"For he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good felllooooowwww, which nobody can denyyyyyyyy!" Bert warbled off key, right into Reggie's ear.

"Thanks Bert, I think I just went deaf!" Reggie shouted.

Everyone else laughed. Bert gave them all dirty looks. Everyone was at the Blue Spruce Cafe, celebrating the Evergreen Raccoons' victory over root beer. Well, make that eleven root beers and one peanut butter soda.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to make a toast!" Bert shouted, raising his mug of peanut butter soda. "To Reggie Drake!"

"Let's give a cheer to Reggie Drake! Thanks to him, we saved our lake! Wheee!" the Pigs cheered, waving their pom poms around.

"One more cheer out of the three of you, and I'm sending you to a football factory!" Cyril shouted.

"Yikes!" the Pigs shouted and ducked underneath the table.

"I didn't really save it," Reggie said. "I mean, that Gang of Six was just trying to claim it."

"Yeah, but you scored the winning goal," Bert went on. "And all without having to do the Turbine Twist! So here's to Reggie Drake! The saver of Evergreen Lake!"

"Bert, that is so corny," Melissa said. Then she raised her root beer mug. "But I'll drink to it, anyway."

"Here, here!" Ralph agreed, raising his own mug.

"Count me in," Cedric replied, raising his mug.

"Cheers!" Lloyd shouted.

"Please don't," Cyril grumbled.

"Here's to the Pound Sterling," Boyd said, raising his mug. Everyone stared at him as if he were nuts.

"Uhhh, never mind," Boyd said, sheepishly lowering his mug.

The others rolled their eyes, and clinked their mugs together. Reggie wasn't paying that much attention. As a matter of fact, he seemed kind of down.

"What's the matter, Reggie?" Ralph asked. "Aren't you happy we won the game?"

"Oh sure," Reggie said, nodding. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm really glad we won, but . . . . well . . . . I don't know, how would you feel if your grandfather was going to disown you?"

"Oh," Ralph said, remembering what Dr. Canard had said to Reggie during the last few minutes of the game. Everyone got quiet all of a sudden.

"You know, I think he was just bluffing," Lloyd said. "The boss is always telling Cedric he's going to disown him one of these days!"

"That's true," Floyd said. "He's referred to him as his ex-son more times than I can count!"

"Oh Mr. Sneer, really!" Mrs. Pig shouted, shaking her head.

"Schafer, how about some triple peanut butter sandwiches?" Cyril asked. "With extra peanut butter."

"I thought you didn't like peanut butter, Pop," Cedric said.

"They're not for me," Cyril replied. "They're for these bacon blabbermouths! Maybe it'll shut them up for once!"

The Pigs sank lower in their seats. Nobody had much to say after that.

The next day, the Raccoons and their friends were out on Evergreen Lake. Melissa and the boys were passing around a hockey puck while Sophia was swan gliding. As they were skating, who should come up to them but the Gang of Six?

"Uh oh," Cedric said.

"What do they want?" Bert asked, glaring at the gang. Slick walked out onto the lake and faced the Raccoons and their friends.

"Hey, listen," he said. "We just wanted to say . . . . you know, nice game."

"Yeh, you guys play pretty good," Brucie replied.

"And I'm sorry I called your old man a hack," Slick said to Reggie.

"Forget about it," Reggie said, smiling.

"Well, I guess that's it, then," Slick replied. "C'mon guys. Let's go find another place to skate."

"Why?" Ralph asked. "We agreed the winning team of the game got to choose who skates on the lake and who doesn't. And since Reggie scored the winning goal, I think he should make that decision. What do you guys think?"

"Right on, Ralphie boy!" Bert shouted.

"You said it," Melissa replied. "Well, Reggie, what's your decision?"

"It's a big lake," Reggie replied. "Plenty of room to go around. Come on, you guys. Hang around."

"Hey, all right!" Buzz shouted, as he and the rest of the Gang of Six went out onto the lake.

"You want to know somethin', Raccoon?" Slick asked Bert. "You and your friends are okay."

"So are you and your friends, Slick," Bert said, and he and Slick shook on it. It looked like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

The next day, Bert found Reggie packing his duffel bag. He was leaving for California the following morning.

"I can't believe this week is over already," Bert sighed.

"Yeah, I know," Reggie replied.

"Believe me, this wasn't the sort of thing I had in mind, Reg. I didn't plan on a hockey game."

"And I didn't plan on a fight with my grandfather."

"Have you tried talking to him?"

"I keep calling, but Nana says he doesn't want to talk to me. He just doesn't understand that hockey is my life."

"Does he even know you're leaving tomorrow?"

"I told Nana, and Nana said she'd tell Doc, but I doubt he's gonna come out and see me off."

"I'm really sorry, Reggie."

"S'okay, Bert. I'm kind of used to it. Doc's always acted this way since I was ten. He and Great Uncle Herman were pretty close. In any case, Bert, I'd kind of like to be alone right now, if that's okay with you. I'll see you and the others later tonight at the Blue Spruce for dinner."

Bert nodded. It was about all he could do. He left the room, shut the door, and went downstairs. Ralph and Melissa were sitting at the kitchen table, going through the mail.

"Did you talk to Reggie?" Ralph asked.

"He says he keeps trying to call Dr. Canard, but Mrs. Canard keeps telling him Dr. Canard doesn't want to talk to him," Bert said with a shrug. "And Dr. Canard knows Reggie's going back to Los Angeles tomorrow."

"I hate the idea of Reggie leaving without making up with Dr. Canard," Melissa said.

"But what can we do about it?" Ralph asked. Then he sighed, and stood up. "Well, we'd better get down to the Standard. You coming, Bert?"

"Nah, I think I'll stay here," Bert said.

"Okay, then," Ralph said. "See you later."

Ralph and Melissa left. Bert got up and started to make himself a peanut butter sandwich. He agreed with Melissa over the situation with Reggie and Dr. Canard, but the problem was he couldn't think of what to do about it. Suddenly, he got an idea, and raced for the phone.

"This'll get the doc over here in a hurry," he said, as he dialed. "Good thing Ralph and Melissa aren't here. They'd never understand. Hello? Mrs. Canard? This is Bert Raccoon. Is your husband there? Could you put him on? Yes, it's about Reggie. Could you tell him it's an emergency?"

Bert waited until Dr. Canard got on the phone.

"Listen, Dr. Canard, I know there's tension between you and Reggie right now, but you've got to come over right away!" he shouted. "It's an emergency! What kind of emergency? Oh . . . well . . . . errrm . . . ."

Up until then, Bert hadn't really thought of a ruse to get Dr. Canard over there. Then he remembered about Reggie's asthma.

"He's having a really bad asthma attack!" he shouted. "Oh yeah, he can't breathe! His inhaler? Well, ahhh, we tried it, but it's not helping. You gotta come over here right away! I don't know what to do! Okay, great! See you soon!"

Bert hung up the phone, and smiled at his handiwork. He was going to patch things up between Reggie and Dr. Canard if it was the last thing he did. And it probably would be the last thing he did once both Reggie and Dr. Canard found out about Bert's little joke.

Five minutes later, the sound of sirens filled the air. Bert ran to the window and looked. There was Dr. Canard followed by an ambulance. Bert got a nervous look on his face. He wasn't expecting this. He opened the door, and Dr. Canard raced in followed by two paramedics.

"When did this start, Bert?" Dr. Canard asked.

"Uhh . . . well . . . ." Bert said.

"Never mind, never mind," Dr. Canard said. "Where's Reginald now?"

"Hey, Bert!" Reggie called, coming down the stairs. "What the heck's going on down here? I heard sirens, and I looked out the window, and there's an ambulance parked out in front here and . . . ."

"Reginald!" Dr. Canard shouted. "Reginald, are you all right? Where's your inhaler? I need to check it if it's not helping you. But that can wait until we get to the hospital."

"Doc, what the heck are you talking about?"

"Bert called and said you were having a bad asthma attack and you couldn't breathe!"

"What?!"

Reggie turned towards Bert and gave him a Look. Bert laughed sheepishly. Dr. Canard didn't look amused, either. And they weren't the only ones who didn't look happy at this. Ralph and Melissa had just come home and they were standing in the doorway.

"What's going on here?" Ralph asked.

"Bert called Doc and told him I was having an asthma attack," Reggie said. "Which wasn't true."

"Nearly gave me a heart attack," Dr. Canard said. "Someone should tell him about the boy who cried wolf."

"Oh honestly, Bert!" Melissa shouted. "How could you even joke about something that serious?!"

"I'm sorry," Bert said. "But I had to get Dr. Canard over here somehow, and I figured the only way to do it was to tell him Reggie was having an asthma attack. But now that the two of you are here, why don't the two of you make up?"

"Bert!" Ralph groaned.

"No, it's okay, Ralph," Reggie said. "Doc, I think you and I could use a talk."

"Yes, I agree," Dr. Canard said. Then he turned to the Raccoons. "If you three will excuse us . . . . ."

And with that, Reggie and Dr. Canard left the Raccoondominium. Bert was about to follow, but Ralph pulled him away from the door by the back of his sweater.

"Oh no you don't," he said.

"Aw, gee, Ralph!" Bert shouted. "I just want to . . . ."

"No!" both Ralph and Melissa shouted in unison.

"Come on, Bert," Melissa said. "I'll make you some peanut butter tea."

Bert grumbled a little, and followed Melissa into the kitchen. Who was he to refuse anything peanut butter related?