Chapter 16

Names: Aa'ishah Hartley, Amaris Muluh and Unam Mabizela

When Stanley set foot in the Wreck Room, X-Ray waved him over and Stanley sat on the couch due to X-Ray's request. Everyone was exhausted from digging all day and much to their dismay X-Ray began to bother them about it. The boys were greeted by the Warden the morning after and she was pleased to see X-Ray in hope to find anything valuable, "We need your sharp eyes." Stanley was on wheelbarrow duty for more time than shovel duty because of his slow pace in digging. He avoided dumping the excess dirt in the hole where the gold tube was truly found. He imagined and attempted to familiarise where he had seen it previously. He contemplated whether it was a lid of a "fancy gold pen", the initials belonging to an author, although it did not appear like the top of a pen. The Warden began to get impatient and forced them to eat and work rapidly and threatened Mr Sir to get the boys to work at a swift pace or else, he would have to dig with them. They were reminded by Mr Sir that they aren't girl scouts and watched them intently which made them work more swiftly. Stanley considered creating a way to tell the Warden where the gold tube was actually found without getting himself in trouble. He even considered sneaking out and digging but decided against it because of exhaustion. Mr Pendanski walked into the Wreck Room having a small argument with X-Ray and Stanley or rather Caveman about his nickname and handing him a letter addressed to "Stanley Yelnats" The boys asked and teased Stanley about the person that sent the letter. He later opened up and read a letter from his mother laughing to himself being shaken up by Zero who questioned his chuckle replying with a simple "nothing" and Zero apologising. Stanley explained the joke, feeling confused about why Zero did not understand the pun based on a nursery rhyme about the old lady in the shoe, from Sesame Street. Stanley departed off to dinner because he would have felt a bit foolish restating nursery rhymes.