MIDGE AND FRED

Good-natured but broad tomfoolery about Midge and her best friend Fred, a pet fish who can balance anything on his nose--say, a quart of milk, a potted cactus, an Elvis record, and a table lamp, all in one column. Their good times together are interrupted when showman Mr. Blueberry comes to town and snatches Fred for his traveling aquarium. But it doesn't take long for Midge to catch up with the show; and after a little low-comic business with Fred balancing a column of watermelons that fall SHMOOSH! on Mr. Blueberry, she gets her pet back. ""Midge was so happy that she jumped up and down and kissed Fred through the glass"". . . and offered Mr. Blueberry a deal: ""'If you promise never to fishnap again, then Fred will teach your fish to balance.' But Fred was already giving them lessons."" With Schatell's obvious cartoons (teeth-baring smiles and grimaces, exaggeratedly pointed beaks), it skips along in tune with its zany premise but without the sly satisfactions of Farmer Goff and His Turkey Sam (1982, p. 272, J-60).