“Maybe they’ll cure a terrible disease by researching snake cells,” he said. “Or engineer a new kind of transportation from studying how snakes move. Or build great buildings with roof tiles like snake scales. Or make wonderful art inspired by the curves of a snake. If we get rid of the snakes, how will our kids do those things? What will we lose if we get rid of the snakes?

  “Two things can be true at the same time,” he repeated. “We can keep our kids safe and help them understand the world so they can face the wonderful and complicated future that awaits them.”

  CHAPTER

  18

  Finally, the meeting ended. The Questioneers burst into the sunshine of the City Hall landing.

  “Over here!” cried Mum.

  She and Mom stood by a stack of boxes. The boxes were filled with copies of Uncle Fred’s book! Gabriel and Tracy were handing out books to people leaving City Hall.

  “Jacob told us about the meeting,” said Mom, “so we called Uncle Fred. He was too sad to come speak, but he asked us to share his books, so here we are!”

  “HELP ME!” signed Jacob.

  “O-K,” signed Aaron.

  Jacob handed Aaron a pile of books. Rosie, Ada, Iggy, and Sofia grabbed some, too. Even Abuelo joined them. They spread out over the landing, handing copies of the book to anyone who would take one. Soon, the crowd was gone and the boxes were empty. Abuelo, the Questioneers, and Aaron’s family stood together by the great glass doors.

  “I’ve been to a lot of city council meetings in my life,” said Abuelo, “and I’ve learned two things.”

  “What are they?” asked Aaron.

  “First,” said Abuelo, “it’s never over until you quit.”

  “You sound like Great-Great-Aunt Rose!” said Rosie.

  “She’s a wise woman,” said Abuelo.

  “What’s the other thing, Abuelo?” asked Sofia.

  “The other thing,” he said, “is that public speaking makes me hungry! Who wants sherbet?”

  CHAPTER

  19

  The Questioneers scooted into their favorite booth at Herbert Sherbert’s Sherbets. They ate and talked about the meeting. They all had mixed feelings. Had it gone well? Had it gone badly? How would the council vote? What would happen to the snakes? To the zoo? To Uncle Fred?

  “I thought everybody understood,” said Ada. “But now I don’t know.”

  “We needed more people,” said Rosie. “So many people who were against the zoo showed up. Why didn’t more people show up to support the zoo?”

  “I think people are busy,” said Iggy. “They don’t think about snakes at all. I don’t. I think about architecture.”

  “If people don’t care,” said Sofia, “we have to help them care! What happens at the zoo affects everyone in the town, even if they don’t know it.”

  “We showed the facts,” said Ada. “What more do people need?” She looked at Aaron’s sketchbook. He had been doodling while the others talked.

  “What do you think, Aaron?” asked Ada.

  “I think sometimes, people decide because of their feelings,” he said. “Those triplets sure liked snakes, even if their mom was scared. Facts are for their heads, but maybe they need something for their hearts, too.”

  “So . . .” said Ada, “how do we give people facts and make them feel good about snakes?”

  “And how do we do it in one day?” asked Iggy.

  Aaron looked at his sketchbook again.

  Suddenly, he grinned. He knew exactly what to do. AND—even better—he knew how to do it!

  He popped out of the booth and headed toward the counter.

  “Where are you going?” asked Sofia.

  “To get us more sherbet,” said Aaron. “And then, I’m going to tell you all a story!”

  CHAPTER

  20

  Aaron finished the last bite of sherbet and plunked his spoon into the glass dish. He flipped to a new page of his sketchbook and began drawing. Then, he began to speak . . .

  Once upon a time, there was a snake. A snake who was so smart. So clever. So sneaky, that he was a world-famous detective. One time, Detective Dangernoodle battled evil cockroaches from space who had invaded the zoo . . .

  The Questioneers were spellbound. Aaron’s story had everything: Adventure! Science! Mystery! Evil cockroaches from space!

  Finally, Aaron reached the end of the story. “And that,” he said, “is how we save Blue River Creek Zoo!”

  “Don’t you mean ‘That’s how Detective Dangernoodle saved his zoo’?” asked Sofia. “We don’t have evil alien cockroaches. Do we?”

  “I hope not!” said Iggy.

  “I wonder what species they are,” said Ada.

  “I love your story, Aaron,” said Rosie, “but it’s just a story. Maybe we can invent something instead.”

  “Let me ask you a question,” said Aaron. “Why did you invent the cheese-copter for Great-Great-Aunt Rose?”

  “Because I wanted to help her,” said Rosie.

  “Why?” asked Aaron.

  “Because she wanted to fly,” said Rosie.

  “How did you know?” asked Aaron.

  “Ohhhhhhh,” said Rosie. “Her stories about flying inspired me!”

  “Stories are POWERFUL!” said Aaron. “They can inspire us to make inventions, and they can inspire us to do other things, too!”

  “Like learn about things that scare us?” asked Rosie.

  “Like snakes?” asked Ada.

  “Exactly!” said Aaron. “I listen to lots of books with my family,” he said. “If I like the characters, I feel like they’re my friends and I want to know more about them.”

  “Do they make you feel braver?” asked Sofia.

  Aaron nodded.

  “Detective Dangernoodle could be like a mascot for the zoo!” said Rosie. “Kids will love it!”

  “What about their parents?” asked Sofia.

  “And the city council and mayor?” asked Ada. “Do you think a story will change their minds?”

  “It might!” said Aaron. “But storytelling is just one type of art. All types of art are powerful.”

  Aaron flipped through his sketchbook.

  “I drew this because I was sad one day,” he said. “I use art to let my feelings out. But art works in both directions. If I look at art or listen to it, I take it into my heart and into my mind. Art changes how I feel and think!”

  “So we’re going to use some art to change their minds?” asked Ada.

  “Not quite,” said Aaron with a smile. “We’re not going to use some art . . .” he said. “We’re going to use ALL of it!”

  A snake design with text about Detective Dangernoodle. The text reads as follows: “First ever Detective Dangernoodle and Dahlia Festival!” You've heard about Vern. Are you brave enough to meet him? Is he dangerous? Wiggly? Green? Or is he, “Detective Dangernoodle, International Snake of Mystery?” Find out for yourself. Oh yeah, and Dahlias. So many Dahlias... and Fun. Tomorrow at 4 o’ clock, Citizen’s Park. Free.

  CHAPTER

  21

  Once more, the Questioneers brainstormed. They made lists, lists, and more lists! They had so much to do and so little time to do it. They were going to use every kind of art they could to save the zoo. Of course, they would include science and engineering and architecture, too!

  They had people. They had a plan. They had a poster!

  But would it be enough?

  CHAPTER

  22

  The Questioneers stood beneath a snake balloon arch and looked at the giant crowd of people waiting to enter. There were people from all over Blue River Creek. Some had been at the city council meeting. A crowd of twenty PSSST! members stood behind a banner that read: NO SNAKES AT THE ZOO OR THE BLUE RIVER CREEK DAHLIA FESTIVAL OR ANYWHERE IN THIS TOWN! It was a big banner. And it looked heavy.

  A busload of gardeners from Plantsburg stood in the back, chatting about their dahlias.

  “The voles devoured my tubers this year,” said one gardener.

  “The slugs ate mine!” said another. “I hope Blue River Creek’s garden did better. It’s always so beautiful.”

  Ms. Hartman pushed through the crowd. She was holding a box of paper snake hats with googly eyes. She was followed by her triplets.

  “We made these for you,” she said, handing Aaron the box. “I still don’t like snakes, but we read the book and maybe snakes are okay, as long as they aren’t loose in the zoo. And can’t fly.”

  “I wish they did!” said one triplet.

  “Me too!” said another.

  “Me three!” said the third one.

  The triplets spread their arms out like wings and ran off with Ms. Hartman chasing behind them.

  “These are great!” said Sofia, taking the box from Aaron.

  “I think we’re ready!” said Aaron.

  Rosie, Iggy, and Ada ran to their stations in the park. Aaron turned to the crowd.

  “Welcome to the First Ever Detective Dangernoodle and Dahlia Festival!” he said. “Meet Vern! Is he scary? Is he wiggly? Is he green? Is he a detective? Come see for yourself!”

  A page is decorated with flags and boards. They contain facts about snakes. Extreme fear of snakes is called ophidiophobia. Snakes don’t blink. They don’t have eyelids. They have clear scales called brilles that protect their eyes. Humans shed millions of skin cells every day! Snakes shed their skins in one piece. The process is called ecdysis. It happens four to twelve times a year.

  Most of the crowd was nervous, but also curious. They cautiously stepped through the arch and headed down the path. The PSSST! group followed them into the festival, carrying their banner and chanting, “No snakes!”

  Sofia and Abuelo handed out fresh-baked cookies and snake hats to all who wanted them.

  “Dangernoodle Snickerdoodles!” said Sofia, waving a cookie in the air.

  “They’re sssssssssssssuperb!” said Abuelo.

  The smell of cinnamon filled the air, and the crowd relaxed as they munched cookies and headed down the path. Every few feet, they passed a sign created by Ada and her family.

  Everyone the Questioneers had asked for help had come through.

  The Riveters brought their truck for a bandstand, and they were jamming. Tracy played guitar and Jacob played the xylophone while the Riveters sang a jazzy rendition of “Snake, Rattle and Roll!”

  Decorated tables and performance stages lined the path as it wound through the park toward the dahlia garden. Aaron’s moms did face painting. Further down, Bee and Beau, who volunteered at the library, introduced the newest Reading Buddy, William Snakespeare.

  Ada’s brother, Arthur, performed magic tricks beneath an oak tree.

  “Abra-da-cobra!” he yelled, pulling a rubber snake out of his hat.

  A bunch of kids squealed in delight.

  There was a trebuchet workshop led by Rosie. Great-Great-Aunt Rose gave cheese-copter rides. There was even a snake hisssstory talk by Ada’s Aunt Bernice. She showed off snake skeletons from her Can You Dig It? shop.

  Before long, the festival was in full swing. The crowd was dancing, singing, making art, watching puppet shows, and having fun. Even a few of the PSSST! crowd peeled away from their group and joined the concert. Everything was going perfectly. And everyone was there!

  Except the people who mattered the most.

  CHAPTER

  23

  Where’s the mayor?” asked Aaron.

  Sofia looked around. “I don’t know,” she said. “But here’s Clerk Clark.”

  “Oh my!” cried the clerk. “Look what you all did! This is amazing!”

  “Where’s the city council?” asked Sofia.

  “On their way,” said the clerk. “They just finished voting.”

  “What did they decide?” Aaron asked nervously.

  Clerk Clark didn’t have to answer. Her face told the story.

  “Oh no!” cried Sofia.

  Just then, the mayor and the six city council members arrived. They stared at the snake arch. Three of them frowned at it. Three were delighted. The mayor also frowned. Clearly, the snakes had lost four votes to three.

  The three smiling council members grabbed cookies from Sofia’s basket and headed into the festival.

  “I told them that snakes could be fun!” said one of the council members as they walked down the path.

  The mayor rolled through the arch, followed by the three frowning council members.

  “Cookie?” asked Abuelo.

  “Thank you,” said the mayor. “You make the best cookies in town.”

  The mayor and Abuelo had met many times and were sometimes on the opposite side of issues, but they treated each other kindly.

  The mayor chomped on the cookie.

  “Delicious as always,” said the mayor. “But we must move on. I have a speech to make, and I’ve got to check on the dahlias. I trapped a slug in the patch last night. They do such damage!”

  The mayor and council members headed into the festival, munching cookies as they went.

  “Have fun!” called Abuelo.

  Then he winked at Aaron and Sofia.

  “Remember,” he whispered, “it’s never over until you quit!”

  CHAPTER

  24

  Sofia, Aaron, and Clerk Clark accompanied the mayor and council members through the festival. They might have started with frowns, but quickly they relaxed and started to enjoy the festival. They passed the music stage. Tracy was performing “Sneaky Snake Blues” and everyone was clapping along.

  They passed the comedy stage, where the public librarian, Mr. Page, was telling jokes.

  “What do you call a snake who builds things?” he asked. “A boa constructor!”

  A council member snickered.

  “What do you call a snake who works in government?” asked Mr. Page. “A civil serpent!”

  The council member doubled over in laughter and motioned to the mayor to move on without her. “I’ll catch up with you,” she wheezed. “I love snake jokes!”

  She plopped onto the grass and howled for more.

  “Ooh!” said another council member. “Balloon art!?!”

  They ran toward Rosie’s Uncle Ned, who was teaching balloon sculpture.

  Clerk Clark went to play a board game called Snakes & Adders. And the last council member joined a conga line of Plantsburg gardeners.

  “Humph,” said the mayor. “Guess I’ll do the speech alone.”

  “We’ll come along,” said Aaron.

  Aaron, Sofia, and Rosie followed the mayor toward the dahlia beds. They followed a curve in the path and came to a dense tunnel of dark silky ribbons dangling from overhanging branches.

  Suddenly, two giant wiggly snakes jumped onto the path and blocked their way.

  “Stop!” they cried. “You’re about to see something amazing!”

  CHAPTER

  25

  The snakes wiggled. They giggled. Their hats fell off.

  “Hi, Mr. Mayor,” said Ada. “It’s just us!”

  “I know,” said the mayor.

  “Are you ready to see something amazing?” asked Iggy.

  Iggy led them into the tunnel. The silky streamers brushed against their faces in the dim light. The ribbons were soft and cool. Then, just as the group’s eyes adjusted to the dim light in the tunnel, they burst into the sunshine of the dahlia garden.

  It was a stunning explosion of orange! Every shade of orange glowed in the sunshine. There were orange dahlias everywhere! Some were big and spiky. Some were small and round. The air buzzed with bees. Butterflies flitted from flower to flower. The garden was perfect.

  “Isn’t it amazing?” asked Ada.

  The mayor was speechless. He had helped plant the garden. He took care of it every day. But somehow, coming through the dark tunnel into the bright garden was a whole new experience. It was as if he was seeing it for the first time. Looking at it in a whole new way.

  He sat silently for a moment.

  “I . . .” he said. “I thought you were going to show me the snake.”

  “He’s in the back corner with Uncle Fred,” said Rosie. “I’ll take you there if you like.”

  “Thank you,” said the mayor. “I think I want to sit here for a minute. I’m . . . well . . . I’m a little overwhelmed.”

  “Art can do that sometimes,” said Aaron.

  The Questioneers turned to leave.

  “You know,” said Sofia. “Blue River Creek has a great public garden.”

  The mayor smiled and nodded.

  “You know,” he said, “Blue River Creek has a lot of great public places. And a great public!”

  CHAPTER

  26

  The mayor sat by the orange dahlias for a long time. Finally, he rolled down the path to the back corner of the garden, where Uncle Fred sat by a large sandwich-shaped structure with a window on one side. It was Vern’s vacation house, which had been specially designed by Blue River Creek’s most famous architect, Iggy Peck.

  A stream of visitors peeked into Vern’s window. They oohed and aahed at the small green snake resting on a lettuce bed. They asked Uncle Fred all kinds of questions. They came to see the Snake That Attacked the City or the daring Detective Dangernoodle. They left happy to know Vern, the little smooth green snake from Blue River Creek Zoo. Eventually they wandered off to enjoy the dahlias and get a scoop of SSSSSStrawberry SSSSSSorbet donated by Herbert Sherbert’s Sherbets.

  Uncle Fred picked up Vern and showed him to the mayor. The mayor looked at Vern. “He’s tiny,” he said.

  “Very,” said Uncle Fred. “I think he’s quite beautiful.”

  “Hmm,” said the mayor. “Does he really eat slugs?”

  “He loves them!” said Uncle Fred.

  “Hmm,” said the mayor. “I picked a slug off my favorite dahlia, Ivanetti, this morning. They do some damage.”

  “They do indeed!” said Uncle Fred. “I can’t keep them off my Bluest-Blues this year!”