ONE
The end of the school year had come. At last!
Dunkum Mifflin had been counting the days. He was rip-roaring ready for summer.
He and Abby Hunter stood tall on the school stage. Miss Hersheyâs class was taking their curtain call. They bowed low as the audience clapped.
Yahoo! End of school , thought Dunkum.
The audience kept clapping.
Then . . . swoosh! The stage curtains dropped and the lights went up. The Blossom Hill School spring play was finished. A smashing success.
Dunkum and Abby hurried backstage. The other Cul-de-sac Kids were waiting in the wings, behind the curtains. They were all smiles.
Abby was the president of the block club. Five boys and four girls. They loved adventure and solving mysteries. Their club slogan was âCul-de-sac Kids stick together.â
Dunkum removed his space-captain suit. Carefully, he placed it in the props box. âWhat a cool play,â he said.
Abbyâs eyes danced. âLots better than last year!â
âYep, sure was,â Jason Birchall said. He was prancing and jiving about, as usual.
Eric Hagel and Jason gave Dunkumand Abby high fives. âAll the practicing paid off,â said Eric.
âTime to celebrate!â said Jason.
âEveryoneâs coming to my house,â Dunkum said, grinning. He had sent out invitations for an ice-cream party.
Jasonâs eyes grew bigger. âWhat are we waiting for?â he asked. âLetâs get going.â
Eric and Stacy Henry agreed. âJunk food, here we come,â Stacy said. And Eric gave a thumbs-up.
âWe wonât be in Miss Hersheyâs class next year,â Jason said. He tossed his space costume into the props box.
âDonât worry about that now,â Dunkum said. âSummerâs finally here!â
Dunkumâs blind cousin, Ellen Mifflin, came around the curtains. Honey, her guide dog, led the way. The dog wore a shiny blue space suit and black wire antennas. He had played a poochy part in the playâSpace Dog.
Abby and her younger sister, Carly, and Carlyâs best friend, Dee Dee Winters, crowded around Space Dog. âSo . . . how does Honey like show business?â asked Abby.
Ellenâs eyes were closed. âOh, she loves it. Donât you, girl?â She knelt down and hugged her dog. Ellenâs long brown hair covered Honeyâs face.
âWait till you see her brand-new tricks,â Dunkum said. He took off the dogâs costume and antennas.
âYouâre kidding. New tricks?â Abby asked. She sat beside Stacy, near Honey. The boys crowded around, too.
Ellen stood up, smiling. âHoney loves to perform. Donât you, big girl?â
âWoof, woof!â barked Honey. âGive us a sneak preview,â Eric pleaded.
A mischievous grin swept across Ellenâs face. âWait for the party,â she said.
âAw, why not now?â Jason begged. âBecause I need ice cream for the trick,â Ellen said. She pushed her hair behind her ear.
âThat reminds me,â Dunkum said, looking at Jason. âAre you hungry for chocolate ice cream?â
Jason licked his lips and rubbed his stomach. âWild pit bulls couldnât keep me away.â
âDonât you mean wild horses ?â Dunkum said.
âHorses . . . pit bulls, whatever.â Jason pranced around.
âI know a good pit bull joke,â Ellen said. She held on to her dogâs harness. âWant to hear it?â
Honey barked and shook her head.
âHey, it looks like Honey just said no.â Jason and the Cul-de-sac Kids watched Ellenâs guide dog closely.
âBetter cover Honeyâs ears when youtalk about pit bulls,â Dunkum joked.
Ellen giggled, feeling for Honeyâs ears. âThere,â she said, finding them. âNow, what did the pit bull say when he sat on a pile of sandpaper?â
The kids looked at one another. They shrugged their shoulders.
âI think we give
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