The Crabby Cat Caper (5 page)

Dee Dee grabbed Carly's hand. “Quick! Help me catch my cat!”

Carly scrambled along after Dee Dee.

They chased the pets through the maze of carnival booths. Two ducks, two dogs, one rabbit, and a crabby cat.

The one and only frog caught the action from a slippery perch. He'd come up for air, next to the principal's dunking chair. The kids were pointing and yelling.

Fran the Ham watched the chase, too. She was safe and dry in Eric's pocket.

Dee Dee and Carly dashed past the ducks. The girls were gaining on Sunday Funnies now.

Then Dee Dee heard it . . .

Meoowp!
Mister Whiskers was crying for help.

She could see him leading the chase. He was headed for the kiddie rides.

Dee Dee sped up. “Hurry, Carly!”

But Carly was out of breath. “I can't run any faster.”

Dee Dee lost sight of Mister Whiskers. She stopped running. “We'll never catch him now,” she gasped. “Not in all those rides.”

The girls peered into the distance. Dee Dee spied Quacker and Jack. They were the last animals into the rides area.

“Come on,” Dee Dee said. “We have to get Abby and the others to help us. Our pets could get hurt in there.”

Carly followed her back through a tangle of booths and stands.

At last, they found Abby and Stacy. And the other Cul-de-sac Kids. All of them had been searching in the wrong places.

“The pets are over there,” Dee Dee
shouted. She pointed toward the busy kiddie rides.

Abby said, “That could be dangerous.”

Dee Dee frowned. “What'll we do?”

“Round up all the Cul-de-sac Kids,” she said. “If we stick together, we can catch our pets.”

Dee Dee smiled. Abby always talked about sticking together as friends. Maybe that's why she was president of their club.

All nine kids hurried toward the amusement area. There were lots of rides. Even a Ferris wheel.

Dee Dee and Carly passed through the kiddie ride gate.

High overhead, the Ferris wheel rose like a tower.

Dee Dee looked up . . . up. Up!

She cupped her hand over her eyes. Then she saw something.

Could it be?

It was!

“Abby, look!” she cried. “My cat's riding
on the Ferris wheel!”

The Cul-de-sac Kids gasped. They stared up at Mister Whiskers.

“He's up there, all right,” Jason said. “And I bet he ate my frog!”

Dee Dee was worried. Mister Whiskers
did
look a bit green.

Then someone in the crowd called out, “There's a frog at the dunk tank. He's with the principal.”

“Thanks!” Jason said. He ran off to get Croaker.

Dee Dee sighed. Thank goodness! Her cat had behaved himself. He had
not
gobbled down Jason's frog!

Then . . .

Screeeech!
There was a horrible, loud scraping sound.

Bam!
The Ferris wheel came to a grinding stop.

“Oh no!” shouted Dee Dee. “Look!”

The kids saw where she was pointing. More gulps came from the crowd.

“The Ferris wheel is stuck,” Dee Dee hollered. “My cat's on the highest seat!”

And he was. The poor little cat dangled in midair. He stood up and leaned out over the side. He looked down at his girl-person.

Meooooooowp!

“We'll help you, kitty!” Dee Dee called to him. “Just don't jump! Please, Mister Whiskers, don't jump!”

But he didn't seem to hear the warning.

Mister Whiskers, eager for freedom, strained his neck. He reached out and pawed the air.

On the ground far below, Dee Dee shook with fear.

Her cul-de-sac friends shouted up to the cat, “Don't jump!”

Dee Dee closed her eyes. She couldn't watch.

She squeezed her eyes tight. “Please, God, don't let Mister Whiskers die.”

TEN

Mister Whiskers stared down. Down at the ground.

The hair on his back stuck straight out.

He heard his girl-person calling. She was saying something about having cookies later. Cookies and milk.

Her cheerful voice comforted him. So did the cookie word. Trick or not.

Mister Whiskers pulled his paw back in. He tried to forget about freedom. Bungee jumping without a cord was dumb.

He sat tall. King of kitties.

Then he heard a loud wail.

What was that?

He licked his paws. The paws that had almost nabbed that frog. Almost!

By the way, where
was
Croaker?

From his high perch, Mister Whiskers looked out over the carnival grounds. He could see Croaker's boy-person. Jason, they called him.

Jason was at the dunking tank. So was that bullfrog.

Mister Whiskers felt much too excited. He stretched his neck to see better. He imagined the bullfrog in front of his nose. Right there in the air!

He swung a left power paw. Then jabbed a right. That frog was
hiss
story!

Then . . .

Whoosh!

Mister Whiskers lost his balance.

And . . .

Wheeeee!

He was flying.

No. He was falling.

Down
        down . . .
            he fell.

“Let's catch him!” yelled Dee Dee.

The Cul-de-sac Kids made their circle. They locked hands.

Ker-plop!
Mister Whiskers landed in the middle.

“Cul-de-sac Kids stick together,” the kids chanted.

Mister Whiskers was a bit dazed by the fall. But he seemed glad for the circle of soft, human hands.

Dee Dee hugged him. She covered his head with kitty kisses. “Oh, baby, you're safe,” she said.

Just then the hook-and-ladder truck arrived.

Dee Dee carried her cat over to the fire chief. She explained what happened. “It's a happy ending,” she said.

When the fire truck left, Dunkum went looking for the other pets. Stacy, Shawn, Carly, and Jimmy helped, too.

It didn't take long to find Snow White and Sunday Funnies. And Blinkee and the ducks. The merry-go-round stopped. The dizzy pets were rescued.

Dunkum laughed. “Did you ever see a bunch of animals on a kiddie ride?”

Jason jigged around. “They probably thought the horses were for real.”

Dee Dee liked the joke.

Mew.
Mister Whiskers liked it, too.

The crabby cat caper was over.

Dee Dee's cat lived to
meow
about it. To have cookies and milk at bedtime. And lots of extra kissy hugs.

The next day, Dee Dee's father stroked
Mister Whiskers. He called him, “our pretty kitty.”

Dee Dee was glad. Mister Whiskers really
was
part of the family!

He'd learned his lesson. Maybe he'd behave himself from now on. Maybe he wouldn't be such a crab cake.

“Here kitty, kitty . . . cookie,” Dee Dee called. She grinned.

The cookie trick worked.

This
time.

THE CUL-DE-SAC KIDS SERIES

Don't miss #13!

TARANTULA TOES

Jason Birchall is starting a zoo—in his bedroom! Besides a bullfrog, Jason now owns a tarantula. A big, hairy super spider!

And he knows a secret about his new pet. Something he refuses to tell even his friends in the cul-de-sac. Especially not Abby Hunter and the girls!

Will Jason use his scary-looking pet to trick money out of his best pals? Can he fool
everyone
on Blossom Hill Lane?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Beverly Lewis loves cats! Goldie and Angie were her childhood kittens. They spoke “cat chat” the same way Mister Whiskers does in this book.

Here's the “cat chat” chart:

Merrrt
—Nope, no way.

Meow
—Yes (or just wants attention).

Mew
—Sure thing, yep.

Meoory
—Sorry.

Meoow-mew
—Thank you.

Meoowsy
—Wow!

Mm-m-meowsy!
—Mm-m good, tasty.

Meoowp!
—Help!

Meoorsy
means cellar. But Beverly's cats never used that word. Dee Dee's cat must've made it up.

If you like humor and mystery, get all the books in the Cul-de-sac Kids series. But watch out—your pets might “ask” you to read to them!

Also by Beverly Lewis

Adult Nonfiction

Amish Prayers
The Beverly Lewis Amish Heritage Cookbook

Adult Fiction

S
EASONS OF
G
RACE

The Secret • The Missing • The Telling

A
BRAM'S
D
AUGHTERS

The Covenant • The Betrayal • The Sacrifice • The Prodigal •
The Revelation

A
NNIE'S
P
EOPLE

The Preacher's Daughter • The Englisher • The Brethren