Mystery Mutt (5 page)

Jason kept standing. “I have something to say.”

Stacy wondered,
What's this about?

Why was Jason's face so serious?

Was this about the mystery mutt?

She was nearly holding her breath.

“I acted real stupid at the last meeting,” Jason said.

“Not stupid,” Dunkum said. “Nobody thinks that about you.”

The kids were nodding their heads.

“Just listen,” Jason said. He wasn't fooling around. He meant every word. “I picked some fruit this week. Just like the rest of you.”

Stacy sighed. This was wonderful. Really wonderful!

Jason kept talking. He wasn't jigging and jiving. He wasn't poking his finger at the air. He was doing his best.

And he wasn't a pain. Not one bit!

“I picked a whole bunch of fruits this week,” Jason said.

“You did what?” Dee Dee asked.

Jason was nodding and grinning. “I picked all nine of them. And I'm gonna see how many I can eat this year.”

“Yay!” Everyone was clapping.

The girls jumped up and down.

The boys got up and gave each other high fives.

“Jason's real cool,” Stacy said. But nobody heard her. There was so much noise.

“This is double dabble good!” Abby shouted.

Finally they sat down again.

All but Jason. He wasn't finished talking. “I wanna thank somebody for all this fruity stuff,” he said. He was looking at Stacy.

She ducked her head.

“Stacy's idea was never dumb. The fruity loop is a real cool idea,” Jason exclaimed.

“It was God's idea first. Don't forget that,” Stacy reminded him.

Carly raised her hand. “I prayed for you, Jason,” she said.

“Thanks,” he said.

“And you got a new puppy out of the deal,” Eric pointed out.

Jason scratched his head. “I can't figure out why my parents let me keep Muffie.”

“Because they saw kindness in you,” Stacy said.

“And gentleness and joy,” added Abby.

“Self-control,” said little Jimmy.

“And faithfulness to feed and care for Muffie,” said Dunkum.

“Don't forget patience!” Dee Dee and Carly said together.

“Peace, too,” said Eric.

“And last, but not least—love,” said Stacy.

Shawn was nodding his head. “Stacy's right,” he said.

Stacy looked at her watch. “Guess what? It's the New Year!”

“Happy New Year!” Jason was first to say.

Stacy was quite sure that it
would
be happy. Very happy.

With God's help!

THE CUL-DE-SAC KIDS SERIES
Don't Miss #22!

BIG BAD BEANS

Jason Birchall is having bad dreams. Last night three giant carrots chased him to school! His mother's health-food kick is the reason. And he doesn't need the pressure. Jason's trying to earn enough money to buy Eric Hagel's flashy mountain bike. But he's running out of time, and Muffie, his new dog, is no help.

Couldn't ten bucks just drop from heaven?

About the Author

When Beverly Lewis was a little girl, she and her family “adopted” an Eskimo spitz dog. Maxie was frisky and white. He pulled Beverly and her sister, Barbara, on a snow sled to the grocery store one winter. Maxie was also very big and as fluffy as a cloud. When he ran across the yard, his coat seemed to float in midair.

The Fruit of the Spirit part of this book came from Beverly's memories of Vacation Bible School. She and her church friends often had contests to see who could memorize Bible verses first.

Collecting the Cul-de-sac Kids books is lots of fun. Why? Because you don't want to miss a single book!

Also by Beverly Lewis

Amish Prayers
The Beverly Lewis Amish Heritage Cookbook

G
IRLS
O
NLY
(GO!)†

Youth Fiction
Girls Only! Volume One
    •    
Girls Only! Volume Two

S
UMMER
H
ILL
S
ECRETS
‡

Youth Fiction
SummerHill Secrets: Volume One
    •    
SummerHill Secrets: Volume Two

H
OLLY'S
H
EART

Youth Fiction
Holly's Heart: Collection
One ‡    •    
Holly's Heart: Collection Two
‡
Holly's Heart: Collection Three†

S
EASONS OF
G
RACE

Adult Fiction
The Secret
    •    
The Missing
    •    
The Telling

A
BRAM'S
D
AUGHTERS

Adult Fiction
The Covenant
    •    
The Betrayal
    •    
The Sacrifice
The Prodigal
    •    
The Revelation

A
NNIE'S
P
EOPLE

Adult Fiction
The Preacher's Daughter
    •    
The Englisher
    •    
The Brethren

T
HE
R
OSE
T
RILOGY

Adult Fiction
The Thorn
    •    
The Judgment

C
OURTSHIP OF
N
ELLIE
F
ISHER

Adult Fiction
The Parting
    •    
The Forbidden
    •    
The Longing

T
HE
H
ERITAGE OF
L
ANCASTER
C
OUNTY

Adult Fiction
The Shunning
    •    
The Confession
    •    
The Reckoning

O
THER
A
DULT
F
ICTION

The Postcard
    •    
The Crossroad
    •    
The Redemption of Sarah Cain
October Song
    •    
Sanctuary
(with David Lewis)    •    
The Sunroom

www.BeverlyLewis.com

†4 books in each volume        ‡5 books in each volume

Beverly Lewis Books for Young Readers

P
ICTURE
B
OOKS

In Jesse's Shoes     •     Just Like Mama
What Is God Like?     •     What Is Heaven Like?

T
HE
C
UL-DE-SAC
K
IDS

The Double Dabble Surprise
The Chicken Pox Panic
The Crazy Christmas Angel Mystery
No Grown-ups Allowed
Frog Power
The Mystery of Case D. Luc
The Stinky Sneakers Mystery
Pickle Pizza
Mailbox Mania
The Mudhole Mystery
Fiddlesticks
The Crabby Cat Caper
Tarantula Toes
Green Gravy
Backyard Bandit Mystery
Tree House Trouble
The Creepy Sleep-Over
The Great TV Turn-Off
Piggy Party
The Granny Game
Mystery Mutt
Big Bad Beans
The Upside-Down Day
The Midnight Mystery

Katie and Jake and the Haircut Mistake

www.BeverlyLewis.com

From Bethany House Publishers

Fiction for Young Readers

(ages 7-10)

A
STRO
K
IDS
™
by Robert Elmer

Space scooters? Floating robots? Jupiter ice cream? Blast into the future for out-of-this-world, zero-gravity fun with the AstroKids on space station
CLEO-7.

T
HE
C
UL-DE-SAC
K
IDS
by Beverly Lewis

Each story in this lighthearted series features the hilarious antics and predicaments of nine endearing boys and girls who live on Blossom Hill Lane.

J
ANETTE
O
KE'S
A
NIMAL
F
RIENDS
by Janette Oke

Endearing creatures from the farm, forest, and zoo discover their place in God's world through various struggles, mishaps, and adventures.