Penny and Peter Page 3

  "Oh, thanks very much," said Mr. Sawyer. "I'll be right down."

  Patsy was so excited when she heard the news that she ran around in circles. "Can I go with you, Daddy?" she cried. "I can go with you to get Tootsie, can't I?"

  "Yes, of course you can go," said her daddy.

  She was so excited, she forgot to put her coat on.

  "Here! Patsy!" her mother called after her. "Come back and put your coat and hat on."

  "Oh yes!" said Patsy. "I forgot."

  She ran back into the house and put on the coat that her mother was holding. She put her hat on backward.

  "Oh, Mummy!" she said. "Just think! Tootsie's at the station! I can hold her on my lap all the way home."

  Patsy dashed off again and climbed into the car beside her father. He started the car and off they went. But, just as they turned out of the drive, Patsy cried, "Oh, Daddy! Wait! Wait! I forgot something."

  Mr. Sawyer stopped the car. "Now what?" he said. But Patsy was already out of the car and running as fast as her legs would go.

  When she burst into the house, her mother cried, "Now what?"

  "I forgot Tootsie's leash," Patsy called, running to the coat closet.

  She lifted the plaid leash off the hook and ran back to the car. "I forgot her leash," she said to her daddy as she climbed in again.

  Mr. Sawyer started off once more. It wasn't long before they reached the railway station. Mr. Sawyer jumped out of the car and Patsy followed with the little plaid leash. Her daddy went into the station and walked over to the window to speak to the station agent. "I came for the dog," Mr. Sawyer said.

  "Oh, sure!" replied the agent. "The dog. She's out in the baggage room. I suppose you want to take her out of the crate?"

  "Oh, yes," replied Mr. Sawyer. "I brought some tools to unfasten it."

  "Good," said the station agent, leading the way to the baggage room. "She's some dog, Mr. Sawyer!"

  "Is that so?" said Mr. Sawyer.

  Suddenly, a terrific sound burst forth. It was like a lion roaring. Patsy jumped. "What under the sun is that?" cried her daddy.

  "That's her," said the station agent.

  "Jumping grasshoppers!" cried Mr. Sawyer.

  The station agent put his key in the door. "I thought sure they were bringing in a piano when that crate arrived," he said.

  "What do you mean, 'a piano'?" cried Mr. Sawyer.

  The station agent kicked the door open. "Say!" he said. "Haven't you seen this dog?"

  "No, I haven't," said Mr. Sawyer. "All we know is that her name is Tootsie."

  "Tootsie!" shouted the station agent. "Well, here she is."

  Patsy and her daddy looked at the enormous crate and there, standing up inside, was the biggest dog Patsy had ever seen. Tootsie was a Great Dane.

  Mr. Sawyer and Patsy were both speechless. They just stared at the enormous creature.

  Tootsie wagged her tail. Then, suddenly, she said, "Woof!" and Patsy grabbed her hat. She thought it was going to blow right off.

  They stood looking at Tootsie for some time. At last Patsy said, "I guess her bed won't fit her, Daddy. But she can sleep in mine."

  4. There's a Dog in My Chair

  Daddy set to work to open Tootsie's crate. The station agent helped and it wasn't long before Tootsie was free. Her bark turned into happy yelps that sounded like a sea lion. She wagged her huge tail and her red tongue looked almost a foot long.

  Patsy stood very close to her daddy, for Tootsie looked awfully big and fierce.

  "Now, don't be afraid of her," said Mr. Sawyer. "She won't hurt you. But, my goodness gracious! Where are we going to keep her?"

  Tootsie looked at Mr. Sawyer and her mouth widened.

  Patsy let out a scream.

  "Now, see here," said her daddy, "you wanted a dog, didn't you?"

  "Yes," said Patsy. "But she is so much dog. I thought she was going to be a little dog."

  "Well, if you don't like her," said Daddy, "we will send her to a kennel and pay her board."

  Tootsie pulled in her tongue and closed her great mouth. Suddenly, she looked sad. It was as though she understood every word that was spoken.

  "Now, you've hurt her feelings," Patsy murmured.

  "Well, pat her and make her feel better," said Mr. Sawyer.

  Patsy put her hand out and patted Tootsie's head. Immediately, she looked pleased. In another moment, Patsy's arms were around the dog's neck. Tootsie's tail hit the packing boxes with loud whacks.

  "That's right," said her daddy, "you make her feel welcome. I am afraid she is in for a cold reception when she gets home. Your mother said, 'The littler the better,' and I am afraid that means, 'The bigger the worser.' Come on, let's get it over."

  Tootsie sat in the back seat of the car looking very pleased and Patsy sat beside her looking very little.

  Soon they turned into the drive and the car stopped.

  "Now, I think we had better break this to your mother gently," said Patsy's daddy. "You wait here with Tootsie."

  Mr. Sawyer left Patsy and the dog in the car and went into the house.

  "So, you're back!" called Mrs. Sawyer from the living room. "Well, where's Tootsie? Where's Patsy?"

  "They'll be in in a moment," said Mr. Sawyer.

  "What is the matter?" asked Mrs. Sawyer, standing up. "Is anything the matter?"

  "No, no!" said Mr. Sawyer. "Not a thing. It's just that—"

  Suddenly, there was a terrific bump on the front door.

  "What is that?" cried Mrs. Sawyer, starting toward the front door.

  "Wait a minute!" cried Mr. Sawyer, hurrying after her.

  "What is the matter with you?" asked Mrs. Sawyer.

  Bang! Thump! There was the noise at the front door again.

  Mrs. Sawyer pulled the door open and Tootsie bounded into the hall. Inside of the house, Tootsie looked bigger than ever. She looked as big as a pony.

  "Good grief!" cried Patsy's mother, as Tootsie galloped into the living room. "Is this Tootsie?"

  "That's her," said Mr. Sawyer.

  "Didn't Daddy tell you how big Tootsie is?" asked Patsy.

  "No," replied Mother, "he never got round to telling me. I just knew that he had something on his mind."

  "I didn't have time," said her daddy.

  "But what will we do with a dog like that?" said her mother, as the family followed Tootsie into the living room. To their great surprise, Tootsie was nowhere in sight.

  "Where did she go?" cried Patsy.

  "Why, how strange!" exclaimed her mother.

  They looked in the dining room and behind all of the furniture. Patsy even looked under the davenport, although Tootsie could no more have squeezed under the davenport than an elephant.

  And then, Mrs. Sawyer noticed that the door onto the side porch was open. The draperies were drawn across the opening and it didn't show.

  "Why, she must have gone out of this door!" said Mrs. Sawyer. "Now, how do you suppose she knew that it was open?"

  "Just smelled the fresh air, I suppose," said Mr. Sawyer. "I'll see if I can find her. It is so terribly dark. There isn't any moon."

  "I'll come with you," said Patsy.

  "No, you stay here with Mother," said her daddy. "I can look better by myself. I don't want to have to look for you as well as the dog."

  "It is past your bedtime, Patsy," said her mother. "We'll go upstairs and get you tucked into bed."

  "But I can't go to sleep until Daddy finds Tootsie," said Patsy, beginning to cry.

  "Now, don't worry about Tootsie," said Mother. "You couldn't possibly lose anything as big as Tootsie. She will be back in no time. Daddy will have to build a separate house for her, I can see that. Tootsie! What a name for a Great Dane!"

  Patsy went upstairs and her mother followed. It took Patsy a long time to get ready for bed because, every few minutes, she ran to look out of the window. There was no sign of Tootsie or Daddy. At last, she was tucked into bed and although she tried to stay awake until Too
tsie came back, she was soon fast asleep.

  Meanwhile, Mr. Sawyer hunted all over the neighborhood for the dog. She seemed to have melted away. After an hour, he came home and telephoned the police. They said that they would radio the police cars and that they would be on the lookout for a Great Dane.

  The fact was, Tootsie had not gone far. She had galloped through the Sawyers' living room and out of the door, across the porch and across the drive that lay between Patsy's house and Penny's.

  Penny's father had opened the front door to put out the milk bottles and had decided to walk around to the back of the house to see if the toolshed door was locked. He left the front door open and Tootsie walked in. She sniffed the rugs in the hall and she sniffed the carpet on the stairs. No one was around, for Peter and Penny and their mother had gone to bed.

  Tootsie walked up the stairs. She sniffed around the upstairs hall. The door into Penny's room was open, so Tootsie walked in. She sniffed all around. She sniffed the bed. Penny was sound asleep. Tootsie turned around three times and lay down beside the bed. In a few moments, she, too, was sound asleep.

  Penny's daddy came into the house and locked the front door. He put out the light on the hall table and climbed the stairs. He opened his bedroom door, went in, and closed the door behind him.

  The house was quiet and dark. Everyone, including Tootsie, slept. But she didn't sleep very long. She woke up, thirsty and hungry. She got up and stretched her great body. Again, she sniffed around the room. Then she went into the hall. Silently, she padded down the carpeted stairs. She went into the dining room and sniffed her way to the kitchen door. She could smell chocolate cake and she liked chocolate cake.

  With her great nose, Tootsie pushed the swinging door open. The cats' bowl of water stood under the sink. Tootsie lapped it all up. It wasn't a very big drink but it was better than none. Then she lifted her head and sniffed some more. She followed her nose to the kitchen table and the odor of chocolate cake grew stronger. She put her paws up on the table and looked right at a great big chocolate cake.

  Minnie had made the cake but had not had time to ice it, so Penny's mother had iced the cake before she went to bed and left it on the table to set.

  Tootsie stuck out her long tongue and took a great lick of chocolate icing. It was good. It was so good that Tootsie went back for more. Only this time, she took a great big bite right out of the cake. She swallowed it down and took another bite. Half of the cake was gone. Two more bites and all that remained on the plate were crumbs and smears of chocolate icing.

  Tootsie licked her chops and smacked her lips. She felt much more comfortable inside. She pushed open the swinging door and made her way through the dining room, up the stairs and into Penny's room.

  There was a big chair in Penny's room, almost as big as a couch. Tootsie jumped up on the chair, settled down, and went to sleep.

  Toward morning, she woke up. Something was biting her. She lifted her hind leg and scratched. Her leg made a noise as it beat against the chair cushion.

  Penny stirred in his sleep. He turned over and opened his eyes. A very faint light came through the window so that everything in the room showed dimly. Everything looked a little bit strange and unreal. Through his eyes, half closed with sleep, Penny looked at the big chair. He thought he saw a great big dog in the chair. The dog was asleep.

  Penny began to feel scared. It looked like a dog in his chair but he didn't have a dog and he had never seen such a big dog before. He guessed he would go tell Daddy.

  Very quietly, Penny crawled out of his bed. In his bare feet, he pattered over to the room where his mother and daddy slept. He opened the door and in the dim light, reached the side of his daddy's bed.

  "Daddy!" he whispered. "Daddy!" Daddy grunted.

  "Daddy!" whispered Penny, gently shaking Daddy's shoulder.

  Daddy opened one eye. "What's the matter?" he whispered.

  "There's a great big dog in my chair," said Penny.

  "What's 'at?" said Daddy.

  "I said, there's a great big dog in my room. It's the biggest dog I've ever seen. It's in my chair."

  "You've been dreaming," said Daddy.

  "No, I haven't, Daddy," said Penny. "There is a dog there. You come and look."

  "There couldn't be a dog there, Penny," said Daddy. "We don't have a dog. Come on, get into my bed and go to sleep again. It's awfully early."

  Penny liked nothing better than to get into bed with Daddy, so he climbed in. He put his head on his daddy's chest and felt the comfort of his daddy's big arms around him.

  "You just had a dream," said Daddy.

  "Well, I thought it was a real dog," said Penny, and he dozed off to sleep.

  About an hour later, Tootsie woke up. The chocolate cake had made her thirsty. She couldn't stand it. She wanted a drink. She lifted her head and gave a terrific yelp. Daddy, Mother, Peter, and Penny all woke up with a start.

  "What was that!" cried Mother.

  Daddy was already out of the door, followed by Penny. Peter met them as he ran out of his room. "What's the matter?" he cried.

  Daddy led the way to Penny's room. There, in the clear morning light, was Tootsie, barking her head off. When she saw them, she wagged her great tail and let out a powerful "Woof!"

  "Great snakes!" cried Daddy.

  "I told you there was a dog, Daddy," said Penny. "Didn't I tell you?"

  "Where did he come from?" said Mother, looking in the door.

  Tootsie began barking again.

  "Oh, be quiet!" said Daddy. "You'll wake the neighborhood."

  "Maybe he wants a drink," said Peter.

  Daddy went into the bathroom and turned on the water in the washstand. As soon as Tootsie heard the water running, she came into the bathroom. Placing her paws on the edge of the basin, she drank and drank.

  In the midst of the drinking, the front doorbell rang.

  "Who can that be, at this time of the morning!" said Mother.

  Daddy ran and put on his bathrobe. Then he went down to the front door. When he opened it, there stood Mr. Sawyer.

  "Did I hear our dog barking?" he said.

  "Well, you heard a dog all right," said Penny's daddy. "Is your dog a Great Dane?"

  "She is, I regret to say," said Mr. Sawyer, stepping into the hall. "How did she get in here?"

  "Hanged if I know!" said Penny's daddy. "She evidently spent the night in Penny's room."

  Then he called upstairs, "Bring her down, Penny. She's Patsy's dog."

  Penny brought the big dog down, while Peter and Mother hung over the banister asking questions.

  "This isn't Tootsie, is it?" said Peter.

  "That's Tootsie," said Mr. Sawyer, and everyone laughed.

  Not long after Mr. Sawyer and Tootsie departed, Minnie arrived. She had spent the night in town. She walked into the kitchen through the back door. When she saw the empty cake plate, her jaw dropped.

  "Goodness!" she cried. "Who ate all that chocolate cake?"

  5. Tootsie's Second Night

  Having spent her first night in Penny's chair, Tootsie seemed to think that Penny's chair was her bed. So the second night, Tootsie came and scratched on the front door of Penny's house. Penny let her in and Tootsie ran right upstairs and jumped on the big chair.

  In a few moments, Patsy came after her. "Tootsie! This isn't your bed and this isn't where you live. Come home right away," said Patsy.

  Patsy took hold of her collar. "Come home," she said.

  Tootsie wouldn't budge, so Peter and Penny got behind Tootsie and began pushing her. It was like trying to move a rock, but finally Tootsie decided that she might as well go. She went so suddenly that Patsy sat down on the floor with a thud as Tootsie leaped over her. Peter and Penny, who were shoving from behind, fell on their faces on the chair.

  Finally, Patsy got Tootsie home but she just scratched on the doors to go out again. At last, Patsy got her into her bedroom.

  "You're my dog," she said, very severely, "and you mu
st sleep in my house."

  Tootsie rolled her eyes and lay down on the floor, while Patsy undressed.

  In a few moments, her mother came in.

  "Tootsie must learn that this is where she lives," said Patsy, "and that she must sleep where she lives."

  "Yes," said Mother, "but I will be glad when Daddy builds a house for her outside. She is much too big to sleep indoors."

  After Patsy was tucked into bed, Tootsie began to walk round and round the room. Patsy sat up. She patted the bed and said, "Come on, Tootsie, you can sleep in my bed."

  This seemed to please Tootsie. She gave a leap and landed, with a terrific thud, on the bed. The bed shook violently. Then Crash!, and Patsy's bed collapsed. The spring and the mattress dropped to the floor and Patsy and Tootsie lay in a heap.

  Mr. and Mrs. Sawyer heard the crash and came running to Patsy's room.

  "What happened?" cried Mrs. Sawyer.

  "Tootsie broke the bed," said Patsy, trying to untangle herself.

  Her daddy helped her up. "My goodness!" he said. "That dog will break the house if we keep her inside much longer. I'll have to start building a kennel for her right away."

  Patsy sat on a little stool and Tootsie sat in the corner watching Mr. Sawyer take off the bedcovers, lift up the mattress and then the bedspring. Finally, they were all in place again and her mother and daddy put the covers back.

  Once more, Patsy was tucked into bed and Mr. and Mrs. Sawyer left her. Tootsie lay on the floor.

  All was quiet and peaceful and Patsy was almost asleep when, Ker-bang!, the bed shook and there was Tootsie again, right on top of the bed. Fortunately, this time, the bed didn't crash but Patsy had grabbed the covers, thinking it surely would.

  "Oh, Tootsie!" she said, as Tootsie settled down. She took up so much room that Patsy was right on the edge of the bed, but soon they were both asleep.