Free Dodsworth in Paris by Tim Egan

CHAPTER FOUR
A LASTING IMPRESSION

    They lost their delivery job.
    They had to return the bicycle.
    Since they didn't have much money left, they sat in the park and tried to think of ways to make more.

    A crowd started walking by.
    "Pardon me," said Dodsworth to a lady.
    "Where is everyone going?"
    "Why, to the Louvre, of course," said the lady.
    "It's free today."

    Anything free sounded good, so they followed the crowd to the great Louvre Museum.
    Dodsworth stared at the Mona Lisa.
    The Mona Lisa stared back.
    "That's it!" shouted Dodsworth.
    He grabbed the duck and ran out of the museum.

    "I love painting!" said Dodsworth. "I'll make a picture and we 'll sell it. How tough could that be?"
    "Could be pretty tough," said the duck.
    Dodsworth took out some brushes and paint.
    He spent the day making a picture of Paris.

    The painting came out beautiful.
    The duck was impressed.
    They took the painting around to galleries.
    Every one said the same thing: "
Non.
"
    "They just don't know what's good," said the duck.

    Dodsworth was sad.
    As the lights of the park twinkled that evening, he fell asleep on a bench.
    The duck did not like his friend to be sad.
    He had an idea.

    He stood perfectly still like a statue again.
    He waited for folks to throw coins.
    He stood like that for almost two hours.
    Nobody threw any coins.
    They didn't even seem to notice.
    They were too busy watching a group of dancers.

    "Okay," said the duck, "if it's dancing you want, it's dancing you'll get."
    He started dancing like a maniac.
    He was not a good dancer.
    Instead of tossing money, folks just laughed.
    The duck fell asleep next to Dodsworth.
    The night was cold and drizzly.
    It wasn't a good night's sleep.

    When they woke up in the morning, Dodsworth said, "Oh no! What happened?"
    His painting was all blurry.
    There was paint on the duck's feet.
    He had danced on the painting by mistake.

    A fellow came walking by.
    "
Magnifique!
" he shouted.
    "It is a great impression of Paris, a brilliant use of color and light.
    I will give you one hundred euros for it."
    Dodsworth and the duck were thrilled.

    They went and had a splendid breakfast.
    Giant hot air balloons started floating overhead.
    "Now, that looks like a fun way to celebrate," said Dodsworth.
    The duck agreed.

    They went to the hot air balloon field.
    They climbed in a balloon and were soon sailing over Paris.
    As the wind changed, and as the balloon started floating away toward England, Dodsworth and the duck said "
Au revoir
" and toasted to the City of Lights.