Dennis the Menace #36

Dennis picks up on his dad's lesson about soil conservation a little too literally—when Henry explains that we need to save the soil because it gives us food, clothes, and shelter, the boy decides to help by collecting as much dirt as he possibly can. What starts as an earnest (if misguided) attempt at conservation quickly spirals into the kind of chaos only Dennis can create, complete with a surprise baseball game featuring his friend Joey that proves sometimes the smallest player can make the biggest impact.

Dennis and his parents visit the Mystery Spot, a roadside attraction where a strange force seems to defy gravity and perspective—making people appear to shrink, objects roll uphill, and the very ground tilt at impossible angles. As the tour guide demonstrates each bewildering phenomenon, Dennis does what Dennis does best, turning every demonstration into chaos with his trademark mischief. By day's end, even the guide admits it's been one of his wilder days.

When Dennis's father brings home a new straw hat—one you can actually skim like a toy—the boy can't resist putting it to use, with predictably chaotic results. As the hat gets dirtier and more damaged with each mishap, Dennis finds himself in increasingly desperate situations trying to hide the evidence from his parents. It's a hilarious lesson in why some toys really aren't meant to be worn on your head.

Dennis takes his crusade against television very seriously, launching argument after argument about why his mom should turn it off—from eye strain to questionable content to simple idleness. When she finally asks what she *should* be doing instead, Dennis has the perfect answer ready, though his motives turn out to be refreshingly transparent for a mischievous kid.