Lucky Dog Days (2 page)

When they got to the dog room, the dogs barked at them. Tracy’s eyes were nearly swollen shut.

“Dear me,” said Mrs. Peters to Tracy.
“You will have to wait in the car.”

“My cousin is allergic too,” said Rachel. “He has to get shots.”

“Sonny is allergic,” said Roger. “That’s why he couldn’t come today.”

“That’s not why he stayed home,” said Tim Noon. “He didn’t come because he’s scared of dogs!”

“Baby,” said Rachel. “Only babies are afraid of dogs.”

More dogs began to bark. “Arf! Arf!”

“Now!” said Mrs. Peters loudly. “Miss Penn said these dogs would love to have a walk. You may each choose a dog and take it for a short walk around the shelter yard.”

Molly wanted the cocker spaniel.

So did Roger.

“There are plenty of dogs to go around,” Mrs. Peters said.

“Selfish,” said Molly to Roger as she chose a beagle in the next cage.

Mary Beth chose a poodle.

Tim chose a dog that looked like a spaniel in front and a Labrador in back.

“He is a Heinz dog,” said Mrs. Peters. “Fifty-seven varieties!”

Lisa chose a terrier.

And Rachel chose a St. Bernard called Snooks.

“That is a pretty big dog,” said Miss Penn.

“Do you think you can handle him?” asked Mrs. Peters.

Rachel nodded. “My uncle has a Great Dane,” she said. “I always take him for a walk.”

“Liar!” said Molly.

Rachel made a face at Molly.

When they got outside, Molly’s beagle walked at her heels.

So did Mary Beth’s poodle.

Lisa’s terrier ran and tugged at his leash. Lisa pulled him toward her.

But when Snooks got to the door, he took off like a bullet. He ran toward a little pond and he pulled Rachel with him.

“Help!” shouted Rachel as she flew past the girls.

The other dogs saw Snooks and they began to run too.

They each pulled a Scout along behind them.

Tim’s Heinz dog got so excited that he ran around Tim in circles. He wrapped the leash around Tim’s legs.

“Hey,” called Tim. “I’m all tied up!”

Soon all the dogs were racing toward the pond behind Snooks. They pulled the Pee Wees behind them, all except Tim. He was on the ground. He tried to get unwound.

The dogs ran amuck.

The Scouts were yelling and shouting.

“Let go of the leash!” called Roger. Everyone did. Everyone but Rachel.

Soaked!

“S
plash!” went Snooks into the pond. “Splash!” went Rachel right after him.

Tim finally got his legs free.

Roger and Tim ran to the pond. They grabbed Rachel’s arms and pulled her out. She was dripping wet and she had a water lily on top of her head.

Molly and Lisa and Mary Beth got there next. Then Mrs. Peters and Miss Penn.

“I thought you said you walked a Great Dane!” said Roger.

Miss Penn went back to the shelter and got a towel. She wrapped the towel around Rachel.

“My new shorts!” moaned Rachel. “They’re ruined.”

All of a sudden Molly began to laugh.

Rachel looked so funny dripping wet.

With a water lily on her head.

And her clothes soaked.

Roger and Tim and Lisa and Mary Beth began to laugh too. The other Scouts joined in.

When Miss Penn and Mrs. Peters saw that Rachel was all right, they laughed too.

Roger ran off to catch Snooks.

Snooks thought he was playing. When Roger got close to him, Snooks ran. He looked like he was smiling. At last Roger caught him.

“Arf! Arf!” Snooks barked loudly.

The rest of the dogs had jumped into the pond and were swimming around. Then they came out, dripping wet.

Roger and Tim rounded up all the dogs.

“They needed the exercise,” said Miss Penn, laughing.

“Well, I didn’t,” said Rachel, pouting. “I don’t want to help a pet anymore.”

“Instead of Rachel walking a dog,” said Lisa, “a dog walked Rachel!”

Rachel was still wrapped in the towel. She went to sit in the car with Tracy.

Soon everyone began to calm down. They gave the dogs a short walk.

Molly tried to teach the beagle to sit up. Tim played fetch with his mutt.

“I think we have had enough for one day,” said Mrs. Peters. “It’s time to leave.”

When the Scouts got back to Mrs. Peters’s house, they drew pictures of the pets they had helped.

Molly’s beagle had a red collar.

Mary Beth’s dog looked like he had a
plate on his head. “That’s his topknot!” said Mary Beth. “Poodles have topknots and pom-poms.”

“Ho, ho,” Roger laughed. “It looks like a hat.”

Roger held his picture up. It was a picture of a pond. In the pond was a girl with a lily on her head.

The girl was Rachel.

“It’s not funny!” shouted Rachel. “You tear that up, Roger White, or I’ll tell my mother.”

She began to chase Roger.

Roger held the paper over his head.

Mrs. Peters had to clap her hands.

The room grew quiet.

“Scouts,” she said. “I have thought of a way to earn money to help a pet. We will have a rummage sale. Ask your mothers and fathers if they have anything to
donate. Ask your neighbors too.”

Troop 23 sang their Scout song. Then they said the Pee Wee Scout pledge.

Time to go home, thought Molly. She was tired. Help-a-Pet Month was hard work.

Diamond
Rummage

O
n Saturday morning, Tracy dialed Molly’s phone number. “Let’s go collect rummage today,” she said.

Even over the phone Molly could tell that Tracy’s nose was running.

“I’m going with Mary Beth,” said Molly.

“I’ll come too,” said Tracy, hanging up.

“Rat’s knees!” said Molly. She stamped her foot. She didn’t want to go with Tracy.

Tracy was bossy. And she was always sniffling.

It made Molly sick to her stomach.

Molly and Mary Beth tried to sneak off without Tracy, but when they left they could see her down the street.

She was coming toward them.

She was pulling a big red wagon.

On the side of it, it said
HELP A PET
.

“We can put all the stuff in this,” she called.

Molly and Mary Beth each had a big bag. They had not thought to bring a wagon.

“You can’t get much in those bags,” said Tracy. “Let’s go down to Lake Street, where all the big houses are.”

The girls followed Tracy.

Rat’s knees! thought Molly. Tracy always gets her own way.

At the first house, the lady had no rummage to donate.

At the next house, no one was home.

But at the big white house on the corner, the lady said, “I like pets. I’ll see what I can find.”

The Scouts waited while the lady went into her closet.

She came out with five belts. And a sparkling necklace. Plus a bracelet with a blue stone in it.

“Thank you very much,” said the Pee Wees.

“Do you think those are real diamonds?” asked Mary Beth, pointing to the necklace.

They watched the stones sparkle in the sun.

“We’ll get a lot of money for the animal shelter if they are!” said Tracy. She
wiped her nose with the back of her sleeve.