One More Turn, Chooka!

Starring Chooka

A strawberry-milk spill streaks across the palace floor, and Chooka spots one loose brass screw on the Puddle-Popper. While Princess Azari counts every determined turn, Chooka insists the screw must be made exactly right before the milk reaches the grand staircase. The little machine clatters, whirs, and grows more enormous with every turn. Can Chooka finish his tricky job before the palace becomes one long pink slip-and-slide?

Princess Azari Canady's strawberry milk skated over the palace marble, heading straight for the grand staircase. Azari lifted the empty cup. "Again? This palace remembers strawberry milk." Chooka crouched beside the pink streak.

Beside the spill sat the antique Puddle-Popper. Chooka pinched its loose Brass screw, the one with the tiny strawberry swirl. "I don't quit halfway," Chooka said. "One more turn, then it's right!" Azari leaned close. "I can count exact."

"Count 1 aloud with Azari!" Chooka said. "1!" said Azari, as Chooka turned the screw. The Puddle-Popper coughed out one pink sponge, then scooted after the milk on three squeaky wheels.

"Count 10 aloud with Azari!" Chooka said, turning and turning. "10!" said Azari. Ten pink sponges bounced out. Splat, boing, skitter! They polished the milk into a faster pink river racing for the stairs.

"Count 100, then 1,000 aloud with Azari!" Chooka said. The staircase was close enough to splash. "100! 1,000!" said Azari. The Puddle-Popper unfolded tall silver brush-legs and stomped toward the first step. Chooka kept turning. "One more turn, then it's right!"

"Count 1,000,000 aloud with Azari!" Chooka said. "1,000,000!" said Azari. "That's a lot of turning." The Puddle-Popper's round top sprang open. Its hidden winding drum unrolled a roaring palace-wide cleaning hose!

Azari pointed at the pink river. Chooka aimed the roaring hose. SLURRRRP! Every strawberry-milk drop vanished before the first stair. The Puddle-Popper gave one satisfied coppery ding.

The Brass screw popped into Chooka's pocket. The Puddle-Popper politely sprayed Chooka one tiny strawberry-milk mustache. Azari pointed. "Exactly right." Chooka patted the screw. "One more turn, then it's right!" The Puddle-Popper answered with one neat, mustache-shaped pfft.