Free Lucy's Tricks and Treats by Ilene Cooper Page A

guess we’re making progress,” Mr. Quinn said. He didn’t look all that sure.
    “Do you want to have a look?” Mrs. Quinn asked. “I can show you the new wallpaper. It’s yellow with rainbows. Good for a boy or a girl.”
    “Oh, it’s going to be a boy,” Bobby said.
    “Why do you think so?” his father asked.
    “Because boys are more fun,” Bobby replied promptly.
    “Lucy is a girl,” his mother pointed out.
    Before Bobby could say, “But she’s a dog,” Mrs. Quinn turned to her husband. “You closed the office door, didn’t you?”
    Mr. Quinn made a face. “I think so.”
    A loud crash came from the office.
    “Lucy!” everyone said together.
    They hurried down the hallway to the office.
    Mr. Quinn had not remembered to close the door.
    The room didn’t look like an office now. And it certainly didn’t look like a nursery. It looked like a big mess.
    The stuff from the closet was scattered across the floor. A cup of coffee had been knocked over. A small river of the dark liquid headed for the door. Next to the coffee cup, two half-chewed doughnuts lay on the paper bag Lucy had pulled them from.

    Lucy had managed to do a lot in very little time.
    “Where is she?” Mrs. Quinn asked.
    Mr. Quinn pointed under the desk at a mounded white sheet.
    At first Bobby was confused. But then the sheet started rustling. From under it came a spooky howl.
    “Looks like Lucy wants to dress up forHalloween, too,” Mrs. Quinn said. “As a ghost.”
    Bobby kneeled by the desk and lifted the sheet. Lucy barely looked up when the sheet came off. Something was between her paws—a piece of yellow wallpaper dotted with rainbows. She was busy shredding it with her teeth.
    “She had been doing so well,” Mrs. Quinn said with a sigh.
    “She’s hardly caused any trouble in weeks,” Bobby said, trying to defend his dog.
    “You can’t really blame her,” Mr. Quinn said. “How could she help herself? A room like this, with stuff everywhere, must have looked like an amusement park to Lucy.”
    Bobby shook his head. “And she went on all the rides.”

“L ucy’s in the doghouse,” Mr. Quinn told Bobby.
    “We don’t have a doghouse,” Bobby said.
    “It’s just a saying,” Mr. Quinn replied. “It means Lucy’s in trouble. I’m in the doghouse, too,” he added. “Your mom kept reminding me to keep the office door closed.”
    The night before, Bobby’s mother hadn’t said much during dinner. Then she told themshe had a headache and went to bed early.
    Now, late on Saturday morning, she was still asleep.
    “Let’s do something nice for Mom,” Mr. Quinn said.
    “What?” Bobby asked.
    “We’ll do the Saturday errands, so she can relax,” he answered.
    “Can we take Lucy with us?” Bobby wanted to know.
    Lucy heard her name. She came bounding into the living room, where Bobby and his father were sitting. She didn’t seem to know she was in the doghouse.
    “Oh, definitely,” Mr. Quinn said. He looked around for Lucy’s leash. “I think your mother would be disappointed if we didn’t.”
    Bobby and his dad got in the car. Lucy got in the backseat. She started making softlittle growling noises. Bobby and his father knew that meant
Open the window!
    “Hold on, Lucy,” Mr. Quinn said. “I have to start the car.”
    “Where are we going first?” Bobby asked once they were on their way.
    His father reached into the pocket of his jean jacket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. “Here’s the list.”
    Bobby unfolded it. “Bank,” he read, “library, and Pet-O-Rama.”
    Great!
he thought. Pet-O-Rama was where his surprise was.
    They parked in front of the bank and got out of the car. Mr. Quinn said, “Bobby, you’ll have to stay outside with Lucy. Don’t go too far.”
    Mr. Quinn had just gone into the bank when Lucy noticed someone coming out.Lucy tugged at her leash. It was someone she knew.
    Their neighbor Mr. Davis was walking slowly out of the bank.
    “Hello, Bobby. Hello,