“Cherries!” Zoë exclaimed while wiggling in her car seat. She could barely contain her excitement.

She and her family were on their way to Cherry Olde Orchard to pick cherries. They did so every summer during the National Cherry Festival. It was a family tradition. Later they would bake pies and give themselves stomachaches from eating too much. That was a tradition, too.

Zoë wasn’t the only hero who enjoyed going to the orchard. So did Abigail and Andrew. In addition to its delicious cherries, Cherry Olde Orchard was a perfect place to play. Rows and rows of trees made tag and hide-and-seek more fun than ever.

Mom and Dad liked it there, too, because superhero kids needed super-sized room to run around. Or to fly around, as the case may be.

The owner of the orchard, Farmer Gene, was as great as his cherries. He always had a smile and a joke for everyone.

“Why did the farmer fall into a bowl of cherries?” he asked.

The heroes shrugged. “We don’t know,” Abigail said. “Why?”

“Because it was full of pits!” Farmer Gene laughed, smacking his thigh. “Pits, get it? Cherries have pits.”

The heroes laughed, and Mom and Dad tried not to groan. Tried but didn’t succeed. Farmer Gene’s joke was worse than the kind on a gum wrapper.

After the laughter and groaning faded, Farmer Gene beckoned the heroes in close. He spoke to them in a whisper, like a secret agent sharing classified information.

“This year I’ve got a surprise,” he said. “Do a good job of picking cherries, and I’ll show you.”

Upon hearing that, the heroes begged to know the surprise. But Farmer Gene kept quiet and pretended to zip his lips. He refused to reveal the secret of Cherry Olde Orchard.

End of preview
Thanks for reading!

Copyright © 2007 Sigil Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

Back to the book