Friday, October 1st, 2010. End of Week 16 in the Culinary Arts Program.

"How do I get myself tangled into these things?" Ham asked himself, having been enrolled into the Culinary Arts Program last week.

"Because you love food?" guessed Curly.

"Hey, let the kid do his work," said Moe. "And go ice that cake so we can bounce it in."

"What for?" asked Ham.

"Well, if we told you in front of a certain long-haired someone," said Larry. "It wouldn't be a surprise, now, would it?"

"Keep your mouth zippered, porcupine." said Moe as he pulled him along by the hair.

While Ham and the Stooges were talking it out, I opened the back door, only to see Max glaring at me.

I quick closed the door, saying to Nathan. "It's only been a week and that horse is still out there!"

"And what is it you don't like about Max?" asked Nathan.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all." I replied. "Except for the fact that I'm stuck here because of him!"

"Mm-hmm." said Nathan. "Well, maybe I can help resolve this."

"And how exactly are you gonna do that?" I asked as he went inside and out of the fridge, saying. "Eugene, I've dealt with imaginary horses* in my time, and Max will be no exception."

Nathan: Max was patrolling outside when he saw me walk out the back door.

"Easy, big fella." I said upon seeing the fierce look on his face as if he was about to charge, which he was about to, before I held out an apple.

"Look, I know you and...Flynn don't see eye to eye, especially after calling your truce." I said. "But...if you trust me, you can trust him too, can't you?"

Max slowly walked up to me and took a sniff.

Sensing that I was pure-hearted, he munched on the apple I held in my hand and gave me a nod.

I nodded back with a smile and walked back into the kitchen, where Eugene, who saw that moment, asked. "And you couldn't get Roxie to like you?"

"Hey, if you're jealous about it," I said. "You can have her if you want."

"Well, if you're leaning towards having a horse like him as a pet," said Flynn. "Then, good luck trying to clean his..."

Before he could finish, the trumpeting sounds made by Moe and Larry got our attention.

"Were you going to say 'mess?'" I asked.

"Something like that." replied Flynn as we walked towards the classroom, where...

"We baked you a birthday cake." sang Moe.

"If you get a tummy ache." sang Larry.

"And if you moan and groan and woe." sang Curly.

"Don't forget we told you so!" sang the Stooges. "Happy birthday!"

"Palaloolali!" cheered the Minions.

"Aw, you guys." said Rapunzel.

"Oh, no!" I shrieked upon seeing a gas hose in the kitchen counter, realizing the Stooges had deflated their cake and filled it up with gas.

Taking notice of it as well, Gru hurried into the classroom, crying out. "Don't blow out those..."

But it was too late. The cake exploded, resulting in a gooey mess.

Luckily, Eugene and I hid for cover while Gru and the others got splattered with cake bits.

"...candles." coughed Gru.

"Well, that's one way to start a birthday." said Eugene as he plucked some of what's left of the cake off of Gru's head and tasted them.

"Well, wishwise, I hope it's less exploding." said Big D.

"Oh, it's less exploding, all right." said Rapunzel, who, then, asked me and Eugene. "Do you guys remember, back at the Snuggly Duckling, when I told everyone my dream was to see the lanterns rise up to the sky?"

Eugene looked at Larry, asking. "Satellites, huh?"

Larry only shurgged. "Hey, I only assumed they look like them."

"Why, that's silly." said Curly. "From a far distance, they almost look like stars."

"Stars?" Eugene and I repeated.

"Curly, we've been through this before." said Rapunzel as she picked up a marker and drew on the whiteboard. "I've charted stars and they're always constant. But those...are lanterns. And they only appear every year on my birthday. And I can't help but feel that they're...they're meant for me."

Moe looked at his fellow Stooges, then looked at Rapunzel, saying. "Well, it's funny you should mention it, Blondie, because..."

He pulled out a poster, stating. "It happens to be one of the many highlights at the San Carlos Art and Wine Festival•!"

"Wait, what?" I asked.

"It is?" asked Eugene.

"You bet your good looks it is." replied Larry.

"And not only are we taking Rapunzel there..." began Curly.

"Load up the truck, boys!" instructed Moe. "We're back in the soft-serving business^!"

"WHOOP! WHOOP! WHOOP! WHOOP! WHOOP!" exclaimed Curly and Larry hurried into the kitchen, where inside Ham could hear Gothel's voice from the earpiece she gave him.

"Follow them! Keep out of sight!"

Author's Note:

*The imaginary horses I've dealt with were actually Buck (from "Home on the Range") and the titular horse (from "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron")

•In reality, the San Carlos Art and Wine Festival was a week later, on October 9th, 2010.

^As you may recall, the Three Stooges were ice cream men back in "The Three Stooges of JobTrain."