Adventures of Ranger Rick: Rick and the gang have a nightmare experience - all to get this magazine into your hands!

Ranger Rick, Jan, 1997 by Sallie Luther

Ranger Rick Raccoon was standing on Cubby Bear's shoulders, peering into an open window of a big, red-brick building. The rest of the gang--Scarlett Fox, Boomer Badger, Odora Skunk, and Sammy Squirrel--huddled around Cubby, looking up at Rick.

"Sammy, scamper on up here," Rick whispered. "Jump through the window and see if you can open the door for us."

The gang was on a mission. The day before, Scarlett had brought some bad news back to Deep Green Wood. The fox had been trying to deliver some "Ask Scar- lett" questions and answers to the editors of Ranger Rick magazine. But when she went to the offices, no one was there. A note on the door had these star- tling words: ALL THE EDITORS ARE HOME WITH THE FLU. NO MAGAZINE THIS MONTH. SORRY.

So the friends had decided that they would put the magazine together. For 30 years, a new issue had come out every month. And they weren't about to let that stop now.

"Oo-hoo, ee-hee," giggled Cubby as Sammy scurried up his fat sides. "Your feet tickle, you silly squirrel." Sammy jumped through the window, hopped from desk top to desk top, leaped onto the door knob, and twisted his body around. With a click, the door opened.

The animals entered the offices. "Look at all those computers," whispered Cubby.

"And all those photos of kids and their letters stuck on the wall," Odie whispered.

"Look at all the fun things we can get into," whispered Sammy with a smile.

"WHY ARE ALL OF YOU WHISPERING?" boomed Boomer.

The animals all jumped, then laughed. "I guess maybe we're just a little ner- vous," said Rick. "After all, this is serious business."

"I wanna be boss," whined Boomer.

"Maybe someday, old friend," said Scarlett. "Listen, everybody, let's get cracking. We have no time to lose. Some of us will turn on the computers and work on the stories. Meanwhile, the rest of you should start picking out some pictures."

"I'll write the adventure," said Rick. "I've helped the editors do that many times before."

"I've got an idea," said Cubby. "Let's do a story on polar bears. There are a bunch of great polar bear photos in that cabinet over there."

"They already did a story like that a few months ago," said Odie.

"Then how about a story on cool animals in the badger family?" asked Boomer.

"That's been done too," said Scarlett, "about a year and a half ago."

"How do the editors remember everything?" asked Sammy. "It must drive them nuts."

Rick explained that each editor is in charge of different kinds of stories. One person does stories on mammals, another on birds, and so forth. Once a month, everybody sits down together and plans the next issue.

"So then what happens?" asked Odie. She had found a watering can and was watering the editors' thirsty plants.

Rick went on to explain. Once the stories are chosen, just the right photos have to be found and drawings have to be made. Photographers from all over the world send in their pictures. And only the best of the best are picked for the magazine. Sometimes artists are asked to do drawings--either lifelike ones or funny ones--for certain stories. Sammy and Boomer wandered into one editor's office and found a pile of notes and a dozen open books. The books were all about how animals fool other animals.

"You're good at that," Sammy teased Boomer.

"Aw, you're just fooling me," the badger replied.

"I don't think this story is written yet," Sammy said as he leafed through the papers on the desk. "We'd be fooling the rest of the gang if we said it was all ready. Let's go see what else we can find."

The two friends wandered into the hallway and began checking out a photocopy machine by the elevator. Soon, page after page of squirrel and badger paw prints were spilling onto the floor. Scarlett came over and gave the two animals a dirty look.

The next moment a crashing sound came from around the corner. Scarlett raced over to find Cubby next to a small refrigerator where the editors keep their lunches. His probing paws had knocked over a bowl of fruit. "Mmm, fruit cock- tail," said the bear as he sniffed it. "But it smells kinda old," he muttered before walking away.

Meanwhile, Sammy began wailing. "Whoa . . . help, somebody!" He had been trying to put a cartridge in a computer printer, and somehow black ink had gotten all over his paws.

"I'll help you, Sammy," Odie said to the squirrel with a chuckle. "My paws are already black."

"Thanks, pal," laughed Sammy as he went to wash off the mess. But the trouble was not over yet. Cubby had pulled photographs from every drawer in the office and had scattered them all over the floor. He had found a picture of a margay for the cover, but he still needed more shots.

I was just looking for a nice jaguar picture," the bear apologized as Scarlett went by. The fox was getting really annoyed at her chums. It seemed to her that they were all playing and not working.

But Scarlett was wrong. Every animal, even silly Sammy, wanted to make sure Ranger Rick magazine came out on time. By the end of the day, almost all the editing was finished. Odie had pulled together a story on animal tracks that she found half-written in a messy pile on one editor's desk. Sammy had found just the right photo to finish a cool story about ice. Cubby had edited an article about a zoo in some faraway country. And Boomer was proudly showing off a piece he had done all about Canada geese invading parks and towns.