‘The Big Griddle -- Just Like Home’

All day Saturday, Albert Higgins and his father worked on the birdhouse.

“Look at this,” Albert said, as he held up a spiral piece of wood with holes in it. Cool! It was no bigger than his thumb. It was all that was left after they’d cut away a lot of useful boards. “I think it’ll be my good-luck piece,” Albert said as he put the oddly shaped hunk of wood into his pocket.

The next day, when Albert’s parents took him to a Big Griddle restaurant for breakfast, he carried his good-luck piece with him.

Big Griddle pancake restaurants were found all over the country. They were easy to see -- big circular buildings with fiery red tiles on top. Over the door of each restaurant was a sign that said, “The Big Griddle -- Just Like Home.” The only thing different about this particular Big Griddle was the old pepper tree growing out in front.

After a big breakfast of pancakes and sausages and eggs, Mrs. Higgins sent Albert to the restroom to wash the syrup off his hands and face. When he came out of the restroom he saw a rack of picture postcards hanging on the wall opposite the door. The postcards were free.

Albert pulled out a postcard that had slipped down between the rack and the wall. It showed a Big Griddle -- Just Like Home restaurant on the landscape of an alien planet. Cool. He studied it as he walked through the door into the restaurant’s dining room.

When he looked up, he was surprised that the windows didn’t overlook the pepper tree or the busy street outside. Worst of all, his parents were gone!

Were those space aliens he saw? They stood at the far end of the dining room and were arguing among themselves. They rushed toward Albert, waving their arms.

Tomorrow: OK. What’s going on?

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This story will be on The Times’ Web site at www.latimes.com/kids.