Blue Ribbon Blues Read Free Page A

“He won the blue ribbon last year. I asked him to come over and teach you how to show your goat.”
    When Jack came near, Tooter grabbed hischeek and shook it. “Wattle!” she declared.

    Jack did the same thing to Tooter. “Wattle yourself.”
    Aunt Sally laughed. “Well, it beats shaking hands.”
    “My goat has a name now,” Tooter said. “It’s Pepperoni.”
    “Pepperoni?” said Jack. “What kind of name is that?”
    Tooter ignored the question. “And Pepperoni is going to be in the goat show. And she’s going to win the blue ribbon.”
    Jack laughed. “
Your
goat is going to beat
my
goat? I don’t think so.”
    “Not only that,” said Aunt Sally, “but you are going to teach Tooter how to show her goat.”
    “But, Miss Sally,” said Jack, “why should I help somebody else beat my own goat?”
    “Because you want your new neighbor to be a fine farmer, just like yourself,” said Aunt Sally.
    Tooter batted her eyelashes. “And because I’m so nice.”
    Aunt Sally clapped her hands. “Okay, you two. Get down to work. I’ve got honey to pour.” She handed the goat over to Jackand headed for the honey house.
    “Guess what?” Tooter said to Jack. “A coyote ate one of our chickens.”
    Jack shook his head grimly. “Here too, huh? Last week it got one of my rabbits.”
    “Aunt Sally says they don’t go after kids.”
    “I sure hope not,” said Jack.
    Tooter had had enough talk of coyotes. “So,” she said, “are you going to teach me how to show my goat?”
    Jack shrugged. “Why not? I can teach you all Miss Sally wants, but your goat will never beat my goat.”
    Tooter whispered in Pepperoni’s ear. “Hear that, Pep? Are you gonna let him say that to you? Let’s show him who’s the best goat around here.”
    Jack just shook his head. “Can we begin now?”
    Tooter stood at attention. She saluted. “Yes,
sir
.”
    Jack pulled Pepperoni along by the yellow plastic rope around her neck. “This is how you walk the goat.” He led the goat in a circle. “Walk slow, like this.”
    “What if my goat wants to walk fast?” Tooter asked.
    “Make her walk slow,” said Jack. “Show her who’s boss.”
    Tooter wagged a finger in Pepperoni’s face. “Hear that, Pep? I’m the boss.”
    Jack went on. “Keep her head steady, close to you.”
    “Close to me?” said Tooter. “How close is close? What if she sneezes on me?”
    Jack groaned. “She won’t.”
    “But what if she
does?
” Tooter insisted. “Should I bring a hankie?”
    Jack glared at her. “Yes,
yes
. Bring ahankie. Bring
ten
hankies. Now can I continue?”

    Tooter curtsied. “Be my guest.”
    “Okay,” said Jack. “You’re walking slow. See? You’re keeping her head close to you. And steady. And don’t pull her head down.Keep it high.”
    “Why?” said Tooter.
    “Because you’re supposed to look proper,” said Jack.
    Tooter walked around with her nose in the air. “This isn’t proper. This is snooty.”
    “Whatever,” said Jack. “And don’t look at the goat.”
    “Don’t look?” Tooter screeched. “What kind of rule is that?”
    Jack said, “How do I know? It’s a rule, so just obey it.”
    “But what if Pepperoni looks at me?”
    “She won’t.”
    “But what if she
does?
Am I supposed to ignore my own goat? That’s rude.”
    Jack faced the honey house. “Miss Sally!” he called. “Your niece is being silly! She won’t listen!”
    “He’s being grouchy!” Tooter added.
    Aunt Sally’s voice came from the honey house. “Be nice!”
    Tooter wagged her finger in Jack’s face. “See? Be nice.”
    Jack bit his lip. He took a deep breath and went on with the lesson. He showedTooter how to stand the goat for the judge’s inspection. “Front and back legs apart,” he said. “Form a perfect rectangle.”
    “I like triangles,” said Tooter.
    “Fine,” growled Jack. “Then get yourself a three-legged goat.”
    Tooter laughed. “Hey, that was a good one. You’re a funny farmer,