The Pee Wee Jubilee Read online

  YOUNG 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

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

  For a complete listing of all Yearling titles, write to

  Dell Readers Service, P.O. Box 1045,

  South Holland, IL 60473.

  Published by

  Dell Publishing

  a division of

  Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc.

  666 Fifth Avenue

  New York, New York 10103

  Text copyright © 1989 by Judy Delton

  Illustrations copyright © 1989 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 trademark Yearling® is registered in the U.S. Patent and

  Trademark Office.

  eISBN: 978-0-307-79993-7

  v3.1

  For Joan King, Kelly, and Katie,

  with love

  And with thanks to Lori Mack, editor

  Contents

  Cover

  Other Books by This Author

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  1 Mrs. Peters’s Big News

  2 That Jewel Thing

  3 Orphan Molly

  4 Pie in the Sky

  5 A Million Pee Wees

  6 A Bowl and a Buddy

  7 Hold, Hold, Hold My Hand

  8 The Pee Wee Scout Spirit

  CHAPTER

  1

  Mrs. Peters’s Big News

  “Mrs. Peters, Roger’s putting leaves down my neck!” shouted Patty Baker.

  Molly Duff leaned on her rake. “Roger really likes Patty,” she said to her best friend, Mary Beth Kelly. “Nobody ever puts leaves down my neck.”

  The Pee Wee Scouts were having their Tuesday meeting in the park. They were raking the leaves and picking up litter.

  “This whole meeting is one big good deed,” said Rachel Meyers. “I thought meetings were supposed to be fun.”

  “It’s our civic duty,” said Kevin Moe.

  “Duty cootie,” said Rachel. “My mom said I could rake at home. But since I’m here, she has to pay a boy to do it.”

  “We have to take care of our town,” said Kevin. Kevin wanted to be mayor someday.

  Mrs. Peters clapped her hands. She was their leader. The leader of Troop 23.

  “Let’s just put these piles into bags,” she said, pushing the hair off her forehead. “Then we’ll go back to my house and have a treat. And I’ll tell you my good news.”

  “A treat?” said Roger White. “I hope it’s something to drink. I’m thirsty.”

  “Good news?” said Molly. “I wonder what it is.”

  “Maybe Mrs. Peters is going to have another baby,” said Lisa Ronning.

  Molly looked at Mrs. Peters. She didn’t look fat. “She just had a baby,” she said. “You can’t have another baby, one on top of another.”

  “Yes, you can,” said Mary Beth. “My cousin was only ten months old when my aunt got another baby.”

  Baby Nick bounced up and down in his stroller. “Goo!” he said. He had a new tooth. He was drooling. All over the front of his jacket.

  “Well, Nick isn’t ten months old yet,” said Molly in relief. She didn’t want Mrs. Peters to have any more babies. If she did she might decide she didn’t have time to be a troop leader. She might have to spend more time making baby cereal. And buying those little plastic educational toys so the baby wouldn’t be dumb.

  After all, Molly was an only child. Only children were fine. One was enough for Mrs. Peters.

  Kenny Baker held a trash bag open for leaves. But instead, Sonny Betz took a huge jump and landed inside it. Kenny pretended to close the bag and tie it up and drag it away. The bag yelled, “Hey! Let me out of here!” Then it jumped up and landed on Kenny and wrestled him to the ground.

  Mrs. Peters clapped her hands again. “What did we learn about plastic bags?” she said.

  “You can suffocate,” said Tracy Barnes.

  Sonny stuck his head out of the bag.

  “Let’s finish up,” said Rachel. “I want to know about the news.”

  The Pee Wees bagged all the leaves. Then they got into Mrs. Peters’s van and headed back to her house for the end of the meeting. “Everyone buckle up,” she said.

  “I’ll bet the news is a party,” said Tim Noon.

  “Maybe it’s a new mascot,” said Tracy.

  “We’ve already got a mascot. We’ve got Lucky,” said Lisa.

  Lucky was waiting for them at Mrs. Peters’s house. He had grown into a big dog since the Scouts got him.

  “I think,” said Mary Beth, “that the news is a contest. A Pee Wee Scout contest. Whoever has the most good deeds wins a car.”

  “Ho, ho,” Roger laughed. “Hey, Mary Beth, I’ll take a Corvette. A red one!” He chuckled.

  Soon all the boys were making engine noises. And holding make-believe steering wheels.

  “Varoooom!” shouted Tim.

  “My uncle won a car in a contest,” said Mary Beth. She looked hurt.

  “How many good deeds did he do?” Roger shouted. “Did he get a driving badge?” Roger bent over laughing.

  “The news could be a contest,” said Molly to Roger. “We could win a car. Mrs. Peters could drive it.”

  “Goo!” said Nick.

  “See, Nick thinks so too!” cried Lisa.

  “Here we are!” called Mrs. Peters, stopping the van in her driveway. “All out for some refreshments.”

  The Pee Wees tumbled out of the van. They raced one another to the front door. They washed up and gathered around the big table in Mrs. Peters’s basement. Mrs. Peters put baby Nick to bed for a nap.

  “Let’s hear the news,” demanded Kevin, hitting the table with his hand.

  “Let’s have our treat,” said Roger.

  Mrs. Peters poured milk into glasses. She got out some cans of soda pop. And she put some apples and oranges and grapes on the table. Molly carried in a tray of brownies.

  “Yummm,” said Mary. Beth, rubbing her stomach. “I’m starving.”

  While the Pee Wees were munching, Mrs. Peters said, “My big news is about the Pee Wee Jubilee. It’s far away, in Atlanta, Georgia. And guess what? We are all going!”

  CHAPTER

  2

  That Jewel Thing

  The Scouts stopped eating. They didn’t say anything. They stared at their leader.

  “In the ocean?” said Sonny. “Is it in the Atlanta Ocean?”

  “I’m glad it isn’t another baby,” said Molly in relief.

  “A party would have been better,” said Tim.

  Mrs. Peters laughed. “It is a party,” she said. “A great big party.”

  The Pee Wees look
ed doubtful.

  “A jubilee is like a party,” Mrs. Peters explained.

  “My mom wears that around her neck and on her arms and her fingers,” said Sonny.

  Mrs. Peters frowned. “I think you mean jewelry,” she said. “A jubilee is a big festival. Pee Wee Scouts from all over the country come together for a weekend. They meet new friends and play games. They camp out in tents and learn how other Scouts live. They sing and go to meetings and find out what it means to be a Pee Wee Scout.”

  “We know what it means to be a Pee Wee Scout,” said Sonny. “I don’t want to go to that jewelry thing in the ocean.”

  “Atlanta is a big city,” said Mrs. Peters.

  Lisa raised her hand. “Do we get off school?” she asked.

  Mrs. Peters shook her head. “It is from Friday afternoon until Sunday night,” she said. “You won’t have to miss any school.”

  The Pee Wees groaned. They liked to miss school.

  “I get homesick,” said Sonny.

  “That’s the next good news,” said Mrs. Peters. “Your parents come too. No one will get homesick. This is a family jubilee!”

  “My mom and dad won’t go,” said Tracy. “Because of the baby.”

  “I talked to your mother about that, and they’re able to come,” said Mrs. Peters.

  Mrs. Peters told them about the fun they would have with new Pee Wees. She talked about the games and crafts and bonfires and good food. Soon the Scouts got excited about the Jubilee. Before long even Sonny wanted to go.

  “We have to label our belongings. And make name tags. And make a banner for Troop 23.”

  “Can Lucky and Tiny come?” asked Kenny.

  “No dogs allowed,” said Mrs. Peters. “They will have to stay in a kennel.”

  “Arf!” said Tiny, Mrs. Peters’s Labrador.

  “Yip!” said Lucky.

  The dogs ran in circles.

  “Most of your parents know about this,” said Mrs. Peters loudly. The dogs barked more. “But we wanted to surprise all of you with the news today.”

  “Yeah!” The Scouts cheered for the Pee Wee Jubilee.

  They helped clean up the crumbs and dishes. Then they said their Pee Wee Scout pledge. After that they sang the Pee Wee Scout song.

  “Put the last weekend of September on your calendar!” called Mrs. Peters as they left. “See you next week.”

  * * *

  “It will feel scary to go so far from home,” said Lisa.

  “Naw,” said Rachel. “It will be fun. I’ve been all the way to Hawaii. That’s far.”

  “Weren’t you scared?” asked Tracy.

  “Nope,” said Rachel. “And I flew on a plane too. Over the ocean.”

  “This will be more fun,” said Patty. “Because all of us will go together.”

  Molly couldn’t wait to get home and talk to her mom and dad about it. She waved to her friends and ran the rest of the way. She burst in the back door all out of breath.

  “Guess what?” she said. Mrs. Duff was setting the table for dinner. “Mrs. Peters told us about the Pee Wee Jubilee. It’s far away and the parents come too! We play games and sing and meet new Scouts and camp out.”

  Her mother laughed. “I know,” she said. “We heard all about it.”

  Molly climbed up on the chair so she could reach the calendar. She circled the last weekend in September with a pencil. “This is when we go,” she said.

  Mrs. Duff looked at the calendar. She had a plate in one hand. “Oh, no!” she said. “It can’t be that weekend. I thought it was the weekend before! That last weekend in September is Aunt Carol’s wedding. Dad and I won’t be able to go to the Jubilee if it’s on the same day as the wedding.”

  “Why does she have to get married on the last Saturday in September? Why can’t she change it?” said Molly. “Mom! You have to come! All the other parents will be there.”

  “I’m sorry, honey. We can’t skip Aunt Carol’s wedding. She’s Daddy’s sister.”

  “Tell Aunt Carol to get married the next week!” cried Molly. “Please?”

  CHAPTER

  3

  Orphan Molly

  Mrs. Duff put down the plate. “We can’t change a wedding, Molly. Invitations are sent out and the church is reserved and the flowers are ordered.”

  Mrs. Duff ran into the living room to talk to Mr. Duff. Then they both looked at the calendar again.

  “I thought the Jubilee was the middle weekend in September,” he said.

  They thought and thought about what to do. Finally Molly’s father said, “Well, we can’t miss my sister’s wedding.”

  “You can’t miss the Jubilee!” cried Molly.

  “You can go anyway.” said Mrs. Duff. “I am sure Mary Beth’s family won’t mind if you go with them. Or Lisa’s. I’ll bet even Mrs. Betz would be glad to have a little girl for a weekend.”

  Mrs. Betz! Be Mrs. Betz’s little girl?

  Oh, no!

  Molly ran to her room. She didn’t feel like eating dinner. She would be the only Scout without parents. Molly cried into her pillow.

  Soon she heard her mother at the door.

  “You don’t have to go with the Betzes,” Mrs. Duff said softly. “I called Mrs. Kelly. You can go with Mary Beth. Won’t that be fun?”

  Molly nodded. She didn’t mind the Kellys. But it wouldn’t be the same as having her own parents with her. She would be an orphan! Homeless. Someone extra. Everyone would point to her and say, Her mom and dad couldn’t come.

  The next morning on the playground, Mary Beth came running up to Molly.

  “You’re going with me!” she said, jumping up and down. “We’ll be like sisters!”

  Mary Beth put her arm around Molly. Molly felt confused. How could she complain about being an orphan in front of Mary Beth?

  Mary Beth was running all over the playground telling everyone the news.

  “How come you aren’t going with your own family?” asked Rachel.

  Molly wanted to say, None of your beeswax. But instead she said, “My mom and dad have to go to a wedding. It’s all planned.”

  “My dad canceled a business meeting,” said Rachel.

  “Well, you can’t cancel a wedding,” muttered Molly.

  “You could come with my family,” Lisa offered. “How come you didn’t come with me? Do you like Mary Beth better than me?”

  If Molly said she liked Lisa better, Mary Beth would be hurt. If she said she liked Mary Beth better, then Lisa would be hurt. This Jubilee thing was getting off on the wrong foot.

  “My mom made the plans,” said Molly.

  At recess Tracy said, “You could have come with my family.”

  After school Sonny said, “I’m glad you didn’t have to come with me.”

  Molly wished she didn’t have to go at all. Maybe she should go to her aunt’s wedding instead. But Mrs. Peters wouldn’t like that. And besides, weddings were dull.

  * * *

  Soon it was Tuesday and time for another Pee Wee Scout meeting.

  “Guess what?” said Mrs. Peters, smiling. “I have some more news!”

  Oh, no, thought Molly. More trouble.

  “We had planned to drive to the Jubilee,” said Mrs. Peters. “But it is so far away that we found we would need more days than we have. So guess what we are going to do?”

  “Stay home?” said Tim.

  Mrs. Peters laughed and shook her head.

  “Take a bus!” said Kenny.

  “A boat!” said Sonny.

  “No.” Mrs. Peters laughed. “We are going to fly. I have worked things out with your parents and we got the tickets at a bargain rate, so we are all going on a big jet.”

  “Big deal,” scoffed Rachel. “I fly all the time.”

  None of the other Scouts had ever been in an airplane.

  “Whoopee!” shouted Roger, sailing around the room with his arms out like wings. “A jet!”

  “Zooooom!” went Kevin. Soon all the boys were making airplane noises.r />
  “We have to fly over many states,” said Mrs. Peters above the noise. “But we will get there quickly by plane. Then we will have more time to enjoy the Jubilee.”

  Things were happening too fast for Molly.

  A jubilee.

  A new family.

  A trip without her parents.

  And her first ride on an airplane.

  Sonny began to cry. “There are too many of us,” he cried. “The plane will fall!”

  “Dummy,” said Roger. “Planes hold millions of people. Even fat people.”

  “Planes fly all the time without falling. And your mother will be with you,” said Mrs. Peters.

  Molly was disgusted. She was glad she wasn’t going with the Betzes.

  During the rest of the meeting the Scouts planned what to take. They made a Troop 23 banner to carry. They made a big poster too. It said PEE WEE SCOUT TROOP 23 at the top. The rest of the poster had photographs pasted all over it. Pictures of the Pee Wees playing football and softball and doing good deeds.

  “We want to show the other Scouts what our troop does here in our town. And at the Jublilee we will find out what the other troops do,” said Mrs. Peters.

  When they finished the poster, she passed out paper that was sticky on one side to make name tags.

  “We will wear these name tags on the plane and the whole time we are at the Jubilee,” she said. “Then everyone will learn your name.”

  Suddenly Rachel waved her hand. “Mrs. Peters! Mrs. Peters! Molly wrote Molly Duff. Shouldn’t she write Molly Kelly because she will be part of the Kelly family at the Jubilee because her parents can’t come?”

  “Her name is still Molly Duff, Rachel,” said Mrs. Peters.

  Molly stuck her tongue out at Rachel.

  After the name tags were finished, Mrs. Peters talked about how to act on a plane. About the seat belts and the safety rules. About the rest rooms and trays for dinner. About not running in the aisles.

  “How can they cook on a plane?” asked Patty.

  “They even show movies,” said Rachel.

  “How can they do all that up in the air?” asked Tracy.

  Mrs. Peters answered all of their questions. Then she talked more about the Jubilee.