~ The Amazing Adventures of Nicholas Noodle ~

by

W. J. Calabrese

Nicholas’ parents didn’t have much time to work around the house. Most mornings they were out of the house early, in the summer when the birds were still waking up and in the winter while it was still dark out, dressed in business suits, getting into the Volvo station wagon, which was well-named, because it took them to the station, where they got the train for the City.

So, although Nicholas had explored almost all of the extensive grounds, including the boggy part down by the river, where he also was not supposed to go, he had seen almost none of the inside.

It wasn’t fair!

He just knew that there had to be a lot of really neat places to explore in the house, which looked so immense from the outside that it must practically go on forever.

As it happened, the coast was quite clear this Saturday morning.

His father and mother had gone to town on some all-day errand and Cook had gone off to do something probably having to do with polishing things or knocking the dust off them

Or maybe just watching her soap operas.

~ * ~

The mystery he had decided to investigate first was a one of the minor ones: why was this room called his father’s study?

What did his father study here?

There were lots of books in the room, all arranged in huge bookcases along the wall, so presumably he could be studying, except that Nicholas had rarely seen his father with a book, and all of those times it was in other parts of the house. Perhaps his father came into this room at night and studied like crazy. If he did, he studied a whole lot more than Nicholas did with his school homework. Was his father doing homework, and if so, who was he expecting to get a good grade from?

While Nicholas was pondering this question, another one presented itself to his attention. What was that little door doing at the end of the line of bookcases? He couldn’t remember seeing it on any of those few occasions when he had been allowed in this room before, usually for a talking to, and he really couldn’t remember noticing it during the time he had been sitting there today.

This new mystery was interesting enough to lure Nicholas out of his father’s chair. He went over to take a look.

It was a strange-looking door, much too small for the grown-ups to get through without having to bend way down, although it did seem just the right size for him.

Nicholas studied the door. Aside from its size, it had other interesting characteristics. It was painted bright blue (with scroll work painted on over that in darker blue) and had a brass doorknob formed into some sort of shape.

Nicholas looked closely at the doorknob. It was formed into the head of a dragon. It was a most unusual door, one that he would surely have noticed if it had been there before.

Nicholas twisted the doorknob. The door was locked. He sighed, turned, and started to walk away.

“The key!” said a voice.

Nicholas jumped. “Who’s that?”

He looked around the room, but could see no one.

“The key, you ninny!” the voice said.

Nicholas looked back to see the dragon’s head looking up at him.

“The key, nitwit!” the dragon said.

Nicholas was a bit startled by being addressed by a doorknob, and being called names by one as well, but he managed to stammer, “W-What key? W-Where?”

“Philodendron,” said the dragon.

Luckily, Nicholas knew enough about plants to recognize a philodendron, and he knew there was one over by the window. He went over to it, not expecting to find anything, but when he looked in the pot, he was astonished to see a small, golden key nestled there. He took the key and started back toward the door. Then he heard a soft voice behind him say, “Hurry! The Professor needs help!”

Nicholas spun around, but there was nobody there, except for just the philodendron, its leaves shivering slightly in a random breeze.

Except there was no breeze in the room! Not a hint of one!

Had the plant spoken to him? This was too much! First a talking doorknob and now a talking plant! This was turning into a very strange day... but much more interesting than it had been before.

The doorknob didn’t say anything when Nicholas put the key into the keyhole of the little blue door.

Of course it didn’t say anything. It’s just a doorknob!

The key turned easily in the lock and Nicholas heard a click as the lock disengaged. He put his hand on the doorknob, but didn’t turn it. Did he really want to go through the little blue door?

A voice in his head asked him if he was a chicken, and made little chicken noises to emphasize the question.

That settled matters. Nicholas opened the door and walked through without a backward glance.