the time she's known Watson, he's washed the Ford twice, and driven it once.
But she didn't care. Car washing would be a good project for Andrew and Karen. So before everyone left that day, Watson drove the Ford out of the shed and parked it in the drive. Then he and Kristy's mother drove off in the sportscar, Sam and Charlie drove off in the station wagon, and David Michael led Louie, his fur brushed, his special plaid collar in place, over to the Papadakises'.
"Well?" said Kristy to Karen and Andrew. "Should we start?"
"Yea! Yea!" Karen jumped up and down.
"Okay," said Kristy. "First off, we put on
our bathing suits. Then we get everything we're going to need."
Twenty minutes later, the three of them were standing on the drive amid buckets, sponges, cloths, and soap.
"All right, Andrew. Let 'er rip!" called Kristy.
Andrew twisted the nozzle of the hose. A fine spray shot out. But they had no more than gotten the hood of the car wet when David Michael came slowly up the driveway with Louie. Louie was limping and David Michael was crying.
Kristy dropped her sponge and ran over to them. "David Michael, what happened?" she exclaimed.
David Michael could barely speak. "I (sob) — at the dog show (hiccup) — a big dog came (sniff) — and (hie) — he growled at Louie (sob) — and Louie growled back (sniffle) — and the dog showed his teeth (hie) — and Louie showed his teeth (sob) — and the big dog ran at Louie (hiccup) — and Louie ran away (sniff) — and cut his foot on something (hie, sob, sniffle)."
Kristy examined Louie's foot. Sure enough the pad was bleeding. The cut looked pretty big. "Well," said Kristy, "we better bring Louie inside and figure out what to do. Come on, you guys," she said to Andrew and Karen.
"No, we want to wash the car," cried Karen. "We can do it ourselves. Really."
Kristy looked doubtfully at the kids. Then she thought, What could go wrong? It's a black car. If they don't get it very clean, no one will notice.
"Will you remember to keep the windows closed?" she asked.
"Yes."
"And don't spray anything but the car."
"Okay."
"And don't rinse out the sponges in the garden. The soap'll kill the plants."
"We won't."
After a few more instructions, Kristy took Louie and David Michael inside. She spread out a towel for Louie and gave David Michael some lemonade. Then she tried to clean Louie's paw.
"I think we better call the vet," she said after a few minutes. "Maybe Dr. Smith will make a house call."
Dr. Smith, of course, did not make house calls.
So Kristy began phoning around the old neighborhood,, trying to track down Charlie, since he could drive. While she was on the telephone, she noticed that Karen and Andrew
ran in and out of the house a couple of times, but she didn't pay much attention.
Kristy finally reached Charlie at his friends the Ackermans', and he said he'd come right home. So Kristy made one more call — to the vet to say that Louie would be on his way out there soon. Then she decided she better check on Karen and Andrew. She went out the back door and approached the car from behind. It was just after noon and the sun was shining brightly. The Ford was gleaming.
"We're done, Kristy!" cried Andrew.
"Yup, we sure are," said Karen. "I bet the car has never looked so shiny."
Kristy had to agree. The car looked shiny all right. In fact, it looked kind of ... silvery.
Kristy's heart sank, but she managed to ask, "What, um, did you two wash this car with?"
"Oh," said Karen proudly, "we didn't use the sponges. They were no good. We used something better. These. Daddy always uses them to get pots shiny." Karen held out two pieces of steel wool.
"Oh, no," murmured Kristy. At last she dared to inspect the car closely. It was covered with big silvery-gray patches where the paint had been scrubbed away. "You guys!" Kristy shouted. "You took the paint off! You can't
wash a car with steel wool. Your dad wanted the Ford clean, not naked. Oh, no! What are we going
But she didn't care. Car washing would be a good project for Andrew and Karen. So before everyone left that day, Watson drove the Ford out of the shed and parked it in the drive. Then he and Kristy's mother drove off in the sportscar, Sam and Charlie drove off in the station wagon, and David Michael led Louie, his fur brushed, his special plaid collar in place, over to the Papadakises'.
"Well?" said Kristy to Karen and Andrew. "Should we start?"
"Yea! Yea!" Karen jumped up and down.
"Okay," said Kristy. "First off, we put on
our bathing suits. Then we get everything we're going to need."
Twenty minutes later, the three of them were standing on the drive amid buckets, sponges, cloths, and soap.
"All right, Andrew. Let 'er rip!" called Kristy.
Andrew twisted the nozzle of the hose. A fine spray shot out. But they had no more than gotten the hood of the car wet when David Michael came slowly up the driveway with Louie. Louie was limping and David Michael was crying.
Kristy dropped her sponge and ran over to them. "David Michael, what happened?" she exclaimed.
David Michael could barely speak. "I (sob) — at the dog show (hiccup) — a big dog came (sniff) — and (hie) — he growled at Louie (sob) — and Louie growled back (sniffle) — and the dog showed his teeth (hie) — and Louie showed his teeth (sob) — and the big dog ran at Louie (hiccup) — and Louie ran away (sniff) — and cut his foot on something (hie, sob, sniffle)."
Kristy examined Louie's foot. Sure enough the pad was bleeding. The cut looked pretty big. "Well," said Kristy, "we better bring Louie inside and figure out what to do. Come on, you guys," she said to Andrew and Karen.
"No, we want to wash the car," cried Karen. "We can do it ourselves. Really."
Kristy looked doubtfully at the kids. Then she thought, What could go wrong? It's a black car. If they don't get it very clean, no one will notice.
"Will you remember to keep the windows closed?" she asked.
"Yes."
"And don't spray anything but the car."
"Okay."
"And don't rinse out the sponges in the garden. The soap'll kill the plants."
"We won't."
After a few more instructions, Kristy took Louie and David Michael inside. She spread out a towel for Louie and gave David Michael some lemonade. Then she tried to clean Louie's paw.
"I think we better call the vet," she said after a few minutes. "Maybe Dr. Smith will make a house call."
Dr. Smith, of course, did not make house calls.
So Kristy began phoning around the old neighborhood,, trying to track down Charlie, since he could drive. While she was on the telephone, she noticed that Karen and Andrew
ran in and out of the house a couple of times, but she didn't pay much attention.
Kristy finally reached Charlie at his friends the Ackermans', and he said he'd come right home. So Kristy made one more call — to the vet to say that Louie would be on his way out there soon. Then she decided she better check on Karen and Andrew. She went out the back door and approached the car from behind. It was just after noon and the sun was shining brightly. The Ford was gleaming.
"We're done, Kristy!" cried Andrew.
"Yup, we sure are," said Karen. "I bet the car has never looked so shiny."
Kristy had to agree. The car looked shiny all right. In fact, it looked kind of ... silvery.
Kristy's heart sank, but she managed to ask, "What, um, did you two wash this car with?"
"Oh," said Karen proudly, "we didn't use the sponges. They were no good. We used something better. These. Daddy always uses them to get pots shiny." Karen held out two pieces of steel wool.
"Oh, no," murmured Kristy. At last she dared to inspect the car closely. It was covered with big silvery-gray patches where the paint had been scrubbed away. "You guys!" Kristy shouted. "You took the paint off! You can't
wash a car with steel wool. Your dad wanted the Ford clean, not naked. Oh, no! What are we going
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