Further Adventures with Pat

by John B. Anderson

As Snoopy said, “It was a dark and stormy night.” …..No moon, really dark. Pat, John R. Kelly and I were, “loitering with the intent to commit a felony.” Actually, we were engaged in planning for creative mischief. Pat was always the most creative in this regard. He came up with the best idea ever, “Let's raid Mr. Olson's plum trees.”

What a great idea! It would have been, but we didn't know that Bill Matlin and friends had raided the trees earlier in the evening.

We sneaked down Michigan Avenue and into Mr. Olson's yard. Pat and John R. climbed up one tree, I climbed up the other. All of a sudden, I saw a black shadow coming from the porch toward us. Oh, Oh, Mr. Olson! I saw the shadow head toward Pat and John R.'s tree, so I dropped to the ground.

Mr. Olson tackled me, and threw me to the ground. He slapped me hard on my head.

“I didn't mean it!”

[SLAP!]

“I didn't mean it!”

[SLAP!]

Just then, Pat and John R. saw their opportunity, and they dropped to the ground. Mr. Olson jumped up and lunged for those two.

I got up and started running as fast as I could. I figured that he was old, and that I could run faster and further.

I ran to Pat's house, where I found Pat and John R. They had escaped unscathed. They were also kind enough to share a plum with me. That was the last time that we even considered raiding Mr. Olson's plums trees.