The Case of the Mossy Lake Monster (8 page)

Did you know?

Did you know that Drake and Nell’s idea for the penguin sweaters is based on a true story? In 2000, there was an oil spill off the coast of southeast Australia, near Phillip Island. The tiniest penguins in the world live on Phillip Island and were endangered by the oil spill. Thinking quickly and creatively, workers dressed the penguins in doll sweaters. Soon sweaters knitted by people from all over the world poured into Phillip Island, and the little penguins were saved! For more information, see:

The Scene:
You are camping with your family beside a lake. The birds are chirping. The squirrels are scurrying. The flowers are blooming. All in all, it is rather peaceful. Your family goes fishing, hoping to catch a fat trout for dinner. Suddenly, a monster rears its ugly head! It’s slimy. Horrible. Ghastly. All of the above. Your family screams and scampers into the hills.

The Secret:
You’re the culprit! Yes, you! You were sneaky. Sly. Crafty. All of the above. Using the principles of buoyancy, you constructed a monster just like Code 61. Here’s how:

MATERIALS

• empty 2-liter plastic bottle

• scissors

• 12 quarters

• duct tape

• large balloon

• several long twist ties

• 12 feet of plastic or rubber tubing from a hardware store, approx. 3/8 inch in diameter

• string

• Halloween monster mask

• small cork (optional)

PROCEDURE

(Hot tip: Practice this first in a bathtub to make certain everything works.)

1
. Lay the bottle on its side. Ask an adult to help you cut four holes in the bottle—two on the top side, and two on the bottom side. (If someone asks you what you’re doing, say, “Oh, nothing really. Just an experiment on buoyancy.”)

2
. Stack the quarters into three piles and tape each pile to the bottom of the bottle, in line with the two bottom holes. These are your weights. (If you’re broke, use three rocks of similar weight.)

3
. Slip the mouth of the balloon over one end of the tubing. Wrap a twist tie around both the balloon and the tubing. Twist the two ends of the twist tie together until the seal is extremely tight. Check the tightness by blowing into the other end of the tubing. If the seal leaks, use several twist ties.

4
. With the tubing still attached, insert the uninflated balloon through the mouth of the bottle. (Tubing will extend out of the mouth of the bottle.)

5
. Use string to tie the monster mask securely onto the bottle.

6
. When no one is looking, submerge the bottle in the lake. Make certain there are no air bubbles in either the bottle or the mask. Keep hold of the end of the tubing.

7
. Hide the end of the tube behind the bush.

8
. Join your family around the campfire, roast a few marshmallows, and act casual.

9
. When your family goes fishing, pretend you have to … well … you know. Anyway, hide behind the bush.

10
. Inflate the balloon by blowing into the tubing. (You may not be able to blow up the balloon with one puff of air. Just hold your finger over the end of the tubing between breaths.)

11
. Once the balloon is filled, either hold your finger over the end of the tube or stick a cork in it.

12
. As your family sees the monster rising from the deep, scream something monsterish like “AARRGGGG!” or “GRRRRUURRR!”

13
. To sink the monster, pull the cork from the tubing or remove your finger.

14
. Pretend it wasn’t you.

W
arning! Warning! Your archenemy is lurking outside your door. You must send a secret message to your fellow detective or all is lost. You write your message. You send it “special delivery” right out the door and into the enemy’s hands.

But, never fear, all is not lost. Instead of reading your secret message, your archenemy says, “Rats! It’s just a blank piece of paper.” And he lets your messenger go. The day is saved.

(Of course, only you and your partner know the real secret. Read on to find out how it’s done. Once again, this is detective work at its best.)

MATERIALS

• oil-free sunscreen lotion (SPF 15 or higher)

• cup or plate

• cotton swab

• blank piece of white paper

• ultraviolet (UV) “black” light

Note:
Black lights are available at hardware stores, lightbulb supply companies, novelty stores, and online. Beware. Not all “black lights” are
real
black lights. Make sure you buy an
ultraviolet
(UV) black light instead of a regular lightbulb that has been painted purple.

PROCEDURE

1
. Pour a small amount of sunscreen into a cup or onto a plate.

2
. Dip the end of the cotton swab into the sunscreen.

3
. Using the cotton swab like a pen, write a message on the paper. (Hint: Use a small amount of sunscreen—so small you can barely see it when you write. If you use too much, it will soak through the paper, and the enemy will be able to read your message. You may have to practice a few times to get it just right.)