Copyright ©1984 by Richard Scarry.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Scarry, Richard.

The best mistake ever! And other stories / Richard Scarry.

p. cm. – (Step into reading. A step 3 book.)

SUMMARY: Three stories about Lowly Worm and his friends include “The Best Mistake Ever,” “A Visit to Mr. Fixit,” and “Best Friends.”

eISBN: 978-0-307-97473-0

1. Children’s stories, American. [1. Animals—Fiction. 2. Short stories.]

I. Title. II. Step into reading. Step 3 book.

PZ7.S327 Bb 2003 [E]—dc21 2002013233

STEP INTO READING, RANDOM HOUSE, and the Random House colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

v3.1

The Best Mistake Ever

A Visit to Mr. Fixit

Best Friends

The Best Mistake Ever

One day Mother Cat wanted

to clean the house.

Huckle Cat wanted to help.

He washed the dishes …

with too much soap.

He dusted the dust …

all over the room.

Huckle was no help at all.

“You can really help me

by going to the store,”

said his mother.

She made a shopping list.

“Here is what I need,” she said.

Huckle wanted to help.

He ran to the store.

But he forgot to take

the shopping list!

His friend Lowly Worm

was at the store too.

“What is the matter, Huckle?”

asked Lowly.

“I am not sure

that I can remember

what Mother needs,”

said Huckle.

“Do not worry.

I will help you,”

said Lowly.

“Butter? I think

Mother said ‘butter,’ ”

said Huckle.

“I bet it was peanut butter,”

said Lowly.

He put a jar of peanut butter

in the shopping cart.

“Now let me see …

did she say ‘cream’?”

said Huckle.

“Ice cream!

It must have been ice cream,”

said Lowly.

“Here is chocolate

and here is vanilla.”

Huckle stopped

at a big box of apples.

“Apples?” he asked.

“Apple pie!

Apple pie with ice cream

is very good,” said Lowly.

“Did she want potatoes?”

wondered Huckle.

“Better get potato chips.

Everyone likes potato chips,”

said Lowly.

And he pushed a big bag

into the cart.

“I think we have everything,”

said Huckle.

Just then Mr. Frumble

bumped into the oranges.

Oranges rolled everywhere.

“Thank you, Mr. Frumble!

I almost forgot the oranges,”

said Huckle.

But Lowly had a better idea.

“Get orange soda,” he said.

“You need something to drink

with potato chips.”

“Thanks, Lowly,” said Huckle.

“We do need a good drink.”

Huckle paid for the food.

“I will help you take it home,”

said Lowly.

Lowly opened the door

for Huckle.

“Hello, Mother,” said Huckle.

“I got everything you wanted.”

“Why, thank you, Huckle,”

his mother said.

Then she unpacked the bags.

“Huckle! This is party food!

I did not want these things!”

Just then the doorbell rang.

It was Aunty Rose

and her little girl, Lily.

“What a nice surprise!”

said Mother Cat.

Aunty Rose looked at the table.

“Oh,” she said.

“Are you having a party?”

Mother Cat smiled.

“Why, yes,” she said.

“Just for you!”

Everyone had a good time.

When the party was over,

Mother Cat said,

“Huckle, you really are

a big help.

Your shopping was

the best mistake ever!”

A Visit to Mr. Fixit

Huckle Cat was so happy.

He had just bought

the perfect Mother’s Day present.

A cuckoo-cuckoo clock!

“Mother will love it,”

he said.

“Cuckoo!” went the clock.

It was one o’clock.

He put the clock

into the basket of his bike.

Then he set off for home

as fast as he could go.

“Not so fast!” said Lowly Worm.

“Slow down!”

But Huckle did not slow down.

He turned the corner and

CRASHED

right into Postman Pig.

“Cucko-o-o-o-o!” went the clock.

“Oh, no! The clock is broken!”

said Huckle.

Officer Murphy came right over.

“You are lucky

that is all that is broken,”

said the police officer.

“You were going too fast.

And you did not ring

your bell.”

Huckle said, “I’m sorry,

but my bell is broken.”

Officer Murphy told Huckle

to get his bell fixed.

Huckle and Lowly went

to Mr. Fixit’s store.

“Can you fix my bike bell

and this cuckoo-cuckoo clock?”

asked Huckle.

“Of course I can,”

said Mr. Fixit.

“Come back in an hour

and your bell and clock

will be as good as new.”

Huckle and Lowly left the store.

Mr. Fixit set to work.

He took the bell apart.

He took the clock apart.

“Now, let me see …” he said.

When Huckle and Lowly came back,

Mr. Fixit had everything

back together again.

“Oh, thank you, Mr. Fixit!”

said Huckle.

“Glad to be of help,”

said Mr. Fixit.

Huckle could hardly wait

to give his mother the clock.

He got to his house

and rang his bike bell.

“Cuckoo-cuckoo!” went the bell.

Huckle was very surprised.

Then he gave the clock

to his mother.

“Happy Mother’s Day,” he said.

“Dring-dring!” went the clock.

Huckle was very surprised.

So was his mother.

“What a wonderful clock!”

she said

“I have never seen

a cuckoo-cuckoo clock

that sounds like a bike bell!

Thank you so much, Huckle!”

Huckle loved

his new bike bell, too.

There was not another one

like it in Busytown!

He rushed off to thank

Mr. Fixit for the mixup.

And when he turned the corner,

he rang his bell.

“Cuckoo-cuckoo!”

Best Friends

Huckle Cat and Lowly Worm

were best friends.

They did everything together.

They walked to school together.

They sat together.

They always played

together at playtime.

At snack time every day

Huckle and Lowly got

the milk and cookies

for the class.

Miss Honey was happy

to have such good friends

in her class.

And after school

they played together

at Huckle’s house.

But one morning

Huckle waited and waited

for Lowly.

“Hurry, Huckle, or you will be late

for school,”

said Officer Murphy.

Huckle ran to school.

He hoped that

Lowly was not sick.

Today was Huckle’s birthday.

He wanted to show

his birthday presents

to Lowly after school.

Huckle ran into his classroom.

He was surprised

to see Lowly.

He was even more surprised

to see Lowly sitting

with Willy Rabbit.

“What is the matter?

Are you mad at me?”

asked Huckle.

But Lowly did not answer.

He just giggled.

Then Lowly whispered

something to Willy

and they both giggled.

Suddenly Huckle felt sad.

At playtime Lowly was busy

whispering to everyone—

everyone but Huckle.

Huckle felt even sadder.

At snack time Miss Honey said,

“Today Lowly and Willy

will get our snack.”

Huckle felt awful.

“This is the worst day

of my life!” he thought.

Soon Lowly and Willy

came back.

“Surprise!” said Lowly.

They were carrying

a birthday cake!

The whole class sang

“Happy Birthday” to Huckle.

Then Huckle made a wish

and blew out the candles.

“What was your wish?”

asked Lowly.

“I cannot tell you or

it will not come true,”

said Huckle.

Then Miss Honey cut the cake

and everyone had a piece.

“Hmmm, good!” said Huckle.

After school Huckle and Lowly

played with Huckle’s

new train set.

“This morning I was afraid

that you did not want to be

my best friend anymore,”

said Huckle.

“I will always be

your best friend,”

said Lowly.

Huckle was very happy.

His birthday wish

had come true.

He and Lowly would always be

best friends.