Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures #15

  Cover

  Title Page

  1. The Crown of New York

  2. Welcome to the UN

  3. Noodles for Lunch

  4. Train Stations

  5. Photo Ops

  6. Helping Hands

  7. Empire State Building

  8. Lost and Found

  What You Need to Know About New York City!

  About the Authors and Artist

  Books by Jeff Brown

  Back Ad

  Copyright

  About the Publisher

  The Crown of New York

  Stanley Lambchop was climbing stairs.

  His legs were getting wobbly, and his breath was getting heavy, but he couldn’t stop now. He was determined to get to the top!

  Stanley turned to look behind him. A long spiral staircase twisted down to the ground floor.

  He turned to look above him. The rest of the spiral staircase stretched as far as his eyes could see.

  “Are we almost there?” Stanley said to his mother, who was a few steps in front of him. But she couldn’t even hear him. There was a crowd of people ahead of Mrs. Lambchop, and another crowd of people behind Stanley. Metal walls wrapped around the busy staircase, and voices echoed everywhere.

  Stanley counted the steps. “One hundred and twenty-one. One hundred and twenty-two,” he said. He knew there were 354 steps altogether, so he still had a long way to go. By the time he got to 210, Stanley needed a break.

  Luckily, he had a special superpower that would allow him to rest in the middle of this crowd. Some time ago, a bulletin board had fallen off his bedroom wall and left him as flat as a pancake. Since he didn’t take up much space, he could stop on the stairs without bothering anyone!

  Stanley flattened himself against the cool metal wall and took a gulp of air. The people kept rushing past him. In a minute, he felt rested and ready to climb again. There was only one problem! He’d lost Mrs. Lambchop.

  Stanley peeled himself off the wall and tried to catch a glimpse of her.

  “Mom!” Stanley called. But she still couldn’t hear him in all the noise.

  Stanley took another deep breath. He knew what to do if he got lost. His mother must have talked him through it a hundred times. “Stay calm,” Stanley told himself. “That is the first step. Then ask for help if you need it.”

  He looked at the people all around him. How would he know who to ask?

  Then he realized something. The staircase traffic was only going one way. If he kept on climbing, his mother would be waiting at the top.

  “Two hundred and fifteen,” Stanley counted. “Two hundred and sixteen.”

  Finally, the stairs ended in a domed room with a long row of windows.

  “There you are!” said Mrs. Lambchop. “I was starting to get a little worried.”

  “Come and see!” yelled Stanley’s younger brother, Arthur. He was standing at a window with their father, holding a camera.

  From the window, Stanley could see a city skyline, with more skyscrapers than he could ever count. Between him and the city there was a sparkling river crisscrossed by bridges. Stanley saw boats bobbing in the water, and planes speeding toward a nearby airport. It was a great view of a very busy place!

  Then he craned his neck to see what was directly beneath him.

  He saw a huge, mint-green hand holding a book.

  And above him, seven spikes of a crown, casting shadows on the water below.

  Stanley and his family were standing inside the crown of the Statue of Liberty! From where they stood, they could see all of New York City.

  This was the first stop on the Lambchops’ first trip to New York. Stanley had been invited to a special gathering of children from all over the world. They would be meeting at a famous place called the United Nations to sign a Declaration of Friendship—a promise to be a good friend to the whole world.

  Stanley Lambchop was an experienced traveler. He had already been to many countries. Now he would be able to meet kids from some of the places he had not yet visited. Stanley couldn’t wait.

  But first he was seeing some of New York’s most famous sights with his family.

  Arthur snapped pictures from each of the twenty-five windows in the statue’s crown. Then he turned to Stanley and said, “This is a great view of the city. But you know the one thing we can’t see?”

  “What’s that?” Stanley asked.

  “The Statue of Liberty!” said Arthur.

  That is strange but true, Stanley thought. Here inside the statue, they were too close to see what it really looked like. From the window, he could see the folds in the statue’s robes, and a bird sitting on one of its fingers! But for the complete view, he would have to wait until they got back onto the ferry that took people to and from Liberty Island. “I get the camera on the ride back,” he reminded his brother.

  Stanley walked over to where a sign explained a bit about the statue’s history. “Dedicated in 1886, the statue was a gift from the people of France to the people of the United States,” Stanley read out loud. “Today, she represents freedom and liberty around the world.”

  Mrs. Lambchop nudged him. “That is why the book she holds has ‘July fourth’ written on the cover,” she explained. “The Fourth of July was the day our country broke free from England.”

  She led both boys to a window and pointed at another island down below. “Do you know what that is?” she asked.

  Arthur shrugged. “No idea,” he admitted.

  “That is Ellis Island,” said Mrs. Lambchop. “For many years, newcomers to the United States stopped there before they could enter the country. Many of them were looking for freedom they did not have at home. From there, they could see the Statue of Liberty. She reminded them of what they would find in America.”

  “Newcomers?” Stanley asked.

  “People who were moving to America from places all over the world,” Mrs. Lambchop explained. “They hoped they would have a better life here.”

  “Well . . . did they?” asked Arthur.

  “Yes, they did,” said Mrs. Lambchop, smiling. “Now New York is home to people from all around the globe.”

  Stanley nodded his head. “That is pretty cool,” he said. “People from around the world come to live in New York. And people from around the world come to meet at the United Nations!”

  “That is cool,” Arthur agreed. “And that reminds me of something. Are you ready for the gift shop?”

  Stanley nodded again and they all started for the stairs. Walking down the spiral staircase was almost harder than climbing up! By the time he reached the bottom, Stanley’s legs were like jelly. But he had an important job to do at the gift shop.

  All the children gathering at the United Nations needed to bring an item from their home country to show to the others. It would be like show-and-tell from around the world! Stanley had already decided to bring a souvenir from the Statue of Liberty. What could be more American than that?

  The only problem was that Stanley did not know what to choose. The gift shop had T-shirts and baseball caps that said “I heart New York.” It had key chains and bookmarks and magnets. That won’t work, Stanley thought. You can get a magnet anywhere!

  He picked up a tiny replica of the Statue of Liberty, all in gold. Too bad it cost forty dollars! He wound up a music box that played “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

  He was almost ready to give up when he saw it. His very own Statue of Liberty crown! Stanley did not like wearing hats, because they flopped over his flat head. But this crown fit like a headband. It was easy to carry, because it was made of foam, and it did not cost too much. It would remind him of where he had just been stan
ding, too. The crown was perfect!

  Now everyone at the United Nations will know where I’m from, Stanley thought. A place where people from around the world come together.

  Welcome to the UN

  Soon after the family woke up the next morning, Mr. Lambchop made a mistake.

  Inside their hotel room, he pointed to a map. “We are right here,” he said to Stanley. “Eighth Avenue. It should not take too long to get to the United Nations. It is on First Avenue. Just seven streets away from where we are staying.”

  But as they started their walk for the UN, it turned out there was a lot of distance between the streets. And there were more than seven of them! There were streets that Mr. Lambchop had not even counted, like Madison, Park, and Lexington Avenues. It was lucky they had allowed some extra time for this walk. New York was a huge city! Stanley’s legs were getting tired again.

  “Can we take a taxi?” Arthur whined.

  Stanley liked the sound of that. He knew just how to do it, too. He had seen it in a lot of New York movies! Stanley put his arm in the air and yelled, “Taxi!” at a yellow cab speeding by.

  The taxi did not stop, though. “It already has a passenger,” Mrs. Lambchop explained. “Let’s keep walking. It won’t take much longer now.”

  Stanley looked up as he walked. The skyscrapers were so high he couldn’t see their roofs! The buildings blocked out a lot of light, so the sidewalks below were always in shadow. It was his turn to use the camera, but it was hard to get a good picture.

  Whenever the Lambchops crossed an avenue, there was a huge gust of wind. Flat Stanley held his mother’s elbow to steady himself. He did not want to blow away into New York’s city streets! They were crowded with cars, buses, trucks, bikes, and motorcycles. It sounded like all of them were honking their horns at the same time.

  At the next corner, Stanley saw a tall building that looked like it was made of glass. Next to it was a lower building with a dome. And in front of the domed building, there was a long row of flagpoles. There was a flag for every country that was a part of the United Nations. They had arrived at last!

  “Here we are!” said Mr. Lambchop.

  Arthur walked along the row of flags, pointing out the ones he knew. “Egypt, Japan, Canada, Mexico, China . . .” Together, they made a rainbow of colors and patterns.

  Stanley took a lot of pictures! He was excited to see the flags, but even more excited about meeting the children from around the world. Stanley was always ready to make new friends.

  When the Lambchops arrived at the visitors’ center, a guide stepped forward to greet them. She had a smart suit on, and her hair was so blonde that it was almost white. “You must be the Lambchop family,” she said, recognizing Stanley. “Welcome to the United Nations—or the UN, as we call it around here. My name is Anya Petersen.”

  Anya led the family through the visitors’ entrance. She opened a door and made a surprising announcement. “Once you walk through this door,” she said, “you are no longer in the United States. This building, and the land beneath it, belongs to every country that is part of the UN.”

  “Look,” Arthur said, keeping one foot outside and one foot inside the doorway. “I’m only halfway in America!” he said. Stanley smiled.

  “Come along,” said Anya. “The other families are gathered already. Now that you’ve arrived, we can begin.”

  Arthur jumped in the air, and his feet left the ground. “Now I’m not in any country at all!” he said. “At least until I land.”

  The Lambchops followed Anya into a long hallway, where they caught their first glimpse of the other kids and their families. Many of them looked like people Stanley knew from home, wearing jeans and sneakers. But some of the boys were wearing long shirts that looked like tunics. One of the girls had a colorful scarf wrapped around her head.

  Stanley wondered where they came from. He wondered what sports they played, what food they ate, what pets they had, what holidays they celebrated. He couldn’t wait to talk to them!

  But Anya Petersen was talking first.

  “Now that we are all here,” she said, “I’d like to introduce you to the UN. People come together here from different countries to solve problems peacefully. It is a good place to cooperate on matters that affect us all, like keeping the planet’s air and water safe, or making sure that people stay healthy around the world. Usually the people who make these agreements are adults. At this gathering, though, we will be doing something different. Can anyone tell me what it is?”

  A boy with bright red hair waved his hand in the air eagerly. “I can! I can!” he said. “We will be making a promise!”

  “Yes, that’s true,” Anya replied. “But a promise to do what?”

  A grown-up spoke next. “It’s a promise for the next generation,” he said.

  “For us kids!” a kid shouted. “It’s a promise that we will stick together.”

  A girl next to Stanley raised her hand. Her voice was soft but sure as she explained. “It’s a promise that all the children of the world will be friends. If we make that promise now, we can keep the world peaceful even when we’re older.”

  Anya nodded. “That’s exactly what a Declaration of Friendship is,” she said. “Now, let me show you where we will do the signing.”

  Anya led the group down a hallway and into a large auditorium. It was much nicer than a school auditorium, though, with bright lights, rows of seats behind gleaming wooden tables, and a circular stage up front. The families filed into the rows of seats and sat down.

  As Stanley took his seat, he realized something. No one was really noticing him.

  Sometimes people asked him a lot of questions about his flatness. At the UN, though, Stanley didn’t stand out as much. Since there were lots of different kinds of people, he could almost blend into the crowd.

  Stanley smiled to himself. It would be easy to make friends here. He would start with the person sitting next to him! It turned out to be the red-haired boy.

  “Hi!” said Stanley. “What country do you come from?”

  “Scotland!” said the boy.

  Before Stanley could ask his name, Anya signaled for everyone to be quiet.

  “We are sitting in the General Assembly of the UN,” she told them. “Every member nation has a seat in this room. Here, they all come together as equals. Many important agreements have been made here. This is where we will sign the Declaration of Friendship.”

  The boy from Scotland raised his hand again. “Excuse me?” he said. “There is only one problem.”

  “What is that?” Anya asked.

  “We’re not really friends yet,” the boy pointed out.

  Stanley was thinking the exact same thing!

  Anya Petersen nodded. “That is true,” she said. “Luckily, we will get to know one another before we do anything else. We will have lunch together first. Then we will visit some of New York’s best-known landmarks. By the time we come back to the UN, it will feel like we have known each other for a long time. And that is when we will sign the Declaration.”

  Once again, the boy from Scotland said what Stanley was thinking. “So where do we go next? I’m ready to eat!”

  Noodles for Lunch

  Lunch at the UN was not at all like lunch in school. The Lambchops sat at a round table with a crisp white tablecloth and fresh flowers in the middle. They sat with other families from across the globe, who were all wearing name tags. Sometimes they spoke in English, and sometimes they spoke in other languages. But everyone had one thing in common: They were hungry.

  For some reason, there were two forks next to Stanley’s plate. He handed one of them to the boy from Scotland, who was also at his table. Now Stanley knew that the boy’s name was Ian—it was written on his name tag.

  “I think I got your fork by mistake,” Stanley said.

  Ian shook his head. “I don’t think so,” he said. “I have two forks, too!”

  “Each one is for a different part of the meal,” said Mr
. Lambchop. “The big one is for the main course, and the small one is for dessert.”

  “I’m going to use the big one for dessert!” said Arthur. “That way I will get extra!”

  “We need to respect the rules here,” Mrs. Lambchop reminded Arthur. “After all, we are the guests.”

  The rules at the UN were tricky, though, as Stanley was about to find out.

  At first, Stanley was excited when bowls of noodles arrived at the tables. Noodles were one of his favorite foods!

  But Stanley was used to noodles on a plate, and these noodles were in a bowl of soup. They were long and slippery, and they were hard to eat. Stanley’s stomach was rumbling, but he did not know how to get started. He couldn’t even catch a noodle with his spoon!

  At least he was not the only one having trouble. He looked over at Ian and saw that his noodles were all tangled together. When Ian tried to cut them with a fork and knife, most of his soup ended up on the table.

  Luckily, some experts were ready to help.

  Marco, from Italy, said “Looks like you are having a hard time! Let me show you another way.” He stabbed his fork into the middle of his bowl, and twirled. He kept twirling until the noodles were wrapped around the fork in a clump that was just the right size to pop into his mouth. “Mmm! Delicious!” he said.

  Stanley had tried this in the past, but never got it right. He tried to copy Marco, but his clump of noodles was so big that he had to start all over twice. They were starting to get a little cold.

  “We love noodles in Thailand,” said a girl named Kamala. She used a pair of chopsticks to pick up one noodle. She pinched the noodle firmly and held on tight. She had no trouble eating it at all.

  Stanley had not noticed he had chopsticks alongside his two forks. He tried to balance them between his fingers, like Kamala did. But he could not grasp a noodle. He could not even grasp the piece of carrot that was floating in his soup.

  “It takes a lot of practice,” Kamala said kindly.