Free Philip and the Case of Mistaken Identity and Philip and the Baby (9781597051095) by John Paulits Page A

could be the same way. He’d run away. Then they
could think about the new baby all the time. They wouldn’t have to
waste one second thinking about him.
    Just then, a dog howled somewhere in the
neighborhood.
    Philip thought of Emery’s werewolf.
    There really were no werewolves.
    Really.
    Philip swallowed hard and went upstairs to
his room to make plans. School started tomorrow, and he had to be
gone by then.
     
     

 
     
     
     
Four
    Philip lay in bed that night making his
plans. When he left his house next morning, he would start toward
school. He’d go down the street until he was sure his mother
couldn’t see him. Then he would head to the old railroad tracks
three blocks past the empty lot. Trains didn’t use the tracks
anymore. The track was on top of a hill covered with weeds. Philip
decided he would follow those railroad tracks as far as they went
and see what adventures waited along the way. His father had
finally brought him home some candy, and Philip put it in his
shoebox. He would take the candy with him in his schoolbag along
with his piggy bank in case he needed some money. He would show
Mommy and Daddy. They didn’t need him, and he didn’t need them. He
didn’t care. Not even a little. Philip gave a sniff and turned on
his side.
    Morning came and Philip dressed, ate his
breakfast and listened to Daddy tell Mommy to call him at the first
sign of anything. Philip said good-bye, but he was sure his parents
didn’t hear him. They were too busy talking about the baby. Their new baby. Philip knew it was better that he was leaving.
Everyone would be happier this way.
    He quietly left his house, paused for a
moment to look back at it, and started walking.
    ~ * ~
    Philip had already walked a long way along
the railroad tracks. He had not brought his watch along, but his
hunger told him it must be lunchtime. The idea of more walking was
not very exciting. He was tired. A short way ahead he saw a small
bridge, which meant that a road was below. Philip decided to climb
down to that road and see where he was.
    He slid down the steep hill near the bridge
almost smack into a big green sign. It read: ZOO 1/2 MILE. The
zoo! So that’s where he was. He hadn’t been to the zoo since
first grade. Spending the first day of school at the zoo made
Philip smile. And he wouldn’t have to think about babies there.
Only animals. And animals were fun.
    The zoo was not very crowded. Philip noticed
a clock in the gift shop. He was surprised that it was just a
little past eleven o’clock. Not even lunchtime yet. It didn’t
matter. He’d eat some of the candy in his school bag anyway.
Munching a candy bar, he followed the signs to the monkey house. He
smiled when he caught his first glimpse of the monkeys swinging on
branches, chattering, chasing each other around. If he could be an
animal, he would most like to be a monkey.
    Philip noticed the man behind the ice cream
cart staring his way. Philip ignored him and faced the monkeys
again. Three tiny monkeys were being scolded by the mother monkey.
Just like his mother used to scold him. Philip wondered what his
mother would do when he did not get home from school at
three-fifteen. But he put that out of his mind and found a bench
near the monkey cage to watch some more. After a few minutes,
though, Philip found his eyes growing heavy. All of a sudden he was
so tired! Philip took his schoolbag and laid it on the bench. He
lay down on his side, so he could still watch the monkeys, and put
his head on his bag. He caught another glimpse of the ice cream man
staring at him, but he was too tired to care. He closed his eyes
and was asleep in no time.
    Philip dreamed of monkeys. Monkeys swinging
from trees. Monkeys doing tricks. They were so funny. Philip
laughed hard in his dream. But suddenly a noise made Philip stop
laughing. Someone was calling his name. Philip’s eyes popped
open.
    “Philip Felton!” It was no dream. That was
his father’s voice!
    Philip scrambled up