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"I can't believe you're going to be on TV, Ben," Gaby said on the way home from school.

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"You'll be famous!"

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Ben frowned. "I don't want to be famous.

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I don't even want to be on <font color="#ffff00"><i>Kids' Kitchen Showdown</i></font>."

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After Mr. Icky had picked Ben to be on the TV show, everyone was excited.

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Winnie had given Ben a big hug. "You'll do great!"

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Other monsters patted him on the back and gave him the claws-up sign.

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Some monsters even looked a bit jealous.

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Gaby was still talking as she and Ben walked along.

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"I didn't even know you liked cooking."

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"I hate cooking," Ben said. "Mr. Icky made a mistake.

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I accidentally made something that tastes good.

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But that doesn't mean I know what I'm doing."

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"You're being silly," Gaby said.

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"You obviously have talent and don't realize it."

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"Well, I'm not going to win the competition," Ben went on.

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"The judges are humans.

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They're going to choose a human cook—not a monster."

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That evening Ben sat on his back stoop, trying to distract himself from the cooking show.

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He made himself think about possible birthday presents for Winnie.

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"What do witches like?" he asked himself.

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He thought about Winnie's favorite things.

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She loved to fly. Maybe she'd like a new broom?

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Ben pulled out his phone.

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He found a website that sold flying brooms.

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One broom was shaped like a lightning bolt.

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Ben watched a demonstration video.

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The broom was so fast, it left a streak of fire across the sky.

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"Wow!" Ben said. "Winnie would love this broom. How much does it cost?"

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He scrolled down the page and found the price.

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"Six thousand dollars?" Ben gulped.

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There was no way he could afford that.

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He looked at some other flying broom websites.

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The cheapest broom Ben saw was still too expensive.

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It was five hundred dollars, and it looked like a piece of junk.

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Ben's shoulders slumped, and he put his phone away.

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As Ben brooded, the hedge that ran down the side of his yard shook slightly.

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Something was rustling on the ground.

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Ben peered over.

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"Who's there?" he said. There was no answer.

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For a moment the hedge was still.

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Then it moved again.

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"Something is in there," Ben thought.

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He floated over for a closer look.

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He moved some of the leaves out of the way and looked in at the branches.

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A pair of glowing eyes stared back at him.

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A chill ran down Ben's spine. "It's a . . . a kitten!"

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<font color="#ffff00"><i>Meow!</i></font> The tiny black kitten leaped out of the hedge and straight toward Ben.

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Ben jumped to the side.

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The kitten landed on the grass.

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It looked up at Ben and hissed.

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"Oh, boy," Ben said, glancing around.

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A lot of monsters and humans loved cats.

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But cats hated ghosts!

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Ben ran toward his back door with the kitten chasing him all the way.

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"Mom will be furious if this beast gets inside," Ben thought.

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He shot across his backyard.

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The kitten sprinted behind him, hissing and pouncing at his feet.

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Ben floated through his fence and into a neighbor's backyard.

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He stopped to catch his breath.

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"Whew! I think I lost—"

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<font color="#ffff00"><i>Hiss! Meow!</i></font> The kitten was on top of the fence.

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It leaped down and fell right through Ben.

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"Ahh!" Ben dashed through the neighbor's yard and onto the street.

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The kitten was still right behind him.

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Ben darted upward, flying over the trees.

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Looking down, he saw the kitten.

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It was still hissing at him, but at least it couldn't fly.

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With a sigh of relief, Ben flew home.

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On Wednesday morning Ben was one of the first students to arrive in the cooking classroom.

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He saw Mr. Icky pulling pots from one of the cabinets.

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"Um, Mr. Icky," Ben said. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

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Mr. Icky turned around.

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"Ah, Ben, my master monster chef! What do you need?"

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Ben put down his books.

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"I don't think I should be on <font color="#ffff00"><i>Kids' Kitchen Showdown</i></font>."

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"What?" Mr. Icky peered closely at Ben.

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"I'm not really good at cooking.

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I make mistakes all the time.

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If my food turns out well, it's totally by accident."

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"Nonsense," Mr. Icky said.

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"You have a natural talent, Ben.

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And I've already given your name to Mr. Freaky."

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By now other students were entering the classroom.

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"Good morning, everyone," the teacher called.

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"Let's get started."

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After Mr. Icky described the morning's assignment, Mog came over to Ben.

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"Hey, Ben," Mog said. "I heard you talking to Mr. Icky.

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I know how you can get out of doing the show."

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"You do?" Ben was doubtful.

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Mog was a good friend, but he didn't usually have smart ideas.

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Mog leaned in closer. "Cook badly today!"