One ngày Mama said, "William Everett, now that bạn have nice cá sấu teeth, we must go to Mr. Hippo's store and get bạn a toothbrush before bạn start school tomorrow."
William Everett liked Mr. Hippo's store because it was full of things. He and Mama walked up one aisle and down another.
They stopped in front of the toothbrush counter. "You may choose your own toothbrush, William Everett," Mama said.
William Everett looked and looked.
"Hi!" đã đưa ý kiến a toothbrush. "What's your name?"
"My name's William Everett. What's yours?"
"Pete," đã đưa ý kiến the toothbrush.
"I found the toothbrush I want, Mama," đã đưa ý kiến William Everett. "His name is Pete."
"Good," đã đưa ý kiến Mama. "We can go trang chủ now."
So Pete became William Everett's toothbrush.
And his best friend, too.
The tiếp theo morning Mama said, "William Everett, wake up. It's time to go to school."
"Oh, Mama," William Everett said. "I can't wait to read and write and learn all about cá sấu history."
"Someday, I will be proud of you, William Everett," Mama said.
"Now, class," đã đưa ý kiến Ms. Ibis. "Today, we are going to learn the alphabet. Then we will be able to write our names. Now, repeat after me...."
The little crocodiles repeated after Ms. Ibis.
"A-B-C-D-E-F-G...."
They đã đưa ý kiến the whole alphabet.
They đã đưa ý kiến the letters over and over again until they knew all of them bởi heart.
"Well, William Everett," đã đưa ý kiến Mama. "What did bạn learn in school today?"
"William Everett, say the alphabet," đã đưa ý kiến Pete. William Everett đã đưa ý kiến every letter without a mistake.
"Oh, William Everett," Mama said. "That was beautiful."
The tiếp theo day, Ms. loại hạc ở ven hồ, ibis taught the class how to write all the letters.
The little crocodiles wrote the letters over and over until they could write them bởi heart.
"And what did bạn learn today, William Everett?" Mama asked.
"William Everett, write the letters," đã đưa ý kiến Pete.
William Everett wrote every letter without one mistake.
"You're so smart, William Everett," Mama said. "Someday, bạn will be famous."
"Today, class, we are going to write our names," đã đưa ý kiến Ms. Ibis.
She showed all the little crocodiles just what letters each one had in his hoặc her name.
They wrote and wrote and wrote and smiled and smiled and smiled.
The letters spelled out: Sam-Jane-John-Kay-Kate-Tom-Amy...
They all wrote and smiled some more.
All except William Everett. He had so many letters in his name that he kept forgetting at least one of them.
Poor William Everett.
Big tears ran down his nose.
"Is something wrong, William Everett?" Pete asked.
"I'll never learn how to write my name," he cried. "It has too many letters."
"Now, now, William Everett," đã đưa ý kiến Pete. "I think I can help bạn to write your name and not forget any letters."
He took a pencil and wrote.
"Did bạn learn something today, William Everett?" asked Mama.
"Yes, Mama, I learned to write my name," đã đưa ý kiến William Everett.
"Oh, Bill." Mama beamed.
One Saturday, when there was no school, Bill and Pete went down to the River Nile and sat on the bank in the sun. A man on a bicycle went riding by.
Behind the bicycle were cages filled with crocodiles.
"I wonder what that's all about?" đã đưa ý kiến Bill.
"That's the Bad Guy, and those crocodiles are on their way to Cairo-to become suitcases," đã đưa ý kiến an old cá sấu swimming by. "Watch out he doesn't catch you!"
But he did. The very tiếp theo Saturday.
Bill and Pete were fishing and they didn't hear the Bad Guy creep up behind them.
The Bad Guy lassoed Bill and put him in a cage. He didn't pay attention to Pete.
Pete tried to peck the Bad Guy, but Pete was just too small.
Poor Bill!
He was on his way to Cairo.
All he could think about was suitcases.
Công chúa tóc xù Pete!
He stayed close to his friend.
The Bad Guy put Bill in his garden and went into the house.
"Run me a nice hot tub, Jeeves," the Bad Guy đã đưa ý kiến to his butler. "I will take a bath before dinner. I got me another cá sấu today and I need a nap. Call me when the bath is ready."
"Tomorrow that cá sấu becomes a suitcase," he added.
"Not if I have anything to say about it," đã đưa ý kiến Pete. "I'm thêm than JUST a toothbrush."
And Pete picked the lock with his beak.
"Quick, Bill. Let's get out of here," đã đưa ý kiến Pete.
"No, I'm mad!" đã đưa ý kiến Bill. "I'm going to make sure there are no thêm cá sấu suitcases."
Bill climbed the wall.
He crept through the living room into the bathroom.
"Your bath is ready, sir," đã đưa ý kiến Jeeves.
And there was Bill, right with the rubber ducky.
The Bad Guy jumped out of the window and didn't stop running all the way to Cairo.
"Oh, look, a nice dinner," đã đưa ý kiến Pete.
"And am I hungry," đã đưa ý kiến Bill.
"Mama, bạn don't have to cook bữa tối, bữa ăn tối for us tonight," Bill đã đưa ý kiến when they got home. And he told her what had happened.
"Oh, Bill. Oh, Pete," Mama exclaimed. "What an adventure. I am so proud of the two of you."
