Cassie's On The Case (Kids)




Cassie's On The Case


by

Brian Moloney




            It was the middle of the night and Cassie's tongue was as dry as a bone.

            Hmmmmm a bone, she thought, now that sounds like a marvelous idea.

            Though she knew the best she could hope for, especially at this time of night, was a cool drink of water from her little red bowl.

            So Cassie uncurled, gave her shiny golden coat a shake, and hopped over Wendy, one of her people, with whom she so graciously shared her bed.

            People have to sleep somewhere...even if they do sometimes rudely hog the covers.

            At the bottom of the stairs Cassie found Willie, one of the twin black cats, running around in an endless circle.

            “Hey Willie, whatcha doing, just hanging around and around, and around,” Cassie giggled.  She loved to make silly puns.

            Willie stopped in mid-circle.

            “Cassie, thank goodness you're here.  Something terrible has happened.”

            “What...what do you mean terrible?”  Cassie asked, fearing that her water dish had spilled.

            “Wally is missing.  He's nowhere to be found.”

            “Oh Willie, don't be such a scaredy cat.  You know that Wally is always hiding.”

            “No Cassie.  I've checked everywhere, and he didn't even eat his dinner.”

            “What...no dinner,” Cassie said.  “This does sound serious.”

            Cassie turned towards Bobbie, the old calico that liked to sleep on the windowsill. 

            “Have you asked Bobbie?  She always has something to say.”

            “No, that's just it.  She's suspiciously quiet.”

            “Quiet?  Well that is a bit peculiar...but you certainly don't believe--”

            “You have to find him Cassie!”

            “Me,” Cassie said.  What's this got to do with me?”

            “Why, you're a retriever,” Willie answered.  “Go retrieve Wally.”

“Oh, how do I get involved in these things,” Cassie muttered and she began to sniff around.

Suddenly, her fluffy tail wagged excitedly and it slapped Willie right in the face.

“Hey, watch that thing, Cassie.  I’ve only got nine lives you know.”

Cassie didn’t answer, but instead plunged her head straight under the couch.

            “I knew it!”  she cried.

“Already!  You’ve found Wally already!”

“No, but I found that chewey stick I’ve been looking for since last Christmas.”

“Cassie!”

“Sorry, but I’ve been looking for that chewey.”

Again, Cassie put her nose to the ground, and Willie followed her into the kitchen. 

“I don’t think he’s been in here for a while.  What do you think Willie?  Willie…?”

Willie was off in the corner lapping away at a bowl of milk.

“Ugh, how do you drink that stuff.”

“Don’t knock it until you try it, Cassie.”

“I have tried it.  I think I’m milk-toast intolerant.”

Cassie giggled at another one of her puns.

“I don’t get it,” Willie said.  Who’s talking about toast?

Suddenly a dark, furry blur shot through the kitchen and squeezed through a small opening in the basement door.

“Bobbie!” Cassie shouted.

“I knew it!”  Willie was so surprised, he ran right through his bowl of milk.  “Follow her!”

            So down to the cold, dark basement they crept, four little cat feet, behind four not so little dog feet.

            “I don't see anything,” whispered Willie.

            “Look there's Bobbie standing by that pile of people clothes.”

            “Oh no...not people clothes.”

            Suddenly, Bobbie meowed.

            “Wait a minute,” Cassie said.  She sniffed the pile, then plunged her nose straight into the middle of it.

            Out she came with a bright orange pair of pants, complete with one little cat tail sticking from the pocket.

            “Wally!”  Willie cried.  He grabbed hold of the tail and pulled his twin brother free.

            “Phew,” Wally said.  I didn't think any one would ever find me.  I was playing with these pants when somebody scooped me up and threw me in this pile.  I just couldn't get free no matter what I did.”

            “We owe it all to Cassie,” Willie said.  “Thank goodness Cassie was on the case.”

            Cassie blushed, as much as a Golden Retriever can, and glanced over at Bobbie.

"Sometimes, learning wisely can be difficult," the old cat said, then meowed and walked away.

            “Well, at least I know one thing we can be happy about,” Cassie said. 

            “What's that”?  Wally asked.

            “Wash day isn't til tomorrow.”