“We found her, we found her!” shouted Benny happily as the children walked into the house. Watch barked along with Benny.
Grandfather looked up from the newspaper he was reading. “What is it, Benny?”
“We found Spotzie!”
Grandfather put down his paper. “That’s wonderful.”
“Here she is,” said Henry, setting down the cat carrier. “But we’d better keep her in there until Mr. Woods gets her. We wouldn’t want to lose her again.”
“I’m going to call Mr. Woods right now,” said Violet. “And Professor Madison, too!”
Grandfather bent over to look in the cat carrier. “She’s a pretty cat, but her coat looks funny.”
“She’s a very rare cat, Grandfather,” said Jessie. “A curly-coated cat.”
“Is that so? How do you know that?” asked their grandfather.
Quickly, Jessie and Henry and Benny and Soo Lee told Grandfather Alden everything that had happened. Just as they were finishing, Violet came back in. “Mr. Woods hardly let me say ‘We found Spotzie’ before he said he’d be right over! And Professor Madison said she’d come over and get her cat, too,” she reported.
A few minutes later the doorbell rang. When Henry opened it, Mr. Woods rushed into the room. “Where is she!” he cried. “Where’s Spotzie?”
“Right here,” said Violet. She got the key and bent down and unlocked the door of the cat carrier. A small calico cat with shiny wavy fur poked her head out.
“Spotzie!” cried Mr. Woods. “It is you.”
The cat heard Mr. Woods’s voice. “Meow!” she cried. She bounded across the living room to him, her tail held high like a flag. A moment later, Mr. Woods was holding Spotzie in his arms. “Good girl, good Spotzie,” he crooned. Spotzie purred loudly, her eyes half closed with pleasure.
Mr. Woods looked up at last. “You did find her! I didn’t believe you could, but you did!”
“She wasn’t lost,” said Jessie, “she was stolen. But you should still get her a collar and identification tags.”
“Yes,” said Benny. “Dr. Scott said they even make special stretch collars for cats so they can’t get them caught in trees or anything.”
Mr. Woods listened to what Benny and Jessie were saying, then answered, “I’ll do that. First thing tomorrow morning Spotzie will get a new collar and I’ll order her some identification tags. Would you like that, Spotzie?”
Spotzie purred even more loudly and Mr. Woods grinned. When he smiled, he seemed like a different person. “But what is this about her being stolen?”
The Aldens were just about to explain what had happened, when the doorbell rang again. A moment later, Professor Madison walked in with a cat carrier in one hand. Henry introduced Professor Madison to Mr. Woods and Grandfather Alden.
“Spotzie was stolen,” said Mr. Woods to Professor Madison.
“Ah, yes. You had thought she might be,” said Professor Madison to the Aldens and Soo Lee. “What happened?”
“Well, you see,” began Jessie. But she didn’t get to finish her sentence before the doorbell rang again!
“Who can it be now?” wondered Violet. She didn’t have long to wait for an answer. Whitney came bounding into the living room, dressed in her jogging clothes.
“I stopped by to visit my aunt and she told me you guys had found the lost cat. Good work,” said Whitney. “So, what’s the story?”
The five children looked at one another and began to laugh. Then Jessie said, “Well, you see . . .”
This time, no doorbell interrupted Jessie. She got to finish her story, with the help of Henry, Violet, Benny, and Soo Lee, and an occasional bark from Watch.
“So you’re a very valuable cat, eh?” Mr. Woods said to Spotzie. “I knew that already!”
“What are you going to do with her?” asked Whitney. “Are you going to sell her for a lot of money?”
Mr. Woods shook his head. “Oh, no,” he said. “But I am going to take her into Dr. Scott tomorrow and see if it is true about her being a rare cat, and to make sure she is in good health after being gone so long. But whether Spotzie is a rare cat or not, she’s worth more than any money in the world to me!” He looked over at the five Aldens. “Thank you so much for finding her.”
“I didn’t think you kids could do it,” said Whitney, “but I see I was wrong.”
“You did an excellent job,” said Professor Madison. “Well, I guess I better take that other little cat home. Unless you want to keep her?”
Just then, the little cat came strolling into the living room.
“Woof!” said Watch, and leaped toward her.
“Whoa, Watch!” cried Benny, catching Watch’s collar.
The little cat flattened her ears, then looked all around.
“Meow!” said Spotzie and jumped out of Mr. Woods’s arms. She trotted lightly over to the little cat and they touched noses. A moment later they were racing around the room playing.
“I wish we could keep her,” said Grandfather Alden. “But Watch doesn’t seem to want a cat in his house.”
“Too bad,” said Professor Madison. “I can see you would give her a good home, and I have too many cats as it is.”
Mr. Woods thoughtfully watched the two cats racing around and around the room. Then he said, “Well … maybe Spotzie would like someone to play with. And for that matter, what could it hurt to have another little cat in the house?”
Professor Madison said, “That’s how I started: one cat, then another . . .”
Then Mr. Woods did an unexpected thing. He laughed aloud!
The five children looked at one another in amazement. This wasn’t the same grumpy Mr. Woods they’d first met!
“Maybe that will happen to me,” said Mr. Woods. He squatted down. “Here, kitty. What do you call her, Professor Madison?”
“I hadn’t named her yet. I was hoping I’d find a home for her,” said the professor, kneeling down next to Mr. Woods.
“Maybe we could think of one together,” said Mr. Woods. “Would you help me carry her home?”
“I’d be glad to,” said Professor Madison.
“Great,” said Whitney, watching the whole scene. “Listen, I’ve got to keep running, but hey, if I ever have a mystery that needs solving, I’ll think of you guys.” With a wave of her hand, she jogged out of the room. A moment later they heard the front door close.
Henry, Violet, Jessie, and Soo Lee helped Mr. Woods and Professor Madison put the cats into their cat carriers while Benny held Watch.
“How can I ever thank you?” asked Mr. Woods.
“Maybe we could come visit Spotzie and her friend some time?” asked Violet shyly.
Mr. Woods smiled cautiously at Violet. “I’d like that,” he told her. “You are all welcome to come visit anytime.”
Watch barked and Mr. Woods looked over at him. “You, too, Watch. But you’d better not chase any cats!”
“I won’t let him,” promised Benny, still holding on to Watch’s collar.
Mr. Woods and Professor Madison walked out the front door holding their cat carriers.
“Oh, good.” Violet sighed a happy sigh. “We found Spotzie.”
“And a home for the little cat,” said Soo Lee.
“And Mr. Woods found a new friend and so did Spotzie,” said Jessie.
“And we solved the mystery,” said Benny.
“We sure did, Benny,” said Henry. “We sure did!” |