Dinosaur bread.

When Krissy's class went to the duck pond, Miss Plunkett, her teacher, made a big mistake. She put the loaf of bread into the bag first. Then she put a can of juice on top. THUNKF "Dinosaur bread," Krissy pointed out. "Dinosaur bread?" asked Miss Plunkett in surprise. "It's getting squashed," explained Krissy. "Squashed on the bottom of the bag." "Yes," said Miss Plunkett. "But the ducks won't mind." While the class climbed onto the bus, Miss Plunkett counted heads. "Ten, eleven, twelve," she said, squeezing the bag to her chest.

"Dinosaur bread," warned Krissy again as she went by. She sat down near the front of the bus. Krissy thought of all the dents and bulges you can make in a loaf of bread. She thought about the time she had made dinosaur bread.

Miss Plunkett sat down in front of Krissy and put the bag on the seat. It crackled as it started to unfold.

"Krissy," Miss Plunkett said, "you don't have to feed the ducks if you don't want to."

"I like ducks," said Krissy. "But the bread--"

"I'm sorry it's squashed, Krissy," said Miss Plunkett. "But, squashed or square, it'll taste the same to the ducks."

Krissy sighed. She looked at her feet. Thank goodness she was wearing her sneakers. Sneakers helped her run fast. The bag went on crackling. Then the bus went BUMP The can of juice went CLUNK. And something in the bag very softly went GRRRR.

"I don't like the sound of this bus at all," said the driver.

Then Krissy heard the soft sound of paper tearing--rip, rip, rip. Her cat, Petie, sometimes made that sound. But Petie was at home. The bag rattled loudly.

The bus driver pulled over to the side of the road and got out. He walked around to Krissy's side and looked underneath the bus. Then he disappeared around the back. Miss Plunkett stood up and started singing, "Six little ducks that I once knew."

"Fat ones, skinny ones, tall ones, tool" sang the class.

The bus driver, whistling, hopped up the steps. Just then the bag jumped right out of the seat and landed on the floor. THUMP! The bus driver stopped in mid-whistle. Miss Plunkett stopped singing and turned around. The whole class turned around. Krissy leaned forward.

"Dinosaur bread," she whispered.

At that moment, the bag ripped open, and the dinosaur bread leapt out.

There it stood in its plastic bag, tail twitching. It was hollow and flattened and twisted and bowed, and it looked just like a Tyrannosaurus rex.

"Gahh-rrrrr!" growled the dinosaur bread as it stomped up the aisle.

Miss Plunkett screeched and jumped onto a seat. The children whooped and yelled. The bus driver only stared.

Krissy wasted no time. She could see the duck pond through the window--it was just across the field. And around the pond strutted the hungry, snapping, squawking, flapping ducks. Krissy had an idea.

When the dinosaur bread reached the back of the bus, it turned around and growled. Then it zigzagged back toward the front. Krissy was ready. She picked up her foot and stepped on the dinosaur bread--hard.

"Grrr-ahhh!" roared the dinosaur bread as it tumbled off the bus.

Krissy ran past Miss Plunkett and leapt through the door.

The dinosaur bread was heading across the field at full speed. Krissy ran after it, and the whole class and Miss Plunkett and the bus driver ran after her. She chased the bread right over to the duck pond. And what a commotion! All the white and brown and gray ducks flapped and flapped their wings.

"Quack, quack!" they squawked as the dinosaur bread burst upon them. The bread reared on its hind legs, roared, and twitched its tail. Then all the ducks charged into the dinosaur bread and sent it running into the pond. They tore open the plastic bag and gobbled up the food.

Krissy watched the ducks eat the last crumbs. All of a sudden they were just plain, ordinary ducks eating plain, ordinary bread crumbs. Miss Plunkett, the class, and the bus driver ran up at that moment.

"Well, Krissy," said Miss Plunkett, breathing hard. She looked at the ducks and at the remains of the bread wrapper in the pond. She looked at Krissy.

"Miss Plunkett," said Krissy. She took a deep breath. "Miss Plunkett, I tried to tell you. Never, ever put bread on the bottom of a bag!"