Nate the Great and the Missing Key Read online

Funny Pages

  How to Make a Present Cake

  More Funny Pages

  More Ways to Make Your Pet’s Birthday Special

  Here’s what you’ll find on the front of a dollar bill:

  1. A SEAL: This seal shows which of the twelve Federal Reserve banks issued the bill. “G” stands for Chicago. (The number 7, shown four times, also stands for Chicago.)

  2. A PORTRAIT: This is George Washington. He was the first president of the United States.

  3. A SERIAL NUMBER: Each bill has a different number here.

  4. A SPIDER? Some people claim to see a spider here. Other people sayit’s actuallly an owl. What do you see?

  Here’s what you’ll find on the back of a dollar bill:

  6. MDCCLXXVI = 1776: That was the year of U.S. independence.

  7. NOT PAPER: U.S. folding money is made from cloth, not paper. Red and blue fibers are spread throughout every bill. That helps make it hard to create counterfeit, or fake, money!

  8. A BALD EAGLE: The eagle is the symbol of America. This one holds thirteen olive branches in one foot and thirteen arrows in the other. The branches stand for peace. The arrows mean war.

  9. THINK INK: The back of a dollar bill is printed with green ink. That’s why some people call dollars greenbacks.

  10. A PYRAMID: The circle on the left shows an unfinished pyramid with thirteen steps. An eye within a triangle radiates light. Weird!

  Want to get your dog a present on his birthday? How about something shiny and round? A new tag! Cats like them too.

  GET TOGETHER:

  • card stock or thin cardboard

  • scissors

  • a hole punch

  • markers

  • tinfoil

  • clear contact paper

  • a key ring

  HOW TO MAKE YOUR TAGS:

  1. Cut a circle or heart shape out of the card stock or cardboard. Then punch a hole at the top.

  2. Decorate one side of the card with a birthday message, like “Happy Birthday” or a drawing of a cake.

  3. With a marker, trace the shape onto the tinfoil. Cut it out.

  4. Place the shape and the tinfoil together. Enclose them between two pieces of clear contact paper with the sticky sides facing in.

  5. Trim the contact paper close to the shape, leaving a little extra on the sides to “glue” the shape and tinfoil together.

  6. Clip the tag onto your dog or cat’s collar with the key ring.

  Kid: We call our teacher “treasure.”

  Mom: Why? Do you like her?

  Kid: No, we think she should be locked up!

  Q: Why did Silly Sam lock up his pet?

  A: It was a goldfish.

  Q: What happened to a shark that swallowed a bunch of keys?

  A: He got lockjaw!

  Q: Why did the football coach go to the bank?

  A: To get his quarterback.

  Q: Why did Silly Sam lock his money in the freezer?

  A: He wanted cold hard cash.

  Q: Where do snowmen keep their money?

  A: In snow banks!

  This cake looks like a really awesome present all wrapped up with a bow. It’s nice for a pet’s birthday party. Or a person’s.

  Ask an adult to help you with this recipe.

  GET TOGETHER:

  • one package of cake mix (any flavor)

  • the ingredients listed on the cake mix box

  • a sheet cake pan (usually 9 inches by 13 inches)

  • one can of prepared frosting

  • a knife

  • Fruit by the Foot

  • kitchen scissors

  MAKE YOUR PRESENT CAKE:

  1. Make the sheet cake by following the directions on the box.

  2. Allow the cake to cool for at least one hour.

  3. Frost the top of the cake.

  4. Wrap your cake in “ribbon”: Run a piece of Fruit by the Foot down the center of the cake the long way. Trim to fit with the scissors.

  5. Now run another piece of Fruit by the Foot across the width of the cake. Trim to fit. When you’re finished, your cake should look something like this:

  6. Make the “bow.” Use the Fruit by the Foot to make three long loops. You’ll need one big one (about as long as your forearm) and two medium ones (about as long as your hand). Put the longer piece in the middle of the other two and squish the centers together like this:

  7. Now make two circles, about the size of golf balls. Place the circles on either side of the loops. Run another short piece of Fruit by the Foot around the loops and through the center of each circle so that all the pieces are pulled together, like this:

  8. Place the “bow” on top of the cake.

  9. Make the ribbon tails. Cut two more pieces of Fruit by the Foot. Cut one end of each into a V shape. Place the plain ends of the ribbon tails under the “bow.”

  10. Serve while singing “Happy Birthday.”

  11. Enjoy!

  Doctor, Doctor, Fang’s birthday cake gave me heartburn!

  Next time don’t eat the candles!

  Q: What did Fang’s birthday party end with?

  A: A Y!

  Q: What does Fang always get on his birthday?

  A: Another year older!

  Q: What do you give Fang on his birthday?

  A: I don’t know, but you’d better hope he likes it.

  Q: Why do we put candles on the top of a birthday cake?

  A: Because it’s too hard to put them on the bottom!

  Start the day with a special treat. Is your dog wild about bones? Does your kitty covet liver? Today is the day to go out of your way and provide a yummy breakfast for your furry, feathered, or scaly friend.

  Play dress-up. Get into a party mood by putting a bow on your bird’s cage or on your fish’s aquarium. Your dog or cat may be willing to wear a birthday hat or a special bow on her collar—at least for a few minutes.

  Spend a little time. Toss the ball to your retriever, or give your kitty a good belly rub. Make a little extra time for your pet’s favorite activity.

  Invite a friend. If your pet is the social type, invite a friend to meet you at the park or at your house.

  Record the big day. Take photos of your birthday boy or girl. Or make a special piece of art to celebrate the occasion.

  *If you don’t know your pet’s birthday, you can celebrate the day he joined your family!

  Have you helped solve all

  Nate the Great’s mysteries?

  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 world’s 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 a
nd 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 was born and grew up in Portland, Maine. She has been writing since age eight and is the author of more than 130 books, which have been translated into nineteen languages. She is probably best known as the creator of the series about the world-famous sleuth Nate the Great.

  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.