A Case of the Meanies Read online

Penelope leaped out of the water as quick as she could. But then Bruce went right in!

  “Be careful!” she called. “it’s not safe.”

  “Of course it’s safe,” Bruce said.

  “Then why did you make me get out?”

  “Geese have first choice,” he explained. “That’s the rule. So I traded you—my spot on dry land for your water spot.”

  Geese did NOT have first choice. Penelope crawled toward the water to go in again. Bruce honked extra loud, which made her jump back as far as she could. (Which wasn’t too far because she had stubby little duck–billed platypus legs, not so good for jumping.)

  “This is not fair,” Penelope said.

  And then something happened. The same thing that always happened when Penelope thought something was not fair. A little bit of poison shot out of her foot. It wasn’t killer poison, but it was the hurting kind. It landed splat on Bruce’s left wing.

  “Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!” he cried.

  The teacher, Miss Griffin, heard his crying and raced over.

  “That horrible platypus stung me with her poison,” he tattled. “You have to punish her.”

  But Penelope couldn’t help herself. It was just what happened to duck-billed platypuses when they got upset. Which meant Bruce had to have been mean first.

  The one who starts the trouble is the one who should get in trouble. That’s the rule—the real rule.

  “Come out of the water, Bruce,” Miss Griffin said. “I’m sending you to the principal.”

  “Yeah, Bruce,” Penny said. “You’re going to the principal.”

  Bruce waddled out of the water. But then something happened to Penny. She started to feel bad. Even if it wasn’t her fault, she’d still hurt him—on his first day at school. And now he was going to have to go to the principal on his first day. Plus, her big sister’s class let out for recess right then. She wasn’t even upset about not being in the water anymore.

  “Wait, Miss Griffin,” Penelope said. “You don’t have to punish Bruce. He didn’t know the rules for our school. And I think getting hurt with platypus poison is all the punishment he needs.”

  “If you’re sure,” Miss Griffin said.

  Penelope nodded. She was sure. “I’m sorry I hurt you, Bruce,” she added. “Want to come meet my sister?”

  He honked again, but a softer honk this time. A honk that meant, “Okay.”

  So Penelope took Bruce over to meet the big kids. And here’s something funny. He already knew the goose named Joshua in her sister’s class. It was his cousin!

  After that, Penelope taught Bruce a bigkid card game called Spit. She let Bruce win, since it was his first day, and she still felt a little bad about the hurting poison.

  But next time, he’d have to win fair and square, because she’d play her best.

  THE END

  Courtney Sheinmel

  Courtney Sheinmel is the author of several books for middle-grade readers, including Sincerely and All The Things You Are. Like Stella Batts, she was born in California and has a younger sister. However, her parents never owned a candy store. Now Courtney lives in New York City, where she has tasted all the cupcakes in her neighborhood. She also makes a delicious cookie brownie graham-cracker pie. Visit her at www.courtneysheinmel.com, where you can find the recipe along with information about all the Stella Batts books.

  Jennifer A. Bell

  Jennifer A. Bell is a children’s book illustrator whose work can also be found in magazines, on greeting cards, and on the occasional Christmas ornament. She studied Fine Arts at the Columbus College of Art and Design and currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

  In this early chapter book series, the ups and downs of Stella’s life are charmingly chronicled. She’s in third grade, she wants to be a writer, and her parents own a candy shop. Life should be sweet, right?

  Praise for Stella Batts:

  “Sheinmel has a great ear for the dialogue and concerns of eight-year-old girls. Bell’s artwork is breezy and light, reflecting the overall tone of the book. This would be a good choice for fans of Barbara Park’s ‘Junie B. Jones’ books.”

  — School Library Journal

  “First in a series featuring eight-year-old Stella, Sheinmel’s unassuming story, cheerily illustrated by Bell, is a reliable read for those first encountering chapter books. With a light touch, Sheinmel persuasively conveys elementary school dynamics; readers may recognize some of their own inflated reactions to small mortifications in likeable Stella, while descriptions of unique candy confections are mouth-watering.”

  — Publisher’s Weekly

  Other books in this series:

  Stella Batts Needs a New Name

  Stella Batts: Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

  Stella Batts: Pardon Me

  Meet Stella and friends online at www.stellabatts.com