Mike twisted the radio dials. “It’s coming!”
Just then, Mrs. Carbonese shuffled over. She held a little camera in front of her face. “Everybody—smile!”
FLASH!
The burst of light from the flash seemed to shoot right at the potato, and for an instant the wires glowed white, then red, then blue!
Mike blinked at the bright flash.
“My eyes! My eyes! Hey, watch that camera, lady! You trying to blind me?”
Everyone went quiet.
Mrs. Carbonese’s face dropped.
Her camera dropped.
She pointed a sharp quivering finger at Mike, nearly sticking it up his nose. “This boy said rude words to me!” Then she fumbled for her police whistle and blew hard.
Woooooooo!
Everyone turned to Mike and frowned.
Mike turned to his potato and frowned.
3
The Power to Control the Mind!
“It wasn’t me,” cried Mike, pointing to his table. “It was him. The potato, the radio, Potadio!”
“Don’t yodel at me, rude boy,” cried Mrs. Carbonese. Then she picked up her camera and clacked off down the aisle in her high-heeled shoes.
Mr. Bell frowned deeply at Mike and moved on to another table with Rock Storm.
Mike turned to his friends. “Really, guys, it was him. The potato said that.”
Liz shook her head and sighed. “Sure, Mike.”
“He talked to me before, too,” Mike went on. “When I was washing him in the bathroom.”
“Right,” said Sean with a laugh. “And what did he say? ‘Don’t eat me.’?”
Mike blinked at Sean. “Actually, he did.”
Jeff nodded. “Well, if I were a vegetable and somebody was washing me, that’s probably what I would say. ‘Don’t eat me.’ You know?”
Liz made a face. “This is too weird for me. We’re talking about a potato, okay? They don’t talk. They can’t think. They’re just lumpy food.”
“Of course I’m in a grumpy mood,” Mrs. Carbonese snapped back over her shoulder. “That rude boy said bad words to me.” She stared at Mike as if she were going to blow her whistle again, then she clacked off between the tables.
Liz looked at her friends and tapped her ears. “Mrs. C. is sort of hard-of-hearing.”
“Now, let’s get going, people!” Rock Storm boomed into the microphone. “I’ve got a call-in show in half an hour. Wouldn’t want the world to miss that!”
Principal Bell, Miss Lieberman, and Mrs. Carbonese went up on the stage with the announcer.
“It’s time for the big prize to be awarded,” Rock Storm said. “And I think we all agree that one project here today is quite an achievement.”
Mike glanced at the big catapult towering over all the other projects. He saw Sean smile at his sister, breathe on his fingernails, and buff them on his shirt. They’re going to win, thought Mike.
His little Potadio didn’t look so great anymore. He ran a finger across a gash in the potato’s skin. “I wonder if it hurt when he got that.”
Liz turned. “Don’t get weird on me, Mike. It’s a vegetable, not a pal. But, listen, with my ears all stuffed up, I can’t hear the awards. Let’s get closer.” She walked over to the stage.
Mike just kept looking down at the Potadio. “We’ll never win.”
Suddenly, tiny sparks began to shoot off the wires connecting the vegetable to the radio.
Zzzz! Sput! Sput! The sparks flashed white, blue, and red and rippled along the wires.
The potato began to twitch on the table.
“Hey!” Mike leaned over. “What’s going on?”
The radio’s speaker began to crackle and hiss. Then it made a sound. “Pssssst!”
“Huh?” Mike put his ear to the speaker.
“Pssst!” the thing hissed again. Then the potato twitched a little. Then it spoke. “Hey, Mike!”
Mike’s eyes went wide. His mouth fell open.
“Yeah, kid, I’m talking to you!” the potato hissed. “Your name’s Mike, right?”
“Yeah … but … you’re … you’re … a …”
“Well, I’m not a grapefruit!” chuckled the potato. “Listen, thanks for zapping me with all these wires and stuff. And that camera flash gave me a jolt of juice, too. Boy, I feel like a million bucks!”
“Uh-huh,” said Mike, wondering if he was really hearing what he thought he was hearing.
“Hold on to your hat, Mikey boy,” the potato said. “And watch this!”
Mike saw the vegetable’s rough, brown skin wrinkle all over then stretch out, as if the potato were taking a deep breath!
All of a sudden—Krrippp!—the gash on the top of the potato split open! Underneath the rough skin was a ripply pink blob. It pushed itself up and began to throb. It bulged. It stretched.
“Is that a …?” gasped Mike. “What is it?”
“Well, it’s not my flavorful cheesy topping!” snorted the Potadio. “Now watch what happens when I do this!” The pink bulge began to turn purple as the potato groaned and twitched.
Suddenly, Rock Storm screamed out. “The winner is—is—is—ungh!—the Potadio!”
“Whoa!” shrieked Mike, jumping up and down. “I can’t believe it! This is so cool!”
At that moment, Principal Bell, Miss Lieberman, Rock Storm, and all the other teachers rushed down from the stage and crowded around Mike and his Potadio.
They slapped their ears and began to sing.
Oh, wondrous Potadio,
Not just a radio,
But so much more!
“What? What?” Liz stammered, squeezing through the crowd. “Everyone’s gone Zoner!”
And the Zoners sang a second verse!
Oh, don’t you nibble
This veg-a-tibble!
He’s so much more!
The potato’s pink bulge went purple again.
Suddenly, Rock Storm’s head jerked back. He raised the microphone to his lips. “Yes, master!” he murmured. “At once, master!”
The announcer grabbed Liz’s skateboard, jumped on, started the motor, and roared off through the tables.
“Hey!” cried Liz. “He’s stealing my project!”
Buy The Brain That Wouldn’t Obey! Now!
About the Author
Over the last two decades, Tony Abbott has written dozens of mysteries, comics, and adventure books for young readers aged six to fourteen, with series including Danger Guys, the Time Surfers, the Weird Zone, Underworlds, Goofballs, and the long-running fantasy series the Secrets of Droon. He is also the author of the fantasy epic Kringle and the realistic novels Firegirl (winner of the 2006 Golden Kite Award for Fiction), The Postcard (winner of the 2008 Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery), and Lunch-Box Dream. Among his latest novels is The Forbidden Stone, the first installment of the twelve-book saga the Copernicus Legacy. Tony has taught on the faculty of Lesley University’s MFA program in creative writing, is a frequent conference speaker and visitor to schools, and presents workshops to creative writers of all ages. His websites include www.tonyabbottbooks.com, www.thecopernicuslegacy.com, and the literary blog www.fridaybookreport.com.
All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 1996 by Robert Abbott
Cover design by Connie Gabbert
ISBN: 978-1-4804-8654-6
This edition published in 2014 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.
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New York, NY 10014
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