Bad Astrid (2 page)

A cranky, crabby troll,

Astrid barked and stood guard.

She’d
growl, spit,
and
sputter

if I walked past her yard.

She chased little chipmunks,

popped
heads off of flowers.

She spent her time
teasing

my poor bird for hours.

She loved to
destroy

any fun I had planned.

She’d squirt-gun chalk drawings,

topple my lemonade stand.

In her bike helmet painted

with a skull and crossbones,

she
tore up
the sidewalk

like a mini-cyclone.

And she would

never
,

ever
,

ever

leave me alone!

Such a
nasty
new neighbor—

yes, it was quite a bummer.

But I would
not
allow her

to ruin my summer.…

I’d learn knitting,

the tango,

and new karate kicks,

and build a small Eiffel Tower

out of Popsicle sticks!

So I danced, kicked, and built,

knit a seven-foot-long cap!