Nate the Great and the Fishy Prize Read online

  I leaned over.

  I saw what I had hoped I would see.

  Gold paint on Fang’s tail.

  It was on the right side.

  “Happy bath,” I said to Fang.

  Sludge and I

  rushed back to Rosamond’s house.

  “I, Nate the Great, say

  the tuna fish can

  was knocked outside.”

  “How do you know that?” Rosamond asked.

  “Because Fang was standing

  with his right side next to the window,” I said.

  “His tail was going back and forth.

  He got gold paint on the right side

  of his tail. That means his tail

  hit the can going outward.

  Right out the window.

  Sludge and I

  are going to look very hard

  outside your house again.”

  “The contest is supposed to start

  in fifteen minutes,” Rosamond said.

  “Then we will look very hard

  and very fast,” I said.

  Sludge and I rushed outside.

  We looked around again.

  We walked up and down the sidewalk again.

  It was a boring sidewalk.

  Cracks, but no clues.

  I, Nate the Great, was stumped.

  This was definitely a tough, fishy case.

  I was not going to solve it on time.

  I was not going to solve it at all.

  Sludge and I walked home.

  We went into the kitchen.

  Sludge sniffed the grocery bag.

  Why was he sniffing the grocery bag?

  It only had dog shampoo

  and things for making pancakes,

  and Sludge does not like dog shampoo

  or pancakes.

  But I could not think about the bag.

  I had to think about the case.

  I thought about the can

  being knocked to the outside.

  I thought about it happening

  while everything was noisy and wild.

  I thought about fishy smells

  and things disappearing inside

  Anastasia’s stomach,

  and gold paint.

  I thought about Fang’s tail.

  Fang had taken home some gold paint

  on his tail.

  He did not know he had taken it home.

  Annie did not know he had taken it home.

  Perhaps someone had taken

  the tuna fish can home,

  but did not know it.

  But how? Tuna fish cans do not stick to tails.

  You can see a tuna fish can.

  Unless … you can’t see it!

  Unless it is hidden from sight.

  Unless it disappears into something

  as big and bulgy

  as Anastasia’s stomach.

  Suddenly I, Nate the Great, knew

  I had solved the case.

  But I knew Sludge had solved it sooner.

  He was still sniffing my grocery bag.

  I looked inside the bag.

  Then I put my hand inside the bag,

  and pulled out an empty tuna fish can

  with SMARTEST painted on it

  in smudged gold letters.

  I, Nate the Great, had taken the can!

  And I knew how it had happened.

  Fang knocked the can out the window

  just as I was riding past Rosamond’s house.

  The can fell into the open grocery bag

  that was in the basket

  on the back of my bicycle.

  I had taken the can home

  without knowing it.

  And now I must take the can to the contest.

  Sludge and I rushed to the park,

  where everyone was waiting

  for the contest to start.

  Rosamond was there with her four cats.

  Annie was there with Fang.

  Pip was there with his parrot.

  Finley was there with his rat.

  Oliver was there with his favorite eel.

  Esmeralda was there with herself.

  Claude and Anastasia were not there.

  I was not surprised.

  Either Claude had lost Anastasia

  or Anastasia had lost Claude.

  I held up the prize.

  I said, “This was in my grocery bag.

  It is a long story.

  And time is short.”

  I handed the prize to Esmeralda, the judge.

  Rosamond clapped her hands.

  “Oh, goody green grasshoppers!” she said.

  “Now we can have the contest.”

  “Yes, I, Nate the Great,

  solved the case,” I said.

  “But Sludge solved it first.”

  Esmeralda said,

  “That was a very smart thing for Sludge to do.

  But every pet will have a chance

  to do something smart. Let’s begin.”

  I, Nate the Great, had to watch and listen

  while Oliver’s eel swam backward,

  Fang did something stupid with his fangs,

  Rosamond’s cats shed hair on command,

  Finley’s rat found some hidden cheese,

  and Pip’s parrot forgot her entire speech.

  Then Esmeralda said, “The winner is …

  SLUDGE!!! The only pet

  who can solve a mystery.”

  Sludge looked proud.

  I, Nate the Great, looked proud.

  Everyone congratulated Sludge.

  Esmeralda handed the prize to him.

  Sludge sniffed it.

  But he did not know

  what to do with it.

  He was now the owner

  of a very strange tuna fish can

  with smudged gold letters.

  Sludge and I went home with the prize.

  I gave him a huge bone.

  Sludge thought it was the best prize of all.

  The case was over.

  But I had something left to do.

  I unpacked the grocery bag,

  threw away the dog shampoo,

  and made some pancakes.

  Because I, Nate the Great,

  deserved a prize, too.

  Nate’s Notes: Animals Are Smart

  Nate’s Notes: Bird Brain?

  Nate’s Notes: Good Dog!

  Nate’s Notes: Dog Noses

  Smart Animal Quiz

  How Smart Is Your Dog?

  Animal Riddles

  Bend, Rover!

  Animal Sounds International

  Are you as smart as Nate? Are you as smart as Sludge? Prove it by answering these questions about smart animals. Stumped? Look for the answers in Nate’s Notes on pages 4 to 11.

  1. Some animals can talk to humans.

  a. true

  b. false

  2. Pick the smartest animal.

  a. Fang

  b. Alex, the gray parrot

  c. Claude’s pig

  3. Pick the animal that likes to play jokes on sea turtles.

  a. the dolphin

  b. the elephant

  c. Rosamond’s cat

  4. How much does your brain weigh?

  a. at least fifty pounds

  b. about three pounds

  c. less than one ounce

  5. How do elephants get rid of ticks?

  a. They sing loudly.

  b. They use sticks.

  c. They burp.

  d. They rub against trees.

  6. What animal is very good at cracking walnuts?

  a. Sludge

  b. Oliver’s eel

  c. the crow

  7. Pick a sentence Alex, the gray parrot, CANNOT say. (Yet.)

  a. “I want grape.”

  b. “I love you.”

  c. “Nate is great!”

  8. Pick a good job for a dog.

  a. keeping sheep in line
r />   b. babysitting

  c. driving a backhoe

  9. Dogs can smell sea turtle eggs.

  a. true

  b. false

  10. Dogs can smell well except when:

  a. they are looking for a tuna can painted with gold letters.

  b. they need to have their teeth brushed.

  c. they have to track a smell through ash.

  Answers: 1. a; 2. b; 3. a; 4. b; 5. b; 6. c; 7. c; 8. a; 9. a; 10. b.

  Do you think your dog could win a smart pet contest? Try these three tests to find out.

  TEST ONE—FOOD UNDER CAN

  GET TOGETHER:

  • your dog

  • a clean, empty tuna (or soup) can

  • a doggie treat

  DO THE TEST:

  1. Tell your dog to sit. If your dog won’t sit, have a friend hold him on a leash.

  2. Show your dog the treat.

  3. While your dog watches, put the treat on the ground. Put the can on top of the treat.

  4. Tell your dog, “Get it!”

  5. Slowly count like this: “One-one thousand, two-one thousand …”

  6. Stop counting when your dog gets the treat.

  SCORE IT:

  If your dog gets the treat before you count to five … … … … … … … 5 points

  If your dog gets the treat before you count to thirty … … … … ….…. 3 points

  If you count to more than thirty, or if your dog never gets the treat.……. 0 points

  TEST TWO—DOG UNDER TOWEL

  GET TOGETHER:

  • your dog

  • a large bath towel

  DO THE TEST:

  1. Make sure your dog is not too sleepy.

  2. Let your dog sniff the towel.

  3. Gently toss the towel over the dog’s head. His head and shoulders should be covered by the towel.

  4. Slowly count like this: “One-one thousand, two-one thousand …”

  5. Stop counting when your dog frees himself.

  SCORE IT:

  If your dog frees himself before you count to five … … … … … ….… 5 points

  If your dog frees himself before you count to thirty … … … … … … … 3 points

  If you count to more than thirty, or if your dog needs your help to get loose.…… 0 points

  TEST THREE—ALL SMILES

  GET TOGETHER:

  • your dog

  • a smile

  DO THE TEST:

  1. Wait until your dog is sitting across the room from you.

  2. Stare into your dog’s face.

  3. When your dog looks at you, give him a big smile.

  SCORE IT:

  If your dog comes with tail wagging.. 5 points

  If your dog stands or sits up or comes just part of the way … … … … ….… 3 points

  If your dog doesn’t notice you at all … 0 points

  PUT IT TOGETHER:

  Add up your scores from tests one, two, and three.

  More than 11 points

  Your dog is as smart as Sludge.

  6 to 11 points

  Don’t expect your dog to solve mysteries.

  Fewer than 6 points

  Don’t feel bad! Your dog could still beat Fang in chess.

  What is the smartest kind of bee?

  A spelling bee.

  What kind of food does a racehorse eat?

  Fast food.

  What bird never has to go to the barber?

  A bald eagle.

  What kind of leopard has red spots?

  One with chicken pox.

  Why do hummingbirds hum?

  Because they don’t know the words.

  Why did the frog say “meow”?

  He was learning a foreign language.

  What do you get when you cross an elephant and a kangaroo?

  Huge holes all over Australia.

  What do you call a fish with no eyes?

  A fsh.

  What do fish play on the piano?

  Scales.

  Which side of a dog has the most hair?

  The outside.

  What do you get from a cow that always has its own way?

  Spoiled milk.

  Make a pack of adorable dog magnets. Stick them to the refrigerator. Pose them. Bend them. Just don’t expect them to play fetch.

  GET TOGETHER:

  • colored pipe cleaners

  • doughnut-shaped magnets in different sizes

  • scissors

  MAKE IT:

  1. Attach the end of a long pipe cleaner to a large magnet. Wrap the pipe cleaner around the magnet a few times so it won’t fall off. The magnet is your dog’s head. The pipe cleaner is his body.

  2. Attach two pairs of short pipe cleaners to the body. These will be the dog’s legs.

  3. Attach a small magnet to the end of each leg. These will be the dog’s paws.

  4. Attach two very short pieces of pipe cleaner to the head. Now your dog has ears!

  5. Experiment! Try to make different kinds of critters.

  Cows say “moo” and pigs go “oink,” right? Not in Mexico. Or China. Each language has its own animal sounds. But don’t take my word for it. Get it straight from the horse’s mouth.

  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 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 hi
s 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?