someone on the Moon and bring them back was anybody’s guess And in all this excitement a brand-new observatory was opening the following night in Arno’s hometown It had been built in a wide field on the outskirts where there was no light pollution to interfere with the powerful telescope housed in its dome Arno desperately wanted to go to the opening not only because he planned to become an astronomer when he grew up but also because his hero Jean Slayter-Appleton was flying in as the honored guest to cut the ribbon Jean Slayter-Appleton wrote a weekly column about astronomy in the newspaper Her column was called Clear Skies She ended every article with those two words Clear skies were what every astronomer wished for when they set up their telescopes to point at the stars Arno clipped all of her articles for his notebook which contained his deep thoughts about how the universe worked He would quote fascinating facts
from her column whenever he got the chance Arno paused to listen to the radio The station was giving away three invitations to attend the opening of the observatory for contest winners and their guests All he had to do was be the first to call in with the correct answer to an astronomy-related question that the announcer would ask some time throughout the morning For now only surf rock music about girls and cars blared from the transistor radio Arno turned back to his lump of clay and divided it up like the instructions told him to do He read from his book again Mash six of the parts together and put that on Jupiter’s sheet of paper Arno had already spread out nine sheets of paper on his desk He had written the name of a planet on each one He mashed the six lumps together as instructed and set it on Jupiter’s paper He paused to listen to the radio More surf rock
Mash three of the parts together and put that on Saturn’s sheet Arno did so Divide the remaining piece into ten equal parts Arno did that too just as his frisky dog pitter-pattered pitter-pattered into Arno’s bedroom Comet immediately sniffed the wet clay on Arno’s desk and wagged his tail like an exclamation mark Leave it Arno warned pushing Comet’s nose away Comet was little and he couldn’t reach the top of Arno’s desk but still Arno had once caught him sliding a kitchen chair toward the counter so that he could jump on it to reach some fresh-baked cookies cooling on the racks Comet perked his triangle-folded ears but backed down Muttering he trotted over to the foot of Arno’s bed and flopped to the floor his head resting on both front paws while he watched Arno’s every move Arno paused The radio music had stopped The announcer was delivering news and the
weather which called for another unbearably hot August day Arno held his breath Was the contest about to begin No After the weather came sports and then more surf rock music Blast it Arno exclaimed Comet lifted his head saw that nothing was happening then rolled onto his side and closed his eyes for a nap Arno returned to his book which helped keep his jitters in check Add five parts to Saturn’s lump Mash two parts together and put them on Neptune’s sheet Mash two more parts together and put them on the sheet for Uranus Take the remaining piece and divide it into ten equal parts Arno carefully followed the instructions Four of the nine planets in the solar system were starting to take shape on their respective pieces of paper Okay Arno I’m heading out now
