Leigh Anne liked to take her little bottle of finger paints, sit on a chair at the kitchen table, and paint a picture on a piece of paper.

She would take the piece of paper with the wet paint, let it dry on her dresser until evening, then roll it up and put it under her pillow.

In the middle of the night, she would have dreams, and the pictures she put on the paper would come to life and she would play with animals and people and all kinds of things.

``Mommy,'' said little Leigh Anne, ``in my dreams I keep seeing the characters and things that I paint in pictures with my finger paints when I roll them up and put them under my pillow.''

And her Mommy said, ``That's amazing, Leigh Anne! Are you sure that those are the characters and things that you have painted with your finger paints.''

``Yes, I am sure, Mommy, because sometimes in my dreams I play with a pretty blue dog, named Bluey, or a green cat, named Greeney, and last night a white fish...''

``Named Whitey,'' her Mommy interrupted and laughed out loud. ``You always said that you had a dog named Bluey and that he was blue. But I never heard of Greeney and Whitey before.''

``Oh, Mommy, I like Bluey and Greeney and Whitey so, so, so, so much. But I can never play with them during the daytime because they are only in my dreams,'' Leigh Anne complained.

Leigh Anne's Mommy felt so sorry for Leigh Anne. She held her close and hugged her and said, ``Don't worry, my wonderful little girl. We'll make a plan.''

Well, that day and the next day, Leigh Anne made several finger paintings. And she made beautiful pictures and she put them, wet, on her dresser. But at night, she did not roll them up and put them under her pillow.

Leigh Anne's Mommy saw that she did not put her paintings under her pillow, when they were dry and rolled up, so she asked, ``Leigh Anne, why don't you put them in your bed at night.''

``I am storing up a whole bunch of them, so we can have a party. I am going to have many, many little dogs and puppies for Bluey to play with, kittens and cats for Greeney, and dozens of fish for Whitey,'' Leigh Anne said.

Finally, it was more than a week later and there was a pile of pictures. They were all lying on the dresser, dried out and rolled up. And that evening, Leigh Anne put them under her pillow.

In the middle of the night, Leigh Anne's Mommy woke up. She heard noises in Leigh Anne's bedroom and she was worried. She tiptoed to the door, but all she heard was Leigh Anne, laughing.

``Well,'' she thought, ``if Leigh Anne is just laughing, what kind of problem can that be? I will just let her sleep and find out in the morning what is going on.''

The next morning, Leigh Anne slept and slept and slept. And each time her Mommy came to the door and found Leigh Anne laughing in her sleep, she left her alone.

Finally, Leigh Anne got up. She stretched. She looked under her pillow. All the pictures were there, of course. Leigh Anne got up, pulled herself out of bed, and ran to the kitchen.

Her Mommy was working at the sink when Leigh Anne came into the kitchen. ``Oh, Mommy! It was the most wonderful dream in the whole world. We had such a nice party, Bluey and Greeney and Whitey and their new friends.

We had tea and cookies, we played on the swings in the park, we went to the swimming pool and dunked in the water, and to MacDonald's and had Big Macs,'' Leigh Anne said, bouncing up and down.

``But it still makes me sad, that I can only play with them in my sleep,'' Leigh Anne said. ``What can I do about that, Mommy? Oh, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy! What can we do?''

The two of them sat down on the floor. Her Mommy rubbed her chin. Leigh Anne's Mommy often rubbed her chin when she was thinking hard. She rubbed and rubbed and rubbed and rubbed and rubbed.

Then she said, ``Leigh Anne, I have an idea. I am nor sure if this is going to work, but it is worth a try.'' She looked as if she just had a terrific idea and they both laughed.

``First, you make the prettiest picture you can make - but for the beginning, make it just one animal. How about Bluey? How about a very good picture of Bluey?'' her mother asked.

``O K,'' Leigh Anne answered. ``But then what?'' Her Mommy continued, ``Then you can put the picture on your dresser to dry, and roll it up and put it under your pillow at night.''

``But that is what I have been doing. What is so different about that?'' Leigh Anne asked her Mommy. ``That is what I have been doing for a long, long time.''

``Well, here's the difference,'' Leigh Anne's Mommy said. ``Before you go to sleep, we will tie one end of a string around your wrist. When Bluey comes in your dream, you can tie the other end to his collar.''

``That's a wonderful idea, Mommy,'' Leigh Anne said. She jumped up and gave her Mommy a big hug. ``You are the most wonderful Mommy in the whole wild world,'' she said.

So, after lunch, when all the food was put away, and all the dishes were washed and the table was all wiped, and Leigh Anne brought out all her finger paints and paper -

she made a picture of Bluey. But not just an average picture of Bluey. It was a beautiful picture, the best picture of Bluey she had ever made. And she showed her Mommy and the two of them admired the painting.

``Oh, Leigh Anne, that is so pretty. That is the finest picture of Bluey - or of anything else - that I have ever seen you make,'' her Mommy said, ``in your life.''

Well, Leigh Anne took the painting and carefully laid it on her dresser. It dried the rest of the afternoon and by evening it was ready. Leigh Anne rolled the painting in a roll and laid it on her bed.

She was so excited when it got dark outside. ``Please, Mommy, can I go to bed. Please, please, please!'' Leigh Anne insisted. And her Mommy laughed, because -

Leigh Anne never wanted to go to bed. In the evening, she would take her bath, play with her toys, watch television, make puzzles, play games - but never, never, never ask to go to bed.

Her Mommy took Leigh Anne to her bed, and Leigh Anne took the rolled picture and put it under her pillow. And then Leigh Anne patted the pillow. ``Ahem, aren't we forgetting something?'' Leigh Anne asked her Mommy.

``Oh, yes! The string! the string! the string!'' her Mommy said. She went into the kitchen, reached in the special drawer for paper and string, and pulled out a good, stout, heavy string and unrolled it.

The string was the kind used for packages, but not the thin type. This was thicker and stronger than the kind used for regular packages. This was stout string that was tough and could hold heavy things.

Leigh Anne watched carefully, as her Mommy tied the string to her wrist. Then she rolled up the rest and put it in Leigh Anne's hand. Leigh Anne put her head on the pillow and said, ``Good night, Mommy.''

Her Mommy leaned down, kissed her on the head, then patted her on the head. ``Now, when you see Bluey in your dreams, be patient. Don't scare him. Wait until he comes to you and the two of you can sit under a tree.

``Then hold him in your lap, and pet him on the head and down his back. Wait until he gets a little drowsey. Then tell him, you are going to take your string and tie it to his collar.

``Well, then tie the string to Bluey's collar,'' her Mommy continued, ``and we will just see what happens after that.'' Just before she went to sleep, Leigh Anne said, ``Mommy, I am so excited. How will I sleep?''

Just then, Leigh Anne took two breaths and she was asleep. Her Mommy tiptoed out of the bedroom with a smile on her face. And then her Mommy got herself ready for bed and went to sleep.

When her Mommy awoke the next morning, she could hardly wait to see Leigh Anne. So she went to her bedroom, and Leigh Anne was just waking up. The little girl stretched and -

then the string pulled tight. The two of them looked at her wrist, and they looked at the string. The other end of the string was under the pillow.

Leigh Anne pulled up the pillow and there, there, there was the finger painting of her dog and the string continued down and behind her bed.

Her Mommy leaned down and looked. The string went under the bed. She got down on her knees and looked under the bed. Suddenly a little blue ball came out and licked her, right on the mouth!

It was Bluey, all right. It was Bluey the blue dog. He was under the bed and he had a string tied to his collar. Leigh Anne's Mommy got up, reached for Leigh Anne's wrist -

and she untied the string. The little blue dog jumped up on the bed. Leigh Anne hugged the dog and kissed the dog, and then she kissed her Mommy.

``Oh, Mommy!'' Leigh Anne cried out loud, ``I have the nicest little pet, and the most wonderful blue dog, and the best Mommy in the whole wild world.''

The End

It was clear to everyone, and especially to Leigh Anne, that her dog Bluey was an exceptional little pup, if for no other reason than that he was blue.

She was a very good library user and loved to read books. She went to the library and looked in large books and small books, but in none of the books could she find out anything about blue dogs.

She asked the librarian in charge if she could help her. ``Of course,'' the librarian said, ``what seems to be the problem here.'' Leigh Anne told her that she could not find out anything about blue dogs.

``Well, my little friend,'' the librarian said, ``that is because... because... because there is no such thing as a blue dog. That is the strangest question I have ever gotten. A blue dog?''

Leigh Anne did not want to be a smarty-pants, so she kept quiet. The next time she came to the library, she had a special surprise for the librarian. She brought along Bluey, to see if the librarian would say there are no blue dogs.

She knew that people should not bring a dog into the library. But this was a special occasion, a special challenge for her. She she put Bluey under her coat - so that just his little black nose showed.

She went to the Children's Room, walked up to the librarian, and opened her coat. ``Here is my dog Bluey,'' Leigh Anne said quietly. ``Why that's the most amazing little animal I have ever seen,'' the librarian said.

The librarian looked carefully at the dog: how long his ears were, how long his legs were, how long his tail was, what kind of fur he had, the color of his eyes, the number and size of his teeth.

She got out the biggest dog book in the library, a huge book, full of information about every kind of dog that ever was or still is, the biggest, fanciest, largest, longest, prettiest dog book in the world.

They looked and looked and looked through the book, to see if they could find somewhere in the book a dog that looked even a tiney little bit like Bluey, but without success. ``I am definitely not surprised,'' said Bluey.

The librarian looked at Leigh Anne and said, ``Why aren't you surprised?'' The librarian thought that Leigh Anne had said that. And Leigh Anne thought that it was the librarian who said, ``I am definitely not surprised.''

They stood looking at each other, wondering how it was that the conversation had gotten so confused. Bluey held his head up high and said, ``I am most definitely not surprised.''

But this time they both saw him speak, the librarian and Leigh Anne. Leigh Anne covered her mouth with her hand and laughed, and she said, ``Well, I am most definitely surprised as I can be - that Bluey can talk.''

Meanwhile, the librarian looked cross at Leigh Anne and said, ``Is this some kind of trick? Are you trying to fool me? What is going on?'' ``No tricks, no foolishness, just a talking little blue dog,'' Bluey replied.

Well, Leigh Anne told the librarian the whole story, about the finger paints, about putting the paper on the dresser to dry and rolling it up, then putting under the pillow at night - and her Mommy's trick with the string.

She explained how they looked at her wrist in the morning, then looked under the pillow and behind the pillow and under the mattress, until the little blue ball of fur kissed her Mommy under the bed.

Leigh also explained how she told people about Bluey - how most people do not believe that there is such a thing as a blue dog. But she didn't care, she said; she just had a wonderful little pet.

``But I surely did not know that Bluey could talk. I am as surprised as you. Up to now, I had never heard him speak. That is why I said a few moments ago, `I am most definitely surprised.' I can hardly believe my ears.''

Leigh Anne continued, ``He has such a lovely voice, too. A beautiful voice. And I do not mean a beautiful voice for a dog, but rather, just a beautiful voice. And he pronounces every letter so carefully! He is easy to understand.''

``I am not sure if I am being tricked or not,'' the librarian said. ``But this is one of the most exciting things that has happened to me in many years as a librarian and as a reader's adviser for children.''

``Well, if that is true,'' Bluey interrupted, ``then I just wonder why you keep talking to each other and not to me. If I am such a wonder-pup, then I would imagine you would have so much to say to me and to ask of me.''

Leigh Anne chirped, ``But of course I have so much to ask you, Bluey! You have been around for weeks and weeks, and I play with you all the time. How come you never talked to me until now?''

``Well,'' he thought, ``I was not sure you had anything to ask of me. If I thought that I could be helpful, I would certainly have said something. But as you were looking at the dog book, I thought you were asking me.''

The little dog cleared his throat, and then continued, ``I do not want to brag, or be boastful, or act like a smarty. But I do know how to read, too. I would love to read books, especially in a nice library like this.''

``Can you imagine, Leigh Anne?'' the librarian asked. ``What would happen if we told all the children that little Bluey would read - all kinds of things, like stories and histories, poems and songs?

``You are right. He speaks so clearly that anyone could understand him. His voice is soft, not loud or harsh. We might have to use a microphone. But even so, we could bring many, many children and have Bluey read to them.

``No one - at least I think no one - has ever seen a blue dog, and no one - at least I think no one - has ever heard a blue dog speak, and no one - at least I think no one - has ever watched a blue dog read!

``But first we do have to ask him,'' and the librarian turned to Bluey, and she said to him, ``Would you be willing to read for the children who come to the Children's Room here in the library?''

Bluey wagged his beautiful, blue, fluffy tail a few times, then his face changed. His expression was very serious, as he began to answer the librarian. He looked at her and began to speak, ``I would love to read to the children.

``But this is my problem. Normally, I read newspapers or magazines on the floor, or cereal boxes when Leigh Anne is eating breakfast, and when we are outside, sometimes I read the road signs and advertising signs.

``I do not have fingers like little boys and little girls. I cannot hold a book. And I cannot turn the pages with my little paws. If I try, most of the time I tear the pages with my sharp little toenails.

``If Leigh Anne would hold the book for me, then I could read it. And when we got to the end of the page, she could turn to the next. She could hold the book in front of her and I could sit in her lap.''

``Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!'' the librarian said. ``Then it is all set. We will invite the children to the story hour, and Bluey will read to them. Leigh Anne will hold the book and turn the pages with Bluey in her lap.''

Leigh Anne asked the librarian, ``Will I have a problem bringing Bluey inside? It is against the rules to bring a dog into the library, isn't it?'' ``Perhaps it is, Leigh Anne, but I do have a solution for that,'' she said.

And the librarian went to her desk, pulled out a piece of paper, and filled out a complicated form. Then she took Bluey's right front paw, squeezed it on an ink pad, and put his footprint on his very own library card.

She said, ``The guard at the door will be mighty surprised, when he asks that the little blue dog not come into the library, and Bluey answers him by saying, `But here I have my library card!' ''

On the day when Bluey was to read to the children, Leigh Anne came with him to the library, and they came to the front door. ``Here's my library card,'' Bluey said to the guard.

The guard was surprised, that is for sure. But he did not stop Bluey. He just could not get used to the idea that a little blue dog could speak - much less that he would have his own library card with a paw print on it.

Leigh Anne and Bluey came to the end of the hallway, they stopped briefly, then walked into the big room. It was decorated so beautifully! Blue ribbons and blue crepe paper, blue flags and blue banners.

Even Bluey was happy to see his color everywhere - even the blue Kool Aid, the blue cookies, the blue napkins, the blue peanuts, the blue cups - and on the table across the room, a blue chair and a small pile of blue books.

In just a few minutes, the entire room was crowded with children. They admired the decorations, they drank the blue Kool Aid, they ate the blue cookies and blue peanuts and wiped hands on blue napkins.

The librarian introduced Leigh Anne to the other children, and of course, she introduced Leigh Anne's wonderful blue dog named Bluey. She lifted up Leigh Anne, put her on the chair and handed her a book.

Leigh Anne straightened her dress and Bluey jumped into her lap. And that is how it began. In his soft and pretty voice, Bluey read: one book after the other after the other after the other.

Each time they came to the end of a book, Bluey looked up. The children all applauded. They did not want Bluey to stop. They shouted, ``More! more! more! Please, Bluey, read some more.''

Each time they completed a bood, Leigh Anne reached down and got another. She straightened her dress, put Bluey in her lap and held up the book. She turned the pages while Bluey read the story in his beautiful smooth voice.

They went through the entire pile of blue books on the table. Then they started reading red ones, then green ones, then yellow ones - they went through many, many books that first afternoon!

Finally, the librarian could not allow the reading to go on. ``It is closing time, she said to the children. The book Bluey is reading now will have to be the last one today. He can come back again some day,'' she said.

Leigh Anne and Bluey went to the door. As the other children left, some of them shook Bluey's paw, some of them patted him on the head, some of them just stared, but all of them said, ``Thank you very much,

``Thank you, Bluey, and thank you, Leigh Anne. It was such a wonderful day, hearing little Bluey read all those stories and poems.'' Without asking, everyone knew that the children would come back the next time.

The librarian closed the doors and walked with Leigh Anne and Bluey to the door. She thanked them too. And Leigh Anne and Bluey went home.

That evening, in the hundreds of houses in Leigh Anne's neighborhood, as people sat down to eat their dinner, the children were asked, ``What did you do today? Did you have a good time?''

And all around the neighborhood, in one house after another, the children said, ``We had a wonderful time. We met Leigh Anne's little dog named Bluey - he is a little blue dog.

``And we spent the afternoon in the library. Leigh Anne had Bluey in her lap while she held the books, and Bluey read stories to us - and poems and songs and all sorts of things.

The librarian in the Children's Room had it all arranged, like a party: we had blue Kool Aid and blue cookies and peanuts, with blue decorations. And we heard one story after the other.

``That Leigh Anne, she sure is lucky. She had a cute little blue dog. But she has much more. She has a pet named Bluey. They read to each other - all the time - whatever books she wants, while he sits in her lap.''

Well, not everyone listened. But of the ones who listened, very few believed. A few grandmothers believed that story, and a few dogs and cats believed, and maybe a few brothers and sisters believed that Bluey read stories.

But most of them are not as lucky as Leigh Anne. To her it makes no difference, because Leigh Anne's little dog Bluey is her best friend, and they read stories to each other all the time, and not just out of blue books.

The End

This book is LEIGH ANNE AND BLUEY GO TO THE LIBRARY - BLUEY'S SPECIAL DAY. 1996

Bluey's feet were very small-not just small for a blue dog, but very small. Even though he was a small dog, when he walked in the snow he sank deeply, because his little feet would not hold him up, not like a Husky or Malamute.

His fluffy blue fur and his cute little tail would rise above the top of snow when he ran outside in the wintertime. He was easy to see and easy to watch -in shallow snow. There was no way Bluey could get lost in a field of snow.

The real problem was when there was deep, deep snow. When the snow got too deep, he would-of course-sink far down into it. You could not see him as he would disappear from sight down in the deep, deep snow.

At first, he thought it was a game. He would even dig himself into the snow. Then, when Leigh Anne looked for him and could not find him, he would stay very still, very quiet, and try to hide from her.

Leigh Anne did not like that. It was not funny. She liked her little Bluey, and hiding from her was not funny, because it was too dangerous. She wanted to protect Bluey from bad things and keep him safe and sound.

Bluey did not understand. He thought it was very funny when he would hide. He would be very quiet in the snow, as Leigh Anne looked for him. When she could not find him, sometimes she would cry for fright and care.

One day, as they were playing in the park, Bluey was hiding from Leigh Anne and the snow was very, very deep. She looked and looked for Bluey, and she wandered farther and farther away. Bluey stayed very still in the snow.

Soon, Leigh Anne was way across the park, on the other side, near the swings. And Bluey was in the snowbank, trying to be still so he could hide from her. Just then a big black German Shepherd named Heinz came with Dave his master.

Bluey never saw him, because Heinz was very quiet too. Suddenly Heinz poked his nose into the snow, felt the blue fur and opened his mouth very wide. His big sharp teeth closed on Bluey, as he brought him out of the snow.

His teeth were clamped around Bluey's head and Bluey could not bark or speak. Heinz's master looked down and saw a ball of blue fur. ``Did you find a new toy?'' he asked. But he did not pay attention. (He had never seen a blue dog before.)

Poor Bluey was terrified. He felt Heinz's hot breath all over him, and he felt the sharp teeth all around him, and he was very scared. He pulled his head free enough to cry out loudly, ``Leigh Anne, help me!''

Dave looked at Heinz and said, ``Did you hear that? It sounded like it came out of your mouth! What is that in there?'' Heinz spat the blue fur out on the snow. Bluey pulled himself up on all four feet, shook himself, and began to whimper.

Way over on the other side of the park, Leigh Anne had been looking for Bluey. When he called her name, Leigh Anne heard the sound-not the exact words - but she recognized the sound of Bluey's voice. She said, ``Here I am!''

Dave saw her, as she turned and ran toward him. She saw blue fur on the snow. She leaned down and picked up Bluey. His head was covered with dog-slobber. ``I am so very, very happy you are safe, Bluey,'' she cried. ``Me, too,'' said

Bluey. Dave looked at her and at the little furball. ``Little girl,'' he said, ``You had better keep track of your pet more carefully. Heinz could eat a little snippet like that.'' Dave did not realize Bluey was speaking.

Well, that day, Bluey learned his lesson. He did not hide in the snow any more. When they went to the park, he brought his red leash along. He asked Leigh Anne to snap it on his collar, so she could keep good track of him.

Heinz had given him a good scare, all right. That was certain! Whenever he saw Heinz in the park, Bluey would go to him, lick him on the nose, and say, ``Nice dog, nice Heinz, good buddy.'' He had learned his lesson.

But he spoke in such a quiet voice that Dave still did not know Bluey could talk. He heard a soft, quiet little sound, but he did not hear the words. Who would suspect that a little blue dog could talk? Not I!

But poor Heinz was puzzled. He saw the little blue dog was talking, just like people, and he tried and tried and tried to talk too. But the most that came out of his mouth was a mild howl. Poor Heinz.

One day-a very, very cold day-Leigh Anne wanted to play outside with Bluey. Well, she took her little sled to the park to go coasting down the hill. Bluey liked to go coasting, too, except that he got frightened sometimes.

Actually, he got really frightened only when Leigh Anne went too fast. And for him ``too fast'' was not all that fast. Bluey had gotten his bright red leash and held it in his mouth, so Leigh Anne could snap it to his collar.

``I do not want to get lost again,'' Bluey said. ``So keep a firm hold on my bright red leash.'' Off to the park they went, Bluey trailing his leash, Leigh Anne with her little sled, the two of them running down the street.

``You know what I would like to do?'' Bluey asked Leigh Anne. ``No, what?'' she replied. Bluey said, ``I would really like to learn how to whistle. Do you know how to whistle?'' Leigh Anne said, ``No. We both have to learn how.''

Leigh Anne had tried and tried to whistle-not just a little tweety sound, but a big, loud whistle like her Mommy can do. She was close, but not quite there. ``I like it when she makes my ears tingle,'' Bluey said about Mommy's whistle.

About then, they got to the park. Leigh Anne put the sled down on the hillside, put Bluey on her lap, raised her feet and the sled began to move every so slowly. Gradually the sled picked up speed as it went down the hill.

But halfway down the hillside, as Leigh Anne leaned to one side, the sled tipped. Bluey and Leigh Anne fell off the sled and rolled in the snow. They both laughed and walked back up the hill to try again.

Leigh Anne said, ``What we really need is a push-a running start down the hill.'' ``Oh, no we don't,'' said Bluey. ``We go plenty fast enough for me.'' Leigh Anne said, ``But not fast enough for me. Come on, Bluey, let's try faster.''

Just then, Dave came to the park with Heinz-a handsome pair, those two. Leigh Anne called to Dave, ``Can you come up the hill and give us a push. We like to coast down the hill, but we want to go much faster.''

``But not too-oo-oo-oo fast,'' Bluey whispered. Dave went around behind, as Leigh Anne and her little blue dog walked up the slope to the very top. The two of them got situated on their sled again, and then they were ready.

Dave put his hands on Leigh Anne's shoulders. He said, ``A-one, a-two, a-three! And a-push and a-push and a-push,'' as he followed behind. The sled took off. Down the hill went Leigh Anne and Bluey. And Bluey was so frightened.

Heinz had gotten loose from Dave as he pushed Leigh Anne's sled, and big old Heinz came running alongside the sled as it went down the hill. The sled went faster and faster, but Heinz was big and fast. He kept up.

At the end of the park, the sled did not stop-but it just kept going on and on. Now Bluey was really frightened, as he whimpered and cried, closing his eyes. The sled raced over the lower park and down to the street.

Over the street it went, right between two cars-and now Leigh Anne was scared! The sled kept going faster and faster as it came down the hill, then the street. There was a snow pile along the road, and the sled went up and over the pile.

And it kept going faster and faster. Now they were going down the long hill and soon the sled would be nearing the river. Leigh Anne looked to one side and there was Heinz, running hard, with his long red tongue hanging out.

``Heinz, stop us! stop us! stop us!'' Leigh Anne called to the big dog. ``Please try to stop the sled, because we are going way too fast and-and-and- we are getting closer and closer to the river.''

By this time, Bluey had put his paws over his eyes. He was too scared to watch. And Heinz was racing as fast as his legs could carry him and he was scared. Leigh Anne held the dog tight and hoped she could stop the sled before the water.

The river was frozen only near the shore. Just a little distance from the shore there was all open water. And the water was icey, icey cold. And still they came. The sled was going faster and faster, Heinz was running, Bluey was hiding-

Bluey's red leash was trailing alongside the sled by this time. And Heinz reached down to grab the leash with his teeth. He pulled-pulled, then he pulled-pulled-pulled harder and harder, more and more.

And then Leigh Anne looked down at Bluey. His eyes were bulging out. He could not breath, because the leash was too tight around his throat. And just then, the sled rolled over and over and over on top of Heinz.

For a moment, the three of them just lay in the snow. It felt so, so good just to be stopped. Leigh Anne looked at Bluey. He was not injured. His little black tongue was handing out and he was breathing hard.

And then she looked at Heinz. He looked to be all right at first. But then he started crying and crying. Leigh Anne could not see anything wrong. Then he turned around, and they could see: Poor Heinz! his tail was broken.

The sled had gone over Heinz's tail and his big fluffy tail was caught between the sled and a big rock. He broke his tail! He sobbed. He looked at it, again and again he looked at it. It was not bleeding, just hanging there crooked.

Just then, Dave came running up. ``I was so worried when you went out the park and over the street. I saw Heinz stop you. He is a hero! Heinz is a hero!'' Dave saw the sad look on Heinz's face, and then he saw Heinz's tail.

They picked up the sled and Bluey, and Dave took Heinz's leash. They went across the road and down the street to the veterinarian's office. And Heinz would not sit down. He just looked back at his tail and cried.

Poor dog, poor dog. The dog doctor came out of his office, ready to leave. ``Don't go yet,'' Dave called, ``My dog has a broken tail.'' The veterinarian stopped, then returned to the door and held it open.

They all went into his office and he examined Heinz's tail. ``People think that a broken tail looks funny,'' the veterinarian said. ``But I am sure that it is very sensitive and Heinz is in much pain.

``But I have just the thing for him.'' First, the doctor gave him a treat, a dog-candy treat. Then he took a plastic tube and he carefully pushed in the tail. And finally he put tape over the end of the tube and 'round and 'round the tail.

Heinz looked funny with the white tube around his tail. But he was not crying. So the veterinarian had figured out how to help him. The four of them walked back to the park, slowly, as they could tell Heinz was not totally out of pain.

They crossed the street and went back into the park. Leigh Anne picked up Bluey. The snow was too deep for his short little legs and he was getting cold. She could see the tears in his eyes too, from the scare of the sled ride.

When they came back to the sledding hill, Dave helped pull up the sled. He said to Leigh Anne, ``Would you like a push down the hill?'' ``No, thank you,'' she said. ``It seems to me this all started with a push.''

Well, when she said ``No, thank you'' to Dave, poor little Bluey was so pleased. He jumped up into her lap and licked her cheek. He raised his nose and mouth, up to her ear, and said, ``Let's just go slow and fall off the sled at the bottom.''

And so they sledded slowly down the hill, rolled at the bottom, fell into a snow pile, and Leigh Anne and Bluey laughed at each other, because they both had snow in their faces and all over themselves.

As they came back to Dave, she said, ``I have had enough pushes. Going down the hill more slowly seems more fun, at least not scarey.'' And Bluey again put his nose and mouth to her ear. ``Me, too,'' he said.

The End

This book is LEIGH ANNE AND BLUEY IN WINTER - PLAYING IN THE SNOW. 1996

It was a mild day, even a warm day, not like the days before when it was so cold. No, it was going to be a wonderful day. Leigh Anne wore her pretty party dress. It was the blue dress with the red ribbons on the sleeves, tied in the back.

She had told Bluey, her little blue dog, that this was the party day, hooray! She was very excited when the invitation had come in the mail. And today was it! Today was the day. She was ready to go. Now she was telling Bluey all about it.

``This is going to be a wonderful party. We are going to play games, all of us. And Mr. Koppelman is going to have a big surprise for us, too. And we will eat - probably hot dogs and birthday cake with ice cream. It is so-o-o-o exciting!

``That is why I took a bath and got on this party dress. That is why you did too - you got a bath in that new doggy bath soap that makes you smell so good. I want everything to be just perfect before we get to the Koppelman's house.''

Bluey was so excited that he did not pay the littlest bit of attention. While Leigh Anne was talking, his mind was racing, thinking about games, thinking about food and treats. His mind was somewhere else.

So he did not listen at all. The only part of Leigh Anne's talk that he heard was the very last few words, ``Get to the Koppelman's house.'' Bluey had to piddle, so he went into the back yard and ran behind the garage.

He did his business and just kept going, running behind the house to the opening where the gate allowed him to cut through the back lot to the next street. Then, down the street he went to the Koppelman house.

Leigh Anne went into the back yard, looked around, did not see Bluey and called: ``Bluey, ol' pooch! where are you? where did you go? are you coming here?'' And she tapped her foot as she waited, getting angrier and angrier.

Well, Bluey could not respond because he was already gone down the street. He was way, way ahead, running down the street, because he had not listened. His heart was beating so hard he could hear it in his ears.

Finally, Leigh Anne told her Mommy that she was going to the party. If Bluey showed up in the back yard, he could just stay and wait for her. She did not want to stay and wait for Bluey any longer. Enough of that!

Her Mommy could tell that Leigh Anne was angry. So she said, ``You can be angry with Bluey if you like, but do not let the anger take over. Have a nice time at the party, and we'll get to the bottom of this.''

Leigh Anne could go to the party alone, without taking someone's hand, because Becky Koppelman lived around the corner down the block. Leigh Anne did not have to go across the street to the Koppelman's house.

She felt so dressed up in her blue party dress. She smoothed it as she walked. She reached under her coat and felt the soft warm cloth of the dress. And she knew that a pretty dress was just right for a pretty girl like her.

She looked in the bushes as she approached the front door of the house, where Mrs. Koppelman was holding the door open for other children. Under the yew bush in the front yard was a blue ball of fur. Or was it?

``Bluey?'' she called, questioning at the same time. ``Bluey, is that you?'' He came out from under the bush, his back all full of brown needles. Leigh Anne brushed him off and said, ``Let's get you cleaned up for the party.''

As she knelt down, she said to Bluey, ``I was very angry that you did not wait for me. What happened?'' Bluey said into Leigh Anne's ear, standing very close, ``I thought you told me to get to the Koppelman's house. Didn't you?''

Leigh Anne laughed. She said, ``You are just like me. Sometimes I get so excited that I do not listen to what people say to me.'' ``Are you still angry with me,'' Bluey asked. ``No, no! wonderful little pooch!'' she said and hugged him.

Earlier that morning, Leigh Anne's Mommy had brought a box to the Koppelman's. Becky's birthday present was in the box. It was too big for Leigh Anne to carry, and too heavy, too. But her Mommy, a good sport, brought the box in the car.

The blue and green paper and the large silvery ribbon were beautiful. Outstanding, that's all you could say about the box. Outstanding! And in the box was Leigh Anne's surprise for Becky's birthday, a nice gift.

Becky's Mother came to Leigh Anne and asked, ``What is in the box?'' ``You will have to wait just like Becky, to see what is in the box,'' Leigh Anne said, ``because I am not going to tell anyone, even Bluey!''

Well, in the box were a wheelbarrow, a garden shovel, a garden trowel, a small rake, and a garden basket. Whenever Becky came to Leigh Anne's house in the summer time, she liked to work in the garden with Leigh Anne.

Leigh Anne's Mommy let her plant many of their favorite things, like radishes and carrots and green beans. Mommy always planted plenty green peppers, tomatos, onions, potatos - and other favorites too.

Last summer, Becky's Mother had said that Becky could have a garden in her back yard. And Leigh Anne could come and help her plant it. And then, when the radishes and carrots got big, she could help eat them too.

So for an added, extra special birthday gift, Leigh Anne had taped two packets, seed packets, on the wheelbarrow: seed packets, one radish, one carrot. Well, there are red radishes and white radishes, even black radishes.

If Becky wanted white ones or black ones, she could get them herself. Leigh Anne gave her the seeds for her own favorite, the little red ones. It is such a treat to go to the garden and pick them out in summer, isn't it?

This year was going to be such a super special garden year for everyone. Leigh Anne was going to help with the planting and watering, And everyone would enjoy the wonderful things they could grow together.

Well, the party was wonderful. Mr. Koppelman's surprise was super! A clown came to the house. He sang songs. He blew up balloons for the children. They had a wonderful time. And he gave them all a little bag of sweets, too.

Then they played games. They played bottle-wottle, bottle-wottle. They played kicker-jumpy-plumpy. They played whistle-snort. They had a wonderful time with the games.

Then Mrs. Koppelman brought out all the gifts for Becky to open. She got many nice things from the children and from her Mother and Father. And the last box, the biggest box, was from Leigh Anne.

Leigh Anne was more excited than Becky was at this point. She wanted to tell her what it was, but had to hold back. It hurt. She wanted to tell, but she also wanted the surprise!

Becky opened the box. She pulled out the garden tools and the red wheelbarrow. She looked at the seeds taped to the top of the wheelbarrow. She ran across the room and gave Leigh Anne a big hug.

``Thank you, thank you, Leigh Anne,'' she said. ``I wanted something like this, but I did not know exactly what. You found it! This is perfect! I love to garden! Now I will be able to garden just like my best friend, you!''

Mr. Koppelman looked in the box too, and he said, ``Now we will have to get the little garden plot in the back yard ready for planting, won't we?'' Mr. and Mrs. Koppelman both laughed and patted Leigh Anne on the back.

Well, through it all, Bluey was having a wonderful time, too. He loved to dive into the wrapping paper from the boxes of gifts. And he crawled into the boxes and jumped into piles of paper.

When the party was over, Leigh Anne and Bluey got ready to leave. She said to Mrs. Koppelman, ``Thank you for the party. It was wonderful.'' Mrs. Koppelman said, ``Thank you for coming. We had a good time, didn't we?''

They certainly did! And you could see the ice cream on Bluey's nose and chin. You could see the frosting from the birthday cake in his ears. You could see the red around his mouth from the candy he had eaten.

On the way home, Bluey said, ``It was a good party, but my stomach does not feel so good.'' Leigh Anne laughed and said, ``I am not surprised. Look at all the food you ate, and some of it

is still in your ears, and on your chin, and around your mouth. Bluey, you should not take a bath before you go to a party. You should take a bath when you get home from a party.''

Leigh Anne's Mommy was waiting in the kitchen when she returned. ``Was it a nice party? Did you have a good time? What did you eat?'' and her Mommy's questions just kept coming.

So Leigh Anne told her Mommy all about the party, the clown, the games, the food, the presents, everything that happened. Her Mommy said, ``You and Becky are friends, aren't you. You are very good friends.''

Then she looked down at the floor, at Bluey, who was standing there, waiting at his water dish. ``You look like you were in a food fight, Bluey, and more than that. You look like you lost a food fight.''

Then Leigh Anne and her Mommy both laughed out loud. Bluey drank some water and tried to wipe the red from his mouth and the ice cream from his chest. But he could not see or find the frosting in his ears. He looked funny.

They put Leigh Anne's party dress away in the closet. Then her Mommy said, ``Leigh Anne, a nice surprise for you came in the mail today.'' Leigh Anne asked, ``What is it? Is it something that I have wanted?''

``No, it is not something you asked for. I am not sure if you every heard of it. A seed catalog came today, with pictures of all kinds of plants. We can order seeds to plant in the garden in a few weeks when it gets warm.''

``Wow!'' Leigh Anne said, ``A seed catalog! what a neat idea! Can I look at it?'' She took one look at it and said, ``Let's invite Becky to come tomorrow to look with me. Then we can make lists of seeds from the catalog for the garden.''

So, the next morning, when Becky arrived at the house, she and Leigh Anne went into the kitchen, sat at the tale next to each other, and opened the book. The pictures in the catalog were beautiful, of course, and they tried to read.

``Mommy, what is c-a-n-t-a-l-o-p-e?'' Leigh Anne called into the next room. ``Cantalope,'' her Mommy answered. ``And r-u-t-a-b-e-g-a?'' she called. ``Rutabega,'' her Mommy replied. Just then, her Mommay came into the room.

``This is not going to work,'' she said. She pulled up a chair behing the two girls, sat down, and looked at the catalog with them. She explained about the seeds for the many different plants.

``Long, long ago,'' she said to the girls, ``people would observe carefully, when they saw certain plants what parts of the plants they could eat. There were two groups that were especially good at it.

``The Chinese and the Incas were very smart about plants and vegetables. The Chinese saw a bush that had bumpy little pods on it. They grew them, carefully picking the biggest and best, then planting them in turn.''

``Eventually, by working hard with this little bush and the bumpy pods, they got something big enough to eat. That is the orange! How clever of them. Don't you think that is very smart?'' The two girls nodded their heads.

``The Incas lived in South America. They were Indians. They were also experts at observing plants. They found a plant that had bumps on its roots. They planted them carefully, each time picking the biggest ones for new plants.

``Years and years passed, as the bumps on the roots got bigger and bigger. Then, one day, they began to eat those bumps. Do you know what they are?'' The girls shook their heads. ``Those are potatos,'' she said.

She told them dozens of stories about how plants that we eat were discovered. Long ago, there were no supermarkets or stores, there was not even money. People had to figure these things out. People had to observe all around them.

She told them the story, not just of potatos, but all kinds of potatos: blue ones (just the color of Bluey), orange ones (not oranges, but orange potatos), red ones, yellow ones, and of course white ones.

She told them about beans that began as bumps on a vine. She told them about corn that began as a furry stuff that grew on tall grass. She told them about carrots that grew at first as tiny, skinny roots.

All the plants started with little bumps or tiny roots, pods or flowers. With careful planting, the gardeners turned them into vegetables - like cabbage and peas, turnips and peppers, even onions and garlic.

Some people in out-of-the-way places had special gifts that they developed. In Armenia, on a hillside, some women found a tree that had a beautiful flower. They grew more trees and more trees. The flowers dried and fell off the trees.

The people thought that it was such a beautiful flowering tree. They shared it. They gave little plants and cuttings to their neighbors and friends. Other people began to raise this beautiful flowering tree.

Some people nearby tried planting them and noticed that the flowers dropped off. After the flower dropped off, a little red round thing was left. They bit into it. It tasted good. They gathered them and dried them and ate them.

Then they tried to raise flowering trees that had larger red round things when the flower fell off. It worked. The round things were bigger and bigger. That is where apples come from! Thanks to the flowering tree people in Armenia.

So Leigh Anne and Becky made a list of all the vegatables that they liked to eat. Then they asked to see the pictures of them and they wrote down the numbers. Then they looked at strange vegetables that they did not know.

They wrote down those names, too. And they began to plan their garden. This year, the garden is going to be so much fun, they thought. They thought of raising all kinds of delicious things.

``This year is going to be extra special for me,'' Becky said, ``because I am going to have a wonderful garden and work with my new red wheelbarrow and shovel and rake. Thank you, Leigh Anne.''

The End

This book is LEIGH ANNE AND BLUEY GO TO A PARTY. 1996

He sat there that funny way, with his head between his paws, his tail wagging, his head lower that his bottom, mumbling to himself, actually quite a site he was. Bluey was deep in thought and he was up to something very, very important.

He was lying down next to the couch, beneath the table where the large lamp sits, trying to be as quiet as possible but making tiny little sounds just the same (he does that when he does not want to be interrupted).

Leigh Anne got the large blue blanket, the quilted one, and brought it along into the room, then she got down on her hands and knees and crawled to Bluey. She quietly slid next to Bluey and covered the two of them with the blanket.

They both liked to do that. Not that they were cold. Not that they were hiding. They were not tied. They were not about to go to sleep or take a nap. They just liked to take the quilt and cover themselves once in a while.

Bluey seemed to ignore Leigh Anne at first, as though he were very busy. Finally, he sighed - a deep, deep sigh that meant he was finished doing what he was doing and was ready to go on to something else.

``Tell me, Leigh Anne,'' he whispered in her ear, ``what are plants like?'' Leigh Anne looked at him, just a little light shining on the two of them, the quilt covering them almost completely, as she began to answer.

``I really do not know what you mean, Bluey,'' she began. ``What are plants like?'' Bluey turned his head to her and replied, ``Well, I am a little baby dog, a pup. I have never seen plants grow. Mommy and you talk about it all the time.''

Leigh Anne smiled and stroked Bluey's head, ``Of course, of course,'' she said. ``When you were born, the leaves had fallen from the trees and the flowers were gone and the garden was frosted - no plants left growing.''

``Well,'' she continued, ``when we plant the little seed in the ground, and when we put some water on the ground, the seed sprouts and grows. A green stem comes out of the ground and leaves grow on the stems.''

``But what is a seed?'' Bluey asked. ``When I eat an apple, in the middle, in tiny little chambers, there is a little brown seed. And in tomatoes, the little hard things, those are seeds.

``When Mommy prepared green peppers, she cuts them open and in the middle, little white seeds. And corn! the corn we eat is all seeds. Some things we eat are all seeds and some things we eat have seeds,'' Leigh Anne explained.

``That is just amazing,'' Bluey said. ``Are you sure about seeds?'' Leigh Anne said, ``I am sure of it. I have planted seeds and watched them grow. We get seeds from a catalogue or we go to the store and buy them.

``When we buy good seeds for the garden, they come in little envelopes. We shovel in the ground and rake the ground to make is soft and loose. Then we make rows, plant the seeds, water them, and wait for them to grow.''

``That is the most amazing thing I have ever heard in my life. I have been sitting here trying to figure out how seeds make plants. It is really a miracle, isn't it, Leigh Anne?'' Bluey asked.

``Not exactly,'' Leigh Anne said, ``but it is a very wonderful thing to see. You are all excited about the idea of having a garden, aren't you?'' Bluey looked at her and said, ``I can hardly wait. Can we start now?''

Leigh Anne explained to Bluey that she could not begin the garden right now, because it was still cold out. The cold weather freezes plants. If they planted seeds in the cold weather, nothing would happen to them.

She also explained that it is a combination of many things that makes a garden. Gardens need to have seeds and water, good dirt or soil, careful attention, and gardens also need good, warm weather to grow. Gardens need many things.

She also explained that some seeds need to be planted deep in the ground. Other seeds need to be planted with just a little dirt over the top. Some plants do not grow from seeds - like potatoes.

For some garden plants, rather than plant seeds, Mommy goes to the store. She buys tiny little plants. We put the tiny little plants in the garden, and the plants grow and grow and grow, and then they produce their fruit.

She told Bluey about potatoes: potatoes get put in the ground, then they sprout, then the green plant grows above the ground. Meanwhile, deep in the ground, on the root stems, tiny potatoes grow and get bigger and bigger and bigger.

Then Mommy takes the shovel and digs into the garden and pulls up a plant. On the roots are many, many potatoes: some very small, some very large, and most of them middle-sized. And they taste extra good fresh from the garden.

She told Bluey about tomatoes: tomatoes come from the store as tiny little plants. The tomato plants are planted far apart, and they grow and grow. Next to the plant, wooden sticks are hammered into the ground.

Then Leigh Anne helps to tie the tomato plants to the sticks. They grow and grow. Little yellow flowers grow on the plants. The flowers drop off. Tiny green tomatoes begin to grow and get larger and larger, then turn red.

Leigh Anne told Bluey about corn: corn seeds are planted in the ground. The plant grows up and makes a thick stem. Leaves grow out from the stem. And the stalk grows higher and higher and higher.

Then, right where the leaf is attached to the stem, some fuzzy things grow. The fuzzy things turn into a green package that grows on the stem. When the green package gets big, she picks them off and there is the corn.

Finally, Leigh Anne told Bluey about cucumbers: cucumber seeds are planted together on a little hill, about six or eight of them. They sprout up. The stems grow and grow and lay on the ground, with big green leaves.

The stems also have little flowers. The little flowers fall off and then, where there were little flowers, a tiny baby cucumber begins. It gets bigger and bigger and bigger, and then it gets picked and eaten.

``I could go on and on,'' Leigh Anne said, ``and tell you about beans, about onions, about peppers, about garlic, about melons, about peas, about carrots, about beets, and on and on. But that would take too long.

``You saw how Becky Koppelman was planning her garden, after the birthday party. You saw how she was drawing out the little map to show how she would plant many things in her garden.''

Bluey remembered. ``And you remember that Mommy told her to plant marigold flowers and garlic in many places around the garden. That keeps the nasty bugs away.'' Bluey remembered.

``And you remember that Mommy told her that the garden would have to be dug, and raked, and all the dirt worked until it was loose and free. Only then could Becky plant her seeds.'' Bluey remembered.

Bluey said, ``How about the two of us? Could we plan a garden too?'' ``I think so,'' Leigh Anne replied. ``We have to ask Mommy first. And maybe she would like to help.''

Bluey was so excited that he wiggled in Leigh Anne's arms. Then he snuggled in her arms, reached his head up, and kissed her neck. Leigh Anne liked it when Bluey kissed her with his little wet nose.

She crawled out from under the blue quilt, covered up Bluey as she left, and went to the kitchen where Mommy was sitting at the table reading. ``Mommy,'' she asked, ``could you and Bluey and I plan a garden?

``The way that Becky was planning a garden - with a little map, showing where the different seeds would be planted, in rows and squares?'' Mommy said, ``After supper, we will clear off the table and draw a plan.''

After supper, they cleared off the kitchen table. Leigh Anne got ready. Bluey got ready, too. And Leigh Anne's Mommy brought the seed catalog. She also brought along a large piece of clean white paper.

They measured out a map of the garden in the back yard on the white paper. They marked where the trees were, where the swing set is, where the post is. They marked where the bricks outlined the shape of the garden itself.

Then they looked in the seed catalog. ``What are white radishes like?'' Leigh Anne asked. ``Are they like red radishes.'' And her Mommy answered, ``They're like red radishes - but long, like carrots - and with white skin.

They looked in the seed catalog again. ``What are black radishes like?'' Leigh Anne asked. ``Are they like red or white ones?'' And her Mommy said, ``Black radishes are very, very strong - stronger than hot peppers.''

Bluey did not look at the catalog at all, but he asked a question too, ``What are blue radishes like? Do they taste good?'' Leigh Anne and her Mommy laughed and laughed. ``Bluey, little pooch, there are no blue radishes?''

Bluey laughed, too. He thought he would continue the game some more. ``How about blue peppers? Are they good?'' And Leigh Anne and her Mommy laughed even more, ``There are no blue peppers, but there are purple ones.''

Bluey laughed again. He scratched his little chin and asked, ``How about blue corn? What does blue corn taste like?'' Leigh Anne laughed, but her Mommy said, ``Blue corn tastes just like yellow or white corn.''

Then the three of them looked in the catalog and sure enough! There it was! ``Should we get some blue corn seeds?'' she asked. Leigh Anne and Bluey said, ``Yes, yes, yes!'' And Bluey said, ``Blue things are always my favorite.''

Mommy turned the pages of the catalog. ``There is blue cauliflower here.'' And Leigh Anne and Bluey said, ``Yes, yes, yes!'' ``And blue broccoli.'' And they cheered some more, ``Yes, yes, yes! - and what else is blue?''

``Well, I know that there are blue potatoes, but not in this catalog,'' she answered. ``Just imagine, Bluey,'' Leigh Anne said, ``in the summer, we will be able to have all kinds of blue vegetables, and you can eat them too.''

``I like red vegatables too,'' Leigh Anne said, ``like radishes and peppers, tomatos and - yummy! strawberries.'' Bluey asked Leigh Anne to explain, all about strawberries. And Leigh Anne told him about them.

``There is a little plant that grows along the ground, like a vine. It has little white flowers. Then the little white flowers fall off, and then - a big red berry grows and it is sweet and delicious,'' Leigh Anne explained.

Leigh Anne explained about the stawberries so well, that Bluey's mouth was wet, and he drooled and drooled. ``Strawberries sound delicious,'' he said, ``I can hardly wait to get into the garden this summer.''

``Not so fast, little pooch,'' Leigh Anne's Mommy said. ``First we have to dig, dig deep and dig hard, to loosen the dirt so that the plants grow. Then we have to rake the garden and make it smooth.

``We have to pick out all the little pebbles and stones and clean up - plastic and string, wire and glass, whatever we find - it all has to go. But there is also a nice part. When we work in the garden we have little picnics.

``Then we measure out the rows, and we plant seeds. We dig holes for potatoes. We plant the little strawberry plants. We put the tomato and pepper plants in. We make straight rows. And we plant flowers too, and oregano and basil.''

Well, Bluey was such a young little pup that he did not know about these things. He sat there on the table, his little tail wagging, his mouth drooling, and he got more and more and more excited as Leigh Anne's Mommy explained.

``Just imagine,'' Bluey said, ``if everyone had a garden like this.'' And then Leigh Anne's Mommy explained to the two of them, ``Years ago, the stores did not have fresh vegetables or even frozen ones.

``The stores sold seeds and some plants, but not vegetables. Everyone gardened. They would plant so much that every week there was extra food. The extra food they put in jars and sealed them, to eat in the winter.

``And some foods they could also dry out and save for winter, like berries, or slices of apple, or cherries. They grew enough potatoes and carrots for a whole year, and they stored them in a cool basement.''

``In the stores you would find only what you could not grow in the garden,'' she continued, ``like flour and sugar and chocolate and tea and salt. At that time, people did not even know about oranges and bananas.''

``How about milk and cheese?'' Leigh Anne asked. Her Mommy continued, ``Every family had a cow. In the morning and evening, the Mommy or children would milk the cow and make butter and cheese from milk.

``Children read about pineapples or lemons in books, but they never got them. Life was much different then. They could not buy all their food in a store, as we can now. So why do we have a garden if the store can sell the food?

``Mostly, it is because the food fresh from the garden tastes better, much better, than what you can get in the store.'' Bluey and Leigh Anne listened, but they could hardly believe it. Things were very different long ago.''

In many parts of the world, where people are poor, they still live that way. The children work in the fields and gardens. They do not go to school. Most of them stay very poor all the days of their lives.

``We are very lucky,'' Mommy said, ``because we have gardens for treats. We can get food from the store or from the garden. And in winter, we can get good food in the stores. And we eat all kinds of interesting foods.''

Bluey was not paying attention. He had stopped listening some time ago. He certainly did like the color blue. And he was thinking over and over, how wonderful it would be to eat blue corn.

Finally, he could not wait any more, and he had to ask, ``Are you absolutely sure that there is such a thing as blue corn?'' Leigh Anne and her Mommy laughed and said, ``Of course, there is.''

Later that afternoon, Leigh Anne went to the store with her Mommy. As they went around the store with the shopping cart, her Mommy picked out a bag and put it in the basket.

She winked at Leigh Anne, and suddenly she understood what was happening. They checked out the groceries, paid the bill, got in the car and came back home. They brought the groceries into the house.

Her Mommy took out the little bag. It was blue corn chips. She put them in a bowl. She called Bluey and told him that this was his treat. He looked and looked, and said, ``Blue corn chips! I am the luckiest pooch on Woodstock Road!''

The End

This book is LEIGH ANNE AND BLUEY PLAN THE GARDEN. 1996