05 Famous Pet Contest

Famous Pet Contest Stink counted his garage sale money at the kitchen table. Clink. Clink. CLINK. "Stink, you're counting that money out loud on purpose," said Judy. "I can't help it!" said Stink. "Mom, tell her. Money makes noise. When you have so much of it." He grinned. Judy crumpled up the newspaper that had their garage sale ad in it. She stuffed it angrily into the trash. "Recycle, please," said Mom. "Whoa," said Stink. "The recycle queen put paper in the trash?"

"Can I use it to line Mouse's litter box?" asked Judy. "Good idea," said Mom. Judy uncrumpled the paper and spread it on the floor to flatten it. EARLY BIRD SPECIAL! . . . GARAGE DOOR SALE! . . . FAMOUS PET CONTEST! . . . KISS BAD BREATH GOOD-BYE! Wait! Did that say famous? Judy went back and read it again:

FAMOUS PET CONTEST Bring your pet to FUR & FANGS this Saturday! Enter your pet in our famous pet-trick contest! Have fun! Win prizes! Winners will receive a blue ribbon, a gift certificate, and get their picture published in the NORTHERN VIRGINIA STAR! Judy could not believe her eyes. "Where's Mouse?" she asked. "Upstairs," said Mom. "Here, Mousey, Mousey," Judy called. Mouse came down the stairs and strolled into the kitchen, looking for some lunch.

Judy scooped up her cat and kissed her on the nose: "Mww, mww, mwww. You, the best, most wonderful cat in the whole wide world with tuna fish on top, are going to make me famous!" Visions of blue ribbons and certificates with fancy writing danced in her head. "And I get my picture in the paper."

"Hey," she said to her family, "does anybody feel like a piece of toast?" When Judy hurried into Fur & Fangs with Mouse and Stink that Saturday, it was packed. Clutching a piece of bread, she said, "Everyone in the entire state of Virginia must own a pet that can do a trick. Hey, there's Frank!" "And there's Rocky," said Stink.

"You guys! Frank! Rocky! Over here!" Judy called. Frank's dog, Sparky, sniffed a purple dog bone. Sparky sniffed Judy's ankle. Sparky sniffed a ferret. "What trick does Sparky do?" Stink asked Frank. "He jumps through a Hula-hoop, don't you, boy?" said Frank. "I brought Houdini," Rocky said, showing them his iguana. "If you scare him, like with a loud noise or something, he can make the end of his tail drop right off." "Rare," said Judy. She looked around at all the other pets. There was a rabbit and a turtle, a white rat named Elvis, and a striped salamander. Judy saw a