You always hear about those robbers who do stupid things and get caught and this is a story about such a gang. Their pictures had been plastered on wanted posters at the post office and they even appeared on the "America's Most Wanted" show.

 It had started out with stealing candy from children in the playground, next, stealing from flea markets and lastly, the poor box at church. Being on "America's Most Wanted" was usually big crime, serious business, but about how silly they performed their last crime - audiences everywhere doubled over in laughter.

 The Misfits, as they called themselves, were a strange combination of friends. There was Robin Cheetah, leader of the group. They said she had the brains because she could recite three times faster than anyone else the phrase, "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers."

 Travis Lion was the tough one. He had lifted weights during his lunch hours instead of indulging in fatty foods. Travis had muscles growing on his muscles and could break down a door in two seconds flat.

 Ed Monkey was the joker of the group.  He kept the gang in stitches with his jokes. He had them rolling on the floor with his newest, "Why did the elf run out of the kitchen? The directions said break one egg and beat it."

 George Prairie dog, was the serious one. He would cry at beautiful sunsets, daisies in bloom and a coyote's howl on a lonely night.

 The four were always cooking up schemes to get money. They had big dreams of going to Disneyland, travelling the Maritime provinces or going to Newfoundland by boat. Big plans however, need big money.

 Robin Cheetah suggested the bank for a robbery. She might have been joking when she suggested it, but the others jumped at the idea. Travis Lion would break down the door, George Prairie dog would cover the people inside and make sure no one signalled the police. Robin Cheetah would get the cash and Ed Monkey would tell jokes so that no one would say they had been stressed out by the situation.

 Travis Lion did break down the door, but they had picked a bad time when everyone was depositing their daily receipts. Too many people! George Prairie dog frantically got them all into the corner after a couple of tries. Robin Cheetah stuffed cash into big bags and Ed Monkey entertained the captives by putting a banana peel on his head and then dropping it on the floor, pretending to slip on it. Anyone that was captive seemed to have a good time, so the tapes revealed after it was all over.

 The gang backed out the door and took off with the sound of sirens in the background. Someone must have pushed the alarm while laughing.

 You would have thought the four would have taken off and disappeared, but you would be wrong. They went for ice cream. Ed Monkey said no one would look for them in an ice cream parlour and didn't they find robbing a bank hungry work? They agreed.

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 The four sat at the table eating banana splits when the police arrived and rounded up the bunch. Cameras clicked and newspaper people asked George Lion, with tears rolling down his cheeks, if he had any comments.

 It was weird, the "America's Most Wanted" announcer said. The captives hadn't been stressed out and hoped that Ed Monkey would go into standup comedy after jail.

 Off to jail the four went and it was many years later that they got to Newfoundland. They worked for their passage, Ed Monkey as a standup comic, Travis Lion as a bouncer, Robin Cheetah as a hostess and George Prairie dog read Canadian poetry to those who liked it.

 Question about the story: When the police arrested the four, what were they eating?

 Send answers to, Storytime, c/o Verna Dunlop, RR#1 Moser River, NS BOJ 2KO. Prizes will be sent to those sending in the answer.

posted on 11/24/09