"Ahoy, mateys!" Miss Shelly called.
It was Talk Like a Pirate Day at Kids Central.
Everyone was dressed up.
"Yo, ho, ho!" Nina wore a purple eye patch.
Bobby had made his cast look like a peg leg.
"Hey, Ethan, what's on your shoulder?" he asked.
"A parrot, of course!" Ethan replied.
Jason waved a rubber sword.
"Shiver me timbers!"
"I hope you pirates are hungry," Miss Shelly said.
"We're having a pirate feast."
"What are we making?" Nina asked.
"Pirate peg legs and sea sauce," Miss Shelly said.
"I hope we're not eating my peg leg!" Bobby said.
Miss Shelly laughed.
"Don't worry. We're making fish sticks with tartar sauce."
She looked around. "Where's Izzie?"
"Here." Izzie entered the gym and sat down.
She didn't look happy.
And she wasn't dressed like a pirate.
"What's up, Izzie?" Jason asked.
"I don't want to be a pirate," Izzie said.
"You don't have to be a pirate," Miss Shelly said.
"But everyone has to help with making our snack.
We'll make the pirate peg legs first."
"I'll preheat the oven!" Jason said.
Nina followed the directions on the board.
"First, we beat two eggs.
Then, we pour bread crumbs into a shallow bowl."
"Next, we dip the pieces of fish in the eggs," Jason read.
"Then into the bread crumbs," Bobby added.
"Remember to use a fork for dipping," Miss Shelly said.
The kids took turns dipping the fish into the eggs and bread crumbs.
"Now we put the fish on a tray," Bobby said.
Jason carefully slid the tray into the toaster oven.
Izzie sat at a table, still looking glum.
Miss Shelly went over.
"What's bothering you, Izzie?"
"I don't like Talk Like a Pirate Day," Izzie said.
"I don't want to talk like a boy."
"There were female pirates too," Miss Shelly said.
"No way," Jason said.
"The pirates in my video game say girls are bad luck on a ship!"
"Well, they never met Anne Bonny and Mary Read."
Miss Shelly handed Izzie a book.
"These women are two of history's fiercest pirates."
"Really?" Izzie grinned. "Cool!"
Nina took off her purple eye patch.
"Do you want to wear my eye patch, Izzie?"
"Aye!" Izzie laughed.
"Thanks, Nina. Can we make the sea sauce now?"
Miss Shelly nodded.
"Let's turn the fish sticks first."
The kids started making the sauce.
"We add one cup of mayonnaise to a medium bowl," Bobby read.
"Now we need six tablespoons of chopped sweet pickles," Jason said.
"Squeeze one lemon for juice," Ethan said.
"Then mix!" Izzie said.
The kids took turns measuring, squeezing, and mixing.
Ding! The timer rang.
"Yay! Our pirate peg legs are ready!" Bobby said.
Everyone sat down.
Izzie raised her water bottle to make a toast.
"These peg legs look delicious. Eat up, pirates!"