Stink and The Ultimate Thumb-Wrestling Smackdown (6 page)

“Any minute,” said Lynn, the librarian.

At last! The dog that liked to read trotted into the library. Moose. He was a German shepherd with humongous ears and a pink tongue longer than a hot dog.
Slurp!
Moose licked Stink’s whole face.

“Don’t worry if you feel like an ice-cream cone,” said Maggie, his trainer. “That’s his way of getting to know you.” In no time, the dog had turned Stink into a human Popsicle. “Okay. I want Moose to get used to being around kids without me, so I’ll be in the coffee shop out front.”

Stink read a book about the big red dog at Halloween. Moose barked. “Maybe he’s afraid of ghosts,” said Webster.

Stink read the one where the big red dog takes a bath. Moose yawned. “Maybe he doesn’t like taking baths,” said Sophie.

“I think that might be true,” said Stink, pinching his nose.

Stink read the one about the big red dog and his first snow. Moose pricked up his ears. Stink turned the page. Stink turned another page. Moose rested his head on his paws.

“He likes it!” said Stink as Moose put his paw up on the book.

Sophie and Webster laughed. “Look! He’s trying to turn the page!”

Stink chose a book about dog and cat best friends. Moose grabbed the book and took off.

“Moose!” Stink called. “Come back here. Dogs can’t read!” Stink chased after Moose. Webster and Sophie chased after Stink. Librarian Lynn chased after Webster and Sophie. They ran up and down rows of books. They chased Moose past mysteries, through cookbooks, to the corner where the U-Knitted Nations was having its Book Club meeting. Moose got all tangled up in a ball of blue yarn. But did that stop him? No!

Rrrip!
Moose leaped over the legs of a guy reading the paper.
Slurp!
He almost tipped over the table with the fish tank.
Crash!
He knocked over a cart of kids’ books.

“Horsey!” said a toddler, pointing.

Moose ran past her, heading straight for the front door.

“Stop! Moose!” Stink yelled. Moose ran right through the book detector.
Ree! Ree! Ree!
A siren louder than the Yack Buster went off. Moose stopped and turned.

“Be a good boy,” Stink coaxed. “Give me back the library book.”

Moose raced past Stink, almost knocking him over. He jumped into the book return bin — S
proing!
Moose plopped down on a mountain of books.

“You just wanted to return your library book on time, huh, boy?”

“Arf!”
said Moose. Stink reached for the book in Moose’s mouth.
“Arf, arf, arf, arf, arf!”

Stink remembered the willow. He made himself into a calm pool of water. He held out his empty hand toward Moose.

Moose dropped the book at last. By the time Maggie came back, Moose had leaped into Stink’s lap, licking his face. “Who’s a reading dog? You are. Yes, you are,” said Stink. “You should get your own Super Reading Award.”

“And you should get an A+ in Community Service,” said Maggie.

Moose lifted a paw in the air.

“Look! He’s practicing karate,” said Stink. “He already knows horse stance!”

“Moose stance!” said Sophie, and they all cracked up.

Saturday! Today was the day Stink would earn his yellow belt in karate!

By the time Stink got to Empty Hand Academy, he had jumping beans in his belly. He took in an ocean of deep breaths. He made himself still like a pool of water.

Judy, Mom, and Dad sat in back. Stink faced the mirror.
Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the yellow beltest of us all?
Stink smiled.
Stop smiling! Focus! Concentrate!
Stink did not even tell himself a joke. He stood with three other kids and made his mind blank as a piece of paper.

Stink bowed to Sensei Dan. The room got dead quiet.
Hee-ya! Ai-ya! Ha! Ha! Ha!
Stink went through each stance. The audience clapped. Stink showed his skill with side kicks and roundhouse kicks. More clapping. He finished with a back-fist strike and punch.

Next, Stink sparred with Rooster. Then he handed in his community service paper. Last of all, Stink recited the Yellow Belt Creed. He bowed to Sensei Dan and waited for the panel of judges to call out names.

Ruby Yamamoto . . . Rooster Raymond . . . Stink Moody!

Sensei Dan held out the yellow belt. It was not blucky dirty like his old white belt. It was new and gold and shiny!

“When Stink first came to us, he was tripping over the mat,” said Sensei Dan. “Now look at this young man. No one has worked harder these last few weeks. Stink Moody, on behalf of the Empty Hand Academy, it is with great honor that I bestow upon you this yellow belt. Wear it with respect and confidence.”

“Great job,” said Dad.

“Rare,” said Judy.

Stink wrapped the yellow belt around his waist two times. He knotted and unknotted his new belt, trying to get the ends even. “Sensei Dan says karate will help me with all sorts of stuff. I
so
don’t stink at sports anymore.”

“But you so do stink at knots,” said Judy.

“Do
not.
It’s
not
as easy as you think to tie a reef
knot,
” said Stink.

“You can play any sport you want, if you just put your mind to it,” said Dad.

“So, you’re a sports freak now, huh?” said Judy. “Too bad you didn’t get a trophy.”

Today, even big-sister Judy couldn’t bug him. He looked down at his now-perfect knot. “But I got this cool uniform, and my yellow belt is kind of like a trophy, and now I get a pizza party! Right?”

“Right,” said Dad.

“Right,” said Mom.

“Can I have a thumb-wrestling pizza party at our house? And invite all my friends? For real? Can I wear my karate uniform, too?”

“Maybe just this once,” said Mom.

“Hi-ya!” Stink gave a spinning reverse punch in the air. “Take that, old me who stinks at sports. There’s a new kid on the block. Karate Stink. Just call me Yellow Belt Yeti.”