Part 3 (2/2)
”Let's go see.”
The kitchen table was covered with Magic Markers, glitter pens, glue, and pictures of elephants. Some Babar books lay open for reference.
”Awfully quiet in here,” Kristy murmured to Mallory as they watched the girls work.
Mal nodded. ”They take this b.u.t.ton business very seriously. Their pictures of Babar have to be perfect. At least that's what Margo told me.”
Margo looked up. ”I decided just to do Babar's head. Does it look okay?”
Claire peered over Marge's shoulder. ”It looks like a dog with big ears.”
Margo was crestfallen. ”It does?”
”Of course not,” said Kristy. ”If you make the nose just a little bit longer, it will be perfect. Also, put a bit of Babar's green suit in the picture and everyone will know who he is right away.”
”Especially if we write Free Babar on the b.u.t.tons,” Vanessa pointed out.
”Vanessa hasn't drawn one elephant picture,” Margo complained. ”I've had to do them all.”
Vanessa was bent over her paper, working diligently. Scattered on the floor around her were crumpled pieces of paper.
”If you're not painting Babar,” Kristy asked, ”what are you doing?”
”I've written a poem,” Vanessa said, blus.h.i.+ng slightly. She kept her arm crooked around her paper. ”But it's not ready yet so don't anybody look.”
Mallory patted her on the shoulder. ”Come on, Vanessa, let's hear it. It doesn't have to be finished.”
Vanessa thought about it for a second, then moved her arm. ”You read it,” she said to Mal.
”Babar the elephant Is very, very sad.
If you help him find a home He will be oh, so glad.”
”That's really great, Vanessa,” Kristy said. ”Don't change a word.”
”Now we have two kinds of b.u.t.tons to sell,” Kristy said.
”Three!” Claire held up her drawing. It was an elephant with a banana almost his size next to him.
”Three!” Kristy took Claire's b.u.t.ton drawing. ”Good work, guys.”
Mallory raised one finger. ”We don't exactly have the b.u.t.tons yet. Remember, we can't make the machine work.”
Kristy rubbed her hands together. ”I read the instructions. We'll be making b.u.t.tons in no time.”
”Here.” Margo handed her the picture of the dog with big ears. ”Do this one first. I made a bigger nose and wrote 'Free Babar,' on it.”
”Write 'Free Babar,' on mine, too,” Claire cried.
”I'll do it,” Mallory said, taking the drawing and printing the words in her best calligraphy.
”Here we go!” Kristy took the first b.u.t.tons to the dining room to a.s.semble them in the machine.
Mallory stayed with the girls, helping Margo draw elephant noses that were big enough, and gathering Claire's banana drawings. She was also ready to help Vanessa with her spelling, which tended to be creative.
Meanwhile in the dining room, Kristy tinkered with the Badge-o-matic, reading the instructions out loud as she followed them. ”First, place the big ring in your palm and set the metal back, the artwork, and the plastic cover in its center. Be sure they're dead center. Now put the thin ring on top of that, and the lid over that. Put your other hand over your palm and press the pieces together. But not too hard.”
”This is confusing,” Nicky said. ”You're telling me,” Kristy muttered. She looked at the paper again. ”Now place the metal backing on top, flip it over, and place the entire b.u.t.ton in the Badge-o-matic. Press down lever.”
Adam pushed down the lever. Nicky held up a perfectly shaped b.u.t.ton with Claire's elephant in the middle. ”Look! Our first b.u.t.ton!”
”All right!” The triplets gave each other and Kristy high-fives.
Kristy studied the instructions again. ”It looks like the problem spot happens when you put the metal clasp on the back, press down with your palm, and flip the badge. That's probably where things go wrong.”
”No. We got confused way before that,” Nicky said.
”Well, we know what we're doing now,” Kristy replied. ”We can declare the Badge-o-matic factory officially open.”
Margo's picture was done next, and then came Vanessa's poem. In the meantime, Claire had made several more elephants and Mallory had joined in with her own interpretation of Babar. By the end of an hour they had successfully a.s.sembled twelve b.u.t.tons.
”I think we should start selling them,” Vanessa said.
”But don't you want to make more?” Kristy asked.
”No!” Claire shook her head furiously. ”We need money for Babar. Right now.”
Kristy looked at Mallory and shrugged. ”I guess we can do a test run. You know, just to see if anyone is interested in buying them.”
Mal checked her watch. ”We have one more hour before Mom and Dad are due home. That'll give us enough time to cover a good chunk of the neighborhood.”
Kristy nodded. ”Why don't we divide into two groups? You take your kids to the neighbors around your house, making sure to hit Burnt Hill Road and Elm Street. And I'll take my group over to Bradford Court, Fawcett Avenue, and Kimball Street.”
Vanessa found two baskets, and the kids carefully divided up the b.u.t.tons, six in each.
Then Byron, Margo, and Claire went off with Kristy, while Mallory took Vanessa and the rest of the boys with her.
”Hold it!” Kristy shouted when Mallory and the others were halfway across the lawn. ”We haven't settled on a price for the b.u.t.tons.” ”One million dollars!” Claire cried. Mallory looked down at the basket. ”A dollar?”
”No.” Byron crossed his arms stubbornly. ”They're worth more than that.” Mallory shrugged. ”Five dollars?” As usual, Kristy was the one with the best idea. ”I know. We'll say, These are on sale for a suggested donation of five dollars. If you can't afford that, we'll take less. If you'd like to give more, that would be wonderful, too.' ” ”Excellent!” Adam cried, pumping his fist in the air. ”They'll probably give us ten!”
The kids raced out of the yard with their baskets, looking like Halloween trick-or-treaters heading for their first house. Kristy and Mal made sure they guided their charges toward a few surefire wins.
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