the school skeleton usually hung from a hook.
“Miss Shotsky, where’s Mr. Bones?”
The nurse had her back to Dink. “Hanging in the corner, where he always is.”
Dink stared at the empty corner. The school skeleton had been there as long as Dink could remember. Miss Shotsky would bring it to each classroom when she told the kids how eating vegetables and drinking milk made strong bones. At holiday time, she always dressed Mr. Bones in costumes.
The only thing Dink saw in the corner was a red scarf hanging on a hook. “He’s not there,” Dink said.
Miss Shotsky turned around. “Don’t play tricks on the school nurse,” she said, grinning at Dink.
“I’m not,” Dink said, pointing at the vacant corner. “Look.”
Miss Shotsky looked. Her mouth dropped open. “Well, I’ll be hog-tied,” she said. “He
is
gone!”
“Maybe someone borrowed him,” Dink said.
“I don’t know when,” she said. “Mr. Bones was right there when I came in at seven-thirty I know because I put my scarf on him. No, someone swiped my skeleton!”
Miss Shotsky shook her head. “Anyway, let’s look at your boo-boo,” she said, removing the tissue.
In about five seconds, she had cleaned Dink’s finger and wrapped a Batman Band-Aid around it. “Now scoot back to class so I can tell Mr. Dillonabout Mr. Bones,” Miss Shotsky said. She grabbed Dink’s hand and dropped two wrapped chocolates into his palm.
“Thanks a lot,” he said.
“You’re welcome,” she said. “And if you tell anyone the nurse gave you candy, I’ll deny it!”
She patted Dink’s shoulder and walked him to the hallway. Admiring his Band-Aid, Dink ate one of the chocolates on his way back to class.
Mrs. Eagle had her back to Dink when he walked into his classroom. Every kid’s head was bent over the math quiz.
On the way to his seat, Dink dropped the other candy onto Ruth Rose’s desk. “Hey, what about me?” Josh squeaked.
Dink grinned and slipped into his seat.
CHAPTER 2
“Sorry I gave you a paper cut,” Josh told Dink at morning recess. The cool March wind made Dink’s eyes water. Gray clouds blew across the sky and a few mounds of snow still hadn’t melted.
“No problem,” Dink said. A soccer ball rolled against his feet, and Dink kicked it toward a bunch of kids.
“Does it still hurt?” Ruth Rose asked. Her hat and scarf matched the rest of her yellow outfit.
“Nope,” Dink said. Then he rememberedwhat had happened in Miss Shotsky’s office. “But guess what? Mr. Bones has disappeared!”
“The skeleton?” Josh said.
Dink nodded. “I noticed it was missing when I got my Band-Aid,” he said. “Miss Shotsky didn’t even know it was gone.”
“I wonder if someone stole it,” Ruth Rose said. She unwrapped the chocolate Dink had given her.
“Why would anyone steal a skeleton?” Josh said, eyeing the candy in Ruth Rose’s hand. “Share?” he asked.
Ruth Rose broke the candy in half and passed a chunk to Josh.
Dink shrugged. “The last time Miss Shotsky saw it was around seven-thirty this morning,” he said.
Just then they heard a whistle blow. Everyone lined up and entered the building.
Mrs. Eagle was waiting inside the door. “We’re going to the gym for a few minutes,” she told her class. “Mr. Dillon has an announcement to make.”
Led by their teachers, the third, fourth, and fifth graders trooped into the gym. The kindergarteners and first and second graders were already sitting in rows on the floor. Mr. Dillon was standing under the basketball hoop.
When the bigger kids were also seated, Mr. Dillon smiled. “Good morning, kids!” he said. “I have some sad news to report,” he went on. “Earlier today, the school skeleton disappeared out of the nurse’s office.”
Everyone started to talk. A fifth-grade boy with a deep voice said, “Who’d steal a skeleton? A zombie?” His buddies laughed, and his teacher gave him a look.
“If anyone has any information about the missing
“Miss Shotsky, where’s Mr. Bones?”
The nurse had her back to Dink. “Hanging in the corner, where he always is.”
Dink stared at the empty corner. The school skeleton had been there as long as Dink could remember. Miss Shotsky would bring it to each classroom when she told the kids how eating vegetables and drinking milk made strong bones. At holiday time, she always dressed Mr. Bones in costumes.
The only thing Dink saw in the corner was a red scarf hanging on a hook. “He’s not there,” Dink said.
Miss Shotsky turned around. “Don’t play tricks on the school nurse,” she said, grinning at Dink.
“I’m not,” Dink said, pointing at the vacant corner. “Look.”
Miss Shotsky looked. Her mouth dropped open. “Well, I’ll be hog-tied,” she said. “He
is
gone!”
“Maybe someone borrowed him,” Dink said.
“I don’t know when,” she said. “Mr. Bones was right there when I came in at seven-thirty I know because I put my scarf on him. No, someone swiped my skeleton!”
Miss Shotsky shook her head. “Anyway, let’s look at your boo-boo,” she said, removing the tissue.
In about five seconds, she had cleaned Dink’s finger and wrapped a Batman Band-Aid around it. “Now scoot back to class so I can tell Mr. Dillonabout Mr. Bones,” Miss Shotsky said. She grabbed Dink’s hand and dropped two wrapped chocolates into his palm.
“Thanks a lot,” he said.
“You’re welcome,” she said. “And if you tell anyone the nurse gave you candy, I’ll deny it!”
She patted Dink’s shoulder and walked him to the hallway. Admiring his Band-Aid, Dink ate one of the chocolates on his way back to class.
Mrs. Eagle had her back to Dink when he walked into his classroom. Every kid’s head was bent over the math quiz.
On the way to his seat, Dink dropped the other candy onto Ruth Rose’s desk. “Hey, what about me?” Josh squeaked.
Dink grinned and slipped into his seat.
CHAPTER 2
“Sorry I gave you a paper cut,” Josh told Dink at morning recess. The cool March wind made Dink’s eyes water. Gray clouds blew across the sky and a few mounds of snow still hadn’t melted.
“No problem,” Dink said. A soccer ball rolled against his feet, and Dink kicked it toward a bunch of kids.
“Does it still hurt?” Ruth Rose asked. Her hat and scarf matched the rest of her yellow outfit.
“Nope,” Dink said. Then he rememberedwhat had happened in Miss Shotsky’s office. “But guess what? Mr. Bones has disappeared!”
“The skeleton?” Josh said.
Dink nodded. “I noticed it was missing when I got my Band-Aid,” he said. “Miss Shotsky didn’t even know it was gone.”
“I wonder if someone stole it,” Ruth Rose said. She unwrapped the chocolate Dink had given her.
“Why would anyone steal a skeleton?” Josh said, eyeing the candy in Ruth Rose’s hand. “Share?” he asked.
Ruth Rose broke the candy in half and passed a chunk to Josh.
Dink shrugged. “The last time Miss Shotsky saw it was around seven-thirty this morning,” he said.
Just then they heard a whistle blow. Everyone lined up and entered the building.
Mrs. Eagle was waiting inside the door. “We’re going to the gym for a few minutes,” she told her class. “Mr. Dillon has an announcement to make.”
Led by their teachers, the third, fourth, and fifth graders trooped into the gym. The kindergarteners and first and second graders were already sitting in rows on the floor. Mr. Dillon was standing under the basketball hoop.
When the bigger kids were also seated, Mr. Dillon smiled. “Good morning, kids!” he said. “I have some sad news to report,” he went on. “Earlier today, the school skeleton disappeared out of the nurse’s office.”
Everyone started to talk. A fifth-grade boy with a deep voice said, “Who’d steal a skeleton? A zombie?” His buddies laughed, and his teacher gave him a look.
“If anyone has any information about the missing
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