Tale # 51 -- CLEAN-UP AT UNCLE JOE'S GARAGE

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS

On the Saturday after Easter, Ben's alarm clock woke him up at six o'clock. He went down the stairs to the living room in his pyjamas and watched cartoons for two hours. Then he went back to his room and dressed in an old sweat shirt and some raggedy jeans.

His mother was mixing pancake batter in the kitchen. Ben got some orange juice out of the fridge.

"Looks like you're all ready to go to Joe's place," Ben's mother said. "I'm impressed. I know how much you like to watch Saturday cartoons."

"I offered to help," Ben said, "and I will. It was really nice of Uncle Joe to take me to see Dancing Bear last week-end."

"You'd better have a good breakfast," his mother said. "I've seen that garage. You'll need lots of energy."

After finishing a big stack of pancakes with maple syrup, Ben put on his oldest running shoes and walked to his uncle's place. The sun was shining brightly and the snow was melting fast. Spring was on the way.



TRASH AND TREASURES

Uncle Joe was already at work loading his truck.

Ben stood at attention and saluted. "Private Ben reporting for duty."

Uncle Joe grinned. "You're early. I like that."

The garage was so full that there was no room for any vehicles. Uncle Joe had to park his truck in the driveway. Aunt Marie usually parked her car behind the truck. Uncle Joe couldn't go anywhere without moving the car first.

"Where's Aunt Marie today?" Ben asked. "I don't see her car."

"Gone shopping in Timmins," Uncle Joe said. "This clean-up is a surprise."

"Do you really think we can make enough space for both vehicles?" Ben asked. "There's an awful lot of stuff here."

"I know we can do it," Uncle Joe said. "All we have to do is get rid of everything we don't really need."

"Sounds easy," Ben said.

Uncle Joe and Ben put some things in boxes and took them over to Aunt Sylvie's. She was having a garage sale that week-end. Then they filled twenty-two garbage bags full of junk and hauled them to the dump along with three worn-out tires, a couch whose springs were poking through the upholstery, a broken TV set, an old stereo with missing speakers, and a humidifier that didn't work any more. Afterwards they organized the garage and put everything in its proper place.

"Where do you want me to put this?" Ben asked as he wiped the dirt off the handlebars of a green BMX bike.

Uncle Joe walked over. "Hmmm," he said. "That used to be David's bike. He's much too big for it now."

"Can I try it out?" Ben asked. That bike was just right for jumps and wheelies and other tricks.

"The tires look a little soft," Uncle Joe said. "Let me pump it up a bit."

Ben could hardly wait to try out the bike.


BEN'S RIDE

As soon as the bike was ready, Ben jumped on it and started pedalling.

"Stay out of the puddles!" Uncle Joe shouted after him. That was easier said than done because the snow was melting so fast.

Ben jumped the bike off the curb onto the street. Then he tried some wheelies. The bike did everything perfectly.

"What a great bike!" Ben said to himself as he coasted down the hill.

The street at the bottom of the hill had a miniature stream flowing across it. "Whee!" Ben yelled, and rode right through it.

Oops! There was a coating of ice on the pavement under the cold water. The bike slipped sideways and fell over.

OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A car that was passing by stopped, and the driver jumped out. "Are you OK?"

"I think so," Ben said. "But I wrecked the bike." Ben was trying not to cry. He wished he had listened to Uncle Joe when he told him to stay out of puddles.

The man helped Ben stand up and checked the bike. "I don't see any damage," he said. "That's one sturdy bike."

Ben's elbow was very sore, but he didn't say anything about it. He got back on the bike and pedalled slowly and carefully back to Uncle Joe's place.


UNCLE JOE'S SURPRISE

"What happened to you?" Uncle Joe said. "You're dripping."

"I found out why you told me to stay out of puddles," Ben said.

Uncle Joe laughed. "Both David and I had to learn from experience. I guess you did too."

Uncle Joe helped Ben take off his soggy clothes. While Ben was in the shower, his uncle found some of David's old clothes that were still in the house.

Soon Ben was warm and dry again. His uncle put some band-aids on his scrapes.

"Would you like to have that bike?" Uncle Joe said.

"To keep forever?" Ben asked. He was so excited that he could hardly breathe.

"Why not?" Uncle Joe said. "David doesn't need it any more."

"Wow! Thanks!" Ben yelled. He hugged his uncle and rode home proudly on his new green bike.