Chapter 1: Off to the State Fair!
Welcome to The Kitchen Lab, where science comes alive through the adventures of our animal crew. Around here, a simple question can lead to a kitchen experiment—or an airplane ride.
Professor Reuben had procured a plane.
A red plane.
With two wings, an impressive propeller, and enough room for everyone—provided everyone stayed in their own seat.
Sadie had several questions.
“Who checked the weather? Where is the itinerary? Has anyone counted the passengers?”
“Twice,” said Reuben.
“Did you count Rosie twice? She keeps moving.”
But the engine was already rumbling, Hawk was unfolding the map, and the state fair was waiting.
For once, Sadie’s checklist had been left on the kitchen table.
She was not taking it well.
Above the patchwork fields, Duncan discovered a problem.
“My ears,” he announced, “need their own plane!”
One ear streamed behind him. The other folded sideways, sprang upright, and promptly folded the other way.
Hawk glanced over his map.
“Perhaps they’re helping with navigation.”
“Then tell them we’re going to the FAIR!”
At the back, Rosie had spotted something below.
Something fascinating.
Something that apparently required her entire front half to investigate.
“ROSIE!” barked Sadie. “Passengers remain INSIDE the aircraft!”
Roscoe leaned against Rosie’s hindquarters and helped nudge her back into her seat.
“Plenty to see from here,” he said.
Mack poked his head up beneath her elbow, eager to find out what everyone was looking at.
Chloe adjusted her rhinestone goggles.
“Does anyone know whether the fair has a salon?”
Nobody answered.
The wind had given them all the same hairstyle.
Reuben brought the plane down smoothly at a small airfield near the fairgrounds. After a short shuttle ride, the crew stood before the entrance.
Beyond the gates came music, laughter, and the delicious smell of something baking.
Duncan lifted his nose.
“I suggest we follow that.”
Hawk studied the fair map.
“Corn muffins to the left. Dairy barn straight ahead.”
“First,” said Sadie, producing a pencil from somewhere in her windblown fur, “we establish a meeting place.”
“And then muffins?” asked Duncan.
“And then we find out what Professor Reuben has planned.”
Reuben smiled.
“One question.”
Sadie narrowed her eyes. His questions had a habit of becoming projects.
“How do you turn something you can pour into something you can spread?”
Duncan considered this.
“Spill it?”
“An interesting proposal,” said Reuben. “Let’s investigate.”