had been picked up by his parents, the Petersons piled into their van and headed for Caring Paws. When they arrived at the animal shelter, Ms. Dobbins greeted them at the door. Without wasting any time, she led them into the building and down the hall. Charles thought they were going to the dog room, but instead she brought them into her office. There, in the corner, was an enormous cardboard box. It was wrapped in bright green shiny paper, and a big, red, floppy bow hung down one side.
“Look what just arrived,” said Ms. Dobbins. “I was working late and I didn’t even hear a car pull up, but when I went to lock the front door I found this box on the steps.”
Charles, Lizzie, and the Bean moved closer tothe box and peeked inside. Their parents were right behind them.
Charles caught a glimpse of a wide, shaggy, white-and-brown face with big eyes that looked like melted chocolate looking up at him. A puppy! A puppy with floppy brown ears and a long feathery tail and the biggest paws Charles had ever seen.
“Wow!” Dad was staring into the box. “That is one
huge
puppy!”
“Ohh!” said Lizzie. “How cute! Is it a Saint Bernard?”
“Uppy!” whispered the Bean, who had to stand on his tiptoes to look into the box.
“Keep looking,” said Ms. Dobbins.
“Oh, my!” said Mom suddenly. “There’s a kitten in there, too!”
CHAPTER TWO
“Exactly.” Ms. Dobbins crossed her arms and nodded. “There’s a kitten, too. Can you beat that?”
“But — who brought them here?” Charles wanted to know. He could barely take his eyes off the big dog and the tiny kitten. The kitten was black, with white whiskers, a white chest; it had three white feet and one black one.
“That’s a mystery,” Ms. Dobbins said. “A mystery that will never be solved, I’m afraid. But whoever it was, I’m sure they did the right thing. Maybe they weren’t able to take care of these animals, but they knew we would be able to help. There was a note on the box, but all it said was ‘Please take care of Maggieand Max.’ The puppy is a girl, so she must be Maggie.”
“And you must be Max.” Charles was looking down at the kitten. The kitten stared back at Charles with green eyes that were almost too big for his face. Then he opened his little pink mouth and let out a long, pitiful meow.
Help me, pleeease!
Charles felt his heart swell up. Right away, he knew he would do
anything
for that little kitten.
Maggie the puppy seemed to feel the same way. She put her big face down and gave the kitten a long, slurpy lick.
Don’t you worry, dear little friend. I’m right here.
Max gave another, softer meow and settled down, curling up between Maggie’s paws.
“You see how it is,” said Ms. Dobbins. “These two are obviously old friends. I tried to separate them, but when I put Max in the cat room he just cried and cried and cried. And Maggie seemed to be able to hear him from all the way down the hall in the dog room! She barked and barked and begged to be let out of her cage. Finally I brought them both in here, and they calmed down.”
“Whoa! Hold on there.” Dad held up both hands. “Don’t tell me you’re asking us to take
both
of them!”
Ms. Dobbins just nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m asking. How can I keep them here? I don’t want to separate them, and I can’t put a kitten in the dog room or a puppy — especially a puppy this big! — in the cat room.”
“Well, with Christmas so close and so much to do for the holidays, I just don’t think —” Dad began.
“We’ll take them!” interrupted Mom. While Dad and Ms. Dobbins were talking, Mom had reached into the box to pick up the kitten, and now she was holding Max up to her cheek and kissing his soft little face. Maggie the puppy watched closely, with worried eyes.
Charles was surprised. “Really?” he asked.
Mom hardly even seemed to hear him. She just nodded dreamily as she whispered baby talk to the kitten.
Lizzie shrugged.
“Look what just arrived,” said Ms. Dobbins. “I was working late and I didn’t even hear a car pull up, but when I went to lock the front door I found this box on the steps.”
Charles, Lizzie, and the Bean moved closer tothe box and peeked inside. Their parents were right behind them.
Charles caught a glimpse of a wide, shaggy, white-and-brown face with big eyes that looked like melted chocolate looking up at him. A puppy! A puppy with floppy brown ears and a long feathery tail and the biggest paws Charles had ever seen.
“Wow!” Dad was staring into the box. “That is one
huge
puppy!”
“Ohh!” said Lizzie. “How cute! Is it a Saint Bernard?”
“Uppy!” whispered the Bean, who had to stand on his tiptoes to look into the box.
“Keep looking,” said Ms. Dobbins.
“Oh, my!” said Mom suddenly. “There’s a kitten in there, too!”
CHAPTER TWO
“Exactly.” Ms. Dobbins crossed her arms and nodded. “There’s a kitten, too. Can you beat that?”
“But — who brought them here?” Charles wanted to know. He could barely take his eyes off the big dog and the tiny kitten. The kitten was black, with white whiskers, a white chest; it had three white feet and one black one.
“That’s a mystery,” Ms. Dobbins said. “A mystery that will never be solved, I’m afraid. But whoever it was, I’m sure they did the right thing. Maybe they weren’t able to take care of these animals, but they knew we would be able to help. There was a note on the box, but all it said was ‘Please take care of Maggieand Max.’ The puppy is a girl, so she must be Maggie.”
“And you must be Max.” Charles was looking down at the kitten. The kitten stared back at Charles with green eyes that were almost too big for his face. Then he opened his little pink mouth and let out a long, pitiful meow.
Help me, pleeease!
Charles felt his heart swell up. Right away, he knew he would do
anything
for that little kitten.
Maggie the puppy seemed to feel the same way. She put her big face down and gave the kitten a long, slurpy lick.
Don’t you worry, dear little friend. I’m right here.
Max gave another, softer meow and settled down, curling up between Maggie’s paws.
“You see how it is,” said Ms. Dobbins. “These two are obviously old friends. I tried to separate them, but when I put Max in the cat room he just cried and cried and cried. And Maggie seemed to be able to hear him from all the way down the hall in the dog room! She barked and barked and begged to be let out of her cage. Finally I brought them both in here, and they calmed down.”
“Whoa! Hold on there.” Dad held up both hands. “Don’t tell me you’re asking us to take
both
of them!”
Ms. Dobbins just nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m asking. How can I keep them here? I don’t want to separate them, and I can’t put a kitten in the dog room or a puppy — especially a puppy this big! — in the cat room.”
“Well, with Christmas so close and so much to do for the holidays, I just don’t think —” Dad began.
“We’ll take them!” interrupted Mom. While Dad and Ms. Dobbins were talking, Mom had reached into the box to pick up the kitten, and now she was holding Max up to her cheek and kissing his soft little face. Maggie the puppy watched closely, with worried eyes.
Charles was surprised. “Really?” he asked.
Mom hardly even seemed to hear him. She just nodded dreamily as she whispered baby talk to the kitten.
Lizzie shrugged.
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