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 hissstory!
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
SEASONS OF GRACE
The Secret • The Missing • The Telling
ABRAM’S DAUGHTERS
The Covenant • The Betrayal • The Sacrifice • The Prodigal •
The Revelation
ANNIE’S PEOPLE
The Preacher’s Daughter • The Englisher • The Brethren
THE ROSE TRILOGY
The Thorn • The Judgment • The Mercy
THE COURTSHIP OF NELLIE FISHER
The Parting • The Forbidden • The Longing
THE HERITAGE OF LANCASTER COUNTY
The Shunning • The Confession • The Reckoning
OTHER ADULT FICTION
The Postcard • The Crossroad • The Redemption of Sarah Cain • October Song • Sanctuary* • The Sunroom
Youth Fiction
Girls Only (GO!) Volume One and Volume Two†
SummerHill Secrets Volume One and Volume Two†
Holly’s Heart Collection One‡, Collection Two‡,
and Collection Three†
www.BeverlyLewis.com
*with David Lewis †4 books in each volume ‡5 books in each volume
The Crabby Cat Caper Page 3