LYLE AND PENNY

LYLE AND PENNY
by Theresa Burres

Lyle's best friend was Penny. He was sure that she was the smartest kid in the whole world. Lyle was always ready to do any thing Penny said.

Penny was not always Lyle's best friend. Sometimes she got tired of having Lyle round.

One time Penny sent Lyle out into the woods to catch elves. She knew that the elves did not live in their woods. She still sent Lyle to the woods to hold a bag and hide under a tree. She told him to wait very quitely and that she would come back to get him. She almost forgot to go get him that night. Penny told Lyle that he must have made to much noise and the elves ran away.

Another time Penny told Lyle that the Loch Ness Monster would swim in the drainage ditch when it rained. The next time it rained Lyle spent the entire morning sitting and watching for the Loch Ness Monster. Penny said that Lyle must have left five minutes before the Loch Ness Monster went for his swim.

Lyle believed every thing Penny said.

One day Penny wanted to go to the movies with her sister. She did not have any money. So she came up with an idea. Penny thought it was the best plan she had ever had.

She told Lyle that she had a magical sheet that would make him invisible. If he had on the magical sheet no one in the world could see him. No matter how hard they tried.
Lyle was very excited about having such a great thing. Penny told Lyle that she would give him the magical sheet for ten dollars. Penny told Lyle that she would not sell this magical sheet to any one except Lyle.

Lyle went into the house to get the money that he kept in his box in the back of his closet.

He took the ten dollars and ran outside. As soon as Penny saw him she held out her hand for the money. When Lyle gave her the money, she gave him a paper bag with the sheet from her bed. Then she ran off to go to the movies.

Lyle set the bag gently on the ground under the tree. He carefully opened the bag and looked in. He took the pale pink sheet and held it up to the light that streamed though the tree.

Lyle sat down on the grass and drew the sheet around him. He covered up ever part of himself. He could not see anything but pale pink sheet.

Lyle sat there for a very long time. He heard the cars on the street passing by. He heard the paperboy bringing the evening paper.

Suddenly Lyle felt someone's hand rub over his head then down to his face. Lyle's mother asked him why he was wearing a pink sheet in the middle of the afternoon while he was sitting under his tree.

Lyle told his mom that he was being invisible. He told her that when he was all wrapped up no one could see him. Lyle's mom told him that even though no one could really see him, they could see the sheet.
After she went back into the house Lyle sat there and wondered why his mom could still see the magical pink sheet. He sat there for a very long time; but, he could not understand why his mom could still see his sheet.

All that night Lyle thought about the sheet. He wondered why he could not make the magic work. Lyle thought that Penny must have forgot to tell him all the things that made the magic work.

The first thing in the morning he ran over to Penny's house with the pale pink sheet in the paper bag. He had to ask Penny why the sheet had not been invisible too.

Penny came out side to find Lyle sitting on the swing hanging from the tree. Lyle told her all about his adventure with the magic sheet and that it would not become invisible.

Penny listened to everything Lyle said. She shook her head. The sheet was in the bag that Lyle held out to her.

Penny took the sheet out of the paper bag and spread it out on the ground. While Lyle watched, Penny walked around and around the sheet. Penny made strange sounds in her throat. Lyle could not tell what Penny was doing even though he watched very closely.

At last Penny told Lyle that he must not be a very magical person. She was sure that he needed magic lessons. She knew just where he could get them. As she ran into her house she told Lyle not to leave - to stay right where he was. Lyle knew that Penny would give him the magic to make him invisible.
Running into her room Penny looked around for something - anything that looked old and magical. She looked in her closet and under her bed. Penny could not see a single thing that she thought she could use.

Finally Penny looked in the back of her desk drawer. There in the back right corner she found it. It was purple with orange fringe and was about the size of a small apple. Penny didn't know what it was. She grabbed it and rushed outside to where she had left Lyle.

She told Lyle that the thing was a "Grackle". A "Grackle" can make things that are magical more magical. If he had a "Grackle" he would be able to make himself and the magical sheet invisible.

For just a dollar she would sell him the "Grackle" because he didn't have enough magic all his own. Lyle looked at the "Grackle" with wide eyes. He reached into his pockets for a dollar but all he had was a quarter. Penny looked at the quarter and decided that a quarter was better than nothing. Trading the "Grackle" for the quarter Penny started walking away. Lyle hurried after Penny. He ask her for the magic word to made the "Grackel" work.

Penny looked to her right. Penny looked to her left. She looked behind herself and Lyle. When she was sure that they were alone then she whispered the word had asked for in his ear.

Walking to his back yard Lyle carried the "Grackel", the pink sheet, and the magic word. He repeated the magic word over and over in his head. He was afraid that he would not remember everything that Penny had said to do.

Quitely Lyle sat under the tree. He pulled the pale pink sheet around himself. Holding the "Grackel" in his right hand he said the magic word just as Penny had told him to.

Lyle felt kind of tingle in a strange way. After what seemed like a very long time Lyle stood up and walked into his house. When he looked in the mirror all he saw was the wall behind him.

Lyle just hoped Penny would not charge him too much to become visible again. He did not have much money left.