placed the bone on the grass below her backyard deck. Then she walked back over to Suzanne, who was standing near the side of the house.
The girls stared at the bone. They waited.
And waited.
And waited some more.
“Nothing’s happening,” Suzanne complained.
“It will,” Katie assured her. “That bone is perfect.”
Suzanne looked curiously at her best friend. “I don’t get it. How is a peanut-butter bone going to get Pepper out of trouble?”
Katie pointed to the bone. “That’s how.”
Suzanne looked where Katie was pointing. There, in the middle of Katie’s lawn, sat the little white puppy. Her tail wagged excitedly as she licked the peanut butter from the bone.
“Who’s that?” Suzanne asked.
“That’s the vegetable thief,” Katie answered. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a tasty dog treat.
The white puppy lifted her nose in the air and sniffed. As soon as she spotted Katie, she froze in place. She wasn’t sure whether to grab the treat or run away.
The puppy was very hungry, and the treat was very tempting. Finally, the dog scampered over toward Katie. She opened her mouth and snatched the treat from Katie’s fingers.
Katie scooped the pup up in her arms and carried her over to the side of the house. “That’s a good girl.” Katie petted the dog’s back gently. “Don’t be scared. I want to help you.”
The dog struggled for a moment. Katie gave her another treat. The pup calmed down and began to chew.
“Isn’t she cute?” Katie asked Suzanne.
Suzanne stared at the scrawny puppy with the dirty, matted fur. She wrinkled up her nose. “That dog stinks.”
“I know,” Katie agreed. “But we’re going to clean her up. And then we’re going to teach her a few tricks. When we’re finished, no one will be able to resist her.”
Chapter 13
Katie and Suzanne kept the stray in Suzanne’s basement. Mrs. Lock wasn’t thrilled about having a dog in the house, but she agreed to let the puppy stay for a few days, if the girls promised to walk her and feed her, as long as Suzanne didn’t get too attached to her.
“There’s no way we can handle adopting a dog right now,” Mrs. Lock told the girls. “I have enough to do with baby Heather.”
“We’re just watching her for a little while,” Suzanne assured her mom.
The girls took good care of the little puppy. They bathed her in the basement sink and made her a bed from a broken bread basket. They fed her and gave her plenty of water.
And every afternoon after school, they worked on training her.
Finally, after about a week, Katie and Suzanne were ready to give the puppy a test. They wanted to see how much she had learned.
Katie stood and looked firmly at the white puppy. “Sit,” she said.
The puppy sat up tall.
Katie walked away. “Stay,” she ordered.
The puppy stayed right where she was.
Katie sat down on her knees. “Come,” she said.
The puppy scampered over to Katie.
“Good girl.” Katie handed her a treat. “I think she’s ready,” she told Suzanne.
“Do you really think this is going to work?” Suzanne asked.
“It just has to,” Katie answered.
Katie scooped up the puppy and began walking toward Mrs. Derkmans’ house. When they reached their teacher’s front door, Katie put the puppy on the porch.
“Stay,” she said firmly. Then she rang the doorbell and ran away.
Katie went over to where Suzanne was hiding behind an old tree. Together, the girls watched as the Derkmans’ door opened.
Mr. Derkman looked outside. At first he didn’t see anyone. Then he noticed the small white puppy.
“Aren’t you just the cutest little thing?” He lifted her into his arms. “Kootchy-kootchy- koo.”
Katie smiled. At least Mr. Derkman liked the puppy.
“Freddy Bear, who is it?” Mrs. Derkman asked, as she came to the door. She saw the dog in her husband’s arms. “Oh, no. Where did that thing come from?”
“Someone left her on our doorstep.”
“Well, get rid of it. Go
The girls stared at the bone. They waited.
And waited.
And waited some more.
“Nothing’s happening,” Suzanne complained.
“It will,” Katie assured her. “That bone is perfect.”
Suzanne looked curiously at her best friend. “I don’t get it. How is a peanut-butter bone going to get Pepper out of trouble?”
Katie pointed to the bone. “That’s how.”
Suzanne looked where Katie was pointing. There, in the middle of Katie’s lawn, sat the little white puppy. Her tail wagged excitedly as she licked the peanut butter from the bone.
“Who’s that?” Suzanne asked.
“That’s the vegetable thief,” Katie answered. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a tasty dog treat.
The white puppy lifted her nose in the air and sniffed. As soon as she spotted Katie, she froze in place. She wasn’t sure whether to grab the treat or run away.
The puppy was very hungry, and the treat was very tempting. Finally, the dog scampered over toward Katie. She opened her mouth and snatched the treat from Katie’s fingers.
Katie scooped the pup up in her arms and carried her over to the side of the house. “That’s a good girl.” Katie petted the dog’s back gently. “Don’t be scared. I want to help you.”
The dog struggled for a moment. Katie gave her another treat. The pup calmed down and began to chew.
“Isn’t she cute?” Katie asked Suzanne.
Suzanne stared at the scrawny puppy with the dirty, matted fur. She wrinkled up her nose. “That dog stinks.”
“I know,” Katie agreed. “But we’re going to clean her up. And then we’re going to teach her a few tricks. When we’re finished, no one will be able to resist her.”
Chapter 13
Katie and Suzanne kept the stray in Suzanne’s basement. Mrs. Lock wasn’t thrilled about having a dog in the house, but she agreed to let the puppy stay for a few days, if the girls promised to walk her and feed her, as long as Suzanne didn’t get too attached to her.
“There’s no way we can handle adopting a dog right now,” Mrs. Lock told the girls. “I have enough to do with baby Heather.”
“We’re just watching her for a little while,” Suzanne assured her mom.
The girls took good care of the little puppy. They bathed her in the basement sink and made her a bed from a broken bread basket. They fed her and gave her plenty of water.
And every afternoon after school, they worked on training her.
Finally, after about a week, Katie and Suzanne were ready to give the puppy a test. They wanted to see how much she had learned.
Katie stood and looked firmly at the white puppy. “Sit,” she said.
The puppy sat up tall.
Katie walked away. “Stay,” she ordered.
The puppy stayed right where she was.
Katie sat down on her knees. “Come,” she said.
The puppy scampered over to Katie.
“Good girl.” Katie handed her a treat. “I think she’s ready,” she told Suzanne.
“Do you really think this is going to work?” Suzanne asked.
“It just has to,” Katie answered.
Katie scooped up the puppy and began walking toward Mrs. Derkmans’ house. When they reached their teacher’s front door, Katie put the puppy on the porch.
“Stay,” she said firmly. Then she rang the doorbell and ran away.
Katie went over to where Suzanne was hiding behind an old tree. Together, the girls watched as the Derkmans’ door opened.
Mr. Derkman looked outside. At first he didn’t see anyone. Then he noticed the small white puppy.
“Aren’t you just the cutest little thing?” He lifted her into his arms. “Kootchy-kootchy- koo.”
Katie smiled. At least Mr. Derkman liked the puppy.
“Freddy Bear, who is it?” Mrs. Derkman asked, as she came to the door. She saw the dog in her husband’s arms. “Oh, no. Where did that thing come from?”
“Someone left her on our doorstep.”
“Well, get rid of it. Go
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