Free Teeny Weeny Zucchinis by Judy Delton Page B

the chops and gravy, they were not brown. And the gravy did not pour. It was a big chunk. A big chunk of white gravy on top of the curly, gray chops.
    She took a fork and lifted the gravy into the gravy boat. She set it on the table. She set the chops beside it.
    “You were supposed to take the chops out of the dish before you put the gravy in,” said Mary Beth.
    “You didn’t tell me that!” said Molly.
    “It looks fine,” said Mr. Duff. “No problem.”
    But there was a problem. Molly knew it and Mary Beth knew it. And she was pretty sure her dad knew it.
    But Molly’s dad was pouring the apple juice. Then he said, “This is my favorite dinner! How did you girls know this is my favorite dinner?”
    He helped himself to a gray pork chop. He sprinkled it with salt and pepper just as if it were a normal chop.
    “Pass the mashed potatoes, please,” he said. He took some. The bits rolled around on his plate.
    “They should stick together,” whispered Mary Beth to Molly. “My mom’s mashed potatoes stick together.”
    “Well, they stuck on the oven,” said Molly.
    “They will stick together when we put gravy on them,” said Mr. Duff.
    Molly felt like crying. “This isn’t like Mom’s dinner,” she said.
    Mr. Duff sliced a piece of gravy. “Every cook makes things just a little different. And variety is the spice of life!”
    Molly tasted the food. It was awful! How could her dad sit there and eat it? Even her best friend couldn’t eat it. The chops were like rubber. The potatoes stuck to the roof of her mouth like library paste! And the gravy was as hard as peanut brittle. But it wasn’t sweet and brown. It was white and floury.

    When Mr. Duff finished his dinner, he did a surprising thing. He took a second helping!
    “Was I lucky that you two could cook,” he said, chewing a piece of gravy. “Mom will be pleased to hear about this big surprise.”
    The girls tried to eat, but they had a hard time. It took a long time to chew. Molly’s dad was a good sport.

CHAPTER 3
New Badge News
    A fter dinner Mr. Duff went into the living room to read his paper just the way he did after a regular meal.
    “You girls cooked dinner,” he said. “I’ll do the dishes. Just soak them in the sink and I’ll wash them in a little while.”
    “What did we do wrong?” Molly asked Mary Beth as they cleared the things away.
    Mary Beth looked thoughtful.
    “It must have been one cup of water, insteadof one cup of flour,” she said. “We got it turned around.”
    “Do you think it’s still a good deed?” asked Molly.
    “Sure,” said Mary Beth. “Your dad had two helpings. We don’t have to tell them about it. We cooked it and your dad ate it. That’s a good deed.”
    Mary Beth said she had to get home to take care of her little sister. But Molly had a feeling she was hungry and had to hurry home in time to eat dinner with her family!
    The next day, when Molly’s mother came home, her dad told her about the surprise.
    “They did all that work,” he said. “All by themselves.”
    But that night Molly confided in her mother. She told her about the white gravy and gray chops.
    “Chops get browner in the frying pan,” Molly’s mother said, “and the gravy probably needed more water. Then you have to stirit in the chop pan. After you take the chops out.”
    “We couldn’t use the real stove,” said Molly.
    “You did the right thing,” her mother said. “And all’s well that ends well.”
    Molly was not sure it had ended well, but it was nice of her mother to say so.
    “Do you think it’s a good deed?” she said.
    “Of course,” her mother said. “It’s a very good deed.”
    On Tuesday Molly couldn’t wait to get to her Pee Wee meeting. She and Mary Beth had a good deed to tell that no one else had. And they would find out the new badge they would earn.
    Mrs. Peters was there to meet them. Her baby, Nick, was with her. And Lucky, their troop mascot.
    “Hey, have I got a good deed,” said