7 Karate Canine

Karate Canine

Stink got bitten by a bug. Not a bedbug. The karate bug! He practiced kicks while Sophie did cartwheels. He practiced stances when he wasn't thumb-wrestling Webster. He practiced punches, even in the bathtub. Stink planned to punch and kick his way to a yellow belt in just a few more weeks. And to celebrate, he was going to have a pizza party. An ultimate thumb-wrestling smackdown pizza party, that is. Stink drank protein shakes. He ate energy bars. He dipped apple slices in peanut butter. Body and brain food. When Sophie and Webster came over, Stink was pacing up and down the hall with library books on his head. He tried to memorize the karate Yellow Belt Creed. "I am only I. I come to you with only karate. Here are my empty hands, blah, blah, blah."

"How come you never want to do stuff anymore?" Webster asked. "Karate on the brain," said Sophie.

"Karate in the body," said Stink. The books tumbled to the ground. "All I know is, you were way more fun before you became a sports freak." "I can't stop now. I'm almost a yellow belt." Stink picked up his yellow belt list. "I know all my stances and a bunch of punches, and I have my side kick down. Plus I learned to respect the jump rope. If I can just learn the Yellow Belt Creed, and—" "Harry the Dirty Dog?" Sophie asked, picking up the books. "Clifford the Big Red Dog? Go Dog Go?" "What's with all the baby books?" asked Webster. "I thought you flunked gym, not reading," said Sophie. "I'm going to read to a dog!" said Stink. "At the library. To get my yellow belt, I have to do three hours of community service." "A dog in the library?" asked Sophie. "They bring in dogs that are learning to be Seeing Eye dogs, you know, to help blind people. But first the dog has to get used to people and kids and stuff."

"That's so bow-wow!" said Webster. "Can we come?" Stink and his friends made a beeline for the library. "Is the reading dog here yet?" "Any minute," said Lynn, the librarian. At last! The dog that liked to read trotted into the library. Moose. He was a German shepherd with humongous ears and a pink tongue longer than a hot dog. Slurp! Moose licked Stink's whole face. "Don't worry if you feel like an ice-cream cone," said Maggie, his trainer. "That's his way of getting to know you." In no time, the dog had turned Stink into a human Popsicle. "Okay. I want

Moose to get used to being around kids without me, so I'll be in the coffee shop out front." Stink read a book about the big red dog at Halloween. Moose barked. "Maybe he's afraid of ghosts," said Webster. Stink read the one where the big red dog takes a bath. Moose yawned. "Maybe he doesn't like taking baths," said Sophie. "I think that might be true," said Stink, pinching his nose. Stink read the one about the big red dog and his first snow. Moose pricked up his ears. Stink turned the page. Stink turned another page. Moose rested his head on his paws. "He likes it!" said Stink as Moose put his paw up on the book. Sophie and Webster laughed. "Look! He's trying to turn the page!" Stink chose a book about dog and cat best friends. Moose grabbed the book and took off.