52 - How I Learned to Fly Read Online Free Page B

she
called to Dad. “We don’t want to be late. I left dinner in the fridge for you,
Jack. See you later!”
    Morty and I watched Mom and Dad drive off. We played catch with a Frisbee—until the phone rang.
    It was Mia.
    “I—I’m sorry I ruined your party,” I stammered.
    “No problem,” she replied cheerfully. “You didn’t ruin my party at all. We
all went back inside and had a great time.”
    “Oh. Okay. So—what are you doing today?” I asked. “Want to go
Rollerblading?”
    I love Rollerblading. I can speed around sharp turns on one foot. And I skate
faster than everyone in the whole neighborhood—including Wilson.
    “Sure! That’s why I called!” she exclaimed. “Wilson got these new blades.
With balls underneath instead of wheels. They’re much faster than the regular
kind.”
    “Oh. I just remembered. I can’t go skating,” I told her. “I have to stay home
and—water the plants.”
    Mia hung up.
    I peeked out through the living room window. I watched Wilson’s house across
the street. Waited for Wilson to leave—with his new, stupid in-line skates.
    A few seconds later, he sped down his driveway and rolled down the block in a
blur.
    I let out a long sigh and shuffled outside.
    “Come on, Morty!” I snatched the Frisbee from the lawn. “Catch, boy!”
    I tossed the Frisbee.
    Morty let it soar over his head.
    He didn’t budge.
    Great. Now what?
    “Hey! Morty—I know. Let’s go find that big book I brought home.”
    Morty followed me to the garage. I slipped my hands into the lumpy mattress
and pulled it out. I lugged the book into the kitchen.
    I started to read it—and gasped in amazement.
    “Morty—I don’t believe this!”

 
 
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    “Wow! Morty! I can fly!”
    Morty cocked his furry head at me.
    “I know it sounds weird, boy. But it says so right here!” I pointed to the
page I was reading. “Humans can fly!”
    Wait a minute. Am I crazy? Have I totally lost it? People cannot fly.
    Morty jumped up on a kitchen chair. He stared down at the book. At a picture
of a young girl. With arms stretched out to her sides, she sailed through the
air—her long, blond hair flowing behind her.
    Morty glanced up at me. Peered back down at the page. Then he whimpered and
bolted from the room.
    “Come back, Morty. Don’t you want to learn to fly?” I laughed. “Morty—The
First and Only Flying Dog!”
    I turned back to the book and read:
    “For as long as humans have walked the earth, they have yearned to fly. To
float like an angel. To glide like a bat. To soar like a mighty bird of prey.
    “All a dream. A hopeless dream—until now.
    “The ancient secret of human flight is a simple one.
    “You need only three things: the daring to try, an imagination that soars, and
a good mixing bowl.”
    Hey—! I stared at the page. I had those things. Maybe I should give it a try.
I had nothing better to do today. I read on.
    There, on the next page, the book told exactly what you needed to do
to fly.
    It gave some exercises to practice. And a magical mixture you had to eat.
    Learn the Motion, Eat the Potion —that’s what it said.
    Finally it gave an ancient chant to recite.
    And that was it. The secret of flying—right there.
    Yeah, right. I rolled my eyes.
    I scanned the list of ingredients I would need to make the potion. The main
ingredient was yeast—“because yeast rises.”
    Hmmm. Yeast does rise. Maybe this really would work. Maybe I really
could learn to fly.
    If I could—it would be awesome. I would soar through the sky—just like my
superheroes.
    I could fly, I thought dreamily as I searched the pantry for the yeast. Something Wilson couldn’t do in a million years!
    And, boy, would Mia be impressed.
    I could hear her now. “Oh, wow! Oh, wow! Oh, wow!” she would scream as I flew
into the sky, leaving Wilson down on the ground—like a bug.
    I’m going to do it right now! I’m going to learn how to fly!
    Of course I knew it was crazy. But what if it