儿童英语读物 Superstar Watch CHAPTER 1 An Exciting Opportunity

The Aldens were sitting in front of the Greenfield Ice Cream Café.



“You are the best brother ever. Thank you, Henry,” six-year-old Benny said, rubbing his tummy. Henry had taken Benny and their two sisters, Jessie and Violet, out for a bike ride and a treat. Now the four children sat together quietly enjoying their ice cream cones 1.



The calm was suddenly broken. “Help me!” a voice called. It was Josh Greene, their neighbor. He went soaring past on his bike.



“I can’t stop!” Josh called. “I think my brakes are out!” His bike was going fast.



The Aldens looked at each other. A split second later they were all running for their bikes.



Henry zoomed 2 down the street on his mountain bike. “Hold on tight!” he shouted to Josh.



“We’re coming!” twelve-year-old Jessie yelled. She and Violet and Benny wanted to help Josh too.



“You can’t slow down at all?” Violet called out. She was ten and she rode her purple beach cruiser as fast as she could.



“No,” Josh called back. “I think I’m going to crash!”



Brinnnggg went the bell of Benny’s bike. “I’ll save you!” Benny said. His training wheels scraped against the sidewalk as he tried to catch up.



“You’re going to have to jump, Josh!” Henry yelled. He knew there was a steep slope ahead. If Josh went downhill, it would be even harder to stop.



“Josh, head toward the park,” Jessie called. “If you have to crash, at least it’ll be on grass.”



Josh nodded. Instead of shooting straight towards the hill, he made a left on Main Street. The park was only a block away, near the town square.



Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny all stopped at the edge of the park. But Josh’s bike jumped the sidewalk and kept on going.



In a swift, daring move, Josh leapt off his bike and rolled safely onto a grassy 3 patch by the playground. Without a rider, the old bike kept on going until it finally slammed into a tree. Josh’s bike tipped over in the dirt.



The Aldens left their bikes and went running.



“I’m fine,” Josh told them. He got up and wiped loose grass off his jeans. “How’s my bike?”



“Oh dear,” Violet said, as she saw the damage.



The bike’s frame was bent 4. Both tires had popped.



“Bad news, Josh. Your bike is dead. D-E-A-D.” Jessie said.



“What am I going to do?” Josh groaned 5. “I need my bike to do my paper route.” Josh had a messenger bag on his back. “I was making deliveries when my brakes gave out.” The bag was half full with the afternoon’s newspapers. “If I don’t have my bike, I can’t work.” Josh sighed.



Jessie put an arm around Josh’s shoulders. “Let’s take it to the bike repair shop. I bet they’ll know how to fix it.”



The Aldens gathered their bikes and walked along with Josh. His bike’s flat tires made a clump 6, clomp sound along the sidewalk.



When they got to Jim’s Bike Shop, Josh looked at the shiny new bikes.



“I wish I could buy a new bike,” he said. “But I don’t know how I can even pay for repairs.”



“Maybe it won’t cost that much,” Henry said. “Let’s go see what Jim says.” Henry and Josh went to the back of the store.



“I’ll call Grandfather and tell him we’ll be home a little later than we planned,” Jessie said. “I don’t want him to worry.”



Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny lived with their grandfather. After their parents died, they ran away and hid in a railroad boxcar. They’d heard that Grandfather was mean and even though they’d never met him, they were afraid. The boxcar became their home. They even found a dog in the woods, took him in, and called him Watch.



When Grandfather located them, it turned out that he wasn’t mean at all. They gladly went to live with him. Watch went, too. Even the boxcar went to Grandfather’s house. Now it was a clubhouse in the backyard.



While they waited for Josh and Henry, Benny and Violet looked at the new bikes. Jessie began reading flyers posted on the wall.



At last Henry and Josh came back. Josh looked crushed.



“It’s going to cost about a hundred dollars to fix my bike,” he said. He put his head in his hands. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t have that much!”



“I wish we could help,” Henry said.



“Maybe we could raise money with a car wash,” Violet suggested.



“A bake sale would be better,” Benny said. He and Violet came over to Jim’s front desk. “I love bake sales!” Benny went on. “So many yummy things to eat.”



“Benny might eat everything at a bake sale before any customers arrived.” Violet laughed, gently teasing her brother.



“Hold on. I have an even better idea!” Jessie announced. She pointed 7 at a bright green flyer on Jim’s bulletin board. “I know how we can help Josh pay for his bike repairs.”



Violet read the sign out loud: “Wundermutt Dog Food is looking for a new Wundermutt TV star.”



Jessie pointed to some small writing at the bottom of the flyer. It read: PRIZE MONEY WILL BE AWARDED.



“Fame and fortune!” Benny said. “Our dog, Watch, will take the fame,” he told Josh. “And you can have the fortune!”



Henry leaned in to look at the poster.



“The auditions 9 are being held today at the Greenfield Mall.” Benny looked confused so Henry explained, “An audition 8 is a try-out. The dogs will do all kinds of tests and the best dog will win.”



“The flyer says that the auditions begin at two o’clock.” Jessie said. “It’s already one now. We’d better hurry.”



“Let’s go!” Benny exclaimed. “Watch is so awesome 10! He’s sure to win! He’ll be a star, just like my favorite TV dog, Ninja! Let’s do it!”



“Do you think the Wundermutt company would give you a hundred dollars?” Josh asked.



“We won’t know unless we try,” Henry said. “While Watch auditions, you can borrow my bike for a of couple days to do your paper route.”



“Thank you so much, Henry.” Josh’s eyes were now much brighter and happier. “I sure hope Watch gets the commercial.”



“Cross your fingers,” Henry told Josh. “And keep them crossed.”



“It’ll be hard to deliver papers with my fingers crossed,” Josh said with a laugh. “But I’ll do my best.”



“Watch will do his best, too,” Benny said.



“Grandfather, we’re home!” Jessie announced. Then she said to the others, “Violet, please get Watch’s brush. Benny, you are in charge of his leash 11.”



Watch came bounding into the room at the sound of Jessie’s voice.



“Where’s the fire?” Grandfather asked, coming out of his study.



“Watch is going to be on TV,” Violet said.



“A big star!” Benny held out his hands to show just how big.



Then, Benny told Grandfather the whole story. He was so excited he said it all without taking a single breath.



“Whoa,” Grandfather said, putting out a hand towards Benny. “Slow down. What’s this about Josh Greene crashing in the park?”



“He’s fine. He wasn’t hurt,” Henry said.



“We’re going to give him the prize money,” Violet added.



“Prize money?” Grandfather asked. “What prize money? I thought this was about Watch.”



Jessie hooked Watch’s leash to his collar. “We can explain on the way to the mall.”



Grandfather looked puzzled. “The mall?” he asked.



“Can you please take us there?” Henry asked.



“You promise you’ll explain on the way?” Grandfather replied.



Henry nodded. “Every single detail,” he agreed.



“All right then,” Grandfather said, pulling out his car keys.



“Are you ready to be a superstar, Watch?” Benny asked.