Snakes Don't Miss Their Mothers by M. E. Kerr Page A

too wide and too big!”
    â€œSquint, cupcake!” Ms. Fondaloot shouted.
    â€œThere’s no time for that. Next!”
    The wardrobe woman was hustling Jimmie out of her costume.
    â€œThis has animal hair on it!” the woman complained.
    â€œHow could it have animal hair on it?” Ms. Fondaloot said. “I have no animals!”
    â€œFiona, it’s the last time you take something home from wardrobe!”
    â€œNext!” came the shout again.
    A redheaded girl was waiting for the brown velvet costume.
    On her way back to East Hampton in the StarStretch limo, Jimmie wrote:
Dear Diary,
    Dad is right about one thing, I guess. I don’t have such a normal life when it comes to meeting boyfriends. I will probably never see Cole Cane again. Not that it matters all that much. In the R.W. so far I’ve only met one boy, and he’s way into animals. I mean, way, way in. I’d have to crawl around on four legs to get his attention, if I wanted it…. Shall I tell you that I didn’t make it even as a cookie crumb?

22
Secret Powers Cats Have
    â€œH ERE, RAGS, KITTY KITTY kitty!” Mrs. Randall called.
    Rags was up in a tree in the blue of late afternoon, looking down at her. “Where are you, Rags?” He closed his eyes, and his tail swished. He concentrated on Rex.
    He used all the secret powers cats have to try and send his message to the dog.
    Rex, this is Rags, I’m a mess!
    I’m desperate and under great stress!
    Mrs. Randall called louder, “KITTYKITTY-KITTYKITTY! RAGS!”
    Avoid all gloves red—
    You don’t want to be dead!
    Rex, you come home now, Rags said!

23
“Your Nose Is a Peanut.”
    G OLDIE, WHO WAS ONCE Rex, was now Elio. But Goldie, who was once Rex and was now Elio, did not know what the lady wanted when she sat down at the piano and played “Chocolate.”
    â€œâ€˜ Bate, bate, chocolate, tu nariz de cacahuate.’ Sing along, Elio! Come on! ‘ Uno, dos, tres, Cho! Uno, dos, tres, Co! Uno, dos, tres, La! Uno, dos, tres, Te!’ Elio, come on! Sing along!”
    Goldie kept wagging his tail and looking up at her expectantly. What did she want?
    â€œYou don’t know Spanish, is that it? Okay. ‘Stir, stir, chocolate, your nose is a peanut. One, two, three—’ Can’t you sing with me?”
    Earlier that day when a visitor had rung the bell, Goldie had raced around looking for something to retrieve. For that was his way when he lived with Bob. He would find something to carry to the door whenever a caller came. A bone, his leash, a glove, a ball.
    He had found a pillow and carried it proudly to greet the lady’s visitor.
    â€œWhat are you doing, Elio?” she cried out. “Put that down! That’s my good pillow! You are a bad boy!”
    Goldie did not understand why she had not smiled at him or said to the visitor, “He’s greeting you.”
    Now she brought her hands down hard on the piano keys and sighed. “You just don’t sing, do you?”
    Sing? A dog sing?
    She was trying so hard to be a good owner, making a bed for him near her own, brushing him, hugging him.
    â€œMy Elio could sing!” Her voice broke. She was near tears.
    Goldie sat there looking at her. He had never known a singing dog, nor a Spanish-speaking one. Elio must have been a very smart dog!
    A small Christmas tree with blinking lights stood on a nearby table.
    She shook her head sadly. “Oh, my poor, poor baby. My Elio.”
    Goldie knew what she was going through, for he longed for Bob. He wouldn’t even have minded if Bob’s baby sister had toddled up to him and pulled his ears. He just wished he were home.
    Then the lady looked down at Goldie and said, “Do you want to go for a walk?”
    He jumped up and shook his head.
    She had put a collar with tags on him, and the tags jingled.
    She got out a leash, and they set off from the trailer.
    They went down a long