Stick Dog Slurps Spaghetti Read Online Free

the night sky. It almost seemed like he was trying to mentally put himself somewhere else.
    Stripes then said, “Once the three of you reach the top, I’ll signal you again to come down to get Karen.”

    â€œGot it,” Karen said. “I join the team.”
    â€œExactly,” Stripes said. “These three will encourage you. Push you a bit. Whatever you need. Upon your arrival at the top of the hill, I’ll give the final signal to come down and get me. The last trip will include all five of us—the final team!”
    Mutt, Karen, and Poo-Poo all nodded their understanding toward Stripes.

    Stripes herself turned to Stick Dog and asked, “ Now do you understand how teamwork makes things so much easier?”
    Stick Dog took a single moment to consider his response. Ultimately, he said, “It’s a totally unique plan. I’m absolutely certain that I would never have come up with it myself.”
    â€œI’m sure that’s true,” said Stripes proudly.
    â€œI was just doing a little counting though,” Stick Dog said. “And I want to make sure I got this right. Will you double-check my numbers for me?”
    Stripes nodded.
    â€œBy my count, I will go up the hill five times. Mutt will go up four times. Poo-Poo, three times. Karen, two. And you, one. Is that correct?”
    â€œSounds right.”
    â€œFive plus four plus three plus two plus one equals fifteen, I think,” said Stick Dog.

    Stripes scrunched up her face a bunch. She said, “Well, I don’t have a supercomputer to do the calculations, but I believe that’s correct. What’s your point?”
    â€œMy point is,” said Stick Dog as kindly as he could, “why would we go up the hill fifteen times when we could just go up five times—one time all together?”
    Stripes didn’t say anything. She shuffled her feet against the blacktop, spraying loose pebbles about. She whispered loud enough for all of them to hear, “Math is my worst subject.”
    â€œThat’s not your fault,” Stick Dog said immediately. “It’s math’s fault.”
    Stripes adopted this line of thinking quickly. “It IS math’s fault.”
    Then she growled for about ten seconds.

    While she growled, Stick Dog turned to Mutt and Karen. He asked, “Do either of you have a plan to get to the hilltop to see if a spaghetti restaurant is up there?”
    They both nodded and wagged their tails.
    â€œMine involves a hot-air balloon,” Mutt said with great confidence.
    â€œAnd mine requires a bonfire, a really large skillet, and five buckets of cold water,” Karen said with even greater confidence.
    Stick Dog cocked his head a little, trying to ensure that he had actually heard what he thought he heard. Finally, he said, “I can’t wait to hear your ideas. Let’s make our way over to the hill and then we can hear your plans.”
    â€œWorks for me,” Karen said.

    â€œSure, why not?” responded Mutt.
    And with that, all five dogs began their journey to the tallest hill in the suburbs.

CHAPTER 5
HOT-AIR BALLOONS. CORRECTION: STRIPED HOT-AIR BALLOONS
    It was the first time Stick Dog and his friends had ever run through Picasso Park without stopping to search for food. Karen didn’t even slow down when they passed her favorite garbage can.
    They ran past that garbage can. Then they motored past a swing set, basketball court, and gazebo. They exited the park on the other side and made their way across two fields, three streets, one creek, and twomeadows before arriving at the foot of the tallest hill in the suburbs.
    They stood in a patch of rocks and pebbles that had rolled down the hill over time. They looked up. There was, indeed, a building on the hilltop, but it was too far away to identify.

    â€œWe’re never going to make it up there,” moaned Stripes.
    As soon as the others—well, everybody except Stick