Then There Were Five

Did you know that a bee dies after he stings you? And that there's a star called Aldebaran? And that around the tenth of August, any year, you can look up in the sky at night and see dozens and dozens of shooting stars?

The summer,' Randy explained. 'I'm going to appreciate it. I'm going to walk in the woods noticing everything, and ride my bike on all the roads I never explored. I'm going to fill a pillow with ladies' tobacco so I can smell it in January and remember about August. I'm going to dry a big bunch of pennyroyal so I can break pieces off all winter and think of summer. I'm going to look at everything, and smell everything, and listen to everything so I'll never forget --

This silence was woven of many sounds: of long soft owl calls, of tree frogs’ voices, of invisible wings fluttering past a window, and above all the delicate, ceaseless breathing of the woods.

Bake in a slow oven—” she continued. “Until the color and texture of grated charcoal,” said Rush. “Garnish with nuts, bolts, and old washers, and serve one month later.

Fold in sugar very gently, add one teaspoon of vanilla and a half teaspoon of almond extract,” chanted Mona dreamily. “Pour into nine-inch mold, sprinkle lightly with chopped almonds, and—” “Rub into the scalp thoroughly,

Oliver!” cried Cuffy. “Not in your underwear!

The whole house is impeakable.

The candy bars in their paper wrappers also had interesting names such as “Nummy Bar

The second exploded like a bomb, all by itself.