Read Online Mr. Chickee's Messy Mission by Christopher Paul Curtis - Free Book Online
Authors: Christopher Paul Curtis
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to Steven. “Wow! Here, Bucko, this is yours. This is the weirdest nightmare!”
Richelle said, “Russell, you've got to get hold of yourself, this is not a nightmare.”
Russell said, “Nice try, Madam President! If this was really happening, would Mr. Chickee be sitting under that tree with a newspaper in his lap talking to that tall, skinny African lady? I don't think so. Take my word for it, I've had nightmares like this before.”
Steven and Richelle looked where Russell was pointing,and sure enough, the man who was sitting in a tall leather chair with his back turned toward them did look a lot like Steven's friend who was blind, Mr. Chickee. But this man
was
reading a newspaper.
The boys jumped off the porch and ran toward the man and a tall, thin woman in African dress.
The man threw his head back and laughed. There were no ifs, ands or buts, this was Mr. Chickee!
The Return of Mr. Chickee
M R . C HICKEE ?”
The man turned his head, and as soon as the boys saw his face they froze.
“Oops!” Russell said.
“We thought you …,” Steven started to say. “Wow! Are you Mr. Chickee's twin brother?”
The man looked from one boy to the other. “Steven! Russell! How are my two favorite Flintstones?”
Russell whispered, “Not a nightmare, huh, Bucko? I think we're having a dream about clones, this guy looks exactly like Mr. Chickee except he isn't carrying a cane and I think he can see.”
The man laughed. “Steven, close your mouth. What would Mr. Mitchell at the corner store say if he saw a FlintFuture Detective looking so … well … so goofy? He'd probably stop you from ever buying Vernor's and Paramount potato chips.”
Steven was shocked! Every Saturday morning he and Mr. Chickee used to go to Mitchell's Food Fair and get pop and potato chips. Who else but Mr. Chickee would know that?
“You
are
Mr. Chickee!”
Mr. Chickee smiled and opened his arms to give the boys a hug, but they seemed stuck, like their feet were set in concrete.
Mr. Chickee turned to Richelle and put out his hand. “Othello Chickee's the name, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. Welcome to Ourside.”
Richelle shook the offered hand.
“My name's Richelle Cyrus-Herndon. It's nice to meet you, sir. I've heard a lot about you, but I was starting to wonder if you were nothing but Steven's and Russell's minds playing tricks on them.”
Mr. Chickee laughed and said, “They do have two of the wildest imaginations I've ever seen, which is one of the reasons I'm so fond of them. Another reason is you'll never make two other friends who are more loyal and true.”
Richelle wrinkled her brow and said, “Humph!”
Steven and Russell were still staring at each other in a state of shock.
Steven looked at Russell, then back at Mr. Chickee again, then back at Russell, then back …
Russell looked at Steven, then back at Mr. Chickee, then back at Steven again, then back …
It was hard to believe there was even one drop of common sense between the two of them!
Richelle shook her head. “They're the only two people I know who can get brain freeze without even drinking a slushie! As you can see, they don't handle surprises and new ideas very well.”
Mr. Chickee smiled and said, “But as
you
know, there aren't two bigger hearts in all of Yourside.”
Richelle snuffled again. “That's the second time you've said something like that, Mr. Chickee. Where on earth are you talking about when you say ‘our side’ and ‘your side’?”
“Yourside, one word, capitalized. And that's exactly right. It's right on Earth.”
Richelle twisted her lips to the right, wrinkled her brow and tapped her foot.
Mr. Chickee said, “Once the three of you came through the porch, you landed in Ourside, one word, capitalized. You left what we call Yourside, which is your Earth.”
“So we're not on Earth anymore?”
“Technically, it's iffy. Earth is another dimension of here, or here is another dimension of Earth, no one's quite
Richelle said, “Russell, you've got to get hold of yourself, this is not a nightmare.”
Russell said, “Nice try, Madam President! If this was really happening, would Mr. Chickee be sitting under that tree with a newspaper in his lap talking to that tall, skinny African lady? I don't think so. Take my word for it, I've had nightmares like this before.”
Steven and Richelle looked where Russell was pointing,and sure enough, the man who was sitting in a tall leather chair with his back turned toward them did look a lot like Steven's friend who was blind, Mr. Chickee. But this man
was
reading a newspaper.
The boys jumped off the porch and ran toward the man and a tall, thin woman in African dress.
The man threw his head back and laughed. There were no ifs, ands or buts, this was Mr. Chickee!
The Return of Mr. Chickee
M R . C HICKEE ?”
The man turned his head, and as soon as the boys saw his face they froze.
“Oops!” Russell said.
“We thought you …,” Steven started to say. “Wow! Are you Mr. Chickee's twin brother?”
The man looked from one boy to the other. “Steven! Russell! How are my two favorite Flintstones?”
Russell whispered, “Not a nightmare, huh, Bucko? I think we're having a dream about clones, this guy looks exactly like Mr. Chickee except he isn't carrying a cane and I think he can see.”
The man laughed. “Steven, close your mouth. What would Mr. Mitchell at the corner store say if he saw a FlintFuture Detective looking so … well … so goofy? He'd probably stop you from ever buying Vernor's and Paramount potato chips.”
Steven was shocked! Every Saturday morning he and Mr. Chickee used to go to Mitchell's Food Fair and get pop and potato chips. Who else but Mr. Chickee would know that?
“You
are
Mr. Chickee!”
Mr. Chickee smiled and opened his arms to give the boys a hug, but they seemed stuck, like their feet were set in concrete.
Mr. Chickee turned to Richelle and put out his hand. “Othello Chickee's the name, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. Welcome to Ourside.”
Richelle shook the offered hand.
“My name's Richelle Cyrus-Herndon. It's nice to meet you, sir. I've heard a lot about you, but I was starting to wonder if you were nothing but Steven's and Russell's minds playing tricks on them.”
Mr. Chickee laughed and said, “They do have two of the wildest imaginations I've ever seen, which is one of the reasons I'm so fond of them. Another reason is you'll never make two other friends who are more loyal and true.”
Richelle wrinkled her brow and said, “Humph!”
Steven and Russell were still staring at each other in a state of shock.
Steven looked at Russell, then back at Mr. Chickee again, then back at Russell, then back …
Russell looked at Steven, then back at Mr. Chickee, then back at Steven again, then back …
It was hard to believe there was even one drop of common sense between the two of them!
Richelle shook her head. “They're the only two people I know who can get brain freeze without even drinking a slushie! As you can see, they don't handle surprises and new ideas very well.”
Mr. Chickee smiled and said, “But as
you
know, there aren't two bigger hearts in all of Yourside.”
Richelle snuffled again. “That's the second time you've said something like that, Mr. Chickee. Where on earth are you talking about when you say ‘our side’ and ‘your side’?”
“Yourside, one word, capitalized. And that's exactly right. It's right on Earth.”
Richelle twisted her lips to the right, wrinkled her brow and tapped her foot.
Mr. Chickee said, “Once the three of you came through the porch, you landed in Ourside, one word, capitalized. You left what we call Yourside, which is your Earth.”
“So we're not on Earth anymore?”
“Technically, it's iffy. Earth is another dimension of here, or here is another dimension of Earth, no one's quite
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