A Whirlwind Vacation (2 page)

One time the wind had even turned her into her own cocker spaniel, Pepper. She'd chased after a squirrel and ruined her neighbor's garden. That was really bad since Katie's next-door neighbor was also her third-grade teacher, Mrs. Derkman.

Katie sure hoped that the magic wind hadn't followed her all the way across the Atlantic Ocean. She didn't want to be anyone else right now. She just wanted to stay Katie Kazoo and enjoy her super-duper European vacation!

“Katie, do you remember when you were asking me about where the Queen lives?” Vicki said a while later.

Katie nodded.

“Well, we're going to go to Buckingham Palace next!” Vicki told her.

“Wow!” Katie exclaimed. “Do you think we'll see her? I wonder what she'll be wearing.”

Vicki laughed. “I don't think we'll get to see the Queen today. But we will get a view of something
very
exciting. The Guard Mounting.”

“What's that?” Annabelle asked her.

“Some people call it the changing of the guard,” Vicki explained. “It's a ceremony in which the Queen's guards change places as they take turns watching over the palace.”

“Are there always guards outside the palace?” Annabelle asked. “Even if the Queen isn't home?”

Vicki nodded. “Always. It's a very difficult job. The guards have to stand in one place for a very long time. They can't laugh or smile, no matter what happens.”

“I'll bet my friend George could make the guards laugh,” Katie told Vicki. “He's the funniest kid in the whole fourth grade.”

“
I'm
one of the funniest kids in my grade,” Annabelle boasted.

“Well, you girls can try to make them laugh,” Vicki told them. “But I don't think you can do it. No one has before.”

A little while later, the tour bus arrived near Buckingham Palace. Katie stared at the large white building in amazement. It was huge—nearly a whole block long. There were giant statues of people on horseback in front of the palace. And of course, the building was surrounded by a big black and gold gate, to protect the Queen and her family.

“Wow!” Katie exclaimed. “Is the Queen there now?”

“She is, indeed,” Vicki assured her.

“How can you tell?” Mrs. Carew asked.

“Look up on the roof,” Vicki said. “You see the royal banner? They only put that up when the Queen is staying there.”

“So do you think she'll come outside?” Katie was still hoping to see the Queen in person.

“I wouldn't count on it,” Annabelle said.

The bus stopped. One by one the people on the tour got off. They followed Vicki around the corner to the front gates of the palace. Sure enough, there were the guards, in their red tunics, big furry black hats, and black pants.

Almost immediately, the Garcias and the McIntyres began snapping pictures of one another. Mrs. Penderbottom ran off to buy some souvenir postcards. Miss Cornblau and Miss Framingham took notes, so they could tell their classes all about the changing of the guard. The Fishmans probably weren't going to see a thing. They weren't even looking at the palace. They were too busy staring at each other.

There were tons of other tourists standing in front of the Palace. They were snapping pictures and speaking in different languages.

Katie and Annabelle were in the middle of the crowd, near their parents. But Annabelle wanted a closer look.

“Katie, let's have a contest to see which of us can make that guard laugh first,” she suggested. Annabelle pointed to a tall man standing in a guard box.

“Didn't you hear Vicki?” Katie reminded her. “The guards aren't
allowed
to laugh. They have to stand still.”

“But Vicki also said we could try and make them laugh if we wanted to,” Annabelle noted. “So let's do it. We can make funny faces or tell jokes.”

“I don't know,” Katie interrupted. “It's kind of mean to try and make the guard laugh when he's not supposed to.”

“Well,” Annabelle said, “if you're
afraid
to try ...”

Katie scowled. Annabelle was daring her to have this contest. If Katie said no, Annabelle would think she was a chicken. And Katie was
no
chicken.

“Okay, let's go,” Katie said finally, pushing her way through the crowd and walking toward the guard. Annabelle followed close behind.

“Katie, don't go too far,” her father called out.

“I'm just getting a better look,” Katie assured him.

“Me too,” Annabelle told her parents.

Finally, Katie and Annabelle reached the front of the crowd. Katie watched Annabelle stick her fingers just under her nose, and push her nostrils straight up. Then she stuck her tongue way out.

Katie had to admit it was a pretty funny face. But the guard didn't even seem to notice Annabelle.

Now it was Katie's turn. She thought for a minute. What was the funniest thing she could do? Hmmm ... Once George had taught Katie how to imitate a monkey. Now
that
was really funny!

Katie shoved her tongue just under her top lip so it stuck out. Then she bent her arms and began scratching her armpit. “Ook ook,” she said as she jumped around like a monkey.

The guard didn't crack a smile.

“That wasn't funny enough,” Annabelle said.

“You
didn't make him laugh, either,” Katie reminded Annabelle.

“Maybe a joke will work,” Annabelle suggested. She turned to the guard. “Do you know what kind of umbrella the Queen of England carries on a rainy day?”

The guard didn't answer, so Annabelle just finished the joke. “A wet one!” she announced.

Katie looked up at the guard's face. He was staring straight ahead. “He's not going to laugh,” she told Annabelle.

“I guess not,” Annabelle agreed. She reached down and pulled a yellow cardboard camera from her pocketbook. “I'll just take a few pictures.”

“Where'd you get that?” Katie asked her.

“At the newsstand when we stopped to see Big Ben,” Annabelle answered.

Katie would have loved to take photos to show her grandma and her friends back home. But she hadn't thought to buy a camera when they were at Big Ben.

“Oh well. I guess I won't be able to take any pictures today,” Katie sighed.

“Why not?” Annabelle asked her. “There's another newsstand right over there. A lot of the newsstands in London sell disposable cameras.”

Katie ran to her parents. “Daddy,” she asked, “could I buy a camera over at that newsstand?”

“I don't see why not,” Mr. Carew said as he opened his wallet and pulled out a few of the multi-colored bills. “You have a few pounds here,” he said, handing her the British money. “Be sure to get the change.”

“I will,” Katie assured him.

“And hurry,” Vicki added. “They're going to have the changing of the guard ceremony shortly.”

Katie raced as quickly as she could to the newsstand on the corner. Unfortunately, when she got there, the stand was closed.

Katie walked around the back of the stand. She was hoping to find the owner. Maybe he would open up his stand and sell her a camera. But there was no one around the back, either.

She stood there, all alone behind the newsstand, and sighed. She wasn't going to get a camera right now. Annabelle would probably never let her forget that.

Just then, Katie felt a slight breeze on the back of her neck. She pulled her jacket a little tighter around her. But that didn't help much. A little jean jacket was no match for the magic wind!

Before Katie knew what was happening, the wind began blowing full force. It spun around Katie like a wild tornado. Katie bit her lip and tried not to cry. Her mind was racing. What if the magic wind blew her to another country or something? How would she ever find her way back to her parents?

The wind swirled faster and harder. It seemed as though it would never stop.

And then, suddenly, it did. Just like that.

Switcheroo! Katie wasn't Katie anymore.

Katie squeezed her eyes shut. She was afraid to open them. All around her she could hear people laughing and talking. A few babies were crying and some little kids were whining.

Where was she
?

There was only one way to find out. She slowly opened her eyes. Lots of eyes stared back at her. She recognized two sets of eyes—the ones belonging to her parents. They were staring at her from a crowd. But they had no idea who she was.

Then again, neither did Katie.

Slowly, she looked down. Instead of her red sneakers, Katie was wearing a pair of shiny black men's shoes. As her eyes traveled up, she saw a pair of pants, and a red jacket.