because of all her colors,"
she said. "She's been here for a long time, and we've become very good friends. If my mother would let me, I'd take her home."
Melanie looked at the dog's large brown eyes. They seemed so
calm and accepting. She reached into Rainbow's cage and stroked her head. Her
hair was soft and fine.
"I wonder how much they charge to take one home,"
Melanie mused.
"Adopting an animal costs twenty-five dollars."
Melanie and the others turned to the young man in the
baseball cap who had spoken. He was leaning on his broom watching them. "That
goes to pay for all of the shots and things we give them here."
"Are many people taking them home for Christmas
presents?" asked Melanie.
"Yeah, about four or five animals are adopted each day,"
he answered. "But if you want that one, you'd better get her real soon."
"Why?" Mona asked, her voice quivering.
"Because on Christmas Eve day they're going to put a
bunch of the older animals to sleep. As you can see, we're completely filled
up, and nobody comes in after Christmas wanting a cat or dog, but the animal-control
warden keeps picking up strays and bringing them in. We'll need the space for
the new ones. I expect she'll be one of the ones that gets put to sleep."
The Fabulous Five and Mona stared speechlessly at the man as
if he had just pronounced their own doom.
Finally, Melanie broke the silence. "No!" she
cried, pushing out her chin.
"No, what?" the man asked, looking at her with
surprise.
"No, we're not going to let anybody put them to sleep,"
she answered defiantly.
"Do you have the money to adopt them, or homes for
them?" he asked.
Melanie's back stiffened. She looked at the faces of her
friends, and they all looked as horrified as she felt.
"We'll find a way," she said with conviction. "Come
on, gang, let's go to my house and have a meeting." She'd find a way to
save the animals before Christmas Eve if it was the last thing she ever did.
CHAPTER 2
"Okay, what are we going to do?" asked Melanie
after The Fabulous Five and Mona had gathered in the Edwardses' family room.
Her six-year-old brother, Jeffy, under strict orders to mind his own business,
had planted himself directly in front of the television. He was watching a
cartoon Christmas special with the sound turned low.
"You're the one who said we were going to do it,"
said Beth. "There must be forty or fifty dogs and cats at the shelter. How
in the world are we going to save all of them? It would cost at least a zillion
dollars."
"We don't have to save all of them,"
responded Katie. "Just the ones they're going to put to sleep."
"I can't stand the thought of their putting Rainbow to
sleep," said Melanie, looking at Mona. "She's so sweet."
"I wonder if they would give us a group rate?"
mused Christie. "You know, half price if we take so many."
"That's a great idea!" exclaimed Melanie. "Let's
ask."
"The first thing we've got to find out," injected
Jana in a practical tone, "is how many animals we're talking about. That
man said they were just going to put some of the older ones to sleep. Does that
mean ten? Fifteen? Twenty?"
"They probably won't know for sure until they find out
how many animals are adopted before Christmas," said Mona. "I could
ask Mrs. Graham. She might be able to give us an idea about approximately how
many there will be."
"Why don't you call her now and find out?"
suggested Melanie. "You can use the phone in the kitchen."
"While Mona's calling," said Katie, "why don't
we talk about what we'll do with them if we're able to get them."
"Give them to kids at Wacko as Christmas presents?"
suggested Beth. "I'd give one to Keith if he didn't already have a dog."
"Maybe he'd like a cat," said Christie.
"I think that's a good idea, but Randy has a dog, too,"
said Jana. "And Heidi's been around so long that she'd probably be jealous
of a new animal."
Katie looked at Beth. "Couldn't you use your stage
makeup kit and dress them up like kids and enroll them at Wacko?"
Beth
she said. "She's been here for a long time, and we've become very good friends. If my mother would let me, I'd take her home."
Melanie looked at the dog's large brown eyes. They seemed so
calm and accepting. She reached into Rainbow's cage and stroked her head. Her
hair was soft and fine.
"I wonder how much they charge to take one home,"
Melanie mused.
"Adopting an animal costs twenty-five dollars."
Melanie and the others turned to the young man in the
baseball cap who had spoken. He was leaning on his broom watching them. "That
goes to pay for all of the shots and things we give them here."
"Are many people taking them home for Christmas
presents?" asked Melanie.
"Yeah, about four or five animals are adopted each day,"
he answered. "But if you want that one, you'd better get her real soon."
"Why?" Mona asked, her voice quivering.
"Because on Christmas Eve day they're going to put a
bunch of the older animals to sleep. As you can see, we're completely filled
up, and nobody comes in after Christmas wanting a cat or dog, but the animal-control
warden keeps picking up strays and bringing them in. We'll need the space for
the new ones. I expect she'll be one of the ones that gets put to sleep."
The Fabulous Five and Mona stared speechlessly at the man as
if he had just pronounced their own doom.
Finally, Melanie broke the silence. "No!" she
cried, pushing out her chin.
"No, what?" the man asked, looking at her with
surprise.
"No, we're not going to let anybody put them to sleep,"
she answered defiantly.
"Do you have the money to adopt them, or homes for
them?" he asked.
Melanie's back stiffened. She looked at the faces of her
friends, and they all looked as horrified as she felt.
"We'll find a way," she said with conviction. "Come
on, gang, let's go to my house and have a meeting." She'd find a way to
save the animals before Christmas Eve if it was the last thing she ever did.
CHAPTER 2
"Okay, what are we going to do?" asked Melanie
after The Fabulous Five and Mona had gathered in the Edwardses' family room.
Her six-year-old brother, Jeffy, under strict orders to mind his own business,
had planted himself directly in front of the television. He was watching a
cartoon Christmas special with the sound turned low.
"You're the one who said we were going to do it,"
said Beth. "There must be forty or fifty dogs and cats at the shelter. How
in the world are we going to save all of them? It would cost at least a zillion
dollars."
"We don't have to save all of them,"
responded Katie. "Just the ones they're going to put to sleep."
"I can't stand the thought of their putting Rainbow to
sleep," said Melanie, looking at Mona. "She's so sweet."
"I wonder if they would give us a group rate?"
mused Christie. "You know, half price if we take so many."
"That's a great idea!" exclaimed Melanie. "Let's
ask."
"The first thing we've got to find out," injected
Jana in a practical tone, "is how many animals we're talking about. That
man said they were just going to put some of the older ones to sleep. Does that
mean ten? Fifteen? Twenty?"
"They probably won't know for sure until they find out
how many animals are adopted before Christmas," said Mona. "I could
ask Mrs. Graham. She might be able to give us an idea about approximately how
many there will be."
"Why don't you call her now and find out?"
suggested Melanie. "You can use the phone in the kitchen."
"While Mona's calling," said Katie, "why don't
we talk about what we'll do with them if we're able to get them."
"Give them to kids at Wacko as Christmas presents?"
suggested Beth. "I'd give one to Keith if he didn't already have a dog."
"Maybe he'd like a cat," said Christie.
"I think that's a good idea, but Randy has a dog, too,"
said Jana. "And Heidi's been around so long that she'd probably be jealous
of a new animal."
Katie looked at Beth. "Couldn't you use your stage
makeup kit and dress them up like kids and enroll them at Wacko?"
Beth
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