she said before the Aldens could even say hello. “I told Mrs. Tweedy and Mr. Fowler the same thing. If they needed extra help in the shop, they should look for a responsible adult.”
Benny tried to hold back what he had to say, but he couldn’t. “We didn’t lose George and Rainbow. Somebody forgot to lock the door.”
Mrs. Doolittle looked at Benny over the tops of her glasses. “Indeed! I’ll have you know I went by the shop yesterday afternoon and looked through the front window. I saw you making a mess in there.”
Why was Mrs. Doolittle always so upset with the Aldens?
“We were cleaning up,” Soo Lee explained in her squeaky voice. “We didn’t spill the food.”
“Nonsense!” Mrs. Doolittle said. “I was in the shop Saturday night. Everything was quite tidy until you children arrived yesterday.”
The children were confused.
“When were you in the shop Saturday night?” Henry asked. “We were there until it closed. We didn’t see you.”
Mrs. Doolittle banged the tip of her umbrella on the sidewalk. “I’ll have you know that Agnes Tweedy gave me an extra set of keys. In fact, since Mr. Fowler lost his set, it was a good thing I had them so he could open up the shop this morning.”
Jessie took a deep breath before saying anything. “We found some keys that were left in the lock sometime Sunday. Maybe that’s how Rainbow and George got out.”
Mrs. Doolittle’s mind was made up. She picked up the newspaper in the wagon. “That’s not what this newspaper says. Rainbow got loose because children shouldn’t be allowed to do the work of adults.” With that Mrs. Doolittle put her umbrella under her arm and disappeared down the street.
“Should we still go the pet shop now?” Violet asked Jessie. “Mrs. Doolittle and Mr. Fowler seem like friends. They don’t want us around.”
Benny thought of something. “What if Mrs. Doolittle let out George and Rainbow?”
The children looked at each other.
“Hey, Benny, maybe you have something there,” Henry began. “We know Mrs. Doolittle had keys. And who found Rainbow anyway? She did. Maybe she knew where Rainbow was the whole time.”
Jessie was frowning. “But why would she let out the animals? She’s always complaining that nobody knows how to take care of them except grown-ups. That doesn’t make any sense.”
The Aldens thought about this the rest of the way to the pet shop. When they arrived, Grayfellow was on his perch in the front window. Mr. Fowler was feeding him. The minute Mr. Fowler saw the Aldens, he dropped the bag of birdseed, went over to the front door, and put up the CLOSED sign.
“He shut us out,” Violet said, annoyed. “I want to see Rainbow.”
Henry tried to calm Violet. “Rainbow might not even be in the store anymore. I know how much you want to see her. I hope she’s gone to the zoo like Mr. Fowler said. She looked pretty sick after we brought her back.”
A truck from the pet food company pulled up. Mr. Peterson, the driver, recognized the Aldens. “Hey, my lucky day. Five pairs of hands to help me carry in some boxes. What do you say?”
“Sure thing, Mr. Peterson,” Henry answered. “Show us what to bring in.”
As the Aldens loaded up packages, Jessie whispered to everyone, “Good thinking, Henry. We’ll just follow Mr. Peterson. Now Mr. Fowler has to let us in.”
Sure enough, as soon as he spotted the delivery man, Mr. Fowler unlocked the front door. “Come on in,” he said. “I put up the CLOSED sign when I saw some pesky customers outside. I had to catch up on some paperwork. Now that you’re here, we can go over next month’s orders.”
Mr. Peterson carried several large boxes to the counter. “It was my lucky day. The Aldens were outside, so they’re helping me with my delivery.”
Before Mr. Fowler could say a thing, all five Aldens trooped into the store.
“Hey!” Mr. Fowler yelled. “What are you kids doing? Just leave the boxes on the floor. I’ll put them
Benny tried to hold back what he had to say, but he couldn’t. “We didn’t lose George and Rainbow. Somebody forgot to lock the door.”
Mrs. Doolittle looked at Benny over the tops of her glasses. “Indeed! I’ll have you know I went by the shop yesterday afternoon and looked through the front window. I saw you making a mess in there.”
Why was Mrs. Doolittle always so upset with the Aldens?
“We were cleaning up,” Soo Lee explained in her squeaky voice. “We didn’t spill the food.”
“Nonsense!” Mrs. Doolittle said. “I was in the shop Saturday night. Everything was quite tidy until you children arrived yesterday.”
The children were confused.
“When were you in the shop Saturday night?” Henry asked. “We were there until it closed. We didn’t see you.”
Mrs. Doolittle banged the tip of her umbrella on the sidewalk. “I’ll have you know that Agnes Tweedy gave me an extra set of keys. In fact, since Mr. Fowler lost his set, it was a good thing I had them so he could open up the shop this morning.”
Jessie took a deep breath before saying anything. “We found some keys that were left in the lock sometime Sunday. Maybe that’s how Rainbow and George got out.”
Mrs. Doolittle’s mind was made up. She picked up the newspaper in the wagon. “That’s not what this newspaper says. Rainbow got loose because children shouldn’t be allowed to do the work of adults.” With that Mrs. Doolittle put her umbrella under her arm and disappeared down the street.
“Should we still go the pet shop now?” Violet asked Jessie. “Mrs. Doolittle and Mr. Fowler seem like friends. They don’t want us around.”
Benny thought of something. “What if Mrs. Doolittle let out George and Rainbow?”
The children looked at each other.
“Hey, Benny, maybe you have something there,” Henry began. “We know Mrs. Doolittle had keys. And who found Rainbow anyway? She did. Maybe she knew where Rainbow was the whole time.”
Jessie was frowning. “But why would she let out the animals? She’s always complaining that nobody knows how to take care of them except grown-ups. That doesn’t make any sense.”
The Aldens thought about this the rest of the way to the pet shop. When they arrived, Grayfellow was on his perch in the front window. Mr. Fowler was feeding him. The minute Mr. Fowler saw the Aldens, he dropped the bag of birdseed, went over to the front door, and put up the CLOSED sign.
“He shut us out,” Violet said, annoyed. “I want to see Rainbow.”
Henry tried to calm Violet. “Rainbow might not even be in the store anymore. I know how much you want to see her. I hope she’s gone to the zoo like Mr. Fowler said. She looked pretty sick after we brought her back.”
A truck from the pet food company pulled up. Mr. Peterson, the driver, recognized the Aldens. “Hey, my lucky day. Five pairs of hands to help me carry in some boxes. What do you say?”
“Sure thing, Mr. Peterson,” Henry answered. “Show us what to bring in.”
As the Aldens loaded up packages, Jessie whispered to everyone, “Good thinking, Henry. We’ll just follow Mr. Peterson. Now Mr. Fowler has to let us in.”
Sure enough, as soon as he spotted the delivery man, Mr. Fowler unlocked the front door. “Come on in,” he said. “I put up the CLOSED sign when I saw some pesky customers outside. I had to catch up on some paperwork. Now that you’re here, we can go over next month’s orders.”
Mr. Peterson carried several large boxes to the counter. “It was my lucky day. The Aldens were outside, so they’re helping me with my delivery.”
Before Mr. Fowler could say a thing, all five Aldens trooped into the store.
“Hey!” Mr. Fowler yelled. “What are you kids doing? Just leave the boxes on the floor. I’ll put them
Similar Books
