PENNY POOCH AND THE GHOST
Hi kids, I'm Penny Pooch and I have a story to tell you.
Last week I was chasing the leaves as they fell out of the trees. I have a lot of trees in my big backyard, and they turn to real pretty colors in the fall. It's so much fun to chase them.
My little girl people, Mandy, came out to play with me. We ran and played in the leaves, she giggled and I barked. What fun!!
We ran and played for a long time, then Mandy told me that she had to go, I was so sad.
She told me to be a good dog, because it was trick or treat night. I wagged my tail, but I didn't know what that meant.
I didn't want to eat my dinner, so I laid down in my doghouse to take a nap. It wouldn't be any fun to play anymore without my little girl.
Just when I shut my eyes, I heard a noise! It sounded like people children. What were they doing in my yard, was Mandy with them?
I ran out of my house and raced to the front of my fence. The noise was coming from the front yard. I couldn't go there! My fence stopped at the side of the house, but I could see all of these creatures!!!
There was this thing that looked like a big rack of bones, and another one that looked like a giant purple monster!
My eyes were opened wide, my tail was between my hind legs, my body was shaking from end to end!! I was so scared!
Oh my, there was one creature that looked like a huge dog, and he was wearing a collar with a big "S" on it. He even walked on his hind legs and talked like a people!
How could I save my people? I was to scared to dig another hole, and I couldn't climb over my fence! What was I to do??
I did the only thing that a big dog could do, "BARK!"
I started running up and down the fence and I barked and I barked; I barked so long and loud that my voice had trouble working. But I kept right on barking, I had to warn my people!
Yippeeee!!! Mandy's daddy was coming out of the back door. He would see the monsters, and make them go away!
But he didn't see them, he just told me to be quiet, and go lay in my doghouse. I barked some more to try and tell him, but he told me again to go into my house.
I had to obey him, after all he is my master. But I whinned and whimpered for hours. What if that giant purple monster got my Mandy? Maybe that big dog would eat the whole family!
What a scarey time! I could hear all of these creatures yelling those strange words that Mandy had told me, "trick or treat", what did they mean?
Suddenly things got quite, so I peeked out of my house to see what was happening. WHAT!!!!
I howled and jumped back into my house.
A strange creature was coming across my yard, it was all white and had two large black eyes! I heard the thing moan "BOO! PENNY POOCH".
I was so scared! I laid down and covered my eyes with my paws. Would I ever see my Mandy again?
Then I heard my little girl giggle. She climbed into my house and told me not to be afraid.
I couldn't believe it, my Mandy was under the big white thing, and she was safe!
Mandy hugged me and told me all about Holloween. I felt so silly. I should have known that there couldn�t be any real monsters. But it felt good to have my own little people hug me and tell me that she loved me! It made me feel safe.
Judith Kiser �