Dragon Keepers #3: The Dragon in the Library by Kate Klimo
Authors: Kate Klimo
Tags: Fiction, General, Children's Books, Action & Adventure, Family, Juvenile Fiction, Action & Adventure - General, Magic, Fantasy & Magic, Cousins, Ages 9-12 Fiction, Science Fiction; Fantasy; & Magic, Language Arts & Disciplines, Animals, Children: Grades 4-6, Dragons, Mythical, Body; Mind & Spirit, Animals - Mythical, Magick Studies, Books & Libraries, Libraries, Library & Information Science
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scared witless. Can't say that I blame her. It's a dog's world here tonight."
74
"Mrs. Thackeray," Jesse said, "would it be all right if Daisy and I went over and looked at the grown-up card catalog? There's this book that we really, really need...."
Mrs. Thackeray sat back on her heels and peered at him curiously over the rhinestone rims of her eyeglasses. "Why in the world would you want to do a thing like that, Jesse? You're here to party, you two! Or should I say, you three! Now, go play video games with the rest of the mob."
Most of the other kids were, sure enough, over in the computer lab, crowded around a single station whose bloops, blops, blips , and zaps indicated that a video tournament was underway. Jesse and Daisy dumped the backpack and their sleeping bags in the big pile along with everyone else's stuff. Jesse handed Daisy the leash.
"Okay," said Jesse. "We asked nicely, and now we have to take the law into our own hands. I'm going to try and cross the orange tape and get to the card catalog. Wish me luck."
"Good luck," Daisy said solemnly, and watched him wander off casually in the direction of the orange tape. She carried their dish over to the food table and busied herself reading the labels on some of the other dishes: CLIFFORD THE BIG RED HOT DOG CHILI; WILBUR THE PIGS IN BLANKETS; BUNNICULA'S
75
CARROT COCKTAIL NIBLETS; LASSIE COME HOME FRIES. Daisy printed a label for their dish, HIGGLETY PIGGLETY CARAMEL CORN POPS, and set it down between CHOCOLATE CRICKETS IN TIMES SQUARE and BALTO'S MALTED MILK BALL SOUFFLÉ. Emmy began to whine and roll her eyes. Daisy turned around, expecting to see some dog with its nose in her butt.
Instead she saw six dogs crouched in a shy half circle, staring at Emmy, heads all cocked to the same side. They looked nothing if not bewildered. Daisy wondered whether the dogs sensed deep down that Emmy was not really one of them.
"My dog's a registered purebred," boasted Dewey Forbes, the poodle's owner. Daisy had known Dewey since kindergarten.
"Emmy's purebred, too," Daisy said, straightening the paper tiara.
"Yeah? Well, since when do purebred sheepdogs have forked tongues?" Dewey asked.
Emmy pulled in her tongue and shut her mouth with a snap. Sheepdogs didn't have emerald-green eyes, either, but apparently that detail had escaped Dewey's attention. People tended to notice the forked tongue, so Daisy always had an explanation ready. "She tried to lick a frozen water pump one winter morning and it split the
76
tip of her tongue in half," Daisy said to Dewey.
Jesse joined them. "Have you ever tried to lick a frozen pump, Dewey?" he asked. "You should try it sometime."
"Should not," Dewey countered. "Because that would be dumb. Your dog must not be very smart."
An offended little growl escaped Emmy.
"Poodles are the smartest breed going," Dewey said. "Watch this." He held up two fingers, and the big poodle stood at attention. "Sit, Loretta."
Loretta the poodle sat.
"Down, Loretta."
Loretta crouched on the floor.
"Roll over, Loretta."
Loretta rolled over.
Dewey folded his arms across his chest and gave them a smug, satisfied look. "So?"
"So?" Jesse said.
Daisy looked unimpressed. Emmy opened her mouth, forked tongue and all, and yawned widely.
"So? I bet your stupid fork-tongued sheepdog can't do that," Dewey said.
"Why would she even want to?" Jesse said. "Those are boring tricks. Emmy can do interesting tricks, can't you, Emmy? Emmy, go fetch the backpack."
Emmy went over to the big pile of backpacks
77
and found theirs right away. She picked it up in her mouth by the strap and trotted back to Jesse, setting it at his feet.
"Good girl!" Daisy said, giving Dewey an I-told-you-so look.
"Open the backpack now, Emmy," Jesse said.
A crowd of kids and pets had gathered around to watch the performance. Emmy held the bag down with her forepaws while she took the small tab between her teeth and unzipped the top of the backpack.
The crowd let out an
74
"Mrs. Thackeray," Jesse said, "would it be all right if Daisy and I went over and looked at the grown-up card catalog? There's this book that we really, really need...."
Mrs. Thackeray sat back on her heels and peered at him curiously over the rhinestone rims of her eyeglasses. "Why in the world would you want to do a thing like that, Jesse? You're here to party, you two! Or should I say, you three! Now, go play video games with the rest of the mob."
Most of the other kids were, sure enough, over in the computer lab, crowded around a single station whose bloops, blops, blips , and zaps indicated that a video tournament was underway. Jesse and Daisy dumped the backpack and their sleeping bags in the big pile along with everyone else's stuff. Jesse handed Daisy the leash.
"Okay," said Jesse. "We asked nicely, and now we have to take the law into our own hands. I'm going to try and cross the orange tape and get to the card catalog. Wish me luck."
"Good luck," Daisy said solemnly, and watched him wander off casually in the direction of the orange tape. She carried their dish over to the food table and busied herself reading the labels on some of the other dishes: CLIFFORD THE BIG RED HOT DOG CHILI; WILBUR THE PIGS IN BLANKETS; BUNNICULA'S
75
CARROT COCKTAIL NIBLETS; LASSIE COME HOME FRIES. Daisy printed a label for their dish, HIGGLETY PIGGLETY CARAMEL CORN POPS, and set it down between CHOCOLATE CRICKETS IN TIMES SQUARE and BALTO'S MALTED MILK BALL SOUFFLÉ. Emmy began to whine and roll her eyes. Daisy turned around, expecting to see some dog with its nose in her butt.
Instead she saw six dogs crouched in a shy half circle, staring at Emmy, heads all cocked to the same side. They looked nothing if not bewildered. Daisy wondered whether the dogs sensed deep down that Emmy was not really one of them.
"My dog's a registered purebred," boasted Dewey Forbes, the poodle's owner. Daisy had known Dewey since kindergarten.
"Emmy's purebred, too," Daisy said, straightening the paper tiara.
"Yeah? Well, since when do purebred sheepdogs have forked tongues?" Dewey asked.
Emmy pulled in her tongue and shut her mouth with a snap. Sheepdogs didn't have emerald-green eyes, either, but apparently that detail had escaped Dewey's attention. People tended to notice the forked tongue, so Daisy always had an explanation ready. "She tried to lick a frozen water pump one winter morning and it split the
76
tip of her tongue in half," Daisy said to Dewey.
Jesse joined them. "Have you ever tried to lick a frozen pump, Dewey?" he asked. "You should try it sometime."
"Should not," Dewey countered. "Because that would be dumb. Your dog must not be very smart."
An offended little growl escaped Emmy.
"Poodles are the smartest breed going," Dewey said. "Watch this." He held up two fingers, and the big poodle stood at attention. "Sit, Loretta."
Loretta the poodle sat.
"Down, Loretta."
Loretta crouched on the floor.
"Roll over, Loretta."
Loretta rolled over.
Dewey folded his arms across his chest and gave them a smug, satisfied look. "So?"
"So?" Jesse said.
Daisy looked unimpressed. Emmy opened her mouth, forked tongue and all, and yawned widely.
"So? I bet your stupid fork-tongued sheepdog can't do that," Dewey said.
"Why would she even want to?" Jesse said. "Those are boring tricks. Emmy can do interesting tricks, can't you, Emmy? Emmy, go fetch the backpack."
Emmy went over to the big pile of backpacks
77
and found theirs right away. She picked it up in her mouth by the strap and trotted back to Jesse, setting it at his feet.
"Good girl!" Daisy said, giving Dewey an I-told-you-so look.
"Open the backpack now, Emmy," Jesse said.
A crowd of kids and pets had gathered around to watch the performance. Emmy held the bag down with her forepaws while she took the small tab between her teeth and unzipped the top of the backpack.
The crowd let out an
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