Free Crisis in Crittertown by Justine Fontes Page A

did. Buttercup’s been acting different lately, too.”
    I winked at Grayson. So the children had started noticing the effects of The Change!
    Buttercup barked, “It’s getting late.”
    â€œWhat is it?” Jill asked. Then she looked at her watch, and Bill looked at the sunset. “Maybe Buttercup knows it’s time to go home.”
    Grayson asked Buttercup to stop at the library on our way back to the post office. He said, “We promised to tell Nonfiction the news. This is news!”
    Nilla patted my shoulder. “Especially the part about the Critter Post.” She stared at me and said, “I think Cheddar had a very big idea.”
    Nonfiction thought so, too. He said, “You see how powerful humans became by working together. Maybe critters can, too! Maybe this is the purpose of The Change!”
    When Brownback heard the idea, he called a meeting of the colony. The braver scouts volunteered to spread the word to other critters to recruit members for the Critter Post.
    â€œLet’s think big!” Grayson urged. “Not predators, of course, but some of the large plant-eaters might be interested.”
    One of the older mice said, “Deer aren’t as dumb as people think. I knew a moose who was almost as smart as a mouse.”
    â€œIt can’t hurt to try,” I said.
    To my great delight and surprise, every critter cheered!
    By the next morning, most of the children had already written several letters. Mrs. Olson was very impressed. So were the other teachers and even Principal Clark. They decided to take the “Save the Post Office Project” to the junior high and high schools, the senior citizen’s club, and the town council.
    Word of the project spread faster than the flu! Soon everyone in Crittertown was talking, chirping, squeaking, barking, and even meowing about it.
    Strange things started happening. Cats knocked stationery off shelves. They turned on computers and printers. Phone books mysteriously fell open to the local government pages.
    Dogs pulled their owners off their usual walking paths toward the post office. The more people went there, the more vital the little office became. Neighbors talked about saving the post office. They also just talked to each other, which made them realize how much they would miss this friendly meeting place.

    Thanks to chirping birds and chattering squirrels, the very air seemed to carry the message, “mail early and often.” The citizens of Crittertown didn’t just write to politicians, newspapers, and TV stations. They also wrote to each other, and to friends and family far away. This reminded them of how nice it is to send and receive a card or letter in the mail.
    One morning, when Cheddar, Grayson, and Nilla were at the post office, they overheard Mike telling his boss, “You see the figures. Mail volume is way up, and so are stamp sales. Don’t you think that justifies keeping the Crittertown Post Office open?”
    Mike listened for a while and then chuckled. “Your boss liked the petitions? That’s good! Because there’ll be plenty more if they try to close this office.”
    Mike listened a little longer before saying, “Thanks, thanks a lot. I really appreciate that.”
    He sighed, turned up the radio. and danced around the office. I’d never seen Mike dance before. Then he called his wife with the good news. “The Crittertown office is off the closing list!”
    We squeaked for joy! Luckily the radio was so loud, Mike didn’t hear us.
    Grayson exclaimed, “I can’t wait to tell Pops!”
    Nilla said, “You better! No sense getting caught now.”
    â€œShe’s right,” I echoed.
    Grayson saw the sense in this. Still, Nilla and I both had to sit on his tail to make him wait until Mike was busy with a chatty customer.
    Everyone in the colony cheered for the great news!
    Grayson grumbled, “I wish we could tell the