"Sure is hot out here! 

 I am so tired of all 

 this hard work," 

 said Luther.

"Me too," 

 said John.

 "WOW, look at that BIG FAT watermelon over there.         That would really taste good right now," said John.

 "Yes," said Luther. "But, you know daddy told us     NOT to go in the watermelon patch by ourselves. 

 You know how he gets." 

John and Luther had been working hard on the chores their father had given them.  They were to have it done before he returned from town. Now they were hot, tired and thirsty.

Nothing looked better to them than that gigantic   watermelon.  The last thing they wanted to do was   finish all that "yukky" work .

"Luther," said John.  "I think we could get that  melon and eat it before daddy gets back from town."

"Maybe so," said Luther.  "But, we have been told to stay OUT of the watermelon patch.  How are we going to get it without him knowing? If we go in there he will see our footprints. He will know we were there.  Our footprints are smaller than his."                                        

"Yeah.  You're right about that," 

 said John.  But, I think I know 

something that will work."

"Knowing you, John, I am afraid 

to ask what," said Luther.

"Here's the plan," said John.  "We'll get daddy's 

 two pairs of working boots, put them on and go  

 in the patch. He will never know we were there.  

 All he will see is his own bootprints.  

 Great idea, huh?"

 "I don't know," said Luther.  "It just doesn't 

 seem like the     

 right thing to do."  

Even though Luther did not like the idea, 

he went along with John and that is 

   EXACTLY 

   what they 

       did! 

"What a BIG melon!!!  It will take both of us 

 to put it in the wagon," said Luther.  

"I can't wait to taste it, I am so thirsty." 

"Me, too,"  said John.

 Off they went, laughing and giggling, dreaming of     eating that sweet, watery melon.

Almost stumbling over their father's big boots, they struggled to get that big melon out of the 

watermelon patch.

                            "Whew.......we made it," said John!

                 "Yeah......We sure DID,"said Luther!

"John!  Luther!  Where ARE you boys? 

 Why is this work NOT DONE???  

"Uh Oh!  What is he doing back SO soon," asked Luther? "What are we going to do now?  Where 

are we going to put this thing? We are in BIG 

trouble. This was not such a bright idea, John.  

It is not working!"

"Yeah," said John.  

"But, when it WAS working 

you thought it was a 

good idea!"

"Look,"  said John.  "Over there is a big hole. 

 I don't think it is too deep.  We can jump in 

 there, hide it and daddy will never know."

"We better hurry," said Luther. "He will be 

 angry if he can't find us soon."  

"He is going to be angry anyway 

 no matter what we do," said John. 

 "At least we can hide the melon in 

 there and come back later 

 to get it."

"O.K.," said Luther.  "I don't know why I listen to you but, I guess there is nothing else to do."

So......In the hole they jumped, holding on as best as they could to that big, FAT melon.