Cookies and Crutches by Judy Delton Read Free Book Online Page A

said Molly, rubbing her stomach.
    Everyone stood around the table.
    They all wanted to be in front.
    They all wanted to see.
    Mostly, they all wanted a cookie!
    Mrs. Peters smiled.
    She was friendly and kind.
    She was a good troop leader.
    “Before we begin, does anyone have a good deed to report?” Mrs. Peters asked the Scouts.

    “I helped my grandma wash her windows this week,” said Sonny Betz.
    “Good!” said Mrs. Peters.
    “I carried three bags of groceries for the lady next door,” said Roger White.
    “Wonderful,” said Mrs. Peters. “You’ve been real Pee Wees this week. Today, I will show you how to make easy cookies.
    “To earn your cookie badge, you must bake cookies yourself.
    “You must bake them at home and bring one to me.
    “I will see if you earn the badge.
    “Your parents must not help.
    “But they must know you are using the stove.
    “And they must write a note saying you baked them yourselves.
    “Do you all understand what to do?”
    The Scouts nodded.
    All except Roger White.
    “Baking cookies is for girls,” he said.
    “It is not,” said Sonny Betz.
    “Sissy!” said Roger. “Mama’s boy!”
    Lots of people thought Sonny was a sissy.
    His mother still walked to school with him every morning.
    She met him after school too.
    Mrs. Peters held up her hand.
    “Do you like to eat, Roger?” she said.
    Roger nodded.
    “If boys can eat, boys can cook,” she said. “Baking and cooking are for everyone.”
    “Yeah!” shouted Sonny. “I told you, creep!”
    Mrs. Peters began to measure flour.
    She explained the measuring cups.
    And the measuring spoons.
    She mixed the butter and sugar.
    She put in eggs.
    She put in flour.
    She mixed it all up.
    At the end she put in chocolate chips and nuts.
    “Umm,” said Molly and Mary Beth together.
    “I could eat them right now. Before they are baked,” said Rachel.
    Roger made gagging noises.
    “You can’t eat raw flour,” he said. “Yuck!”
    “And raw eggs,” said Molly. “Right out of a chicken!”
    “It’s good!” said Rachel. “I could eat that whole bowl of dough right now!”
    Now everyone was making gagging sounds.
    Mrs. Peters had to hold her hand up again.
    She showed the Scouts how to scoop the dough with a teaspoon and put it on the pan. When the pan was full, she put it into the oven.

    “Now!” she said. “We put the timer on for twelve minutes. While we wait, we will sing our Pee Wee Scout song!”
    Troop 23 got into a circle.
    Mrs. Peters washed her hands at the sink.
    Everybody sang.

    (to the tune of
“Old MacDonald Had a Farm”)
    Scouts are helpers, Scouts have fun,
Pee Wee, Pee Wee Scouts!
We sing and play when work is done,
Pee Wee, Pee Wee Scouts!
    With a good deed here,
And an errand there,
Here a hand, there a hand,
Everywhere a good hand.
    Scouts are helpers, Scouts have fun,
Pee Wee, Pee Wee Scouts!
    While the Scouts sang, they sniffed the air.
    The cookies smelled wonderful, baking.

CHAPTER 3

Root Beer to the Rescue
    W hen the cookies were done, Mrs. Peters gave one to each Scout.
    “Umm,” said Molly. “These are good cookies!”
    The cookies were warm and soft.
    The chocolate chips were melted and ran down the Scouts’ fingers.
    “See if you can make good cookies too,” said Mrs. Peters.
    “Be sure your mother is home. Be careful when you use the stove.”
    Mrs. Peters passed out papers.
    They were recipes for how to make the cookies.

    3/4 cup brown sugar
    3/4 cup white sugar
    1 cup butter
    2 eggs
    2 tsp. vanilla
    Mix well.
    Then add: 1 tsp. baking soda
    1 tsp. salt
    2 cups flour
    1 cup oatmeal
    2 cups cornflakes
    1 pkg. chocolate chips (8 oz.)
    1/2 cup nuts
    Drop small spoonfuls of dough on greased cookie sheet.
    Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

    “Let’s make cookies together, at my house,” Mary Beth said to Molly.
    “Can we make cookies together?” asked Molly.
    “Yes,” said Mrs. Peters. “You can work together.”
    It was time for Scouts to end.
    Everyone said the Pee