Missy Piggle-Wiggle and the Sticky-Fingers Cure

by Ann M. Martin

  Missy lay on the couch in the parlor and covered herself with a blanket. As everyone knows, there’s nothing dogs and cats like better than a sick person, and in a matter of minutes, Missy was joined by Wag and Lightfoot, who were hot but comforting. Lester sat across from her in an armchair, and Penelope perched behind him. The five of them dozed and dreamed until the phone rang late in the afternoon.

  Missy reached for it. “Hello?” she croaked.

  “Is this … Penelope?”

  “Doe, it’s Bissy.”

  “Missy? This is Melody. You don’t sound like yourself. What’s wrong with your voice?”

  “The flu,” said Missy sadly.

  There was a very long pause before Melody said, “Oh. I walked by your house after school and saw that it’s upside down again. But the quarantine signs are still posted. Now I know why.” She sighed. She felt a little like crying because it had been such a long time since she’d seen her friend, but an idea was starting to come to her, so she straightened up and said, “Missy, I’m going to call you back later if that’s okay.” Then she clicked off her phone and stretched out on her bed.

  Melody thought about what a good friend Missy was to the children of Little Spring Valley. She thought how disappointed she was every time she passed the upside-down house and saw the quarantine signs. “They’ve been up forever!” she’d cried to Tulip one day, which of course was not true, but that was how long it felt.

  I wish, Melody thought now as she folded her arms behind her head, that I could help Missy. She’s always helping my friends and me. If I were a good friend, I would help her. Melody tossed ideas around for fifteen more minutes before she picked up her phone again. “Missy,” she said, “I think I have a cure for you. Well, no, that’s not quite true. I think I know where to find a cure for you, for the Effluvia.”

  “You do?” replied Missy. She propped herself up on one elbow. “A cure for the Effluvia?”

  “Yes. I’m going to go to the Art of Magic.”

  “The bagic store? It’s dot eved opedd, is it?”

  “It is open. It’s open all year long now. And you’re always curing my friends with magic, so maybe I can cure you with magic. I really want to! I’m going to buy something at the store.”

  “Belody,” said Missy gently, “that’s a lovely thought. Thack you. But rebebber that the store odly sells tricks add costubes add props. Thigs like that. Dot adythig to do with real bagic.”

  “There must be something at the store. Something that’s real magic. Remember Snowman the cat?”

  Missy sat up even farther. Her breath caught in her throat. Finally she managed to croak, “Sdowbad. I wodder.”

  That was all Melody needed to hear. “Don’t worry, Missy. I have a plan.” (This was close to the truth.) Melody suddenly felt very grown-up. “Now, leave everything to me. You just rest and get plenty of sleep. And drink lots of fluids. Juice and tea and stuff. I’m going to take care of the flu once and for all.”

  * * *

  As school drew to an end the next afternoon, Melody felt butterflies flapping around in her stomach. So she had a little talk with herself. You can do this. You’ve been to the Art of Magic before. (Just not without Missy.) And you want to help your friend. You can do this, she thought again. You CAN do this. Be brave.

  Melody took a different route home from school that day. She pointed her feet sternly in the direction of Juniper Street. “Go,” she told them. She reached Juniper, crossed it, walked to Spell Street, and passed by all the nice, regular shops there, coming to a halt when she reached the sign with the black top hat and the red wand over the words THE ART OF MAGIC. The sign swayed a bit even though Melody couldn’t detect a breeze. She looked at the crumbling cement steps leading into darkness. Then she marched down those steps to the door below and, before she could think too much about what she was doing, twisted the knob and thrust herself inside the darkened room.

  She braced for what was coming.

  “Welcome to your doom,” intoned a tinny voice.

  Melody squeezed her eyes shut. It isn’t real. It isn’t a person. It’s just like the sneezing door at Harold’s bookstore.

  “Hello!” called Art Magic from behind the counter. Then he added cheerfully, “Mwa-ha-ha! What can I do for you?”

  Melody listened to her pounding heart and whispered, “I was wondering if you have any cures for the Winter Effluvia.”

  Art frowned. “What?”

  “That’s okay. I’ll just look around.”

  “Well, let me know if you need any help.” Art was wearing a black robe with a brilliant scarlet lining. The robe reminded Melody of a bird she’d once seen—a bird whose red feathers had appeared when it had spread its tail and sailed off a tree branch, then had disappeared when it came to rest again. On Art’s head was a witch’s hat that kept sliding down over his eyebrows; finally it slipped off completely, landing in a container of takeout food from the Snack Shoppe.

  “Snakes and snails,” Art muttered, reaching for a roll of paper towels.

  Melody’s heart stopped pounding, and she put her hand over her mouth so she wouldn’t giggle. Feeling much braver, she wound her way along the aisles, pretending to examine the tricks and costumes and decks of cards. At last she saw what she was looking for.

  “Snowman!” she said in a loud whisper. “There you are.”

  The black cat was sleeping on a low shelf, where he had wedged himself between a box labeled LEVITATION TRICKS and a box labeled COIN EFFECTS.

  Melody put out a hand and stroked his head. “You don’t look very comfortable,” she told him.

  Snowman opened one golden eye and began to purr. Then he closed the eye.

  “I need to have a talk with you,” said Melody. “I know you can hear me, and I know you can understand me.” She glanced down the aisle to make sure Art was still busy behind the counter. “It’s about the flu,” she continued. “And not the regular flu, the Winter Effluvia.” Snowman opened both of his eyes. “Everyone at the upside-down house caught it. Well, almost everyone. And I really, really, really want to help Missy get well. You remember Missy. So … could you cast a spell? Or something?”

  Snowman sat up and his eyes blazed.

  “Does that mean yes?” asked Melody.

  Snowman blinked.

  Melody cocked her head. “It does. I know it does.” She patted Snowman once more, then stood and walked back to the counter.

  “Find what you were looking for?” asked Art.

  “Sort of. Mr. Magic, I was wondering if, um, I could borrow Snowman for a few days. I have an important mission for him.”

  Now, in most cases, if a stranger asked if she could borrow someone’s cat, the answer, of course, would be no—unless the stranger she was talking to was named Art Magic and the conversation was taking place in the town of Little Spring Valley.

  “An important mission?” asked Art. “How important?”

  “Very important,” Melody replied solemnly.

  Art sat silently behind the counter for a few moments. Then he pushed the witch’s hat back up on his head, tapped a finger on his nose, and let out a “Hmm.”

  Melody’s heart began to pound again.

  At last Art said, “Just let me pack his suitcase.”

  “He has a suitcase?”

  “Of course.”

  Art disappeared through a door at the back of the store. Melody leaned around a display of wands and said to Snowman, “He’s packing your suitcase.”

  Snowman got to his feet and trotted toward Melody. Presently Art came back through the door carrying a small blue bag. “Everything Snowman needs is in here,” he said. “Food and so forth. His blankie.”

  Snowman puffed up his tail, and Art said, “He’s embarrassed about the blankie.” Then he leaned toward Melody and whispered, “But he needs it at night.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Magic,” Melody said politely. She reached for the suitcase. “Where’s his carrier?”

  “His ca
rrier? Oh, he doesn’t have one. He’ll just walk along beside you.”

  “On a leash?”

  “Nope. You’ll see.”

  Melody started for the door to the stairs, and Art stooped down to give Snowman a pat. “Be a good boy. And be helpful. I’ll see you soon.”

  “Mroww,” said Snowman, and bounded across the shop to catch up with Melody. They climbed the stairs, the words “Welcome to your doom” fading behind them.

  Melody looked down at the little cat as they started along Spell Street. “Thank you so much for helping out, Snowman. I hope you don’t mind being away from home. Missy Piggle-Wiggle really needs you. You and your magic. This is very important.”

  Snowman glanced at Melody, then resumed his graceful walk, delicately stepping around puddles and mounds of dirty snow. If anyone thought the sight of a girl and a cat hurrying through town together was unusual, they didn’t say so.

  After several blocks Melody turned off Juniper Street and onto the road to Missy’s. A few minutes later she said, “Here we are, Snowman.”

  Snowman plunked his hindquarters down on the end of the path through the yard and stared.

  “I know. The house is upside down,” said Melody.

  Snowman blinked, got to his feet again, and ran ahead of Melody to Missy’s front door. Melody could hear Penelope screech, “Missy, Melody and some cat are here!”

  Snowman turned blazing eyes to Melody.

  “I’m sorry Penelope called you ‘some cat,’” she said hastily. “You just have to get used to her.” Melody bent down and peered through the window on the door that was now nicely upside down again.

  “Belody? Is that you?” Missy’s face appeared on the other side of the window.

  “I brought you help. Magic help! I told you I would.” Melody picked up Snowman and held him so that his face was just inches from Missy’s. “Snowman’s going to cure you and get rid of the flu. Forever,” she added, even though she had absolutely no idea what Snowman was capable of.

  “Belody,” Missy started to say.

  “No, really. I want to help. Mr. Magic said it was okay for Snowman to stay here for a while. He packed his suitcase and everything.” Melody set Snowman down and held up the bag.

  “Well … thack you,” croaked Missy. “I appreciate this. You’re a good fred, Belody.”

  Melody grinned. Then she ran along the path to the street and turned around in time to watch Missy open her front door and usher Snowman inside.

  * * *

  Melody had intended to wait until after school the next day before calling to find out how things were going at the upside-down house, but at seven o’clock in the morning, she found herself punching in Missy’s phone number. She expected to hear a croaking, coughing voice say, “Hello?”

  Instead she heard a perky, “Good morning, Melody!”

  “Missy? Is that really you? You sound like yourself again.”

  “It’s really me, and I feel much better.”

  “What kind of magic did Snowman do?”

  There was a pause at Missy’s end of the line before she said, “I don’t know. Mostly he sat around and blinked. And tried to ignore Lightfoot when she swatted him.”

  “That’s strange.” Melody had expected to hear that Snowman had set candles aflame by staring at them or had sent objects flying through the air, even though she didn’t know how those things might have helped Missy. She let out a sigh. Then she said, “Lightfoot swatted at Snowman?”

  “Yes, she was quite rude. I think she’s jealous of him.”

  “So Snowman didn’t do anything? I mean, anything magic?”

  “Not that I saw. Of course I don’t know what he did at night while I was asleep.”

  “At night!” exclaimed Melody. “That must have been when he worked his magic. Probably on the dot of midnight.”

  “I suppose.…” said Missy.

  “I’m going to stop by after school to see how you’re doing.”

  * * *

  Melody kept her promise, but she wasn’t Missy’s first visitor that day. Shortly before lunchtime, when Missy realized that she truly felt as right as rain again, she phoned Harold.

  “So the flu is gone?” he cried. “Everyone is well? Even Lester?”

  “Lester isn’t himself, but I don’t think he has the flu after all.” She lowered her voice. “I think he misses my great-aunt.”

  “Oh dear,” murmured Harold. Then he added that he would be over in a flash. By the time he arrived, Missy had taken the quarantine signs down.

  “Missy!” Harold exclaimed.

  “Harold!”

  The door to the upside-down house was wide open, but Harold stood on the porch, shuffling his feet and holding his hands behind his back.

  “What are you waiting for?” screeched Penelope. “Come inside.”

  Harold stepped into the hallway and produced a bouquet of spring flowers for Missy. “I—I—” he stammered.

  “Spit it out!” called Penelope. “Say whatever it is you want to say.”

  Missy turned around and shushed the parrot. Then she turned back to Harold. “I didn’t know I was going to miss you so much.”

  “I didn’t know I would miss you so much.”

  “Come, let’s have some tea.”

  In the kitchen, Missy filled the kettle and found a vase for the flowers. Then she sat next to Harold and took his hands in hers.

  * * *

  When school ended at Little Spring Valley Elementary that day, Melody ran through the front door, across the yard to the sidewalk, and all the way through town to the upside-down house. The first thing she noticed was that the signs were gone. She let out a whoop. She had a feeling that she should turn right around and tell her friends they could visit Missy again, but she didn’t want one more second to go by before she saw Missy herself. She ran to the porch and skidded to a stop just as, from inside, Penelope called, “Melody’s here!”

  When the door opened, Melody leaped forward and gave Missy a fierce hug. “Is the Winter Effluvia really gone?”

  “It’s really gone.”

  Melody let another whoop. She called hello to Lightfoot, to Wag, to Penelope, and to Snowman, who was sitting placidly on the bottom step of the staircase, his tail wrapped neatly around his front legs. Then she caught sight of Lester reclining on the couch in the parlor. “Hello, Lester!”

  Lester waved one front hoof. Then he held the hoof to his cheek.

  “Oh,” said Melody. “Does Lester have a toothache?”

  Missy opened her mouth. She closed it. She stared at Lester. “Do you have a toothache?”

  Lester’s eyes filled with tears. He nodded.

  “All this time? You’ve had a toothache?” said Missy. She sat next to Lester and patted his back. “Why didn’t you let me know?”

  Lester shrugged.

  “I’ll bet I know why,” spoke up Melody. “He doesn’t want to go to the dentist.”

  Lester hung his head, but Missy said, “Don’t worry. We’ll get it taken care of, and you’ll feel much better.”

  Fifteen minutes later Melody called good-bye to Missy and left the upside-down house with Snowman and his suitcase. As she walked him back to the Art of Magic, she passed her friends on their way home from school and said to each one, “The flu is gone! We can visit Missy again!”

  10

  Lester and Dr. Goo

  BY THE TIME Melody had returned Snowman to Art Magic, said her thank-yous, and rushed back to Missy’s, she found children teeming through the upside-down house, running from room to room, outside to the barn, and around to the front yard, where the earliest spring flowers were just beginning to poke through the earth. Rusty Goodenough and Roseate Spoonbill were building a fort under the dining room table. Einstein Treadupon was reading a magazine to Wag. Children were knitting and cooking and arguing and laughing.

  Melody found Missy helping Veronica Cupcake fashion parrot clothes for Penelope. “Did you make an appointment for Lest
er?” she asked.

  “I did,” Missy replied. “He’s going to see Dr. Goo tomorrow afternoon.”

  Melody had never heard of Dr. Goo, but since she didn’t have a pet, she didn’t know the vets in town. “Can I go with you? I could help you keep Lester calm.”

  “Of course,” said Missy. “We’ll meet you at your house at three thirty tomorrow.”

  * * *

  The next afternoon Missy walked to Melody’s house, holding Lester by one front hoof. He moved slowly, scuffing his hind feet along the sidewalk.

  “I know you don’t want to go,” said Missy patiently, “but Dr. Goo is going to make you feel better.”

  Lester walked even more slowly.

  “Please come along. If we don’t walk faster, we’re going to be late.”

  Lester slowed to a crawl.

  “Luckily Dr. Goo said he’ll see you today no matter what, so you might as well hurry up. Anyway, you haven’t been outside in ages. Doesn’t it feel good to be outdoors? Doesn’t the sun feel nice on your face? You can smell springtime in the air.”

  Lester shrugged.

  “Missy! Lester!”

  Ahead, Missy caught sight of Melody running through her yard. Melody opened the gate in the fence and came running. “Hi, Lester. Are you ready for Dr. Goo?”

  Lester turned his face away.

  “You don’t have to be scared,” said Melody. “My dentist is really nice, so I’ll bet Dr. Goo is, too. I always get a prize when I leave. The last time I got a yo-yo.”

  Lester narrowed his eyes and held out his hoofs.

  “Well, I know you can’t work a yo-yo, but Dr. Goo probably has plenty of other prizes. I’m sure you’ll get a nice treat.”

  Lester glared at her.

  “I’m afraid Lester isn’t in a mood to be cheered up,” Missy told Melody. “Don’t worry. I know he’s glad you’re here.”

  Melody took Lester by his other front hoof and the three of them set off, hand in hoof, for Juniper Street. When they reached it, they turned left instead of right. Lester came to a halt and tilted his head at Missy.

  “This is the right way,” she told him. “Dr. Goo’s office is at the very edge of town.”