Saving Money
Page 4
The enclosures were placed right next to each other in the far field behind the old hangar.
The plastic was so clear that from a distance you couldn’t see it at all.
In front of those enclosures, we placed the third. The third was identical to the other two, except the side facing the woods, where we knew the Troodon were hiding, was designed to be remotely lowered once they entered the structure.
The first part of my plan was that the Troodon would see and smell the cows and chickens. Once it was dark, they would come out of the woods to prey on the farm animals. They would mistakenly enter the empty container thinking they could reach the cows and chickens. But, when they were inside, I’d remotely close the fourth wall and capture them.
The plan was simple enough. If it worked, everyone would be amazed. I just had to pull it off without anything going wrong.
By the time night fell, everything was in place. There was only one thing left to do...
Find the Troodon.
The remote-control helicopter that I ordered had a night-vision camera mounted on the front. I flew it over the woods where we knew the Troodon were hiding.
“Do you think this will work?” Dad asked.
“I’m not sure,” I said, concentrating on the remote. “But there’s only one way to find out.”
I flew the helicopter behind the Troodon. I didn’t want them going in the opposite direction of the enclosure. They caught the scent of the cows and chickens because they were moving toward them. I followed close behind.
When the Troodon reached the edge of the woods, the dinos all stopped. I hovered above with the helicopter. The creatures seemed to be analyzing the situation. It was like a full buffet just waiting for them, but they were super cautious.
Over the course of an hour, the dinosaurs inched closer and closer toward the glass enclosure.
I was so afraid they would see their reflections and get spooked, but luckily that didn’t happen. A cloudy sky hid the moonlight.
One after the other, the Troodon went inside. They walked to the far side of the enclosure thinking they’d be able to reach the cows and chickens.
Once they were all safely inside, I clicked the button and closed the enclosure with the fourth wall. Yes! I let out a sigh of relief, and Dr. Snow and his team cheered. For the first time since I’d met him, Dr. Clive smiled.
It worked like a charm. The Troodon were safely captured. We loaded the enclosure holding the dinosaurs onto a flat bed truck. Dr. Snow’s team covered the beds with old semi trailers taken from grandpa’s workshop.
Within a few hours, a truck bearing the logo “Ocean Wave Underwear” rolled out the front gate of the airport. The Troodon were on their way to a safe new location.
CHAPTER 10
Food for Thought
In the morning, I called Mom and told her to come out to the old airport. An hour later, I met her at the entrance.
Everyone else had gone with Dr. Snow to set up the Troodon in their new location. Dad and I had spent the night at the old airport and completed the second phase of my plan with the carpenters.
“How did it go last night?” Mom asked.
“You would have been very proud,” Dad said. “Your son was like a hero without the cape and the silly suit.”
“I can’t say I’m surprised,” she said. “He’s always been brilliant.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I said. “But I have a surprise for you, too.”
“You bought the dinosaurs as pets?” she asked.
“Haha. Funny, Mom,” I said.
Dad and I climbed in her car and drove around to the back of the property, where the cows and chickens were located.
Overnight, Dad and I had released them into the field. It was completely fenced in, and they were free to roam. The main hangar was a perfect barn. The chickens were set up in the other hangar, which we turned into a giant chicken coop.
“I didn’t know this was a farm. I thought it was all just abandoned,” Mom said.
“It was, sort of. The cows and chickens are new. So are the two greenhouses,” I said. The clear plastic enclosures made perfect greenhouses for growing crops.
“I don’t get it,” Mom said, puzzled. “What was the project you and your dad were working on up here? Where are the dinosaurs you told me about?”
“They’re gone. Dr. Snow and his team are taking them somewhere safe,” I explained. “In return for my help, I convinced them to give me all this land. I thought a farm might help solve the food shortage at the pantry. I think with all these cows and chickens your pantry will be sustainable now.”
“What are you talking about, Benji?” Mom asked.
“Remember when you told me to let you know when I’d found a better way?” I asked. “I’m saying this farm is yours.”
Mom opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Instead, she gave me a hug.
“And I put several million dollars in an account,” I said. “You can hire farmers to work the land and take care of the animals. You can buy trucks and staff to deliver the food. Whatever you need, I’ve got you covered.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Mom exclaimed. “I’m amazed at what goes on in that brain of yours, Benjamin.”
I thought about telling her that Troodon could be trained to make excellent pets. But I figured that could wait until after breakfast!
Raymond Bean is the best-selling author of the Sweet Farts and School Is A Nightmare series. His books have ranked #1 in Children’s Humor, Humorous Series, and Fantasy and Adventure categories. He writes for kids that claim they don’t like reading.
Mr. Bean is a fourth grade teacher with fifteen years of classroom experience. He lives with his wife and two children in New York.
Glossary
comprehend (kahm-pri-HEND) — to understand completely
controversial (kahn-truh-VUR-shuhl) — causing a great deal of disagreement
debris (duh-BREE) — the pieces of something that has been broken or destroyed
dire (DIRE) — dreadful or urgent
exploit (ek-SPLOIT) — to use something for your own advantage
guarantee (gar-uhn-TEE) — a promise that something will be done or will happen
holographic (huh-lah-GRAF-ick) — an image made by laser beams that looks as if it has depth and is three-dimensional
phase (FAZE) — a stage in the development of something
repelled (ri-PELD) — drove or pushed back
synapses (SIN-aps-iz) — the place where a signal passes from one nerve cell to another
viral (VY-ruhl) — quickly and widely spread
Million-Dollar Questions
Benji’s mother and Mrs. Heart, his teacher, don’t approve of the Excuse Yourself app he created. Do you think the app was appropriate? Why or why not?
Think of a time you used an excuse. Why did you use it? Did it work? How did you feel about making an excuse afterward?
Dr. Snow and the B.A.D.R. Institute asked biologists to clone the Troodon so that they could study it as paleontologists. What do you think are the benefits of cloning this dinosaur? What are the dangers?
Benji’s tech class assignment is to create a computer app. Come up with your own idea for a computer app and explain how it could be used and who might use it.
Benji’s mom doesn’t approve of his Excuse Yourself app because she thinks it encourages people to lie. Do you think that coming up with excuses is the same as lying? Explain why or why not.
Imagine that Benji’s plan doesn’t work, and they can’t capture the Troodon. Write a chapter explaining what happens.
The fun doesn’t stop here!
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Benji Franklin: Kid Zillionaire
is published by Stone Arch Books,
a Capstone Imprint
1710 Roe Crest Drive
North Mankato, Minnesota 56003
www.capstonepub.com
Copyright © 2014 Capstone.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.
Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on the Library of Congress website.
ISBN: 978-1-4342-6417-6 (library hardcover)
ISBN: 978-1-4965-3940-3 (ebook)
Summary: After inventing a best-selling computer app, Benjamin “Benji” Franklin becomes the world’s only ZILLIONAIRE. But this twelve-year-old tycoon knows life isn’t all about the Benjamin. He’s planning to use his newfound wealth for the greater good—like saving the world from killer dinosaurs!
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