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Frankie Pickle and the Pine Run 3000
(Part of Frankie Pickle)  
Illustrated by: Eric Wight
This edition: Paper Over Board, 96 pages
Ages: 7 - 10
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List Price: $9.99
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Chapter 1
Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

Tangled in twine, Frankie flopped onto his living room floor. He was too busy wiggling around to notice the stares of the other Possum Scouts.

“How did you get so twisted up?” said Frankie’s mom, who was also the troop’s Marsupial Mother. “You were only supposed to tie a basic sailor’s loop.”

Frankie tried to shrug, but his arms were pinned to his chest. He glanced over at the other scouts. They had all tied their knots correctly. “That one looked too easy,” said Frankie. “I wanted to come up with a super-duper knot.”

“Why didn’t you just ask for help?” said Mom. She tugged at the rope. “This is way too tight to undo by hand.”

“I get extra points for that, right?” said Frankie.

“Not when it’s the wrong kind of knot.”

The other scouts started to snicker. They’d probably be laughing their lungs out if Frankie’s mom wasn’t there. Even his best friend Kenny had a hard time keeping a straight face.

Frankie had to do something to impress them. “I know how to get free without any help.” He sucked in as much air as he could, then tried with all of his strength to snap the ropes, like a superhero. That only made the knots tighter. The ropes burned his skin.

“Stop that before you pop something!” said Mom. “I need to cut you loose.”

“Would you like to borrow my safety scissors?” said Carter Hawkins. “I always keep a pair in my emergency utility pouch.”

“This . . . isn’t . . . an emergency . . . ,” said Frankie, turning an odd shade of bluish-purple.

“Why, thank you, Carter,” said Mom. “That’s very handy of you.”

“A Possum Scout is prepared for anything,” said Carter.

And Carter always was. Like the time when Kevin twisted his ankle and Carter made a splint out of Popsicle sticks. Or when Oliver got stung by a bee, Carter knew to put mud on the bee sting. And when Lucas got woozy from being hungry, Carter had an extra snack pack. He was such a scout superstar that some of the other kids were convinced he actually was part possum.

Carter unzipped the pouch around his waist and fetched the scissors for Frankie’s mom. Then she went to work snipping Frankie’s ropes—and pride—into little pieces.

© 2010 Eric Wight