"Hmm... a bill... a bill... another bill." Tabby was looking through her mail; she had just
gotten it out of her mailbox. "And then something from the library... what do they want from
me?"
Tabby opened the envelope and read the letter. "What? I didn't return a book?
"A Guide to Cats... I returned that!" She paused and thought. "Well... maybe
I
didn't."
Tabby sighed. "Now I've got to find the stupid thing!"
She went through her entire house, but couldn't find A Guide to Cats. But
then,
she wasn't looking very carefully.
Tabby tapped her hoof on the ground impatiently. "Where else could it be?" She
decided
to try her vet clinic next, thinking that she may have taken it there one day.
She winked there, and quickly looked over everything. Again, the book was not
there.
"I've got better things to do with my time than this!" Tabby muttered.
Maybe I left it at the pet store, she thought. Maybe I dropped it behind all
the
cat
supplies. She hurried over to the mall and into the pet store.
Tabby flipped through all the supplies on the racks, hoping the lost book had somehow
gotten jammed behind them. She also looked through all the animal-care books, in case it had
gotten mixed in with those.
Her efforts were useless. She left the store empty-hooved.
"Hmm... where else?" Now out of the mall, she looked up and saw the Perm Shoppe,
and
an idea struck her. Hadn't she brought the book with her to the Perm Shoppe once when she was
waiting for Powder to get done in it? Tabby herself detested the place, as she did anything that
had
to do with beauty, but she was often forced to go there to wait for her friends.
Tabby walked into the shoppe and looked around furtively. She quickly went up to the
counter.
Fifi noticed Tabby and looked surprised. You never saw Tabby come into the Perm
Shoppe all by herself. Had her interests finally changed? "Hello, Tabby! Do you need to set up
an appointment? There's a free spot for--"
Tabby glared at Fifi. "Don't get any ideas, Fifi," she snapped. "I'm just looking for
something. Have you found any books left around in here?"
Fifi shook her head. "No, sorry."
"Well, goodbye, then." Tabby trotted out as fast as she could.
"Bye!" Fifi called, somewhat disappointed.
Next, Tabby decided to try the Satin Slipper Sweet Shoppe. It was possible she'd left it
in
there at some point.
"Hi, Tabby!" Scoops greeted her.
"I'm trying to find a book I lost-- A Guide to Cats. Have you seen it
around?"
Scoops thought for a moment. "No, I haven't seen that anywhere. Sorry I can't be of
any
help."
Tabby sighed and walked out of the shoppe. She had nowhere else to look. Now I'll
have to pay the library to get a new copy, she thought angrily as she walked back towards
her house.
But on the way there, she passed through one of her favorite picnic spots and suddenly
she
was struck with inspiration. The last time she was on a picnic with her friends, she had the book
with her and had stuck it under a bush to come back to later. She had completely forgotten about
it.
Tabby investigated under the bush she had put it under, certain the book would be there.
But to her dismay, it wasn't.
Tabby was about to scream in outrage when the Bushwoolies hopped by.
"Hi, Tabby!" the Bushwoolies said.
"Hi, guys," Tabby sighed.
"What you doing?" Friendly questioned.
"Trying to find a book I lost. And it's a library book that's already overdue, so I'll have
to
pay them for it!"
Friendly's eyes lit up. "Book? What book called?"
"A Guide to Cats," Tabby replied.
"We have book! We go get!" Friendly exclaimed, and he and the rest of the
Bushwoolies
started hopping back to their holes. Tabby trailed after them.
Friendly went down one of the holes and emerged holding on to just the book Tabby
was
looking for.
Tabby took the book from him. "That's it! Thanks, Bushwoolies!"
The Bushwoolies waved as Tabby ran off to the library.