Nate the Great and the Pillowcase Read online

  “I, Nate the Great, say

  that is because

  it is the laundry bag!

  You were in a hurry

  when you left Rosamond’s house.

  You grabbed what you thought

  was a laundry bag.”

  “Well, it looked like one,”

  Annie said. “It was open

  on one end, and it

  had holes around the end.

  Except the rope was missing

  from the holes.”

  “The holes were for a ribbon,”

  I said. “But that does not matter.

  Please show it to me.”

  Annie ran out of the room.

  She came back holding up

  something white, slashed,

  shredded, shrunken, and shriveled.

  And full of holes at one end.

  “That is Big Hex’s pillowcase,” I said.

  “I was so busy thinking about

  the things you carried from

  Rosamond’s house

  that I did not think about

  what you carried them in.

  When Sludge went after his bone

  inside a bag tonight,

  he only cared about the bone,

  not what the bone was in.

  Sludge and I were thinking alike.”

  Sludge wagged his tail.

  “We were thinking wrong.”

  Sludge slunk.

  “But how did you know that

  the laundry bag

  wasn’t really a laundry bag?”

  Annie asked.

  I, Nate the Great, smiled.

  “Rosamond thought you took

  the laundry in your arms.

  But you told me that you took it

  in a laundry bag.

  So why wasn’t Rosamond

  missing a laundry bag?

  Because you never took one!”

  Annie was staring at the pillowcase.

  “Big Hex sleeps on this?” she said.

  “It’s ugly.”

  Annie tossed the pillowcase to me.

  “My Fang would never

  sleep on anything so ugly.”

  Fang heard his name.

  He woke up.

  He sniffed the ripped doggie bag.

  “Pleasant dreams,” I said.

  Sludge and I walked to

  Rosamond’s house.

  Slowly.

  I now had holes

  on the bottoms

  of both slippers.

  “This case is over,” I said

  to Sludge. “Now Big Hex can

  go to sleep.

  You can go to sleep.

  I can go to sleep.”

  I rang Rosamond’s doorbell.

  I waited.

  I rang it again.

  I waited.

  At last the door opened.

  Rosamond was standing there.

  Yawning.

  “You woke me up!” she said.

  “I, Nate the Great, have

  solved your case.”

  I held up the pillowcase.

  “Annie took this by mistake.

  She thought it was a laundry bag.”

  Rosamond grabbed the pillowcase.

  “Thanks. Big Hex will

  get a good night’s sleep

  tomorrow night.”

  “What about now?”

  “Oh, he got tired of pacing.

  He’s been sleeping since

  you left the house.

  Nighty night, Nate.”

  Rosamond slammed the door.

  I, Nate the Great, was mad.

  But I was glad that

  the case was over.

  Sludge and I went home.

  We went to bed.

  It felt good.

  The telephone rang.

  I, Nate the Great, answered it.

  I knew exactly what to say.

  “Wrong number.”

  Nate’s Notes: Funny Ways Animals Sleep

  Nate’s Notes: People Who Work at Night

  How to Make a Diner Recipe: Grilled Cheese Sandwich

  Funny Pages

  How to Make a Bedtime Snack: Oatmeal Cookies

  More Snoozy Snacks

  How to Make Fuzzy Slippers

  Diners are often open late at night. They serve “comfort food.” That might mean pancakes for one person and grilled cheese for another. This sandwich tastes good during the day, too.

  Ask an adult to help you with this recipe.

  GET TOGETHER:

  • 2 slices of bread

  • 2 slices of cheese. American melts well, but you can use whatever kind you like.

  • 2 slices of tomato (if you like)

  • a frying pan

  • 1 pat of butter, cut in half

  • a spatula

  MAKE YOUR GRILLED CHEESE:

  1. Assemble your sandwich: Place both slices of cheese between the slices of bread. Slip in the tomato, too, if you’re using some.

  2. Place the frying pan over medium heat.

  3. Add half of the butter to the pan. Allow the butter to melt.

  4. Put the sandwich in the pan. Cook for about three minutes. Scoot it around so that the bread soaks up all the melted butter.

  5. Flip the sandwich. Add the rest of the butter to the pan. Scoot the sandwich around again.

  6. Cook until the cheese is oozy.

  7. Watch carefully to make sure the sandwich isn’t getting too brown. If it is, turn down the heat.

  8. Remove the sandwich from the pan. Serve diner style—with a pickle! Eat!

  Q: Why did the kid put sugar under his pillow?

  A: He wanted sweet dreams!

  Q: Why do you go to bed?

  A: Because the bed won’t come to you!

  Q: What happened to the lady who dreamed she was eating a cloud?

  A: She woke up and her pillow was gone!

  Q: What kind of bed does a mermaid sleep in?

  A: A waterbed!

  Q: What has a bed but doesn’t sleep?

  A: A river!

  Q: Why did the boy take a pencil to bed?

  A: To draw the curtains!

  Q: What did the blanket say to the bed?

  A: I’ve got you covered!

  Q: Why did the girl take a ruler to bed?

  A: She wanted to see how long she slept.

  Q: Why shouldn’t you believe a person who’s in bed?

  A: Because he’s lying.

  Q: What did the detective say from beneath the sheets?

  A: Shhh! I’m under cover.

  Q: Why did the detective put on skates before going to bed?

  A: Because he wanted to get rolling first thing in the morning.

  Q: What do you call a mummy eating cookies in bed?

  A: A crummy mummy!

  Some foods help you sleep. Try eating oatmeal cookies with milk. You’ll soon be dozing!

  Ask an adult to help you with this recipe.

  GET TOGETHER:

  • ¾ cup of brown sugar, firmly packed

  • ½ cup of white sugar

  • 1 stick of butter

  • 2 mixing bowls

  • an electric mixer

  • 1 egg

  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla

  • 1½ cups of flour

  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon of salt

  • 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

  • 3 cups of oats (quick or old-fashioned)

  • a wooden spoon

  • ½ cup of raisins

  • a cookie sheet

  • a wire rack

  MAKE YOUR COOKIES:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 °F.

  2. Add both sugars and the butter to one of the bowls. Using the electric mixer, beat together until fluffy.

  3. Beat in the egg and the vanilla.

  4. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in the other bowl.

  5. Add the dry in
gredients to the wet ones. Mix well.

  6. Add the oats. Stir them into the batter with the wooden spoon.

  7. Add the raisins. Mix them in.

  8. Scoop up a tablespoon of batter. Place it on the cookie sheet. Fill the sheet with about 12 cookies, evenly spaced.

  9. Bake for 8 minutes.

  10. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool slightly on the cookie sheet before moving them to the wire rack.

  11. Serve with a glass of milk just before bedtime. Sweet dreams!

  Up late? These snacks contain elements that make you feel dozy. Eating them will help you fall asleep.

  Apple pie and ice cream

  Cereal with milk and banana slices

  A peanut butter sandwich

  Cottage cheese and crackers

  Scrambled eggs and toast

  A whole-wheat pita and hummus

  A tuna salad sandwich

  Nate needs new slippers. How about you?

  GET TOGETHER:

  • 1 piece of fake fur (it should be as big as both flip-flops laid side by side)*

  • 1 pair of flip-flops

  • 1 marking pen

  • fabric scissors

  • double-sided tape (carpet tape is best, if you can find it)

  *You can buy this at a craft store.

  MAKE YOUR SLIPPERS

  1. Place the fabric on a flat surface, fur side down.

  2. Put one flip-flop on the fabric. Trace around it with the marker. Repeat with the other flip-flop.

  3. Cut out the shapes.

  4. On each cutout, mark the three places where the foot straps join the bottom of the shoe.

  5. Carefully cut a slit from the edge of the cutout to each mark.

  6. Cover the top of each flip-flop with double-sided tape.

  7. Starting at the heel, roll the cutout over the tape, fur side up. Fit the slits around the foot straps. Push the fabric down so that it sticks to the tape.

  8. Wear your slippers on your nighttime adventures!

  Nate the Great: Meet Nate, the great detective, and join him as he uses incredible sleuthing skills to solve his first big case.

  Nate the Great Goes Undercover: Who—or what—is raiding Oliver’s trash every night? Nate bravely hides out in his friend’s garbage can to catch the smelly crook.

  Nate the Great and the Lost List: Nate loves pancakes, but who ever heard of cats eating them? Is a strange recipe at the heart of this mystery?

  Nate the Great and the Phony Clue: Against ferocious cats, hostile adversaries, and a sly phony clue, Nate struggles to prove that he’s still the greatest detective.

  Nate the Great and the Sticky Case: Nate is stuck with his stickiest case yet as he hunts for his friend Claude’s valuable stegosaurus stamp.

  Nate the Great and the Missing Key: Nate isn’t afraid to look anywhere—even under the nose of his friend’s ferocious dog, Fang—to solve the case of the missing key.

  Nate the Great and the Snowy Trail: Nate has his work cut out for him when his friend Rosamond loses the birthday present she was going to give him. How can he find the present when Rosamond won’t even tell him what it is?

  Nate the Great and the Fishy Prize: The trophy for the Smartest Pet Contest has disappeared! Will Sludge, Nate’s clue-sniffing dog, help solve the case and prove he’s worthy of the prize?

  Nate the Great Stalks Stupidweed: When his friend Oliver loses his special plant, Nate searches high and low. Who knew a little weed could be so tricky?

  Nate the Great and the Boring Beach Bag: It’s no relaxing day at the beach for Nate and his trusty dog, Sludge, as they search through sand and surf for signs of a missing beach bag.

  Nate the Great Goes Down in the Dumps: Nate discovers that the only way to clean up this case is to visit the town dump. Detective work can sure get dirty!

  Nate the Great and the Halloween Hunt: It’s Halloween, but Nate isn’t trick-or-treating for candy. Can any of the witches, pirates, and robots he meets help him find a missing cat?

  Nate the Great and the Musical Note: Nate is used to looking for clues, not listening for them! When he gets caught in the middle of a musical riddle, can he hear his way out?

  Nate the Great and the Stolen Base: It’s not easy to track down a stolen base, and Nate’s hunt leads him to some strange places before he finds himself at bat once more.

  Nate the Great and the Pillowcase: When a pillowcase goes missing, Nate must venture into the dead of night to search for clues. Everyone sleeps easier knowing Nate the Great is on the case!

  Nate the Great and the Mushy Valentine: Nate hates mushy stuff. But when someone leaves a big heart taped to Sludge’s doghouse, Nate must help his favorite pooch discover his secret admirer.

  Nate the Great and the Tardy Tortoise: Where did the mysterious green tortoise in Nate’s yard come from? Nate needs all his patience to follow this slow … slow … clue.

  Nate the Great and the Crunchy Christmas: It’s Christmas, and Fang, Annie’s scary dog, is not feeling jolly. Can Nate find Fang’s crunchy Christmas mail before Fang crunches on him?

  Nate the Great Saves the King of Sweden: Can Nate solve his first-ever international case without leaving his own neighborhood?

  Nate the Great and Me: The Case of the Fleeing Fang: A surprise Happy Detective Day party is great fun for Nate until his friend’s dog disappears! Help Nate track down the missing pooch, and learn all the tricks of the trade in a special fun section for aspiring detectives.

  Nate the Great and the Monster Mess: Nate loves his mother’s deliciously spooky Monster Cookies, but the recipe has vanished! This is one case Nate and his growling stomach can’t afford to lose.

  Nate the Great, San Francisco Detective: Nate visits his cousin Olivia Sharp in the big city, but it’s no vacation. Can he find a lost joke book in time to save the world?

  Nate the Great and the Big Sniff: Nate depends on his dog, Sludge, to help him solve all his cases. But Nate is on his own this time, because Sludge has disappeared! Can Nate solve the case and recover his canine buddy?

  Nate the Great on the Owl Express: Nate boards a train to guard Hoot, his cousin Olivia Sharp’s pet owl. Then Hoot vanishes! Can Nate find out whooo took the feathered creature?

  Nate the Great Talks Turkey: There’s a turkey on the loose, with Nate, his cousin Olivia Sharp, Sludge, and Claude in hot pursuit. Who will find the runaway bird first?

  Nate the Great and the Hungry Book Club: Rosamond has started a book club. Nate and his dog, Sludge, attend a meeting as undercover detectives. The case: find out what “monster” has an appetite for ripping book pages and making others go missing.

  MARJORIE WEINMAN SHARMAT has written more than 130 books for children and young adults, as well as movie and TV novelizations. Her books have been translated into nineteen languages. The award-winning Nate the Great series, hailed in Booklist as “groundbreaking,” has resulted in Nate’s real-world appearances in a New York Times crossword puzzle, sporting a milk mustache in magazines and posters, and on more than 28 million boxes of Cheerios. Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and her husband, Mitchell Sharmat, have also coauthored many books, including titles in both the Nate the Great and the Olivia Sharp series. The Sharmats live in Tucson, Arizona.

  ROSALIND WEINMAN, a portrait artist, lives in Tucson, Arizona. Her recollection of a mysterious middle-of-the-night phone call that woke her father, Nathan (the original Nate the Great), and mother, Anna, inspired this book. Rosalind Weinman has shown exceptional bravery in allowing the character Rosamond to be named after her.

  MARC SIMONT won the Caldecott medal for his artwork in A Tree Is Nice by Janice May Udry, as well as a Caldecott Honor for his own book, The Stray Dog. He illustrated the first twenty books in the Nate the Great series. Marc Simont lives in West Cornwall, Connecticut.