Showdown in Crittertown Read Online Free

Mozzarella…”
    Nilla’s squeak ended my fantasy. “Crafts. Isn’t that the second half of ‘arts and crafts’?”
    Nonfiction replied, “Yes, it is.”
    I squeaked, “The children do both!”
    Nilla added, “They could sell their creations!”
    Economics looked skeptical. “They’d have to sell an awful lot of arts and crafts to raise enough money for all those repairs.”
    A happy thought stirred in me. The children would not have to work alone. I said, “Maybe they can—if all the kindly critters in Crittertown help!”
    Nonfiction patted my shoulder. “You can count on the library colony.”
    Every mouse started squeaking ideas for crafts.
    Cookbooks suggested, “The children can sell baked goods. Everyone loves homemade cookies!”
    Magazines added, “The Christmas season’s on the way. They can make ornaments and wreaths. People spend tons of money decorating their nests.”
    General History jumped in. “We can gather pinecones and balsam branches for wreaths.” He turned to his scouts. “We’ll send patrols into the woods and set up relay stations for bringing the supplies back to base.”
    Magazines said, “We can help make things, too—bend wires, hold things in place while glue dries, and that sort of thing.”
    At the height of the excitement, Cookbooks squeaked, “Shh! I smell ca…”
    Before she could finish that dreaded word, Dot jumped into the center of the gathering. Panicked mice scattered in all directions.
    â€œThis way!” General History shouted.
    Grayson, Nilla, and I followed him into a narrow alley between piles of old books. Nilla’s eyes were black pits of panic. Her chest heaved as she slunk deeper into the shadows.

    I peered over General History’s shoulder to watch the last of the colony mice scramble for shelter. Poor Cookbooks! Her nose might be quick, but her chubby legs were slow.
    She ran toward an old filing cabinet, and a huge white paw blocked her way! Dot’s amber eyes glowed like twin flames branding my soul with fear.
    Cookbooks turned toward a bag labeled “book sale.” As she took off, the cat raised her other paw—to strike or just to tease? We’ll never know, because just then, the basement echoed with a loud “Woof! Woof! WOOF!”
    Dot’s tail instantly fluffed to triple its normal width. I’d never seen anything like it! The cat raced upstairs in a blur of fur.
    Cookbooks sighed. “That was a close call!”
    Nilla chuckled. “Three cheers for Buttercup!”
    â€œHip, hip, hooray!” the library mice cheered.
    Grayson turned to Nonfiction. “Thank you for your help.”
    I took a last, wistful look at Poetry and then squeaked, “That’s our ride. Good-bye for now.”
    She said, “Parting is such sweet sorrow.”
    Nilla groaned. “What does that mean?”
    I smiled. “I have no idea, but I’m sure it’s poetry.”

Chapter 4   Many Paws Make Light Work
    As soon as we climbed onto Buttercup’s neck, Nilla patted his ear and squeaked, “You were great!”
    Grayson asked, “Why do cat’s tails fuzz up like that?”
    Buttercup laughed. “It’s supposed to make them look bigger and scarier.”
    Nilla shuddered. “As if cats need to look scarier.”
    I changed the subject to happier thoughts. “The library colony sure had lots of good ideas!” I was eager to get somewhere less bouncy to write them all down.
    Buttercup had some ideas, too. “The kids can sell doggie gift baskets and treats! One of the guests gave me a basket once. Mrs. Hill thought it was ‘a complete waste of money.’ But it was super!”
    He barked on. “How about fancy bird feeders? People buy lots of bird feeders. I love to watch the chickadees. Can you imagine hanging upside down to