Bobby and the Hall Monsters
--continued from page 2--
"OK Bobby, what now?" She looked around as if a herd of monsters might come charging any minute.
"The monsters only come if you're doing work, and they hate math the most of all."
"All right." She took some flashcards from her pocket. The equations were written in bright colors. "Now Bobby, instead of just saying the times table for 12, I want you to stare at each card, then shut your eyes and try to see the numbers in your head--like they were written in colored chalk on a pretend blackboard."
"Sounds goofy."
"Oh yeah? And which one of us got the math trophy last year?"
"OK, go ahead."
She pulled out the "12 X 4 = 48" card. It was written in bright green, just like Snake's fur.
"I feel stupid" Bobby said.
"Just try."
After going through the stack three times Elaine asked, "Bobby, are you sure there's really monsters out here?"
"I swear, Boscoe & Snake are real!"
"Well, well, well. I think I heard my name."
Snake pushed Bobby over, then leaned towards Elaine and showed his pointy teeth.
"So shrimp, you've got yourself a pretty little girlfriend."
Elaine gasped and pushed away from Snake, scattering the flashcards.
Bobby squeezed between them.
"Ah knock it off Snake, Elaine isn't my girlfriend, she's just out here same as me."
Snake picked up Bobby by the collar. "If I say she's your girlfriend, she's your girlfriend!"
"Who's got a girlfriend?" Boscoe strolled over flicking a jump rope like a bullwhip.
Snake held Bobby up higher.
"The shrimp does Boscoe, only he's too chicken to admit it!"
Elaine quickly picked up the dropped flashcards.
"Leave us alone! We weren't hurting anyone, just studying times tables. Look!"
She showed the top card to Boscoe and he jumped back like he was burned.
He swatted the cards from her fingers and roared "You don't know much about the way we run things around here!"
"I know twelve times eight is ninety-six!"
"Ahhhhhrrrggggh" screamed Boscoe. The jump rope fell to the ground as he clutched his heart.
Snake gasped and tossed Bobby aside.
"Twelve times four is forty-eight!" Elaine continued.
"Seven times twelve is..."
"Enough!" Snake dove for Elaine and covered her mouth.
Bobby beat on Snake's back, but he flung him away with one paw.
"Boscoe untie my bandanna and gag her before she cremates us with her math!"
"Ok Snake."
"Leave her alone, I'm the one you want!" yelled Bobby.
"Naw shrimp, we won't ever have to worry about you learning math."
They tied Elaine's hands with the jumprope and started to carry her off. Her eyes pleaded with Bobby to stop them.
Bobby quickly read one of the fallen flashcards.
"Look Snake, Five times Twelve is sixty!"
The monsters just laughed, "Reading don't count kid!"
Frantically Bobby ran after them trying to remember his times-tables.
Outside, he saw the monsters tying Elaine to the monkey bars. Snake's green fur gleammed in the sunlight. Bright green, like the "12 X 4" card!
Elaine's voice came back to him, "See the numbers in your head, like on a pretend blackboard."
He rushed over to the monsters and shut his eyes.
"Look Snake," said Boscoe, "the itty bitty boy is trying to make the big old monsters disappear."
The monsters laughed and laughed.
"Twelve times four is forty-eight!" Bobby yelled.
"Arrrrghhhghgh" screamed the monsters.
"Twelve times seven is eight-four!"
"NOOOooooooo" gasped the monsters as they slumped into a helpless heap.
Bobby freed Elaine and they tied Boscoe and Snake's hands firmly with the jumprope.
Elaine got Mrs. Jenkins while Bobby kept the monsters quiet by repeating his times tables. After awhile, the twelve's became something he didn't even have to think about, something like the alphabet.
"Heavens Bobby, what are they?" Mrs. Jenkins asked.
"Hall Monsters, Mrs. Jenkins. These are the culprits who won't let kids study and they refuse to learn their own timetables!"
"Shameful," Mrs. Jenkins clucked, "Just shameful! I think some furry young fellows are going to have detention tonight!"
The monsters hung their shaggy heads.
"And Bobby dear, I owe you an apology."
Bobby looked down at his sneakers. "That's Ok Mrs. Jenkins, I'm just glad I finally learned my lesson!"