The Mostly-Famous Five go up in a trial balloon

‘Golly!’’ exclaimed Amy. ‘‘We are in a pickle!’’ And it was true. Minutes earlier the Mostly-Famous Five – Amy, Steven, Judith, Simon and Mark – had stepped into the basket of Uncle Bill’s hot-air balloon for a quick look over the political landscape. But now the big balloon had become loose and was soaring out of control!

‘‘Someone must have cut have the mooring rope!’’ spluttered Simon.

‘‘Cut the mooring rope? But who would have done such a thing? And how?’’ said Amy, frowning.

‘‘There’s no use worrying about it,’’ said Judith. ‘‘Here, have a slice of cake’’ she added, holding a very sharp knife.

‘‘I hope the cost of that cake is accounted for within the current fiscal projections’’ said Steven.

‘‘Oh shut up Steven’’ said Amy, Judith, and Simon.

‘‘Ruff!’’ barked Mark. Suddenly Amy brightened up. ‘‘I can fix this’’ she said. ‘‘I have the right mix of skills. I can appeal to a broad base of our constituents as well as to swinging voters. They can help us!’’

‘‘Good for you!’’ said Judith. ‘‘I can see them now, down there on the ground. Do you see them, Amy?’’

‘‘Yes I do!’’ exclaimed Amy. ‘‘I can reach out to them!’’

‘‘You might have to reach out a little further’’ said Judith. ‘‘Like this?’’ said Amy.

‘‘A little further still’’ said Judith.

‘‘Like this – whoaaaa!’’ exclaimed Amy.

There was a sudden silence, followed by the peculiar sound of a fully-grown woman landing in a haystack.

‘‘What – what happened to Amy?’’ ejaculated Simon.

‘‘I think she moved too far to the left’’ said Judith, raising an eyebrow.

‘‘Well I’m not staying here!’’ said Simon. ‘‘I’m not like the rest of you. I’m young! I have vision! And I’m taking that one parachute!’’

‘‘Take it, please’’, said Judith as Simon disappeared over the side of the basket.

‘‘That was very kind-hearted of you, Judith,’’ puzzled Steven.

‘‘No, that was a rucksack with our camping equipment in it. I never said it was a parachute,’’ said Judith archly, as from far below came a distant ‘thomp’.

‘‘So much for his vision,’’ she added.

‘‘I see what you’re doing, Judith,’’ said Steven, ‘‘and I won’t stand for it.’’

‘‘Speaking of standing, I’d watch that hole if I were you,’’ replied Judith.

‘‘What, a fiscal hole?’’ said Steven drolly.

‘‘No’’, said Judith, ‘‘This one is real.’’

‘‘Whoaaaa!’’ exclaimed Steven. ‘‘Gosh’’, said Judith, looking around. ‘‘It seems that you and I are the only ones left, Mark. Or should I say ‘Deputy Leader’. How does that sound?’’

‘‘Woof!’’ barked Mark. ‘‘Woof woof!’’

‘‘Excellent’’ smiled Judith. ‘‘Now let’s land this thing and go and meet the new girl in the village. Everyone says she’s so nice. Perhaps she’ll let us play with her. And I think you know very well how I like to play, Mark.’’ ‘‘Ruff?’’ barked Mark. ‘‘Precisely’’, said Judith.

‘‘No, that was a rucksack with our camping equipment in it. I never said it was a parachute,’’ said Judith archly.