Stick Dog Gets the Tacos Read online

  DEDICATION

  Dedicated to MEJ

  (IWTASD)

  CONTENTS

  Cover

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Chapter 1: A Very Short Nap

  Chapter 2: Is Karen Getting Taller?

  Chapter 3: Wake Up!

  Chapter 4: Questions

  Chapter 5: Stripes versus a Tree

  Chapter 6: It’s Not a Dog

  Chapter 7: Birdie-Attacking Rampage

  Chapter 8: TWANG!

  Chapter 9: Guac-a-what-eee?

  Chapter 10: There’s a Dog in the Bowl

  Chapter 11: Chew-Crunch-Chew

  Chapter 12: That Must Be a Taco

  Chapter 13: Taco Time

  Chapter 14: Busted. Almost.

  Chapter 15: More to Do

  Chapter 16: Stick Dog, the Cowboy

  Chapter 17: The Rise of Karen

  Chapter 18: The Great Wall of China

  Chapter 19: Karen Bites

  Chapter 20: Head-Bashing

  Chapter 21: Dessert

  Learn to Draw Stick Dog & Friends!

  About the Author

  Back Ad

  Copyright

  About the Publisher

  CHAPTER 1

  A VERY SHORT NAP

  In the late afternoon, Stick Dog rested in his pipe under Highway 16. His eyelids hung halfway down. He was tired from an unsuccessful food search during the day.

  He looked around at Mutt, Poo-Poo, and Stripes. They were on their bellies. Their eyes were closed.

  Only Karen was missing.

  But Stick Dog knew exactly where she was—and he was not concerned about her at all.

  Karen was at Picasso Park. She had veered off as they all sulked back from behind the mall an hour ago. Karen craved barbecue potato chips—her favorite treat—and wanted to check for some at her lucky garbage can.

  Stick Dog’s eyes drooped even farther. They were now just slits. He tried to stay awake to welcome Karen. He knew she would arrive soon.

  But it was too difficult.

  His eyes shut completely.

  And Stick Dog fell instantly and deeply asleep.

  But only for twenty-seven seconds.

  That’s because after twenty-seven seconds, Karen sprinted into Stick Dog’s pipe—and Stick Dog heard her rapid approach.

  She stopped the best she could, but her speed and momentum were too much. She slammed into Stick Dog’s side, waking him instantly from his twenty-seven-second slumber.

  Stick Dog opened his eyes. Karen’s face was right in front of his.

  She panted quickly. Her eyes stretched wide open.

  Stick Dog smiled at Karen.

  Karen smiled at Stick Dog.

  She asked him, “Did you have a nice nap?”

  “I did,” Stick Dog said kindly. There was no reason to tell Karen that he had been asleep for less than a minute. “Thank you for asking. What have you been up to?”

  “Big stuff, Stick Dog, big stuff,” Karen said. “I made two super-important discoveries.”

  “You did?”

  “I did.”

  “Would you like to tell me about them?”

  Karen nodded her head very quickly. She was eager to tell him.

  What Stick Dog didn’t know at the time was that Karen’s two discoveries were two very different things.

  One was amusing.

  And the other was alarming.

  CHAPTER 2

  IS KAREN GETTING TALLER?

  Stick Dog asked, “What is your first discovery?”

  “It’s something amazing. Truly amazing,” Karen said. “But first, can I ask you something?”

  “Of course.”

  “Do you think I’m gaining speed?” asked Karen. There was a hint of excitement and pride in her voice. “You know, getting faster?”

  Stick Dog was not certain what this line of inquiry had to do with Karen’s discovery, but he thought addressing it quickly was probably the best course of action.

  “I’m not sure,” he said. “Maybe so. I’ve always thought of you as pretty darn fast. Why do you ask?”

  Karen didn’t answer for a few seconds. She glanced about at Mutt, Stripes, and Poo-Poo. They were all still fast asleep. This seemed to satisfy Karen. She lowered her voice when she offered her answer.

  “I think my legs are getting longer,” Karen said in a confiding near-whisper. “I think I’m getting taller. That’s the first discovery!”

  Now, this response caught Stick Dog by surprise. Karen was fully grown, he knew that. He asked, “Why do you think your legs are getting longer?”

  “Do you remember that big storm we had last week?” Karen asked in reply. “That’s when I got my proof.”

  “I do,” Stick Dog said. It had been a loud and fierce storm with plenty of lightning and thunderclaps. “It was really coming down.”

  “And then it cleared up and the sun came out and it got super-hot really fast,” Karen said. “Do you remember that?”

  Stick Dog nodded. It had indeed been a big storm—and a hot, hot day.

  “Well, after the storm I got really warm,” Karen went on. “I was near Picasso Park and there are always such great puddles there after it rains. So I found a nice, deep puddle by the picnic tables. Do you know where I mean?”

  “Yes,” Stick Dog confirmed. “There are nice puddles there.”

  “Right, right,” Karen said. She was glad that Stick Dog was following along. “Well, I stepped right into the middle of that puddle to cool down. And guess what?”

  “What?”

  “The water came up over my knees, that’s what.”

  Karen seemed to be done now. And Stick Dog hadn’t yet understood how this proved she was getting taller.

  “I see,” he said. “And, umm, how does that prove your legs are growing?”

  Karen squinted one eye and nodded. “There’s more to the story.”

  “I bet there is,” said Stick Dog. “Let’s hear it.”

  “After I cooled off,” continued Karen. Her voice had risen a bit now and her words came faster. She was growing excited. “I fell asleep under one of the picnic tables. It was shady there and way cooler than out in the bright sun. I slept for at least a couple of hours.”

  Stick Dog now had an idea where this might all be going, but he didn’t say anything. He listened intently as Karen went on.

  “When I woke up,” she said, speaking even faster now, “I was hot again. So I went back to that same puddle. And guess what?”

  “What?” asked Stick Dog, even though he knew what was coming.

  “When I stood in that puddle the second time,” Karen answered quickly. She was hopping up and down a little bit now. “The puddle was only up to my ankles!”

  Stick Dog pressed his lips together. He said nothing.

  “Don’t you see?” Karen asked. Her tail wagged like mad now. “My legs grew while I was asleep! The water only came up to my ankles in the exact same puddle!”

  Stick Dog nodded but was silent. It looked like he was attempting to find something to say.

  “And if I’m getting faster, then that proves it even more!” Karen exclaimed. “If my legs are longer, then I can cover more ground with each step! Faster means bigger!”

  Stick Dog continued to nod and think. He knew that Karen was thrilled with the prospect of growing bigger. He also knew that, in fact, she wasn’t growing bigger. And Stick Dog had no interest in explaining what the passage of time and a hot day could do to a puddle. He knew that Karen had not grown taller—he knew that the puddle had become more shallow.

  “It’s exciting, isn’t it?!” Karen asked. “I mean, just imagine if I grew up to be as big as you or Mutt or Stripes or Poo-Poo! That would be awesome!”

  Stick Dog nodded slowly, but he didn’t speak. Instead, he allowed the shadow of a frown to come forward on his face. He didn’t look angry or disappointed—just a little bit sad.

  And Karen noticed.

  “What is it, Stick Dog?” she asked. There was concern on her face—and any trace of excitement was gone now. “What’s the matter?”

  “It would just make me sad if you grew to our size, that’s all,” he answered.

  “Why?”

  “You’re so unique,” Stick Dog said. “You’re so different in so many ways. We all are. Having differences is the best—the absolute best. It makes us a great team. It would be totally boring if we all looked and acted the same. Our differences are what make us strong.”

  Karen cocked her head sideways a bit. And Stick Dog tried to explain further.

  He asked, “What’s special about Mutt?”

  Karen looked over at Mutt. His front paws were folded beneath his chin as he slept. “He’s shaggy,” observed Karen.

  “Right,” Stick Dog said, and smiled. “And his shagginess means he can store things in his fur. Those things often serve as tools to help us snatch food. Remember the nail we used to give that worker a flat tire so we could get the donuts?”

  Karen nodded and licked her lips. She remembered the sweet doughy goodness of donuts.

  “And what’s special about Poo-Poo?”

  “He likes to bash his head into things—on purpose.”

  “That’s definitely unique,” Stick Dog said. “And his head-bashing prowess has toppled a lot of garbage cans where we’ve found a lot of tasty scraps, hasn’t it?”

  Karen nodded again.

  “And what about Stripes?”

  “She
’s the fastest.”

  “She’s totally fast,” confirmed Stick Dog. “Remember when she saw those witches and ran away—and warned us? That was really important.”

  Karen looked up at Stick Dog. Her tail was wagging again now. She looked down at herself. She peered back up at Stick Dog and said, “And I’m short.”

  She then waited eagerly to see what Stick Dog would say about her.

  “You’re a little smaller than us, it’s true,” Stick Dog said. “And you were the only one who could fit under that Dumpster and discover the spaghetti in that container. We would have never had that spaghetti feast without you.”

  “And I was the only one who could fit my head into that coffee cup,” Karen offered. “Do you remember that?”

  “I do.”

  “I did it a couple of times.”

  “I remember.”

  “I couldn’t have done that if I was big.”

  “That’s true.”

  “I really like coffee.”

  “I know you do.”

  “I mean, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE coffee!”

  “Maybe we’ll find some more someday,” Stick Dog said, and smiled down at Karen. Her eyes glistened now, her tail wagged, and her little dachshund chest was puffed up a bit. He concluded, “So, it’s really nice that you’re smaller, I think.”

  “I actually hope I’m not growing.”

  “Who knows? Maybe you’re not, after all.”

  “Stick Dog?” Karen asked.

  “Yes?”

  “What’s special about you?”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” answered Stick Dog modestly. “Not so much.”

  Karen thought about her own question for a while. Her face got all scrunched up in thought as she concentrated for a few moments. Then she came up with an answer. Her face unscrunched and a satisfied little grin came to her face.

  “I figured out what’s special about you.”

  “You did?” Stick Dog asked. He looked forward to Karen’s answer. Everyone likes to get a compliment now and then, after all. “What’s that?”

  “You’re not as smart as the rest of us,” Karen said.

  Stick Dog paused then. He felt a laugh building up in his belly, and he did his best to suppress it. “Is that right?”

  “I think so, yes,” Karen said. “It’s okay if you don’t understand quite what I’m saying. That’s just normal for you. Not understanding things is what makes you special.”

  “Well,” Stick Dog said. He was confident now that he had stifled the laugh inside his belly. “I’ve never thought of myself like that before.”

  “Not thinking of things just comes naturally to you, I guess.”

  Stick Dog, while amused and enjoying this back-and-forth conversation with Karen, was now ready to move on. He asked, “What is your second discovery?”

  When Karen answered his question, Stick Dog wished they hadn’t spent so much time talking about Karen getting taller.

  Her second discovery was more than just a discovery.

  It was an emergency.

  And Stick Dog had to help.

  CHAPTER 3

  WAKE UP!

  “A second discovery?” asked Karen.

  “When you ran in here earlier, you said there were two super-important discoveries,” Stick Dog reminded her. “You must have seen or heard something on the way back here from Picasso Park.”

  “Didn’t I come back with you guys?” asked Karen sincerely. Her forehead was wrinkled and she stared at the ceiling of Stick Dog’s pipe.

  “We were all together for a while,” Stick Dog answered. “But about halfway back, you decided to go to Picasso Park by yourself. You wanted to check your favorite garbage can for food.”

  “That’s right, I did,” Karen confirmed. She remembered now. “I love that garbage can! Sometimes I even find barbecue potato chips!”

  “I know you do,” Stick Dog said politely. “Did you make it to your favorite garbage can?”

  “No.”

  “What happened before you got there?”

  “A bunch of stuff happened.”

  “Like what?”

  “I saw a ladybug. That’s one thing.”

  “That probably wasn’t the second discovery. We’ve seen ladybugs before.”

  “No, probably not. But I do love ladybugs! Did you know they have black spots?”

  “I did know that.”

  “I thought maybe with your lack of smarts, you might not know that ladybugs have black spots.”

  “I see,” Stick Dog said, and paused. Then he asked, “What happened after you saw the ladybug?”

  “I took a nap under the slide for a few minutes.”

  “That probably wasn’t the second discovery.”

  “I don’t think so either,” Karen replied. “But it was nice and cool under there. Did you know it’s cooler in the shade than out in the bright, hot sunshine?”

  “I know that too.”

  “Good for you,” Karen said. “That’s real, real smart of you, Stick Dog.”

  “Umm, thanks,” answered Stick Dog as genuinely as he could. “What did you do when you woke up under the slide? What happened next?”

  Karen squeezed her eyes shut to help her think.

  Her body began to shiver.

  “That’s it,” she whispered. “I saw it with my own two eyes. It was terrible, Stick Dog. It might still be happening.”

  Stick Dog kept his voice calm and steady. He asked, “What was it?”

  Karen shook her head.

  “You can tell me.”

  She shook her head again.

  “Maybe we can help.”

  This was the nudge of encouragement Karen needed. She took one step closer to Stick Dog. Her body continued to tremble.

  “It was after I left Picasso Park. I was on my way here and I took the shortcut by that house between the park and the woods,” Karen whispered, her eyes now wide open.

  Stick Dog knew that house. He and his friends had often snuck past it to get to the woods. He nodded for her to continue.

  “That’s where I saw it. In the backyard.”

  She stopped then, squeezed her eyes shut again, and shook her head.

  “What did you see?”

  “I can’t.”

  “Yes, you can.”

  Karen opened her eyes and stared directly into Stick Dog’s eyes. He held his stare steady on her.

  “Go on,” encouraged Stick Dog. He could tell something was truly wrong. “It’s okay.”

  Karen whispered, “In that backyard. Under a big oak tree. They were hitting a . . . a . . . a . . .”

  “A what, Karen?” Stick Dog asked. “They were hitting a what?”

  Karen closed her eyes again and answered. “A dog,” she said. “They were hitting a dog.”

  The words took only two seconds to register with Stick Dog. And when they did, his face grew fierce. His shoulder muscles tensed. His lips quivered and a snarl began to take shape on his mouth.

  He knew there was no time to waste.

  He shouted one thing.

  And one thing only.

  “Wake up!”

  Never in all their time together had Karen, Poo-Poo, Mutt, and Stripes ever heard such a shout from Stick Dog. He was loud—and he was angry.

  Karen jumped back from the sheer volume and ferocity of the sound.

  Stripes, Mutt, and Poo-Poo were instantly awake—and instantly up on their paws. They asked in unison, “What is it?!”

  “Something terrible!” Stick Dog screamed as he sprinted toward the opening of his pipe. “Near the house at the edge of the woods! A dog’s in trouble! Karen saw it! We have to help! Follow me! Karen will explain the details on the way!”

  Nobody responded as Stick Dog leaped out of his pipe.

  But they did follow him as fast as they could.

  CHAPTER 4

  QUESTIONS

  Stick Dog was cautious and practical in all things. He had to be to keep this gang of strays safe—and fed. He had learned the value of good, smart, secure planning—and carefully executed action.

  But he exercised no caution now.

  Poo-Poo, Mutt, Stripes, and Karen had never seen Stick Dog run so fast. He hurdled over fallen limbs and branches in the forest. He thrust and pushed through brush they normally went around. He took the fastest, straightest path toward that house at the forest’s edge.