Snoopy and Charlie Brown

It is a sunny day, not a cloud in sight. Charlie Brown just got home from school and is staying inside because it is too hot for his liking. But Snoopy is outside laying on his doghouse sun bathing. Charlie finished his homework at school so now he’s bored. Linus is on vacation so he can’t play with him. So Charlie decided to get on the computer and a page is already on the screen. It says that if you send in ten dollars you could win a new car. So, of course, he wants to sign up but he doesn’t know where he’s going to get ten dollars. He ponders for a while but he gives up and decides to go outside and ask Snoopy.

“Hey Snoopy how can I make some money fast?” asks Charlie. As Snoopy ponders so does Charlie again.

“How about a lemonade stand? You can make a ton of money,” Snoopy suggests.

Charlie comes right out and says enthusiastically, “That’s a great idea, Snoopy!”

Charlie starts right away with building the stand. He builds it out of wood. He puts some wood here, some nails there, and some screws everywhere. Within one hour he is finished with the lemonade stand so he lugs it out to the front of the lawn. But Charlie realizes that he forgot the lemonade. So he goes inside and looks in his mom’s cookbook and finds a recipe. Charlie makes two ice-cold pitchers and brings them outside. Charlie has the lemonade, the stand, and a glass jar that says twenty- five cents. It’s the perfect day for a lemonade stand because it’s 90° outside.

Charlie waits ten minutes and he has his first customer. Five minutes later he has another customer and then another. Within two hours he has exactly ten dollars. He takes in his jar and puts the money in an envelope. He hides the envelope under his pillow in his room. He is going to mail in the money the next day because he doesn’t know where the stamps are. So Charlie decides to watch TV.

Snoopy is so sneaky. He was the one who pulled up the page on the computer about the car. His plan was for Charlie to see the page on the computer, make the money, and Snoopy was going to take the money and enter the contest himself. So he does; he goes into Charlie’s room and finds the money. He decides to wait to mail in the money till the next day because he knows that Charlie would check to see if the money is there when he goes to bed.

The next morning Charlie Brown is running late for school and forgets to mail in the money. So as soon as Charlie leaves, Snoopy takes the money and mails it in.

When Charlie gets home from school the phone rings. “Hello,” Charlie asks, “who is this?”

“This is Bob. Is Snoopy there?” says a man with a deep voice.

“Bob, I don’t think he knows you but I’ll get him,” says Charlie. He goes outside to Snoopy’s doghouse and says, “Snoopy, a man named Bob is on the phone for you.” Snoopy gets excited and goes inside with Charlie.

“Bob, he’s right here. I’ll put him on,” says Charlie as he passes the phone to Snoopy.

There is a moment of silence as Snoopy listens to the man. After a minute Snoopy smiles really big. He tells the man thank you and hangs up the phone.

“Well, who was he and what did he want?” asks Charlie curiously. He waits intently for Snoopy’s answer.

“Bob said I won a car,” Snoopy says as he smiles at Charlie.

“What! Where did you get the money for that?” says Charlie raising his voice with Snoopy. Charlie is thinking and waiting for Snoopy”s answer. “Wait a minute, were you the one who pulled the page up on the computer?”

“Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t,” Snoopy admits. Snoopy and Charlie stare at each other.

Something clicks into Charlie’s head and says, “Snoopy, did you take my money from the lemonade stand?” Snoopy doesn’t answer.

A few minutes pass while the two of them have a stare down. Snoopy finally caves and says, “Yes, yes, it was me! I took your money!”

Charlie lets out a big sigh and shakes his head and says, “Just my luck!”