Stick Dog Dreams of Ice Cream Read Online Free

each other, lost their footing in the wet grass, and generally did everything except get away.

    Stick Dog, who had not tried to nudge himself closer and closer to the dripping sprinkler like the others, was a safe distance away. He had been sprayed acouple of times at the very start but simply backed away a few steps to be completely out of range. He sat on his hind legs to observe Stripes and Mutt frantically leaping and smashing about. He found it both fascinating and amusing that they dashed in and out of the water sprays just like the three little humans had done minutes earlier.

    Now, to Mutt and Stripes it seemed as if they had been caught in the torturing water sprays for an eternity. But, in truth, it was only several seconds. During those several seconds, Stick Dog noticed the pattern and rhythm of the water machine. When the time was right and there was a brief opportunity for them to escape, he called to his friends.
    â€œMutt, Stripes! Over here,” he yelled. He watched and timed the movement of the water patterns. “Now!”
    That was all they needed to hear. Blinking the wetness from their eyes, Mutt and Stripes made for the direction of Stick Dog’s voice as fast as they could. They sprinted and hurtled across the lawn. They quickly reached Stick Dog, sliding and stumbling to a stopat his side—safely out of reach of the still-spraying water.
    By this time, Karen and Poo-Poo had arrived as well. They had carefully circumnavigated the shooting water.
    â€œI told you it was a water-attacking machine,” panted Stripes. “That thing’s a monster. Why did that happen?! Why did it just come to life like that?!”
    Karen glanced at Poo-Poo. Poo-Poo looked at Karen. Stick Dog stared at them both.

    Mutt continued to try to work the sock strings out from between his teeth.
    â€œWhy, Stick Dog?” Stripes asked. She was only now beginning to catch her breath. “Why did that monster come to life and attack?”
    Stick Dog had a pretty good idea about what had happened. The exchanged glances between Poo-Poo and Karen only confirmed his suspicions. He didn’t want Stripes to get mad at them. But Stick Dog didn’t want to lie. He really didn’t like lying.
    â€œUmm,” he said, trying to pause for time to think of something to say.
    And that pause worked out perfectly.
    That’s because, at that precise moment, a loud voice bellowed out of the house that the three little humans had entered.
    â€œDidn’t I tell you kids to turn off the sprinkler when you were done?!” an older human voice yelled from the house. The dogs could all hear it booming out of the open windows.
    â€œWe did,” answered a younger human voice.

    â€œWell, somehow it has magically turned itself back on and is running up the water bill,” the adult yelled back. You could tell by the tone of his voice that he didn’t really believe in magic. “Get back out there and turn it off.”
    â€œAll right,” the little human voice called. “Come on, you guys. Let’s go turn it off. Again .”
    That was all Stick Dog needed to hear.
    â€œThe humans are coming,” he said urgently. “We have to get out of here.”

Chapter 6
IT’S TOTALLY ANNOYING
    They ran as fast as they could between the house with the water-attacking machine and the one with the badminton net. There, the dogs found several large lilac bushes arranged in a circle. The open space in the center of the bushes was mainly occupied by a big green metalbox. There was still, however, plenty of space for the dogs to comfortably duck for cover.

    â€œStick Dog?” Stripes asked a little nervously. She leaned gingerly against the metal box, not quite sure what to make of it. “What is this big green thing? Is it dangerous?”
    Stick Dog had seen boxes like this one before. It was large and had a screen covering three of its sides. On the side without the screen,