Two Times the Fun (3 page)

Jimmy and Janet thought and thought. What were they going to do? They did not really want to give their dog biscuits to a dog. If Muffy had his
own dog biscuits, other dogs must have dog biscuits, too.

“We could give the dog biscuits to a cat,” said Janet and laughed. What a funny idea, dog biscuits for a cat!

“Oh, no,” said Mother. “A cat couldn’t eat a dog biscuit, because it would be too hard for his teeth. Dog biscuits are for dogs.” Just the same, on the way home Jimmy and Janet were on the lookout for a cat.

When they were almost home Janet spied a big tiger cat snoozing on a driveway in the sunshine. “There is a cat,” she said. “I’m going to give him my dog biscuit.”

“I’m afraid that cat does not want your dog biscuit,” said Mother.

Janet tiptoed over to the cat and laid her dog biscuit under his nose. “Here is a present for you, kitty,” she said.

The cat opened one eye. He opened the other eye. He stood up and stretched. He sniffed the dog biscuit.

Then he sat down and began to eat. It was hard work for him to eat such a hard biscuit, but he crunched and munched and pretty soon the biscuit was gone. The cat licked his whiskers, looked around, and said, “Meow.”

“He liked my dog biscuit,” said Janet. “He’s saying thank you.”

“He wants another dog
biscuit,” said Jimmy. “Here, kitty. Here is another present for you.” The cat crunched and munched Jimmy’s dog biscuit, and when it was all gone he sat up and began to wash.

“You didn’t know a cat would eat dog biscuits,” Jimmy said to Mother. “You said dog biscuits were for dogs.” He and Janet laughed. What fun it was to know something a grown-up didn’t know!

“No, I didn’t know a cat would eat dog biscuits, but now I know it,” said Mother, and she laughed, too. “Oh, look, there’s Daddy coming home from work.”

“Daddy! Daddy!” shouted Janet, running down the sidewalk to meet him. “We gave our dog biscuits to a cat and he ate them!”

“Daddy! Daddy!” shouted Jimmy, running down the sidewalk to meet
him. “Mother said the cat wouldn’t eat the dog biscuits, but he did! She didn’t know!”

Daddy caught Jimmy and Janet and picked them both up at the same time. “Your mother didn’t know a cat would eat dog biscuits!” he exclaimed. “What a big joke on Mother!”

“When are my feet going to grow up?” Jimmy asked one morning as he wiggled his toes.

“They’re growing all the time,” said Mother. “They have grown so much that it is time to go to the shoe store and talk to Mr. Markle about new shoes.”

“For me, too?” asked Janet, Jimmy’s twin sister.

“For both of you,” said Mother.

“Our feet are growing up!” shouted Jimmy. “Our feet are growing up!”

“New shoes, new shoes, we’re going to get new shoes!” sang Janet. Then she said, “And I’m going to surprise Mr. Lemon with new shoes when he brings the mail.” Janet liked to surprise people, especially Mr. Lemon.

Mother and the twins drove to the shoe store, where they sat in three chairs in a row, with Mother in the middle.

Mr. Markle pulled up a stool and
sat down in front of them. “What will my favorite customers have today?” he asked.

“Shoes,” said Jimmy. “Our feet are growing up.”

“No kidding,” said Mr. Markle. He felt the toes of Jimmy’s and Janet’s shoes. Then he took off their shoes and asked each of them to stand on his measuring stick while he slid the wooden piece to the tips of their toes.

Mr. Markle shook his head. “Sorry,” he said. “You kids aren’t ready for new shoes.”

No new shoes! Jimmy and Janet looked at Mother and said, “You told us we were ready for new shoes.”

Mother sighed. “Mothers can be wrong sometimes,” she said. That made Jimmy and Janet feel better—a little, but not much.

Mr. Markle looked disappointed, too. He sniffed and rubbed his eyes with his fists and looked so silly that Jimmy and Janet almost smiled.

Janet leaned against Mother. “I won’t have a surprise for Mr. Lemon today,” she said and looked very, very sad. “Mr.
Lemon likes me to surprise him.”

“We’ll think of another surprise,” said Mother.

“But it won’t be new shoes,” said Janet.

“I
want
new shoes,” said Jimmy.

“Now, Jimmy,” said Mother. “You’re a big boy.”

“No, I’m not!” said Jimmy. “My feet didn’t grow up.”

“How would you each like a balloon?” asked Mr. Markle.

Jimmy and Janet took the balloons, but they did not really want balloons. They wanted new shoes.

“You know something?” said Mr. Markle. “We have some boots on sale.”

“We can’t buy boots to fit old shoes,” said Mother.

“These boots stretch,” said Mr. Markle. “They will fit old shoes and new shoes, too. And you know something else? These boots are red.”

Red boots. Jimmy and Janet looked up at Mother.

“Good,” said Mother. “Let’s buy new boots.”

“For me?” asked Jimmy.

“For me?” asked Janet.

“For both of you,” said Mother.

Mr. Markle brought out bright red boots, which fit the old shoes. “There you are, kids,” he said. “Just what the Easter Bunny ordered.”

Jimmy and Janet thought Mr. Markle was such a silly man. They knew Easter was a long time ago.

Jimmy wore his boots, but Janet carried hers in their box. The twins were so happy they didn’t even stop to pet the hobbyhorse on their way out the door. Mother remembered to say “Thank you” to Mr. Markle.

When Mother and the twins returned home, they found Mr. Lemon had already delivered the mail. Janet hid her box of boots in the closet. “I’m going to save my boots to show Daddy,” she said, “and tomorrow I will surprise Mr. Lemon.”

“Jimmy, don’t you want to take off
your boots?” asked Mother.

“No,” said Jimmy and ran out into the yard. In a little while he came back. “I can’t find any puddles,” he said.

“Of course there aren’t any puddles,” said Mother. “It isn’t raining.”

“When is it going to rain?” asked Jimmy.

“I don’t know,” answered Mother. “There aren’t any clouds, so it won’t rain today.”

“Will it rain tomorrow?” asked Jimmy.

“I don’t know,” said Mother. “I don’t think so.”

“The next day?” asked Jimmy.

“I don’t know.” Mother sounded tired as she made sandwiches for lunch.

New boots and no puddles. Jimmy pretended he was walking in puddles, but he wanted
real
puddles with
real
water. Janet waited and waited for Daddy to come home so she could show him her red boots in their box.

When Daddy came home he was surprised once to see Jimmy wearing new boots and surprised twice when Janet opened her box to show him her boots. After the surprise, Janet put her boots on, too.

“Our feet didn’t grow up,” said Jimmy, “and Mother said they did.”

“Don’t worry. They will,” said Daddy.

Jimmy and Janet wore their boots while they ate their dinner. Their feet were hot, but they didn’t care. At bedtime they pulled their boots on over the feet of their sleepers.

When Mother said they could not sleep with boots over their sleepers because their feet would be too hot,
they slept with their boots on their hands.

In the morning Jimmy and Janet pulled their new boots on over their old shoes. “My goodness,” said Mother. “You will wear your boots out before we have any rain.”

This morning Daddy put on an old pair of pants and a sweatshirt.

“Are you going to stay home today?” asked Jimmy as he watched Daddy shave. He liked to watch so he would know how when he was old enough to shave off whiskers of his own.

“Yes. Today is Saturday,” answered Daddy.

Janet, who knew she would never
have whiskers like Daddy, was in the kitchen with Mother. “I wish Mr. Lemon would hurry up and come,” she said.

After breakfast Jimmy said to Daddy, “If we went for a walk, maybe we could find some puddles.”

Daddy smiled. “I’m afraid not, but I know what we can do. Come outside with me.”

“I’m going to sit on the front step and watch for Mr. Lemon,” said Janet.

Daddy backed the car out of the garage. Then he turned on the hose and started to wash the car. Water ran down the driveway. “Puddles!” shouted Jimmy and began to splash. Janet decided Mr. Lemon would be surprised to see wet boots when the sun was shining, so she splashed, too.

Mother stood in the doorway watching her twins have fun. Daddy turned the hose on the grass and made a big puddle. Jimmy and Janet squished and splashed in the wet grass. Their boots were wet, but their shoes were dry.

Janet was sitting near mother when they saw Mr. Lemon coming down the street with his leather bag full of letters and catalogs. “You stay here,” Janet told
Jimmy. “I want to surprise Mr. Lemon.”

“Okay,” said Jimmy. He went on stomping and splashing.

“Say!” said Mr. Lemon when Janet ran to meet him. “Look at those red boots and all those wet footprints when the sun is shining.” Janet was happy because she could see Mr. Lemon was really surprised.

When the mailman reached their house, Jimmy stopped splashing to explain, “My feet didn’t grow up. They are still the same size inside my boots.”

“Don’t worry,” said Mr. Lemon. “Before you know it, your feet will be bigger than mine.”