Free Claudia and Mean Janine by Ann M. Martin Page A

wailed.
    â€œLouie won’t hurt you. He’s a nice old dog—a collie. See all his fluffy fur? Isn’t he pretty?”
    â€œNo,” said Jenny, shaking her head and wrinkling her nose. She buried her face against Stacey.
    Stacey had to admit that Louie wasn’t looking his best. He needed to be brushed, and he had spaghetti sauce on his nose and feet.
    â€œWell,” she said lamely, “he’s nice, anyway.” She set Jenny back on the bench at the picnic table.
    Jenny raised her head and looked around nervously. “Where’s that dog now?” she asked.
    â€œOver there. See? Jamie’s petting him. Jamie doesn’t mind old Louie.”
    â€œHe’s dirty,” said Jenny. “He’s a messy-face.”
    â€œWell, you’re protected. You’ve got your smock on.”
    â€œMonster smock,” whispered Jenny.
    Stacey sighed. She left Jenny with Mallory and wandered over to Jamie and David Michael. Kristy joined them.
    â€œHow do you think Louie’s going to like his new neighborhood?” Stacey asked Kristy.
    â€œOh, I think he’ll like it all right. It’s too bad he’s not a purebred shih tzu or Pomeranian, though. Or a purebred anything. He’d fit in betterwith all those rich, snobby dogs. I bet those dogs don’t even have doghouses in their backyards. I bet they have little dog mansions.”
    Stacey laughed. Then she said, “I thought Louie was a purebred collie.”
    â€œNope,” replied Kristy. “One of his grandfathers was a sheepdog.”
    â€œHow would anyone ever know that?” asked Stacey.
    â€œRich people find out all sorts of things you wish they didn’t know,” said Kristy.
    â€œWill they know he got into the spaghetti this morning?” asked David Michael.
    â€œAnyone would know that,” Stacey replied. “He looks, smells, and feels like spaghetti sauce.”
    â€œWell, then,” said David Michael, “do you have a tub?”
    â€œA tub?” asked Stacey. “What for?”
    â€œWe’ll have to give him a bath.”
    Stacey looked at Kristy.
    Kristy began to smile. “It’s not a bad idea,” she said.
    â€œAnd,” added David Michael, “we have to fix him up.”
    â€œHuh?” said Kristy.
    â€œYou know, fluff his fur, put some ribbons on him, find his plaid leash. I don’t want any ofthose rich people or rich dogs making fun of him tomorrow,” David Michael said fiercely.
    Stacey began to giggle. “We’ll beautify him,” she said. “What do you think, Kristy? We do have a tub in the garage. It might be fun.”
    Kristy looked around the McGills’ backyard, smiling. “The yard is fenced in. Everyone’s in old clothes. Jenny’s got her smock on. If we just tell the kids to take their shoes off …”
    Ten minutes later, Mallory, the four members of the Baby-sitters Club, and the eleven kids had taken their shoes off and lined them up on the benches at the picnic tables. Even Jenny had consented to remove her shoes, but only after Kristy told her that Andrew would want it that way. Stacey had found the tub and told her mother what they were going to do. Now, the tub was being filled by the hose while David Michael removed Louie’s collar.
    â€œWhat kind of soap do you use?” Stacey asked.
    â€œJohnson’s Baby Shampoo,” replied David Michael.
    â€œIt makes his fur shiny and fluffy,” added Kristy.
    â€œI don’t think we have any baby shampoo,” said Stacey. “I’m not sure my mom will let me use up shampoo on a dog, anyway.”
    In the end, they used a regular bar of soap.
    When the tub was filled and the soap was floating in the water, Kristy called out, “Oh, Lou-ie!”
    Louie looked around, saw the tub of water, and fled to a corner of the yard.
    â€œOh, Lou-ie!” cried David Michael.
    â€œOh, Lou-ie!” cried