm us up!”

  The Pee Wees hung up their wraps and gathered around the Peterses’ big round kitchen table.

  “Marsholows!” shouted Nick, Mrs. Peters’s baby.

  The Pee Wees laughed.

  “He means marshmallows,” said Mrs. Stone, who was assistant troop leader. “He loves them.”

  Sure enough, Nick was stuffing marshmallows into his mouth one after the other. His little cheeks puffed out like two pumpkins.

  The Pee Wees began to stuff marshmallows into their mouths.

  “Look,” called Sonny. “I can get six in my mouth at once.”

  His mother frowned.

  Molly put her marshmallows in her hot chocolate. “I like it when they melt,” she said.

  “I thought we’d have our meeting here today, instead of in the basement,” said their leader. “It’s a little cozier on a blustery day.”

  “I wish it would snow,” said Sonny. “It’s not winter without snow. And I want to build a space snowman.”

  “Let’s begin our meeting with good deeds,” said Mrs. Peters, passing around a plate of ginger snaps.

  “Why are these called snaps?” asked Lisa.

  “Because they snap at you, like a turtle,” said Roger, running after Lisa with a snapping cookie. “Snap, snap!” he went at her nose.

  Mrs. Peters clapped her hands. “Good deeds,” she repeated.

  Hands waved. Good deeds were things you did to help someone. Good Scouts helped people whenever they could.

  Rachel waved her hand right in front of Mrs. Peters.

  “I went to see my grandpa in the nursing home,” she said, “and I played chess with him.”

  “Good for you, Rachel,” said Mrs. Peters. “I’ll bet your grandpa was glad to see you.”

  “He was,” said Rachel. “I won the chess game.”

  “Ho, ho,” said Roger. “I’ll bet your grandpa can’t see those chess men, that’s why you won.”

  “My grandpa can too see!” said Rachel, standing up and stamping her foot.

  Mrs. Peters put her hand up for silence and pointed
to Kenny Baker, Patty Baker’s twin brother.

  “I helped wash windows,” he said.

  “But my mom had to do them over because they got smeary,” said Patty.

  “The thought counts,” said Mrs. Peters. “That was a good deed.”

  “I gave our cat a bath,” said Lisa. “But she didn’t like it.”

  “I helped Mrs. Johnson cross the street,” said Sonny.

  “Why couldn’t she cross the street by herself?” asked Rachel.

  “She’s old,” said Sonny.

  “She can run faster than you can, Stone. She doesn’t need any help,” said Roger. “I saw her playing tennis this summer at the park.”

  “Well, I guess she really didn’t want help,” admitted Sonny.

  “Remember, boys and girls,” said Mrs. Peters. “Helping people who do not want help is not a good deed.”

  Sonny turned red again. This time it was not from the cold.

  After a few more good deeds and some more hot chocolate, the Pee Wees were warm as toast.

  “What badge are we going to earn next?” asked Kevin.

  The Pee Wees jumped up and down waiting to hear. They loved badges. They loved to earn them and get them and wear them. And it was time for a new one.

  “That is just what I am going to tell you about now,” said Mrs. Peters.

  CHAPTER 2

  Make-Believe Snow

  “My news,” she said, “is a field trip! We need to take a little trip to get this new badge.”

  “Field trips are for school,” said Roger. “Are we just going to the Dairy Queen, or to the science museum?”

  Roger was right. Molly did not want to go to an ice cream stand in winter. What kind of badge could they get at the Dairy Queen?

  Mrs. Peters laughed.

  “We are not going to the Dairy Queen,” she said, “or to a museum. This field trip is farther away. We have to leave early in the morning, and we won’t get back till nighttime. We’ll have to ride in my van.”

  The Pee Wees cheered. This was more like it. A real trip out of town! Away from home for a day. Molly did not know where they were going, but a trip anywhere with the Pee Wees in the van sounded like fun. New things to see. New people to meet.

  “Where are we going?” shouted Tim.

  “What badge will we get?” asked Kenny.

  “We are going skiing,” said their leader. “There is a ski resort not far away called the Little Alps. They have small slopes for children, and instructors to help them learn.”

  Troop 23 cheered. They waved paper napkins and stamped their feet.

  Tracy raised her hand. “Mrs. Peters, I went skiing with my cousin last year. I took my own skis and, and we rode on the rope tow.”

  “So did I,” bragged Roger. “I’ve got skis too.”

  “Fine,” said Mrs. Peters. “Then it won’t be new to you. On this trip we will all rent skis, because there won’t be room in the van to carry them. I have permission from all of your parents. We won’t be using the ski lift because we will be on the beginners’ slope.”

  “That’s called the bunny slope, Mrs. Peters,” said Rachel. “It’s for real little kids.”

  Rachel’s curls bounced as she sat down. Rat’s knees, thought Molly. Rachel could probably ski like the skiers on TV. And so would Tracy and Lisa and Roger.

  Molly had never skied in her life. She would probably break all her bones running into a tree.

  “I don’t know how to ski, Mrs. Peters,” shouted Tim.

  “You do not have to know how to ski. We will stay on the bunny slope, and it is very small. If you fall, you will not hurt yourself. The bunny slope is not dangerous.”

  Sonny burst into tears. “I can’t ski,” he cried. “I don’t want to go to the Alpos.”

  The Pee Wees giggled. “It’s the Little Alps, dummy,” said Roger. “Not dog food!” All the boys made growling noises.

  Even while everyone laughed at Sonny, Molly felt like being kind to him. She knew how it was to be afraid of something. To be the only one who was left out. And to have other kids pick on you.

  “I’ll help you,” she whispered to Sonny. “If I can stand up myself, that is.”

  “I don’t want any help,” scoffed Sonny. “I’m not going to any Alps.”

  Rat’s knees, thought Molly. Sometimes Sonny was so hard to help.

  “Besides, there’s no snow yet,” said Sonny. “How can we ski if there’s no snow? We can’t ski on grass!”

  Rachel sighed. “They make snow at ski resorts,” she said.

  “They do not!” said Sonny. “No person can make snow.”

  “Rachel is right,” said their leader. “Ski lodges haul snow in, or make their own with a snow machine.”

  “I know how that works,” said Kevin. “It’s just like a refrigerator.”

  Kevin went on to explain about condensation and cool air and warm air meeting.

  “Kevin knows a lot,” whispered Mary Beth to Molly.

  No one had to tell Molly that. That was one reason she was going to marry him.

  “So there is plenty of snow at the Little Alps,” concluded Mrs. Peters. “Even if there is no snow here.”

  Sonny did not look happy about make-believe snow.

  “When are we leaving?” asked Kenny.

  Mrs. Peters held up a calendar.

  “Next Sunday,” she said. “I have all of your parents’ permission. I have a list here of what to bring, what kind of clothes to wear, and what time to meet. It will be a fun-filled day, and we will be back here around suppertime so you can get a good night’s rest for school on Monday.”

  The Pee Wees groaned. They didn’t want to think of going back to school after such a fun field trip. Molly and Kevin and Mary Beth groaned too, even though they liked school and never minded going back. Molly wished there was school all summer long.

  “Now I realize that we cannot learn how to ski in just one day and with just one lesson,” said Mrs. Peters. “But this will be a start. It will give you an idea of the basics. And if we all pay attention, we’ll be able to ski down the bunny slope and earn our ski badge.”

  Mrs. Peters held up the badge. It was beautiful, thought Molly. The badge was blue. There was a little red skier on it. And there was white snow falling behind him. Molly had to have it!

  “I’ll never get one!” cried Sonny, throwing himself onto the floor and wailing.

  “Is there an advanced badge for those of us who know how to ski, Mrs. Peters?” asked Rachel.

  “Yeah, I want a real ski badge,” said Roger. “I don’t want one for going down a bunny slope.”

  “We’ll all get the same badge.” Mrs. Peters frowned. “Pride goes before a fall, you know.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” grumbled Roger.

  “It means you might fall,” said Tracy.

  “Ha!” Roger laughed. “You won’t catch me falling. I could ski down the real Alps in Switzerland. That’s where my uncle goes to ski.”

  The Pee Wees talked about the field trip and the new badge they would earn. After that they told more good deeds, and then they got into a big circle in Mrs. Peters’s kitchen and said the Pee Wee pledge and sang the Pee Wee song. What fun it was to be a Pee Wee Scout, thought Molly, squeezing Mary Beth’s hand. And what fun it was to look forward to a field trip in the snow! She just hoped she could do what the instructor told her and ski down the bunny slope successfully.

  She had to do well, because who else would help Sonny?

  CHAPTER 3

  Next Stop, the Little Alps

  On the way home, all the Pee Wees could talk about was the field trip.

  “I might wear my ski boots,” said Rachel. “So I’ll be ready to ski as soon as we get there.”

  “I’m wearing my new windbreaker,” said Tracy.

  “You need more than a windbreaker on those slopes,” said Kenny.

  When Molly got home, she got out her calendar. She put a big check mark on Sunday.

&n
bsp; Every day she checked one day off the calendar. One day closer to the field trip.

  Wednesday, checked off.

  Thursday, checked off.

  Friday, checked off.

  On Saturday Molly’s mother made checks too. Checks on the list of clothes and supplies to bring.

  One warm jacket, checked off.

  Snow pants, checked off.

  Scarf, mittens, boots, sweater, checked off.

  An apple and a snack bar, checked off.

  A juice drink, checked off.

  Finally it was Sunday morning. The weather was bright and sunny and not very cold.

  “The weather forecast looks good,” said Mr. Duff. “Warm and sunny and no rain or snow in sight! You’ll have a good time on your trip!”

  The Pee Wees came to Mrs. Peters’s house all bundled up. Some of them could hardly walk! Sonny was the last one to arrive, and his mother was dragging him.

  “I’m not going to those Alpos!” he cried.

  “Sonny looks round and fat like a bear cub!” shouted Lisa.

  “I’m hot,” said Sonny, from under his scarf. “And I’m going home.”

  “I’m hot too,” said Patty.

  “We’ll be glad to have warm clothes when we get on our skis,” said their leader.

  The Pee Wees piled in the Peterses’ van. Mrs. Stone was going along too.

  “I’m glad my mom isn’t assistant Scout leader,” said Mary Beth. “It wouldn’t be any fun if your mother was along on a ski trip.”

  Molly agreed. “Sonny is used to being with his mother,” she said. “But it isn’t helping him be brave this time.”

  Mrs. Peters started the van. The Pee Wees cheered. Sonny screamed.

  Mr. Peters stood in the front yard with baby Nick and waved.

  Larry Stone, the fire chief, stood with the twins and waved too.

  “Have fun!” the twins shouted.

  “Don’t get lost in a snowdrift on the bunny slope!” called Larry.

  “That isn’t the thing to say to Sonny.” Molly frowned. “Doesn’t Larry know he should say something encouraging?”

  Adults did not understand children very well, thought Molly. Hadn’t Mr. Stone ever been scared of anything when he was little?