Mascot Meltdown

Hugo gets stuffed into the school's giant Fighting Pickle costume for the big game, the zipper jams, and one ridiculous disaster rolls into the next while he is trapped inside a sweaty green pickle.

Hugo just wanted a free hot dog. That was the whole reason he wandered into the gym before the big game against the Sharks.

Instead, Coach Pepper grabbed his shoulder and pointed at a wrinkled green heap on the bench. It was Dilly, the Fighting Pickle, the school mascot costume. It had two googly eyes the size of dinner plates and a stitched-on mouth that looked permanently surprised.

'The kid who usually wears it has the hiccups so bad he fell off a chair,' Coach said. 'You are about my only hope, Hugo. The whole school is counting on Dilly.'

Hugo looked at the giant pickle. The giant pickle looked back at him with its dumb plastic eyes. He had a bad feeling about this.