Free Claudia and the Bad Joke by Ann M. Martin Page B

Betsy on a Saturday, from ten o’clock until three o’clock, while her parents went to a golf tournament. She was
    relieved that she didn’t have to feed Betsy first thing. I had had to, and Mallory had had to, and each time the snack had somehow led to
    a major joke. But by the time Dawn arrived, Betsy had already eaten breakfast and Mrs. Sobak said Dawn didn’t have to make lunch until about twelve-thirty.
          As soon as the Sobaks had left, Dawn said to Betsy, “Want to see the Kid-Kit I brought with me?”
          “What’s a Kid-Kit?” asked Betsy suspiciously.
          Ah-ha! thought Dawn. Betsy is suspicious. That must mean that she’s worried about having jokes played on her. Well, she had every reason to be suspicious.
          “A Kid-Kit,” said Dawn, “is just a box full of fun. Toys and games and stuff. I left it in the living room. Come on and take a look at it.”
          Dawn led Betsy into the living room. They sat on the floor with the Kid-Kit between them.
          “I brought Old Maid,” Dawn began as she opened the box, “and Mad Libs and a really great book called Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and some other stuff.”
          Dawn was looking at Betsy as she spoke, but fishing around in the Kid-Kit with one
    hand. She felt the deck of cards, she felt some books, she felt a pad of paper and a box of crayons, she felt slime.
          “Aughh! Oh, no! Ew!” Dawn jerked her hand out of the Kid-Kit. “Oh, there’s something slimy in there!” She looked at her hand. “And it’s green. . and it’s on me! Ew! GROSS!”
          Dawn was just working up the nerve to look inside the Kid-Kit when she realized that Betsy’s face was turning red.
          “Betsy,” said Dawn warningly.
          Betsy burst out laughing. “Gotcha! I slimed you!” she cried. “I slimed you! I saw the KidKit as soon as you came in. While you were talking to Mom and Daddy, I dumped the slime in the box. And you put your hand right in it!”
          “That’s nice, Betsy,” said Dawn. “That’s very nice. Thank you so much. I want you to know that I really appreciate your ruining my Kid-Kit.”
          “Oh, it’s not ruined,” Betsy assured her. “The slime is just one big glob. I can get it all out of the box at once. I’ll show you.”
          Betsy reached her hand in the box and withdrew the slime. Sure enough, it was in one big glob. Dawn checked the Kid-Kit anyway, though.
          The slime was gone.
          “Where do you keep it?” asked Dawn. “The slime?” said Betsy. “In this can.” Betsy pulled a can out from under a chair, where she’d apparently been hiding it. She dropped the slime back in. Slurp.
          “What a disgusting noise,” said Dawn, trying to look ill. “That slime is . . Oh . . . Oh, my. . .“ Dawn raised her hand to her forehead.
          “What’s wrong?” asked Betsy, looking alarmed. She put the lid on the can and set the slime on the table.
          “I — I feel a little . . a little . . . faint,” Dawn replied weakly. And with that, she flopped over onto the rug.
          “Dawn!” Betsy exclaimed. “Dawn, wake up!”
          Dawn waited until she was pretty sure Betsy was leaning over her. Then she opened her eyes and shouted, “BOO!”
          “Eeee!” cried Betsy, leaping back.
          Dawn began to laugh.
          After a moment, so did Betsy.
          Dawn shrugged her shoulders. There seemed to be no beating the practical-joke queen.
          “Come sit on the couch,” Betsy said to Dawn. “I’m sorry about the slime.” Betsy stood up, sat on the couch, and patted the seat next to her.
          An apology. That was a good sign. Maybe Betsy would want to read for awhile. Dawn got Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and joined Betsy.
    FW000000!
          Suddenly Betsy was hysterical again. “Gotcha with the pooh-pooh cushion!” she exclaimed.