Night Buddies, Impostors, and One Far-Out Flying Machine

By Sands Hetherington, Jessica Love and Gail Kearns

For young John Degraffenreidt, a sleepless night is no reason to fret when tossing and turning in bed brings a bright red crocodile named Crosley out from under his bed. Night Buddies like Crosley promise an evening of adventure to any not-tired-yet kid—and tonight is no different! Out of bed, and into the city, John embarks on a one-of-a-kind program with his crocodile pal. It seems like Cros is a one-of-a-kind individual—that is, until red crocs start popping up all over the city, creating confusion, committing crimes, and causing Crosley to go bananas at the sight of them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dune Buggy Press
• Release date: Aug 8, 2017
• ISBN: 9780984741700

Sands Hetherington

Sands Hetherington is a single dad, world traveler, and lifelong learner who turned his son's idea for a bedtime story into a 7-time award-winning children's book series. He enjoys writing, storytelling, and taking care of favorite 4-legged friends. Sands has an MFA in creative writing and an MA in English from UNC-Greensboro.

Book preview

Words

CHAPTER ONE

Okay, since you’re here I guess you’re all hot to hear about it, right? About the next big adventure Crosley and me got into. This makes two now, two Programs. That’s what we call them in the Night Buddies and please don’t ask me why that is. They start at bedtime and go all night, but you already know about that if you checked out the first one. And you know why I don’t much go for pineapple cheesecakes anymore, either. Not that there’s anything wrong with pineapple cheesecakes, okay? It’s just that I’ve seen way more of the things than I want to for the next twenty-five years. I’ll be real old then. Me, John (no-middle-initial) Degraffenreidt, your faithful correspondent.

The Program I’m talking about right now started out just like the first one did. That part’s pretty much up to the crocodile on assignment. All I do is go to bed on a night when I really, really don’t want to, and then I just lay there and wait, and Crosley comes crawling out of someplace with his flashlight lit. That’s how he likes to do it, and that’s fine with me.

But hey, let me get going here! So I’m laying there in bed on this night we’re talking about, okay? Wide awake and waiting and waiting for something to happen but nothing ever does.

So I’m starting to worry, right?

Hey listen, Cros, it’s safe. Mom an’ Dad are both downstairs.

I waited a pretty long time again.

 ?"

Nothing. Dark.

 "

It was way too dark to see anything, specially under the bed.

"Hey, you promised, Crosley!"

 SNERK! SNK-SNORK!" Rustle!

I grinned really big but you couldn’t see it in the dark.

Hey Crosley, turn your flashlight on. What’s the matter, you asleep under there? I thought ya said you’d be in the closet.

"SNERK! WUFF! Say what? FUP! Uh, well HELLO there, ol’ Night Buddy o’ mine! How on earth ya been keepin’ yourself? I didn’t think ya was ever gonna come t’ bed!"

It was that voice like a chain saw with the volume knob turned down. Turned down most of the time, I mean.

Not so loud, Cros. Switch on your flashlight. I can’t see nothin’.

Ain’t got no flashlight, said the chain saw.

Why not? I thought it was a major part o’ your equipment.

 "

 Oop! "

 "

Ya missed me. Your tail just swooshed through my hair.

"Pardonay-moy! Yerk! Yerk! Awright, I’m gonna stand up now. Where ya at?"

Back on the bed. No kiddin’, how come ya forgot the flashlight?

 " BUP! YiGG!

What’s wrong?

"GNF! SNOG! Well, from all accounts, it appears I ran my snout into your everlovin’ wall."

 Hey, I know what."

Har?

Maybe if ya hang your jacket over the lamp. You’re wearin’ your yellow jacket, right?

 okay, what lamp?"

On the dresser by the door.

 "

 GORF!"

"Crosley, be careful!"

"GAK! Hey, I’m tryin’, I’m tryin’ NOW!"

The lamp clicked on and there he stood, Crosley the bright red crocodile, rubbing his snout and blinking in the yellow glow coming through his suit jacket.

Cros! I said. What’s that doofus thing you got on?

Crosley blinked and grinned down at himself: It was kind of a vest or underjacket, all covered over with green and brown splotches and big pockets that bulged out.

I got a confession t’ make, he grinned. Ya remember when we lost the flashlight down the iguana hole an’ I was gonna pick up a new one later?

Sure I remember. I’m the one that dropped it when we took off up the tunnel t’ get away.

Crosley made a face and hugged himself: Yeah, that was dreadful gettin’ all drenched like that. What I was tryin’ t’ say, though, right after the Program was over, I went t’ the All-Night Drugstore t’ pick up a new flashlight. An’ I still had that box o’ pineapple cheesecakes Big Foot Mae gave me, remember?

Remember? I’m surprised ya hadn’t eaten ‘em all up by then.

I got my clothes out and Crosley plopped down in my big chair.

"Yerk! Yerk!  five. Since ya bring it up, I mean. But it’s a half a mile from here t’ that drugstore, John. What was I supposed t’ do?" He blinked at me about eight times.

Maybe ya could wrap a big chain around your snout?

 ‘PINEAPPLE CHEESECAKE CAMOUFLAGE VESTS!’ the sign said. ‘CARRY NINE REGULATION PINEAPPLE CHEESECAKES IN CONCEALED READINESS!’"

I was grinning like a bandit and trying to put my clothes on.

 So I set my box down, Crosley said, an’ tried on this here vest. Mighty majestic notion, I thought. An’ it fit, too, see how it fits? So I went right on an’ stuffed my pineapple cheesecakes in the pockets an’ paid the cash register lady an’ took off outta there grinnin’. Just like I’m grinnin’ now!"

Yeah, I said. An’ forgot what ya went in there t’ get.

That’s right, said Crosley, and he pointed at himself: But see here how it’s all jungle-colored! That’s so crooks won’t notice it an’ try an’ purloin your pineapple cheesecakes. Ain’t that fabulous?

"Yeah, Cros, I’m really pleased for ya. What’s this purloin, though? Another one o’ your crocodile words like ain’t?"

Purloin? Naw, that’s a pineapple cheesecake word. Told ya last Program, it means steal pineapple cheesecakes.

Why don’t ya just say steal?

Crosley turned up the bottoms of his front feet: "You could do that, buddy, but ya’d lose the poetry, what we call the pineapple cheesecake nuance. Ya wouldn’t wanna do that."

"Hold it a second. What’s nuance? Is that a pineapple cheesecake word too?"

 SNORK!  Oh yeah, right, it means pineapple cheesecakes are a rich an’ varied subject an’ have multiple aspects to ‘em when they’re stole. Lissen, put your shoes on an’ let’s go. Ya wanna hear about tonight’s Program or not?"

I was already tying one orange shoelace shoe.

Yeah, Cros, I was wonderin’ when ya were gonna bring it up.

Cros turned and looked at me: I can’t just tell ya about it. I dunno yet.

"Ut!  Never mind. What are ya doin’ here, then?"

At ease! At ease! Cros crossed his front legs over his chest. Just chill, okay? I called Crenwinkle just as soon as I found out ya wasn’t sleepy. But his line was busy, see, so I figured I’d save time an’ scoot over here first.

 "

Ya got that right, man. Dispatcher for the whole Night Buddy Network. With an I.Q. in the low four-digits.

I finished tying my other shoelace.

So whatta we do? Ya got no cell phone. Ya said it wasn’t secure enough.

Crosley shot me a look: "For callin’ Headquarters? Don’t even think the thought!"

Okay, so why don’t we go down t’ the phone booth on 84th an’ you can call Crenwinkle from there? It’s right before ya get t’ the All-Night Drugstore.

Crosley got up and pointed a claw at me: Ya know what, John? I was just about t’ formulate that exack same plan. Lissen, did ya ever tell your mom where ya got them orange shoelaces?

I got up off the bed. Sure I did.

Ya told her? Whad she say?

 You ready t’ go or not?"

Yeah, just lemme put my jacket back on.

Turn the light off first.

Right.

Crosley reached up under his yellow jacket and clicked the switch, and it got all dark. I heard him fussing around with his jacket.

Awright, let’s boogie. (Crosley was just a chain saw now!) I got the I-ain’t-here doodad out.

Where are ya? I said.

Layin’ down by the door just like last time.

 "

I reached my arms out and took little short steps till my foot ran into him.

 "

Fine, get on, said the chain saw.

I sat down in the middle of his back with my feet on top of his head. Just like last time.

Here we go, whispered the chain saw, and the door pushed open.

Wait a second, I whispered. The time-spreader dingus.

YiGG!

There was more fussing around and I felt Crosley wiggling.

"   Okay, here it is."

Got it, I whispered.

Excelsior! the chain saw whispered back.

And it was right then that the Program started! I rode Crosley right down the hall to the top of the stairs with the flat glass doodad winking in Crosley’s teeth!

We wobbled down the stairs and there Mom and Dad sat in the living room, big as ever, playing some board game. But this was cool as long as we kept real quiet. Cause as long as Crosley flashed the I-ain’t-here doodad in his teeth, and as long as I stayed on his back, we were invisible. That’s what the I-ain’t-here doodad did.

Crosley stopped now, and I pulled open the little telescope-looking dingus and pointed it in the living room. And when I did, it started ticking, and as soon as it did this, Mom and Dad froze! I mean just like stone statues! One of Mom’s hands hung in the air halfway to her face, and Dad, he had this real doofus look like you get right before you sneeze.

But this was cool too, right? Because this was what the time-spreader dingus did. When I pointed it in the living room, it stretched the time out in there! Mom and Dad were just like always, and they were still playing the same board game, but it was going on way too slow for me and Crosley to tell! Cause with their time stretched out like that, everything took them a thousand times longer. Compared to Crosley and me, anyway. It took Mom and Dad an hour now to do what Cros and me could do in three-and-a-half seconds!

We snuck past them to the front door and I looked back to check: Mom’s hand still hung up there in the air (maybe it was an inch lower?) and Dad still had that goofy right-before-you-sneeze look.

I stood up on Crosley’s back and opened the door as soft as I could. And then I sat back down and rode him straight outside onto the stoop.

I got up and closed the door and rubbed the seat of my pants.

Yeah, I know, grinned Crosley. You’re fixin’ t’ say my back’s knotty, right?

I laughed: How’d ya know?

He winked: "Cause ya al "

He stood up on his back legs and snapped the telescope thing and the flat glass thing onto the bunch of whatchamacallits on his belt. And then he just kind of stood there, looking up and down 87th Street for a long time.

Well? I said finally.

Har? blinked Crosley. Oh, right. Hey, real nice night, ain’t it, ol’ buddy?

What’re we doin’ standin’ here on the stoop? Let’s get goin’.

 "

Wonderin’ what?

  He looked up and down the street again. Uh, about All-Night Pineapple Cheesecake Stands."

 "

I mean maybe there’s one right around here close.

"But you’ve already got nine. You’re wearin’ ‘em."

Yeah, buddyroo, but I got a deep hunger for four or five right this second an’ I hate t’ draw down my strategic reserves. If we should happen t’ pass by a stand is all I’m sayin’.

"Ut! Oh, why not, I said. Anyhow, come on."

Half a second, Crosley said. He unbuttoned his yellow jacket, tugged the wrinkles out of his doofus vest, then buttoned his jacket back up. So come on, he waved, skipping down the stone steps on his back feet. Ain’t we got a Program t’ see about? Har? Ain’t we?

CHAPTER TWO

Icaught up with Crosley and we crossed over to the Avenue and started downtown. Cros was right, too. It was a nice night in the Borough and we passed a lot of people out strolling around. Some smiled and said hello, and several women said stuff about my dumb curly hair and about how cute Cros and me looked together when they didn’t think we could hear. Some others looked at us sideways and whispered, though. That felt strange.

Oh, look at the little boy with the red crocodile, said the woman.

Crosley stopped and snorted: He ain’t little, madame!

The woman smiled at me: I’m so sorry. Of course he isn’t.

"You know, Freddy, I used to ride ponies with a crocodile friend just like that when I was a little girl in Palm Beach. Except that my crocodile was green and

Reviews for Night Buddies, Impostors, and One Far-Out Flying Machine

[skstiles612 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Crosley is a bright red crocodile that lives under the bed of John Degraffenreidt. Why? John has so much energy he has difficulty going to sleep. He and Crosley go on night-time adventures called programs. His boss or handler is named Crenwinkle. In the first book they had to find out who was stealing all of the pineapple cheesecakes. This time the adventure is one that affects Crosley. There are several impostors running around town as red crocodiles, and they are doing bad things. Crosley's boss and brother Crenwinkle along with John must get help to solve this mystery. They rely on a friend from the first book to help. Along the way they must get help from Rodney Oglesby who runs a very unique hotdog stand. he sells sauerkraut and jelly bean hotdogs. Come along on this adventure and find out how they solve this new mystery. Thebook teaches kids about obeying rules and laws, teamwork, honesty and many more lessons.

[miriammartin-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received this as a goodreads first-read giveaway. Like the first book, this is probably a better read-aloud book for someone in grade 4 as the vocabulary can be confusing as there as a lot of made up words. It is funny and silly and should appeal to kids.