Not-Slow-Nattie

Nattie was the first sloth to cross the finish line in the race at the School Fair. The other sloth kids were still tying their shoe laces!

At the pie-eating contest, she ate three whole pieces of pie before the other kids had taken three bites!

And she ate her whole ice cream cone before it had melted all over her paws, like the other sloths.

The kids made fun of her. They said sloths are supposed to be slow—the slower the better.  They teased her with this song:

Nattie Nattie

Not-Slow-Nattie

Why can’t you slow down?

Sloths are slow

Slow as snails

Unless you’re

Not-Slow-Nattie

Nattie climbed a tree, hung from a branch, and smashed mangoes with her back paw. 

When the kids started to sing the song again, she threw smashed mangoes at them.  They were too slow to get out of the way!

One of the sloths started eating the mango off his fur. 

“Hey,” he said, “Not-Slow-Nattie could be our team champion in the pie throwing contest!”

“The other team would be covered in whipped cream!  We would win with Nattie on our side,” said another kid.

“How about it, Nattie? Will you be on our team?”

Nattie climbed down from the tree.

“Last sloth to the pie contest is slower than a snail!” she yelled.

The sloth kids ran as quickly as they could after Nattie.  And as they ran they sang:

Nattie Nattie

Not-Slow-Nattie

We are you so fast?

We’ll throw more pies

Make more mess

Because we’ve got

Not-Slow-Nattie.

Hooray for Nattie!

Hooray for Nattie!

Hooray!

Nattie and her friends threw lots of pies that day.  But the other team was covered in whipped cream because Nattie was Not So Slow!

SPIDER by Judy Ziegler

Hey Walter, looky here. Look at this big ole spider!

Hey Spidy, whatcha doing?

Opps, fly guy got stuck. Walter, how come Spidy wraps her meals up like a burrito- a fly burrito. Yuck!

Maybe she wraps it cause she doesn't have a fridge. Hey Walter, lets go have lunch.

Frightful Dee Lightful & Boo

Dear Diary, We're pretty tired today. Last night we stayed up late to watch the moon rise and listen to the coyotes howl. Boo can howl just as good as any coyote, maybe even better! What a great night!

Frightful Dee Lightful & her Spooky Dog Boo

Dear Diary, Today we went to visit Great Aunt Nose. I took my pet worm, Stringy. He got pretty tired and needed a nap - so I let him sleep in Great Aunt Nose's bed. Poor Stringy, she about scared him half to death with her screaming. I guess I'll have to leave him at home next time!

The Sound Jacob Heard

By Heather Cicero

Illustrated by Judy Ziegler

Jacob listened to the sound coming from underneath his bed.

 “Are you talking to me?” Jacob asked the sound.

“Well, a high falootin’ yes,” said a voice.  “I’ve been waiting for you.”

Jacob got his flashlight and looked under the bed.

 “You’re small for a buffalo,” Jacob said.

He was just like the buffalo that Jacob had seen at the zoo, only smaller.  His hooves made a clickity clack sound on the wooden floor.  He smelled like warm oatmeal.

The buffalo looked at Jacob’s room.

“Well, pull my horn,” said the buffalo, “where’s the grass?  I’m hungry.”

“Outside,” said Jacob.  “I’ll take you to get some.”

He got dressed and led the buffalo out of his room and into the back yard.  Jacob listened to the buffalo graze.  He heard munching and tail switching sounds.  The swinging tail looked like a paintbrush.

“How about we paint with your tail?” said Jacob.

“Go rustle up some paint and we’ll have at it,” said the buffalo.

Jacob got paint from the garage. They decorated the fence, some chairs, and the swing set with hoof prints.  Then they cut up blankets and played superheroes. Finally, they made mud pies in the sandbox.

At bath time, the buffalo was dirty.  Luckily, there was a full bottle of shampoo.  Jacob used all of it to clean his friend.  There was paint, and mud, and bubbles, and water on the floor when they were done, but the buffalo got clean.

         That night, there was a sound coming from underneath Jacob’s bed.  But this time he knew—it was the sound of the buffalo snoring.

Frightful Dee Lightful & Her Spooky Dog Boo by Judy Ziegler

Dear Diary, Finally talked Mom into letting us have an outdoor Birthday party. We had the best time. Don't think anyone liked strawberry ice cream. We'll have to try another flavor next year.

Napping

Waiting for the next story.  Sometimes these things take time so wake us up when it's here.