Night of the Living Dummy III

Night of the Living Dummy III is the fortieth book in the original Goosebumps book series, and the third book in the Living Dummy saga. It was first published in 1996.

The cover shows Slappy the Dummy sitting in a chair, surrounded by a bunch of dummies in an attic.

Blurb
''When Dummies Speak... Everybody Listens!''

Trina O'Dell's dad used to have a ventriloquist act. That's why he has all those dummies in the attic. He calls it his Dummy Museum. There's a dummy with freckles. And one with a sneer just like Rocky. Trina and her brother, Dan, think the dummies are pretty cool. But now there are voices in the attic. And dummies keep showing up in the strangest places. No way those dummies could be alive! Right?

Plot
In Night of the Living Dummy III, the main characters are Trina O'Dell and her brother, Dan. Their father, Danny O'Dell, collects dummies. One day, Mr. O'Dell brings Slappy home, after finding him in a dumpster. After repairing his broken shaft, he names him Smiley, unaware of the dummy's past. Trina finds a piece of paper in wrapped around Slappy's body and Slappy slaps her across the face. Naturally, nobody believes her. Trina and Dan's cousin, Zane, is coming for a visit. Their father makes them promise not to scare Zane, as had done so previously during a visit. After a while, a dummy called Rocky pops up in weird places, scaring Zane while Trina and Dan get the blame for each incident. Many things are ruined, like Zane's camera, the dinner table, and the film in Zane's camera by the 'dummy'.

Dan and Trina eventually catch Zane taking Rocky from the attic and it is revealed that Zane was trying to have some fun without them. The three make a truce not to prank each other like that next time afterwards. More catastrophes occur afterward, each with Rocky at the scene of the crime. Dan suspects Zane, and tell Trina, but nobody else believes them. To prove that Zane is guilty, Dan and Trina sneak up in the attic to wait for Zane to come up and steal Rocky.

To their horror, they discover Slappy trying to sneak off with Rocky, and Slappy tells them that they are his slaves. Dan and Trina try to dump Slappy in a well, but he comes back the next morning. Trina thinks back and remembers the words she read to bring Slappy to life. Trina thought it could put him to sleep too. Trina and Dan sneak up into the attic and read the magic words out loud. Slappy is still alive and well, but all of the other dummies come to life. They all huddle around Slappy, as he screams. It is then described that the dummies "pulled and tugged him", but Slappy is not killed. Afterwards, all the dummies fall down lifeless just as Zane walks into the attic. Zane spots Dan and Trina in the attic with the dummies lying around, and he rats them out to their father.

The next day, Zane leaves to go back home with his father. As payback for getting her and Dan grounded, Trina gives Zane, Slappy, as a parting gift. He wants to start learning ventriloquism. Also, Trina was asked to give him a dummy as a gift, and Trina gives him Slappy. Trina watches Zane get into the car, and sees the dummy winks at her..!

Reprints and rereleases
Night of the Living Dummy III was first reprinted in October 1996 as part of Monster Edition #2, which included the first three Night of the Living Dummy books. It was reprinted a seconded time in November 2004 as part of the Living Dummy Collection, which like with Monster Edition #2, included the first three Night of the Living Dummy books. It received its first standalone reprint in February 2005. It received its second standalone reprint in April 28, 2015 as the twenty-fifth book in the Classic Goosebumps series, and as a tie-in to the Goosebumps film. The title of the book uses traditional numerals instead of Roman numerals, meaning the book is now titled Night of the Living Dummy 3. Gallery =

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Television adaptation
Night of the Living Dummy III was adapted into a two-part episode of the Goosebumps TV series. It is the twenty-fourth (part one) and twenty-fifth (part two) episode of season two, and the forty-third and forty-fourth episode overall.

Trivia

 * Night of the Living Dummy III has the shortest time difference in sequels in the original series at 9 months.
 * This is the first book of the original prints to include trading cards inside the book.