Mystery Mutt Read online

  Abby looked shocked.

  “Wanna join us?” Stacy asked Carly.

  “Goody!” The little girl jumped up and sat on the bed. “So . . . what’re we talking about?” she asked.

  Abby smiled. She was going to be kind to her little sister.

  Stacy was almost positive.

  “We’re just talking about Jason and the fruits of the Spirit. We’re gonna pray about all that,” explained Abby.

  Carly’s eyes were shining. “I’ll help you.”

  “Good,” Stacy said. “The more the merrier.”

  Carly frowned. “What’s that mean?”

  Abby told her. “The more people praying, the better.”

  “About what?” Carly was full of questions. As usual.

  Abby’s face drooped. She seemed a little angry. But she didn’t spout off anything nasty.

  Stacy spoke up. “Jason doesn’t want to pick a fruit.”

  “Oh, yeah. I know all about that.” Carly grinned. “But I think he’ll change his mind.”

  “That’s why we’re gonna pray,” said Stacy.

  “Starting now?” Carly asked.

  “Sure,” said Stacy.

  “Yay!” said Carly.

  Stacy and Abby took turns praying out loud. Carly said two sentences and the “Amen” at the end.

  “We’ll be very kind to Jason,” Stacy said. “We promise, right?”

  “It’s almost New Year’s Day,” Carly reminded them.

  “That’s OK. Jason will pick a fruit,” Stacy said. “You’ll see.”

  SIX

  Stacy’s new yo-yo had a rainbow of colors on one side. There was a happy face on the opposite side. The gift had been in her Christmas stocking. It was one of her favorite new toys.

  After lunch she played with the yo-yo. And with her cockapoo dog.

  “Jason Birchall oughta be bored with his fits,” she said.

  Sunday Funnies cocked his head. Like he was really listening.

  “But you know what?” Stacy continued. “I think something’s gonna happen. And real soon.”

  Sunday Funnies barked, wagging his tail.

  “Don’t you understand?” she asked. “I mean something wonderful is going to happen to Jason. I just have a feeling.”

  She looked out the living room window. The street was dusted with clean, fresh snow. Like a frosted cul-de-sac—all fleecy white.

  “The world looks white and fluffy, just like you,” she whispered. She picked her puppy up and held him close.

  “Mm-m, you smell good!” She buried her face in his soft, curly coat. “Did Mom give you a bath yesterday afternoon?”

  Sunday Funnies didn’t bark yes. But he did bark something. She wasn’t exactly sure what he was trying to tell her. Maybe he wanted to go outside.

  Yes, that’s probably what he wanted.

  Stacy waited for her puppy to go out. She thought of yesterday’s club meeting. Mom must’ve given Sunday Funnies a bath during the meeting.

  She decided to take better care of her dog. After all, he was her responsibility. In fact, she decided to help around the house more. A lot more!

  Soon Sunday Funnies was whining at the door.

  She let him inside. “Wanna help me clean house?” she asked.

  But he followed the scent of the newspaper. He sat down on the living room floor. Right next to the paper.

  “Now, that’s a very good way to help,” she said. “If you stay out of my way, I’ll get the cleaning done much faster.”

  She went to the hall closet and lugged out the vacuum sweeper. Then she found the plug and turned it on.

  Mom will be surprised, she thought.

  She could hardly wait to see her mother’s face!

  Minutes later, the doorbell rang.

  Stacy didn’t really hear the bell. But she knew someone was there just the same.

  Sunday Funnies had run to the door. He was howling now.

  Quickly, she switched off the sweeper. “I’m coming,” she called. And she dashed to the door.

  There stood Jason Birchall, carrying a cardboard box. “Hi, Stacy,” he said.

  “Hi.” She was very surprised to see him.

  “I’ve got something to show you,” he said. He looked down at whatever was in his box.

  She stepped back, away from the door. Jason was known to collect strange pets. Things like tarantulas and croaking bullfrogs.

  “Uh . . . I don’t know,” she said. “Maybe not.”

  “Come on. Just take a look,” he said. “This box won’t bite.”

  “But what’s inside might, right?” She didn’t trust Jason. Not one bit!

  He shoved the cardboard box at her. “Surprise!”

  “Yikes!” she gasped.

  But it wasn’t really so bad when she looked inside.

  There was no scary, furry spider. Not even a green frog with blinking eyes!

  Instead, a shabby little puppy looked up at her from the box.

  “Pee-uu-wee,” she said, backing away. “Whose dog?”

  “That’s what I’d like to know,” he said. “This pooch needs a little kindness. Wanna help me hunt for its owner?”

  Stacy was shocked. “What did you just say?”

  It sounded like Jason had picked a fruit, after all.

  “I asked if you wanted to help me find the dog’s owner?” he repeated.

  “That’s very kind of you,” she replied.

  He smiled and set the box down. “I knew you’d think so. But don’t get any fruity ideas about . . . well, you know.”

  She knew, all right.

  Still, she hoped Jason would change his mind.

  Before New Year’s Eve!

  SEVEN

  “Sure, I’ll help,” Stacy agreed. She stooped down and looked into the box. “The poor thing’s shivering.”

  “And that’s not all,” Jason said. “He needs a bath, too. And I’m not fooling!”

  The closer Stacy’s nose got to the homeless dog, the more she agreed with Jason. “Bring him inside a minute,” she said. “He could get frostbite out here.”

  Jason nodded. He lifted the box and heaved it into the entryway. “Someone left him on my front step,” he explained.

  “You’re kidding! They dropped a puppy off at your house?” Stacy said.

  She hated to think of someone being so cruel. She also wondered about the deserted dog. Did it have something to do with her feeling earlier today? That something wonderful was going to happen to Jason?

  “I never saw anyone anywhere,” Jason explained. He seemed very upset. “Muffie just appeared out of nowhere.”

  “Muffie? You named the dog?” Stacy asked.

  Jason pushed up his glasses. “Well, I had to call him something. You can’t go around with a poor little dog, calling him nothing. Can you?”

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Stacy replied.

  She could hardly believe her ears.

  Jason was being very kind! So kind she was sure he’d picked the kindness fruit for the year.

  Stacy smiled back at him. “I was just cleaning house,” she told him. She eyed the box. “Better keep Muffie in there till I get my jacket.”

  Jason stooped down and petted the dog. “Hurry, Stacy, it’s getting late. My mom said I couldn’t be out long,” he urged.

  Stacy glanced at the window. The sun was setting fast.

  Jason was right. They’d have to hurry.

  EIGHT

  Stacy rang the doorbell at the first house.

  A tall man came to the door. “Hey, kids, what’s in the box?” the man asked.

  Jason didn’t waste any time. “Is this your dog, mister?”

  The man shook his head. “Sorry,” he said and shut the door. Slam!

  Just up the street from Blossom Hill Lane, they came to the next house.

  “You ring, and I’ll talk,” Stacy said.

  “OK,” Jason replied. “But get right to the point. People don’t wanna stand at their door on
a cold night.”

  She agreed. Once again, Jason was thinking of others.

  When a pretty lady came to the door, Stacy asked the question. “We’re looking for this darling puppy’s owner.” She pointed to the box. “Do you know anything about him?” she asked.

  The lady peeked into the box. She said, “AAAGGGHHH!” then slammed the door.

  Stacy’s teeth were beginning to chatter. “How m-many m-more h-houses?” she asked.

  “If you’re cold, you should go home,” Jason replied. “Muffie’s not your problem.”

  They walked in silence to the next house.

  “Do you feel responsible for this dog?” Stacy asked, at last.

  Jason shrugged. “I’m not out here freezing my ears off for nothing.”

  “I know,” she said. “I think you’re doing a wonderful thing.”

  “Well . . . let’s not get carried away,” Jason shot back.

  He rang the doorbell and did the talking this time.

  The teenager at the door didn’t say a word. Just shook his head and closed the door.

  “Is this how Mary and Joseph felt on Christmas Eve?” Jason said softly.

  Stacy’s ears prickled. “What did you say?”

  “Nothing,” Jason said quickly.

  But she was pretty sure she’d heard.

  Hallelujah!

  One after another, they knocked on doors or rang doorbells. Nobody but nobody seemed to know anything about Muffie.

  “Well, I guess he’s ours,” Stacy said.

  “Ours?” Jason asked. He turned and looked at her. With a weird look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Just what I said,” she replied.

  Then she had another idea. It was the perfect idea! “Maybe Muffie could be our club pet,” she suggested. “What do you think of that?”

  “I think it stinks,” Jason said. “I’m gonna ask my parents if I can keep this mystery mutt.”

  Mystery mutt? she thought. What a horrible name!

  Yet she felt the giggles building up inside her. Stacy held them in. Jason would freak if she let them spill out. He hated giggling worse than almost anything.

  “Better give Muffie a bath first,” she said. “Your mom won’t give him a chance, smelling like this.”

  Jason nodded. “For once, you’re right, Stacy Henry.”

  “Whatever you say,” she answered.

  “Can I use your bathtub?” he asked.

  “May you, don’t you mean?” Stacy was picky about speech.

  Jason blinked his eyes. “Please, not an English lesson now.”

  “Hey, do that again,” she said.

  “Do what again?”

  “Blink your eyes like Croaker, your frog,” she said.

  Then the giggles came.

  Jason started running. “Oh, no! I can’t stand this,” he hollered.

  Stacy walked prim and proper to their street, Blossom Hill Lane. All the way, she wondered about Jason. How long before he’d pick a fruit?

  She couldn’t wait for him to pick, bite, and eat the fruit of kindness. Or maybe it would be gentleness!

  Whatever it ended up to be, time was running out. The New Year was almost here.

  Two days left!

  NINE

  Stacy and Jason chattered while they scrubbed the mystery mutt.

  “Thanks for letting Muffie use your tub,” Jason said.

  She’d have to clean the bathroom when they were finished. When Muffie was all done with his doggie bath, that is. And . . . before Mom arrived home.

  She enjoyed helping Jason. And he seemed to accept her love and kindness.

  “Did you hear? We’re having another Cul-de-sac Kids club meeting,” she said.

  “When?” Jason asked. Soapsuds were all over his glasses and shirt.

  “New Year’s Eve,” Stacy said. She tried not to look at sudsy Jason. But she couldn’t help it. He looked so silly.

  “What’re we gonna do at the meeting?” Jason asked.

  She felt the giggles coming. It was impossible to hold them in. “Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha . . .”

  “Oh, Stacy, what’s so funny?” he said.

  “You’re all soapy.” She pointed to his hair and face.

  “I am?” He stood up and looked in the mirror. “Hey, you’re right. I do look funny. Not only funny, I look like a fruit.”

  Stacy stopped laughing. “What . . . what did you say?”

  “I’m a prune!” He held up his hands. “Look at me.”

  Jason was right. He did look like a fruit.

  She stared down at her hands. “Wow, I’m wrinkled, too. Just like a girl prune.”

  Jason went back to washing Muffie.

  Stacy helped him dry the dog.

  “I guess what’s in the heart shows up on the outside,” said Jason. “Sooner or later.”

  Stacy was thrilled. But she didn’t dare say a word.

  “Count me in—on the fruity loop,” said Jason. He was laughing hard. Not giggling, but close.

  “What’s a fruity loop?” she asked.

  “You know what a loop is, right?” said Jason.

  “I . . . I guess so.” Stacy wasn’t really sure.

  “A cul-de-sac is sorta like a loop, isn’t it?”

  Stacy laughed. “Oh, I get it.” She said “fruity loop” over and over. “You’re one crazy kid,” Stacy said.

  “Thanks to the mystery mutt, I’m fruity, too!” replied Jason.

  “Now we have to convince your parents about Muffie,” said Stacy.

  “Won’t be easy,” Jason said. “Even with Muffie smelling nice and fresh, my mom’s not much for dogs.”

  “Maybe my mom’ll let me keep him,” she said.

  Just then she heard someone’s keys jangle. Stacy looked up. Her mother was standing in the bathroom doorway!

  “Oh, hi, Mom,” she said. “We needed to give a dog a bath. Hope you don’t mind.”

  “What’s going on?” Mom asked, frowning.

  “It’s a long story,” Stacy spoke up quickly.

  “Yes, I suppose it is,” Mom said. She came into the room and helped dry Muffie.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll clean things up,” Stacy promised.

  Mom knelt down and petted the puppy. “Whose dog?”

  Stacy looked at Jason.

  And Jason looked at Stacy.

  They both shrugged at the same time.

  “We really don’t know,” Stacy said, at last.

  “What do you mean?” Mom asked.

  Jason explained everything. “He’s a stray.”

  “How very sad,” Mom said about the homeless dog. “But please don’t get any ideas, Stacy.”

  “I didn’t think you’d want two dogs,” Stacy replied.

  Jason pushed up his glasses. “Then it’s up to me.”

  Stacy thought he looked awfully happy. Jason really wanted Muffie. She was positively sure!

  Stacy helped finish drying the dog—with a hair dryer. When he was completely dry, Muffie seemed to smile.

  “Look!” Jason said. “Muffie’s trying to say ‘thank you.’ ”

  “Hey, I think you’re right,” Stacy said. She stroked Muffie’s white and brown coat.

  Sunday Funnies was beginning to whine. He sounded like he was feeling left out.

  “Oh, baby,” Stacy said, reaching down for her cockapoo. “There’s nothing to worry about.”

  Jason was the one laughing now. “That’s right. You’re still top dog around here,” he teased.

  Stacy followed Jason to the front door. “I’ll cross my fingers for you,” she said.

  “Thanks. And say a prayer, too,” Jason added.

  “I will. I promise,” she said.

  Stacy could hardly wait to tell Abby!

  TEN

  “Countdown to midnight!” Stacy shouted.

  The Cul-de-sac Kids were trying very hard to have a meeting at Dunkum’s. It was turning into a New Year’s Eve party.

  “Let’s see
who can stay awake the longest,” Dee Dee said.

  “That’s easy,” Carly said. “I’m a night owl.”

  “So is Jimmy,” Jimmy said, pointing to himself.

  “Who else wants to stay up to see the New Year?” Abby asked.

  “Stacy does,” Jason piped up. “Right?”

  Stacy wasn’t so sure. “Nothing’s gonna change, really. There’s only one minute difference between today and tomorrow.”

  Abby jumped out of the beanbag chair. “I think it’s time for another change,” she said.

  “Like what?” said Eric.

  “It’s time to vote on a new president,” Abby said.

  “Of the United States?” asked Shawn.

  “No, of the Cul-de-sac Kids,” Abby replied. “I’ve been the president all this year.”

  “That’s OK,” Stacy said.

  “Yeah, we like it this way,” Dunkum said. “We voted you in, and you’re stuck.”

  “Till we vote you out,” Dee Dee added with a sly grin.

  Everyone laughed at that.

  Jason stood up, too. “We’ll let you know when we’re tired of you, Abby Hunter,” he joked.

  “Thanks a lot,” Abby said. Then she sat down again.

  “Are you giving up so soon?” Carly teased.

  Abby smiled a happy smile. “Just wanted to check and make sure,” she said.

  Jason kept standing. “I have something to say.”

  Stacy wondered, What’s this about?

  Why was Jason’s face so serious?

  Was this about the mystery mutt?

  She was nearly holding her breath.

  “I acted real stupid at the last meeting,” Jason said.

  “Not stupid,” Dunkum said. “Nobody thinks that about you.”

  The kids were nodding their heads.

  “Just listen,” Jason said. He wasn’t fooling around. He meant every word. “I picked some fruit this week. Just like the rest of you.”

  Stacy sighed. This was wonderful. Really wonderful!

  Jason kept talking. He wasn’t jigging and jiving. He wasn’t poking his finger at the air. He was doing his best.

  And he wasn’t a pain. Not one bit!

  “I picked a whole bunch of fruits this week,” Jason said.

  “You did what?” Dee Dee asked.