Poodle Head

Poodle Head
By Heather Leigh
Illustrated by Judy Ziegler



Waking up that morning, Dustin felt something on his head.

“Ehhh!” cried Dustin, “Poodle Head!”

He shook his head, jumped up and down, and pushed it, but the poodle only clamped on

tighter. It would not come off.

“Poodle Head! Gross!” said his sister at breakfast.

The poodle growled at her.

“Dustin, control your poodle,” said his mother.

At Dustin’s soccer game, he tried to head butt the ball but the poodle bit it.

“Get that Poodle Head kid off the field!” someone yelled.

Dustin was sent home.

“I have got to rid of this Poodle Head,” thought Dustin.

He asked the poodle very nicely to leave, but it walked in a circle and nestled in

more firmly.

It turned up it’s nose at dog treats.

Dustin walked to the window and looked out. What was he going to do? He couldn’t go

to school, he couldn’t play soccer, and no one wants to hang out with Poodle Head kids.

Then he saw his swimming pool. Poodle Head poodles hate the water. He went to the

backyard and stood in front of the pool.

“I’m going in,” he told the poodle.

The poodle stood up.

Dustin stepped into the pool.

“Grrr,” the poodle whimpered.

Dustin walked down the steps.

“Arrfff?” the poodle said.

Dustin swam to the deep end.

Just before Dustin ducked his head underwater, the poodle jumped off Dustin’s head,

swam to the edge, and got out.

“No more Poodle Head!” cried Dustin.

The poodle shook out his fur, glared at Dustin, and ran off.

“Don’t mess with me or my family, again,” called out Dustin.

But the next morning, Dustin woke to hear, “Ehhh!”

Judy Hootie

Judy Hootie
By Heather Leigh
Illustrated by Judy Ziegler

Before first recess, Judy Hootie had knocked over two jars of paints, fell onto the hamster cage, and spilled water on the teacher’s desk.
“Judy Hootie, please keep still,” the teacher said, “or I’ll have to send you to the principal’s office.”
So Judy kept very still in her seat.
As she was sitting, keeping very still, she noticed that her pencil was keeping VERY still. She felt bad for her pencil, having to keep so very still. Keeping still was boring. She decided to let it move—just like she wanted to move.




She used the pencil to draw a picture of the teacher with sharp teeth, a fat nose and wicked eyes.
Judy was so intent on moving her pencil that she didn’t notice when the teacher came and stood beside her.
“Judy Hootie, please see me after class,” said the teacher.
Judy jumped in her seat. Having to see the teacher after class could only mean one thing: TROUBLE--even worse than seeing the principal trouble.
For the rest of the day, she kept very still.
After school, when all the other kids had bounded out of the classroom, Judy stayed in her seat.
“Judy Hootie, please come here,” said the teacher. “And bring your picture.”





Judy slunk to the teacher’s desk.
“Was that picture you drew supposed to be me?” asked the teacher.
“Yes,” Judy whispered.
The teacher opened her desk. Judy thought she was going to get a ruler to whap her knuckles with. She had heard teachers once did that.
Instead, the teacher put one dollar on the desk.
“If I pay you one dollar, will you draw another picture of me?” asked the teacher. “You’re a very good artist, Judy Hootie.”
Judy was very still.
“Please?” asked her teacher.



Judy ran back to her desk to get a piece of paper and her pencil.
“I’ll make you look nice in this picture,” Judy said.
She drew a picture of her teacher’s wavy hair, big smile, and pretty eyes.
And only her pencil moved.

Sydney's Mystery Box

Sydney’s Mystery Box
By Heather Leigh
Illustrated by Judy Ziegler



“The Grinding Stones are down here!” called Kelsey.
Whoosh! Janet’s dog, Sydney, ran right past Kelsey and knocked her over.
“Are you alright?” asked Janet as she helped her friend stand up. “My dog gets a little excited.”
Kelsey watched as Sydney jumped into the creek and started barking.
“Your dog gets more than a little excited,” said Kelsey.
Janet went to read a sign. “This says that the Kumeyaay Indians used the Grinding Stones to make acorns into flour.”
Kelsey looked at the holes in the wide flat boulders beside the creek. She could imagine the Indians pounding acorns with rocks to make their food.
“Let’s pretend we’re Kumeyaay Indians making acorn flour,” said Kelsey. “I’ll look for acorns.”
“Then I’ll find rocks to grind with,” said Janet.
Kelsey started looking for acorns, but Sydney came over with a stick for her to throw.
“I’ll throw it one time, Sydney,” said Kelsey.
She threw the stick but Sydney brought it right back. So Kelsey threw the stick again. And again, and again.
Kelsey threw the stick into the water, hoping Sydney would start playing in the creek and leave her alone. But the dog came back dripping wet and shook himself all over Kelsey!




“Janet, your dog got me wet!” cried Kelsey.
“Come here, Sydney,” called Janet.
The dog went to Janet, and Kelsey found some acorns.
“I’ve got the perfect rocks for us,” said Janet.
Kelsey chose the rock she wanted to use. The girls went to get the pile of acorns, but Sydney had found them.
“Sydney—quit chewing those acorns!” yelled Janet.
“They’re all slobbered on,” said Kelsey.
“GO AWAY! You’re ruining our fun,” cried Janet.
Sydney slunk away to the other side of the acorn tree. The girls couldn’t find any more acorns because there weren’t many in the winter.
“I still want to grind something,” said Kelsey.
“How about these dirt rocks?” said Janet, kicking at the ground.
“That would work,” said Kelsey.
They spent the next few minutes hunched over the boulder holes, breaking up dirt rocks and turning them into dust.




“Arff!! Arff!!”
“What now, you silly dog?” called Kelsey.
“She’s digging like crazy,” said Janet. “I think she found something.”
“What is it?” asked Kelsey.
They went to look at Sydney’s hole. When Sydney saw that the girls had come to see what he had found, he started running in circles.
The girls bent down and pushed away the dirt. Janet reached in and pulled out a big Ziploc bag.
“There’s a box inside!” said Janet.
They opened the metal box and discovered a small notebook.
“Please write a message for the next people who find this notebook,” read Kelsey.
“No one has written anything in it,” said Janet. “We can be the first one’s!”
The girls searched their backpacks but found only water and snacks.
“No pen to write the first message,” said Janet. “Bummer.”
“Hey, we can use the dirt we made from the grinding stones!” said Kelsey. “If we add some water, we’ll have ‘ink’.
“And we can use a stick for writing,” said Janet. “A stick pen and mud ink!”
The girls got everything ready to write their messages.
Janet wrote: Happy Grinding! From Janet
Kelsey wrote: Be careful of dog slobber on your acorns! From Kelsey
Sydney put her pawprint.





The girls put Sydney’s Mystery Box back into the Ziploc bag and buried it.
“Wonder who’ll find it next?” Kelsey asked as she pet Sydney behind the ears.
“Who ever it is will probably have a dog to dig it up for them!” said Janet.
“You’re a good, crazy dog, Sydney,” said Kelsey.
“Time to go, Sydney,” said Janet.
“Arff!! Arff!!” barked Sydney, and whooshed past the girls on her way home.