Paul Washburn

Skipper Takes the Spaceship Paul Washburn

Everyone is sleeping through the night except Skipper, whose mind is still engaged in chasing alien invaders in his video game. He notices some strange lights in the distance outside his bedroom window and goes outside to investigate. He has just entered a clearing in the woods behind his house when he is zapped by a paralyzing ray gun and carried aboard a spaceship by alien invaders, along with sample plants other things the invaders are collecting. Although he can't move, Skipper carefully observes the controls used by the aliens to operate the spaceship. By the time they reach another planet, the ray gun's power has worn off. Skipper doesn't move until the aliens leave the spaceship to collect more samples. Then Skipper presses the button to close the ramp and begins to pilot the spaceship up and away, leaving behind the now-frantic aliens.



Now his goal is to get back to Earth and home. But he finds himself having to stop at an Earthlike planet where he makes new young friends. He and his new friends have some delightful, good times, swinging on a rope out, over, and dropping into a lake full of colorful creatures. But the alien Argons are tracking and following Skipper's spaceship and give chase. Skipper puts the safety of his friends first and risks his own life to save them. When the lead alien warrior grabs Skipper by his pajamas, Skipper only barely escapes by slipping out of half of them. After coming very close to being captured, the children learn some lessons about looking out for each other.



On the next leg of his voyage home, Skipper again uses his skills of observation and listening to locate and rescue a young farmer. He learns that people come in all sizes and colors and that the opportunity to do good for others can be more rewarding than self-serving pursuits. Sometimes, helping others can be even more engaging than his video game.