by Stan
Contents
Cover
Title Page
1. Horses and Hauntings
2. Riding Lessons
3. Miss Mamie’s Problem
4. A Morning at the Academy
5. Brother Takes a Spill
6. Brother’s New Friend
7. Dictionary Fred Strikes Again
8. Fear of Falling
9. Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire
10. Cubs to the Rescue
11. A Visitor from the Bog
12. To Catch a Ghost
13. The Show Must Go On
About the Authors
The Berenstain Bears in the Freaky Funhouse
Chapter 1: A Gruesome Twosome?
Copyright
Back Ad
About the Publisher
Chapter 1
Horses and Hauntings
Like all cubs, Brother and Sister Bear had their favorite things. They had favorite foods and drinks, favorite songs and games, favorite school subjects and TV shows. They also had favorite kinds of storybooks. Sister loved horse stories. Brother couldn’t get enough spooky mysteries and ghost stories.
One spring day after school, Brother and Sister were at the Bear Country Library stocking up on books for the next couple of weeks. When they were finished finding the books they wanted, they met at the front counter to check them out.
Ms. Goodbear, the librarian, raised her eyebrows as she placed a hand on the stack of five books that Brother had chosen. “I see you’re still into the adventures of the great bear detective, Grizzlock Holmes, and his faithful assistant, Dr. Bearson,” she said. “Can you really read all these books in two weeks?”
“Piece o’ cake,” said Brother. “I love mysteries.”
“Don’t they give you nightmares?” asked Ms. Goodbear.
“Nah. The scarier, the better.”
“What about you, Sister?” asked Ms. Goodbear.
“I like horse stories,” said Sister, pushing her two books toward the librarian. Their titles were Brown Beauty and Misty of Grizzlyteague. “I think horses are the most beautiful animals in the whole world.”
“Have you ever tried a mystery story?” asked Ms. Goodbear.
Sister shook her head.
“She’s afraid of spooky stuff,” teased Brother. “She’ll never read a mystery for as long as she lives.”
Sister frowned. “Now wait a minute,” she said. “I might read one someday.” Then she added, “If it’s a horse mystery.”
“You mean like Grizzlock Holmes and the Haunted Horseman?” asked Brother. He grinned a wicked grin and bugged his eyes out at Sister.
Sister looked frightened. “Maybe I’ll skip that one,” she said.
“Just foolin’, Sis,” said Brother with a laugh. “There’s no such book.”
Ms. Goodbear decided to change the subject so that Brother would stop teasing Sister. “Have you ever ridden a horse, Sister?” she asked.
“No,” said Sister. “I wanted to take riding lessons at Miss Mamie’s Riding Academy last year, but Mama and Papa said I was too young. But I think I’ll ask them again soon. My friend Lizzy Bruin started lessons there a couple of weeks ago, and she’s a whole month younger than I am.”
“If I remember correctly,” said Ms. Goodbear, “my daughter, Susie, started lessons with Miss Mamie when she was your age.”
“That does it,” said Sister. “I’ll ask Mama and Papa about lessons tomorrow.”
Later that night, the cubs lay in their bunk beds in the dark bedroom, reading library books by flashlight under the covers. Now and then, Sister would take time out from reading about horses and think about riding them. Tomorrow she would be asking Papa and Mama about riding lessons.
“Hey, listen to this,” Brother whispered to Sister. Sister lay Brown Beauty down across her chest as Brother read aloud from Grizzlock Holmes and the Speckled Band.
“‘As Holmes lay abed in the darkened room,’” Brother read, “‘all of a sudden the servants’ bell-cord above the bed began to move ever so slightly. Holding his breath, Holmes peered up into the darkness.’”
Sister stared up at the blank ceiling and pulled the covers up to her chin.
Brother continued, “‘As he watched, the bell-cord grew thick with moving, twisting coils. Something was slithering down the cord and right at his face!’”
Sister clapped her hands over her ears and screamed, “Mama-a-a-a-a!”
Mama and Papa came bounding up the stairs. “What’s the matter?” asked Mama.
“Brother scared me with his Grizzlock Holmes book!” Sister wailed.
“How?” asked Papa.
“He read some of it to me,” said Sister.
Brother couldn’t help chuckling.
“Cut that out, Brother,” ordered Papa. “Scaring your little sister isn’t funny.”
“But she didn’t tell me not to read it …,” said Brother.
“That doesn’t matter one bit,” said Mama. “You know that spooky stories give Sister nightmares. From now on keep them to yourself.”
“Flashlights out,” said Papa. “Go to sleep. Both of you.”
The cubs listened as their parents’ footsteps grew fainter on the stairs. The room was dark and quiet.
Brother lay still for a minute or so, staring into the darkness. Then he propped himself up on one elbow, cupped a hand over his mouth, and whispered up at Sister, “Scaredy-bear.”
Chapter 2
Riding Lessons
The next day, Sister brought home from school a folder about Miss Mamie’s Riding Academy. Lizzy Bruin had given it to her. She showed it to Papa, who was reading the afternoon paper in the living room.
“Good grief!” said Papa. “You’re already into ballet, gymnastics, and soccer. Isn’t that enough for one cub? And what about your schoolwork?”
“Oh, Papa,” said Sister. “Horses are so wonderful. Lizzy Bruin has been taking lessons for just two weeks and she’s already galloping! There’s a horse named Flash that Lizzy says is the most beautiful in Bear Country …”
Papa hadn’t realized how much in love with horses his daughter was. As she went on and on about them, he examined the folder. Brother came over and looked at it over Papa’s shoulder.
“I could drop swimming,” said Sister eagerly. “And if the riding lessons still cost too much …”
“No, no,” said Papa. “Don’t you worry about the cost. You and Brother could both take riding lessons for the price of your swim club membership. Miss Mamie charges so little that I wonder how she manages to stay in business. I suppose it’s all right for you two to take riding lessons. What do you think, Mama?”
Mama had come in from the kitchen. “I think it’s a fine idea,” she said.
“Hurray!” shouted Sister. “We’re going to take riding lessons! Isn’t that great!”
“Sure, great,” mumbled Brother.
But only Mama noticed that Brother didn’t seem very excited about the idea.
Chapter 3
Miss Mamie’s Problem
Miss Mamie’s place was outside of town in a deserted area near Forbidden Bog. It didn’t look like much. The sign out front, which read MISS MAMIE’S RIDING ACADEMY, was overgrown with vines. The split-rail fence was covered with thornbushes. The buildings were weathered and worn.
Apart from a small toolshed, there were three buildings in all. The one marked OFFICE wasn’t much larger than the toolshed behind it. Another, marked STABLES, was long and low. The third was the riding arena, a huge building as big as the three barns put together.
The office door opened and out came Mi
ss Mamie. She was big and strong-looking. She moved briskly along the path, even though she walked with a limp. She always wore the same outfit: an extra-large workshirt and double-extra-large britches that she ordered from the L.L. Bear catalog. As she walked to the mailbox, she used her riding crop to whip at the weeds that had grown over the path. She collected the day’s mail and returned to the office, where she sat in her old wooden chair behind her old wooden desk.
The desk was so cluttered with papers and bills that Miss Mamie had to clear a space whenever she wanted to work on something. The wall behind the desk was covered with framed photos. In one, a very young Miss Mamie sat on a horse in mid-leap over a fence. Another showed a still-young Miss Mamie nuzzling a horse. A third showed an older Miss Mamie holding a winner’s cup.
As she looked through her mail, one of the envelopes caught Miss Mamie’s eye. She opened it and began to read. She was frowning down at it when Gus, her helper and handybear, opened the front door and walked in.
“Horses are all put away for the night, Miss Mamie,” he said.
“Are all the stable windows locked this time?” asked Miss Mamie.
“I checked every one of ’em,” said Gus. “But like I told you this morning, I wasn’t the one who left that window open last night.”
“So you say, Gus,” said Miss Mamie. “But we can’t be too careful. The nights are still chilly. If there’s a next time, the horses could get sick and we’d be in trouble. I’d have to cancel lessons until they got well … and …”
“And what, Miss Mamie?” asked Gus.
“And we just can’t afford to lose any money right now,” said Miss Mamie. “I’m already a month behind in my mortgage payments.”
Gus scratched his head and said, “Just a month? The Great Grizzly National Bank hasn’t ever bothered you about being a month or two behind. Even three.”
“The bank doesn’t own my mortgage anymore,” said Miss Mamie. She handed Gus the letter she had been reading.
“‘Property Management,’” Gus read aloud. “Hmm. Looks like these folks musta taken over your mortgage. Now that seems kinda funny, don’t it? You went and borrowed money from the bank to buy this place. Now all of a sudden you’re paying back a bunch of strangers instead of the bank. Supposin’ I borrowed a hammer from Papa Bear, and after a while Papa came to me and said, ‘Farmer Ben owns that hammer now, ’cause I sold it to him.’ I’m not sure I’d like that. Farmer Ben’s not a close friend of mine, and I only borrow from close friends.”
“That’s exactly what worries me,” said Miss Mamie. “I borrowed money from the bank because I know those folks and they know me. They know I get behind sometimes on my mortgage payments. But they also know if they’re patient, I’ll get caught up before too long. I’m a little worried about these Property Management folks. Read it out loud, Gus.”
“‘We call to your attention,’” read Gus, “‘that you are now one month behind on your mortgage. We trust that you will make that payment without delay.’”
“See?” said Miss Mamie. “That’s why we don’t want to cancel any lessons. We can’t afford it.”
Gus looked worried. “Do you think these folks are gonna make trouble?”
“I sure hope not,” said Miss Mamie. “Because I may not be able to make that payment until the end of next month.”
Chapter 4
A Morning at the Academy
After breakfast on Saturday morning, the Bear family climbed into their red roadster and drove off down the winding road toward Miss Mamie’s Riding Academy. Sister was all abuzz with excitement, but Brother sat quietly looking out at the spring scenery.
After a while they drove alongside Forbidden Bog. That meant that the riding academy was only minutes away. But Brother didn’t have his mind on horses or riding. Instead, he peered out into the gloom of the swamp and he thought of the famous legend of the Galloping Ghost of Forbidden Bog.
“Papa?” he asked. “How did the legend of the Galloping Ghost get started?”
“An interesting story,” said Papa. “Long, long ago, there was a bear named Billy Beechtree, who suffered a terrible fate in Forbidden Bog. One day he was falsely accused of being a highwaybear—of robbing travelers along this very road. A mob of angry citizens chased him into the bog, where he and his horse were swallowed up by a pool of quicksand. According to the legend, from time to time, the ghost of Billy Beechtree rises from his quicksand grave and gallops on his phantom horse over the countryside, crying for justice.”
“Stop it, Papa,” said Sister. “You’re scaring me.”
“Sorry, honey,” said Papa. “I forgot.”
“But it’s just a legend,” Brother told Sister. “There are no such things as ghosts.”
“It still scares me,” said Sister. “Even if it’s just a legend.” But she didn’t look so sure about its being just a legend.
Soon the Bears’ roadster turned down the long dirt driveway to the riding academy. No one was in sight. But as they neared the building marked OFFICE, they noticed a fellow wearing a baseball cap standing off to one side. He was watering the grass with a garden hose.
“Hey, look! It’s Gus!” said Sister. “From school!”
Gus also worked part-time as the custodian of Bear Country School. Brother, who was getting more and more nervous about riding lessons, was glad to see a familiar face at the academy.
“Hey, Gus,” called Papa. “Where is everybody?”
“Well, howdy, Papa,” Gus called back. He took off his cap and waved it at the riding arena. “They’re all in there. There’s a lesson under way right now.” He turned off the hose and came over. “I’ll take you folks to the office and give Miss Mamie a holler on the loudspeaker. Follow me.”
Inside the arena a lot of riding was going on. Older cubs on full-size horses trotted around a large outer ring, while younger cubs rode ponies around an inner ring. The riders were watched closely by three teenage assistants who were expert riders. Meanwhile, Miss Mamie strolled back and forth from one end of the arena to the other. She kept an eye on everything. She carried a long trainer’s whip and shouted instructions through a megaphone.
A voice came over the loudspeaker. It was Gus calling Miss Mamie to the office. Miss Mamie left one of her young assistants in charge and made her way to the office. As she opened the front door, she saw Papa Bear frowning at the jumble of papers on her desk. Mama was staring at a pile of rusty old horseshoes in one corner.
“Well, if it isn’t the Bear family,” said Miss Mamie with a smile. “I’ll bet you cubs are interested in learning to ride. Am I right?”
Sister nodded and grinned eagerly up at the riding teacher. Brother nodded too, but looked away. Miss Mamie was big and loud, and that made Brother even more nervous about riding.
“Please excuse the mess in here,” Miss Mamie said to Mama and Papa. “I’ve never been much good at keeping the business end of things neat and tidy.”
“Don’t give it a second thought,” said Mama. “What’s most important at a riding school is safety, not neatness.”
That made Miss Mamie and Gus look at each other for a moment. They were both thinking of the stable window that had been left open two nights before. And of the hose that had been left running in the arena the night before.
For years Gus had watered down the rings for a few minutes at the end of each day. But this was the first time he had ever left the hose on, flooding the rings. He and Miss Mamie had worked hard since dawn to drain the rings and sand them down. Mamie was afraid she would have to cancel the morning’s lessons. She knew she couldn’t afford to lose any money if she wanted to make that mortgage payment. Luckily, by lesson time the rings had been just dry enough for riding. Gus, of course, was sure he had turned off the hose. Miss Mamie wondered if maybe Gus wasn’t becoming a little forgetful.
“I’m sure you run a safe school,” said Papa. “But have you had the place checked out for ghosts lately?”
“If you’re talking abo
ut the legend of the Galloping Ghost,” said Miss Mamie, “I’d rather you didn’t.”
“Me, too,” said Sister with a shiver.
“Just joking,” said Papa. “After all, your place is right next to Forbidden Bog.”
“I don’t believe in the Galloping Ghost or any other ghost, for that matter,” said Miss Mamie. “But other folks do. So it’s just not good business to talk about it. Say,” she said, changing the subject, “did Gus show you folks around yet? No? Well, come on. I’ll give you the guided tour.”
Sister was excited to see her friends Lizzy Bruin, Queenie McBear, and Babs Bruno riding around the rings in the arena. She waved to them. They smiled but couldn’t wave back because they were holding the reins.
The full-size horses seemed kind of scary to Brother. They were so big. He was glad he didn’t have to climb up on one yet.
When the class had ended and the students and the Bear family had all gone home, Miss Mamie returned to the office. She leaned back in her chair and swung her boots up onto the desk. She smiled. Getting two new students would help her pay that mortgage sooner. If Gus will just be a little more careful, she thought, everything will be okay.
Chapter 5
Brother Takes a Spill
When Brother and Sister returned to the riding academy for their first lessons, Miss Mamie gave them a lot of attention. She watched as two of the teenage assistants helped them onto their horses. Then she gave them last-minute instructions.
“Today you’re just going to walk your horses around a little,” she said. “I want you to relax in the saddle and never stand on the stirrups. Hold the reins firmly, but don’t pull on them unless one of my assistants or I tell you to. And don’t worry—you’ll do just fine.”
The assistants led Brother on his horse and Sister on her pony into the rings to join the other riders. Sister was in heaven. Each time she circled the ring, she passed Flash, the beautiful horse Lizzy had told her about. Flash was tied to a railing at one end of the arena. He was resting. Whenever she passed him, Sister thought, of how wonderful it would be to ride him in a few more weeks.
