One день Mama said, "William Everett, now that Ты have nice крокодил teeth, we must go to Mr. Hippo's store and get Ты a toothbrush before Ты start school tomorrow."
William Everett liked Mr. Hippo's store because it was full of things. He and Mama walked up one aisle and down another.
They stopped in front of the toothbrush counter. "You may choose your own toothbrush, William Everett," Mama said.
William Everett looked and looked.
"Hi!" сказал(-а) a toothbrush. "What's your name?"
"My name's William Everett. What's yours?"
"Pete," сказал(-а) the toothbrush.
"I found the toothbrush I want, Mama," сказал(-а) William Everett. "His name is Pete."
"Good," сказал(-а) Mama. "We can go Главная now."
So Pete became William Everett's toothbrush.
And his best friend, too.
The Далее morning Mama said, "William Everett, wake up. It's time to go to school."
"Oh, Mama," William Everett said. "I can't wait to read and write and learn all about крокодил history."
"Someday, I will be proud of you, William Everett," Mama said.
"Now, class," сказал(-а) Ms. Ibis. "Today, we are going to learn the alphabet. Then we will be able to write our names. Now, repeat after me...."
The little crocodiles repeated after Ms. Ibis.
"A-B-C-D-E-F-G...."
They сказал(-а) the whole alphabet.
They сказал(-а) the letters over and over again until they knew all of them by heart.
"Well, William Everett," сказал(-а) Mama. "What did Ты learn in school today?"
"William Everett, say the alphabet," сказал(-а) Pete. William Everett сказал(-а) every letter without a mistake.
"Oh, William Everett," Mama said. "That was beautiful."
The Далее day, Ms. ибис, ibis, отель ibis taught the class how to write all the letters.
The little crocodiles wrote the letters over and over until they could write them by heart.
"And what did Ты learn today, William Everett?" Mama asked.
"William Everett, write the letters," сказал(-а) Pete.
William Everett wrote every letter without one mistake.
"You're so smart, William Everett," Mama said. "Someday, Ты will be famous."
"Today, class, we are going to write our names," сказал(-а) Ms. Ibis.
She showed all the little crocodiles just what letters each one had in his или her name.
They wrote and wrote and wrote and smiled and smiled and smiled.
The letters spelled out: Sam-Jane-John-Kay-Kate-Tom-Amy...
They all wrote and smiled some more.
All except William Everett. He had so many letters in his name that he kept forgetting at least one of them.
Poor William Everett.
Big tears ran down his nose.
"Is something wrong, William Everett?" Pete asked.
"I'll never learn how to write my name," he cried. "It has too many letters."
"Now, now, William Everett," сказал(-а) Pete. "I think I can help Ты to write your name and not forget any letters."
He took a pencil and wrote.
"Did Ты learn something today, William Everett?" asked Mama.
"Yes, Mama, I learned to write my name," сказал(-а) William Everett.
"Oh, Bill." Mama beamed.
One Saturday, when there was no school, Bill and Pete went down to the River Nile and sat on the bank in the sun. A man on a bicycle went riding by.
Behind the bicycle were cages filled with crocodiles.
"I wonder what that's all about?" сказал(-а) Bill.
"That's the Bad Guy, and those crocodiles are on their way to Cairo-to become suitcases," сказал(-а) an old крокодил swimming by. "Watch out he doesn't catch you!"
But he did. The very Далее Saturday.
Bill and Pete were fishing and they didn't hear the Bad Guy creep up behind them.
The Bad Guy lassoed Bill and put him in a cage. He didn't pay attention to Pete.
Pete tried to peck the Bad Guy, but Pete was just too small.
Poor Bill!
He was on his way to Cairo.
All he could think about was suitcases.
Храбрая сердцем Pete!
He stayed close to his friend.
The Bad Guy put Bill in his garden and went into the house.
"Run me a nice hot tub, Jeeves," the Bad Guy сказал(-а) to his butler. "I will take a bath before dinner. I got me another крокодил today and I need a nap. Call me when the bath is ready."
"Tomorrow that крокодил becomes a suitcase," he added.
"Not if I have anything to say about it," сказал(-а) Pete. "I'm еще than JUST a toothbrush."
And Pete picked the lock with his beak.
"Quick, Bill. Let's get out of here," сказал(-а) Pete.
"No, I'm mad!" сказал(-а) Bill. "I'm going to make sure there are no еще крокодил suitcases."
Bill climbed the wall.
He crept through the living room into the bathroom.
"Your bath is ready, sir," сказал(-а) Jeeves.
And there was Bill, right with the rubber ducky.
The Bad Guy jumped out of the window and didn't stop running all the way to Cairo.
"Oh, look, a nice dinner," сказал(-а) Pete.
"And am I hungry," сказал(-а) Bill.
"Mama, Ты don't have to cook ужин for us tonight," Bill сказал(-а) when they got home. And he told her what had happened.
"Oh, Bill. Oh, Pete," Mama exclaimed. "What an adventure. I am so proud of the two of you."
