One 日 Mama said, "William Everett, now that 你 have nice 鳄鱼 teeth, we must go to Mr. Hippo's store and get 你 a toothbrush before 你 start school tomorrow."
William Everett liked Mr. Hippo's store because it was full of things. He and Mama walked up one aisle and down another.
They stopped in front of the toothbrush counter. "You may choose your own toothbrush, William Everett," Mama said.
William Everett looked and looked.
"Hi!" 说 a toothbrush. "What's your name?"
"My name's William Everett. What's yours?"
"Pete," 说 the toothbrush.
"I found the toothbrush I want, Mama," 说 William Everett. "His name is Pete."
"Good," 说 Mama. "We can go 首页 now."
So Pete became William Everett's toothbrush.
And his best friend, too.
The 下一个 morning Mama said, "William Everett, wake up. It's time to go to school."
"Oh, Mama," William Everett said. "I can't wait to read and write and learn all about 鳄鱼 history."
"Someday, I will be proud of you, William Everett," Mama said.
"Now, class," 说 Ms. Ibis. "Today, we are going to learn the alphabet. Then we will be able to write our names. Now, repeat after me...."
The little crocodiles repeated after Ms. Ibis.
"A-B-C-D-E-F-G...."
They 说 the whole alphabet.
They 说 the letters over and over again until they knew all of them 由 heart.
"Well, William Everett," 说 Mama. "What did 你 learn in school today?"
"William Everett, say the alphabet," 说 Pete. William Everett 说 every letter without a mistake.
"Oh, William Everett," Mama said. "That was beautiful."
The 下一个 day, Ms. 宜必思, 宜必思酒店 taught the class how to write all the letters.
The little crocodiles wrote the letters over and over until they could write them 由 heart.
"And what did 你 learn today, William Everett?" Mama asked.
"William Everett, write the letters," 说 Pete.
William Everett wrote every letter without one mistake.
"You're so smart, William Everett," Mama said. "Someday, 你 will be famous."
"Today, class, we are going to write our names," 说 Ms. Ibis.
She showed all the little crocodiles just what letters each one had in his 或者 her name.
They wrote and wrote and wrote and smiled and smiled and smiled.
The letters spelled out: Sam-Jane-John-Kay-Kate-Tom-Amy...
They all wrote and smiled some more.
All except William Everett. He had so many letters in his name that he kept forgetting at least one of them.
Poor William Everett.
Big tears ran down his nose.
"Is something wrong, William Everett?" Pete asked.
"I'll never learn how to write my name," he cried. "It has too many letters."
"Now, now, William Everett," 说 Pete. "I think I can help 你 to write your name and not forget any letters."
He took a pencil and wrote.
"Did 你 learn something today, William Everett?" asked Mama.
"Yes, Mama, I learned to write my name," 说 William Everett.
"Oh, Bill." Mama beamed.
One Saturday, when there was no school, Bill and Pete went down to the River Nile and sat on the bank in the sun. A man on a bicycle went riding by.
Behind the bicycle were cages filled with crocodiles.
"I wonder what that's all about?" 说 Bill.
"That's the Bad Guy, and those crocodiles are on their way to Cairo-to become suitcases," 说 an old 鳄鱼 swimming by. "Watch out he doesn't catch you!"
But he did. The very 下一个 Saturday.
Bill and Pete were fishing and they didn't hear the Bad Guy creep up behind them.
The Bad Guy lassoed Bill and put him in a cage. He didn't pay attention to Pete.
Pete tried to peck the Bad Guy, but Pete was just too small.
Poor Bill!
He was on his way to Cairo.
All he could think about was suitcases.
《勇敢传说》 Pete!
He stayed close to his friend.
The Bad Guy put Bill in his garden and went into the house.
"Run me a nice hot tub, Jeeves," the Bad Guy 说 to his butler. "I will take a bath before dinner. I got me another 鳄鱼 today and I need a nap. Call me when the bath is ready."
"Tomorrow that 鳄鱼 becomes a suitcase," he added.
"Not if I have anything to say about it," 说 Pete. "I'm 更多 than JUST a toothbrush."
And Pete picked the lock with his beak.
"Quick, Bill. Let's get out of here," 说 Pete.
"No, I'm mad!" 说 Bill. "I'm going to make sure there are no 更多 鳄鱼 suitcases."
Bill climbed the wall.
He crept through the living room into the bathroom.
"Your bath is ready, sir," 说 Jeeves.
And there was Bill, right with the rubber ducky.
The Bad Guy jumped out of the window and didn't stop running all the way to Cairo.
"Oh, look, a nice dinner," 说 Pete.
"And am I hungry," 说 Bill.
"Mama, 你 don't have to cook 晚餐 for us tonight," Bill 说 when they got home. And he told her what had happened.
"Oh, Bill. Oh, Pete," Mama exclaimed. "What an adventure. I am so proud of the two of you."
Before going to sleep,
I always closed the closet door.
I was even afraid to turn around and look.
When I was 安全 in bed, I'd peek...
sometimes.
One night I decided to get rid of my nightmare once and for all.
As soon as the room was dark, I heard him creeping toward me.
Quickly, I turned on the light and caught him sitting at the foot of my bed.
"Go away, Nightmare, 或者 I'll shoot you," I said.
I shot him anyway.
My nightmare began to cry.
I was mad...
but not too mad.
"Nightmare, be quiet 或者 you'll wake Mommy and Daddy," I said.
He wouldn't stop crying so I took him 由 the hand
and tucked him in bed
and closed the closet door.
I suppose there's another nightmare in my closet, but my bed's not big enough for three.
