Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures #11 by Jeff Brown

La Mission Impossible
    Stanley Lambchop stood before the map that his teacher, Ms. Merrick, had yanked down at the front of the classroom. She nodded at him to begin. “I’ve traveled all over the world,” Stanley told his class. “I’ve been to Canada, Mexico, Egypt, Japan, Kenya, and China.” He pointed to each country as he spoke.
    His classmate Molly raised her hand. “Do you always travel by mail?” she asked.
    Ever since the bulletin board over Stanley’s bed had fallen and flattened him, he had been easy to fold and mail in an envelope.
    â€œNot always. Sometimes I fly,” Stanley replied. He thought for a moment. “On a plane, I mean. Or I can float thousands of miles if the wind is right.”
    Stanley’s friend Carlos raised his hand next. “So you’ve never been to Europe?”
    Stanley turned and found Europe on the map. He scanned the countries that made up the continent: England . . . Spain . . . France . . . Germany . . . Italy . . . “Actually, no, I haven’t been to any of the European countries. . . . But I have been to Australia. ” He reached over, past Europe and Asia, and proudly tapped the country in the bottom right corner.

    The map shuddered and snapped up like a window shade. All at once it was dark, and Stanley’s body felt very tightly wound.
    He’d been rolled up with the map!
    â€œHilph!” Stanley cried. He could hear his classmates laughing.
    Suddenly there was a muffled announcement over the loudspeaker. A moment later Stanley felt himself being unwound.

    â€œStanley,” Ms. Merrick said as she pulled the map back down. “You are to report to the principal’s office at once.”
    â€œBut it was an accident!” Stanley pleaded. “I wasn’t trying to be funny. The map just snapped!”
    â€œI know, Stanley,” his teacher said gently. “I’m sure it’s nothing serious.”
    Stanley slouched into the office, but the principal wasn’t there. Instead Stanley found someone else—a man he recognized!
    â€œMr. Dart!” Stanley cried. “What are you doing here?”
    Mr. O. Jay Dart was the director of the Famous Museum. Stanley had once helped him catch some art thieves. Stanley had been forced to disguise himself as a shepherd girl in a painting, which was very embarrassing. It was worth it, though, because he caught the thieves red-handed.
    â€œHello, Stanley,” Mr. Dart said, quickly closing the door. “The principal was kind enough to lend me an office. I’ve come on official business.” He laid a leather briefcase on the desk.
    â€œStanley,” he continued as he turned the combination lock on the front of his briefcase. “Have you ever heard of the Mona Lisa ?”
    â€œThe painting?”
    â€œThat’s right,” Mr. Dart said as the case unlocked with a click. “She was painted around 1505 by the great artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci. When you see her, say hello for me, will you?” Mr. Dart winked mysteriously and lifted the briefcase’s lid. A screen rose from inside with a whirring sound.

    Suddenly a dashing man with a polka-dot tie, thick eyebrows, and large, round glasses flickered to life on-screen.
    â€œStanley, I would like you to meet Agent Lunette of the Police Nationale in Paris, France,” Mr. Dart said.
    â€œBonjour , Monsieur Lambchop,” the man said in a thick French accent. He looked down his nose. “Eez it true you are v-air-y flat?”
    Stanley nodded and turned to the side, and Agent Lunette whistled approvingly.
    â€œThen you are the right boy for the job,” Agent Lunette said. “The world’s greatest art is going— poof! —into thin air, and only you can stop it!” His glasses made his eyes look very large.
    Mr. Dart cleared his throat. “There have been a series of art thefts in Paris