The HOT Pink Bike
By Sharan McQuack, Launchpad's wife.
Cartoon Network would like to rerun "Ducktales" if Disney will let them. I can't see why not, IF Disney is NOT going to re-run "Ducktales" itself.
This story is therefore, based VERY loosely on the "Kids Next Door" story "Operation Trike" in the Cartoon Network Action Pack #3 comic book.
It's Dufus' birthday and Launchpad comes to visit him, bringing him a present. Launchpad is surprised to see Dufus sitting on his front steps looking dejected.
"Why so glum on your birthday, chum?" Launchpad asked him.
"My mom gave me a brand-new bike for a birthday present so I'd exercise more and maybe lose some weight." Dufus said.
"That's good- isn't it?" Launchpad asked, still not understanding why Dufus was unhappy.
"It's PINK." said Dufus, referring to the bike.
"Bummer. You ride it, the other kids tease you. Maybe even beat you up." Launchpad said.
"Bingo. Mom meant well. She was just never a boy, that's all. Sometimes it stinks, not having a Dad. Not that you're not a great "big brother", Launchpad." Dufus said. (1)
"Dufus, you've been to my hanger a thousand times. What's in it?" Launchpad asked.
"Huh? Planes, plane parts..." Dufus said, not getting what Launchpad was driving at.
"And PAINT. The kind you paint METAL with. (2) I could re-paint your bike fire-engine red" Launchpad offered.
"How's about blue?" Dufus asked.
"The pink might show thur and make it look purple." Launchpad warned.
"Red's fine!" Dufus agreed.
So Launchpad carries the bike to his hanger.
"Now, I'm a klutz, so when I do something like paint, I have to be careful if I want it to come out right. First, I put down plenty of old newspapers as a drop cloth- when painting my planes, I use an old sheet. Then I cover up anything I don't want painted- the seat, the handles, the wheels- with old newspaper and tape it in place." Launchpad explained.
"And maybe we should start on the top and paint down, so if it drips, we can just paint it on " Dufus suggested.
"Good idea!" Launchpad encouraged.
Soon, the bike was painted a shiny fire engine red.
"There! We'll leave it to dry overnight. I'll lock up my hanger behide us." Launchpad said.
But, the next day...
"Somebody broke one of the windows in my hanger!" Launchpad said.
Launchpad opened the hanger door and the bike was gone!
"I'm sorry, Dufus! The hanger's main doors are chained and locked, but the side door can be opened from the inside. The crook broke in thru the window and stole your bike!" Launchpad said.
"Hey, I wouldn't of thought anybody could get in thur that tiny window all the way up there, either!" Dufus said, for the broken window was near the ceiling and quite small.
"The crook must of used a rope to climb up there and then back down. He couldn't take any of my planes, the hanger doors can only be opened from the outside and there usually isn't any thing else worth stealing in here!" Launchpad said.
Nothing else had been touched- almost.
"Look here- the thief must of knocked over this paint can! There's a trail of red paint leading out the door! The thief must have rolled the bikes tires thru the paint and they left a trail behide. We can follow them!" Launchpad said.
"Like Hansel and Gretel!" said Dufus, quick with the literary allusions.
"As long as I get to be Hansel!" Launchpad agreed.
"I don't get it- why didn't the crook see the trail and stop making it?" Dufus asked.
"He stole the bike at night. He must not have bothered to turn the lights on in my hanger, he just stole the bike and ran. You can't see color in the dark. He never saw the paint. He rolled the bike thru these back alleys and they're badly lit. " Launchpad explained.
They followed the trail and it led to a bike shop.
"But this is the biggest and best bike shop in Duckberg! This must be where my Mom bought it! Why would somebody HERE steal a bike?" Dufus asked.
"Let's sneak around back and maybe we can find out." Launchpad replied.
They snuck in and caught the bike storeowner thief -er- red-handed!
"How did I get red paint on my hands?" he was asking himself.
"You knocked over a red paint can while stealing my friend. Dufus' bike." Launchpad angrily told him.
Now the store owner was a little guy and Launchpad towered over him, but store owner was still NOT above bluffing.
"You can't prove anything! I repaint old bikes to restore them all the time!" store owner crook dissembled.
"Then perhaps you'd like to explain the trail of paint that leads from my hanger to your store to the cops?" Launchpad asked, showing him the paint trail.
"Ulp! I've been doing this for years. I sell a pink bike to a BOYS Mom. I wait till he has repainted it. I call Mom up, all innocence, ask how boy likes bike. Naive Mom tells me he's brought the bike to a friends house, even tells me where. I know that means he took it there to paint it. I steal it. The boy never tells his Mom he repainted it, not wanting to hurt her feelings. The bike is a different color and she can't recognize it. I sell two bikes, she collects insurance, everybody's happy." crooked store owner explained.
"What if they're not insured? What if they can't afford two bikes? It's still stealing! Dufus, call the cops!" Launchpad said, astonished, as always, at how some people can justify anything THEY do.
"Sure, Launchpad." Dufus' said and used a pay phone to make the call.
The cops soon arrived. Launchpad showed them the paint trail, the paint on the store owner's hands and the same shade of red newly painted bike. The cops arrested the storeowner.
" I honestly thought I wasn't hurting anyone." Store owner said for the record.
"You weren't thinking honestly at all!" the disgusted cop said.
Later...
"Launchpad, in all the excitement, I forgot to unwrap your present! Let's see what you gave me!" Dufus realized. "Oh! A year's pass to the Duckburg Aquarium! Neat! You're OK that I want to be an oceanographer when I grow up and not a pilot, Launchpad?" Dufus asked.
"You should do what you love. I know you've been 'into" the ocean and sea creatures since that business with Atlantis (3). I'm sorry you couldn't come with us when we dove for Treasure in NY. (4)" Launchpad said.
"Like it's your fault I got caught eating candy in class and had to sit in detention that day?" Dufus interrupted.
"The point is, I'm not going to force you to do anything. My Dad pushed me into being a pilot so hard, I almost did something else- and I wanted to be a pilot more than anything . That's what happens if you try to FORCE somebody into doing something- even if they WANT to do it, they may decide against it, just to be able to make their own decisions." Launchpad explained.
The End
1) I think Dufus' Dad died when Dufus was 3 months old. I also think Launchpad is a volunteer for Big Brothers, Inc. and that Dufus is Launchpad's "Little Brother".
2)Do NOT paint metal with just any paint. It's important to use the right kind of paint, there's a big difference between water paint, house paint, and paint used to paint metal. Stick to painting water paint on paper if you're a little kid.
3) "Aquaducks"
4) "Back Home Again" by Sharan McQuack. Shameless plug.