End of Chapter Six:

Cody's final comment to his departing jay friend before he grabbed his bookbag and left the room was, "Summer is my second favorite time of the year. The day Earl Anthony Schroder died is my most favorite day of all."

The golden ticket in hand, Punchinello remained hidden in the shadows of the far corner of the hallway...biding the fortuitous circumstance.


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Dressed in capris and a purple tulip-embossed pullover, a venerable spinster stood behind a metal desk checking her end of school year inventory. The red book cart on the side of the counter contained an assortment of books neatly organized in an alphabetical by author manner. These included Bunnicula, The Princess In Black, and What Do You Do With A Chance. All were provided for the younger set's reading enjoyment.

Cody noticed the fuddy-duddy's beehive hairdo. The lightly combed over tangled pile gave him a thought. Cody chortled to himself, "Now, if it was blue you'd look like Marge Simpson."

He handed the librarian a long overdue book and informed her, "I found A Tale Dark And Grimm, Mrs. Truman."

Featuring Hansel and Gretel on the front cover, Cody related well to the premise of the hardback. The eight Grimms-inspired stories contained inside the book taught the wayward wanderers to take charge of their lives and build their own happy ever afters.

Mrs. Truman removed the coke-bottle glasses from her tapered face highlighted by its widow's peak and pointed chin. Sarcastically she retorted, "Amazing! You finally found your missing library book, did you? Took you long enough to do so."

Cody spied her hawk-beak nose. Startled by the honker, he shook his head and replied, "Uh-huh. It was buried on the bottom of my bag all along."

Without intonation, Mrs. Truman informed Cody, "The fine will be one dollar and fifty cents."

Cody fished around with his hand in the front pocket of the jeans he wore and thought, 'Why did you have to wear your tight ones, halfwit?'

Cody had placed six shiny new quarters in his pocket that morning before departing for school. Filching them from the sheriff took some doing.

Sheriff Daniels asked him, "Why the delay in finding the book?"

Cody responded, "I forgot where I put it."

"You didn't look very hard for it either, did you?" The sheriff wanted to know.

Cody's aquamarine eyes cast downward. He stared at his bare feet and wiggled his piggies. "No," he truthfully answered.

Disappointed in Cody's lackadaisical attitude, the sheriff asked him, "You know better than act that way, don't you?"

Cody raised his cornsilk blond head and sheepishly confessed, "Yes."

The sheriff stated, "I'll give you the money to pay your fine. But, your carelessness in not returning the book on time will cost you an extra chore when you get home."

Cody replied, "What's that?"

Sheriff Daniels responded, "I want you to break down those empty boxes out in the garage and carry them to the curb so they can be picked up tomorrow by the trashman."

Cody agreed to the sheriff's terms, "Deal."

A silver-haired stranger strolled into the library. Nonchalantly, he leafed through a Sports Illustrated. His presence returned Cody back to his conversation with Mrs. Truman. She would not admit the fact, but with her glasses removed the librarian could not see her hand in front of her face, and did not notice the person standing there.

Cody wrestled the wampum free and turned the money over to the librarian. He slung his bag over his shoulder and departed the Media Center. Happy-go-lucky, Cody whistled a tune as he dashed merrily along his route. At full speed, Cody almost bumped headlong into Mr. Miller, the school's strict Principal.

"Esteemed gestapo," as the students of the school secretly referred to him.

Annoyed by Cody's absentmindedness, Mr. Miller stated, " Clear the tracks. Freight train coming through."

Transfixed, Cody halted.

Mr. Miller thumped Cody on the shoulder with his clipboard and stated, "Young man, you are aware there is to be no running in the hallways. Repeatedly, you have been informed of this rule before? And yet, and yet, you still perform the forbidden gyrations."

"Yes I do, Mr. Miller," Cody answered him.

"Twice before, in the short period of time you have graced us with your presence here at Astatula Elementary, you have reported to my office for breaking the established procedures of this fine institution. Therefore, Cody, is a third dance with Big Bertha required to get the message through your mule-thick head?" Mr. Miller proposed.

Cody rubbed the dusty seat of his jeans. The admonitions were not forgotten.

"Tetu comme une bourrique?" he asked.

Flabbergasted, Mr. Miller responded, "Yes, Cody, you are as stubborn as a mule."

Cody promised, "I will not run in the hallways anymore, Mr. Miller."

He tromped away from his interrogator and looked back over his shoulder. The silver-haired man Cody saw in the library hastened down the corridor in close pursuit. Cody galloped. His hunter exited the school as Cody snatched his blue BMX Mongoose off the bike rack and mounted the two-wheeler. Cody would never forget the way his elementary school days ended.