Muggy: Detective Pug

Okay, here's my first story. It's called, Muggy: Detective Pug

Chapter 1

Once upon a time there was a dog named Muggy. He was an ordinary pug by day, detective by night. He was interested in mysteries ever since he was a puppy. He even watched Sherlock Bones every day after obedience school. When he grew up, that liking of mystery paid off.

Muggy lived in New York City with his owners, The Januskis. As you may know, NYC is prone to crime. Especially with all of the alleys and nooks and crannies to fit into, well, you get the picture. Muggy knew about all of this, and he wanted to help. He knew pretty much everything about crime and mystery, and he was ready to put his knowledge to use.

Today, Muggy was out on his morning walk in the park on a beautiful day in winter, when he spotted his sidekick, Thomas, the Yorkshire terrier.

“Hey Thomas!” Muggy barked, “You find any crime around here worth looking at?”

“Sure did!” Thomas barked back, “The President’s Spaniel, Princess, was kidnapped!”

“Spike again, eh?” Muggy barked.

“Yeah, I think so.” Thomas barked.

“Meet you in the alley tonight! ‘K?” Muggy barked.

“Okay!” Thomas barked.

After that, Muggy and the Januskis went home. Thomas went home too. At midnight, they both met in the alley.

“Hi!” they both barked.

After they said their hellos, they got down to business.

“Do you know where Spike took Princess?” Muggy asked.

“No, but it’s someplace in D. C.” Thomas said.

“Okay, but how do we get out there?” Muggy asked.

“Well I heard that our families are going on vacation in Vermont. When they are gone, we slip out of our kennels! Voila!” Thomas answered.

“Perfect! I’m so glad that I have you as my sidekick!” exclaimed Muggy.

“No problem!” said Thomas.

“Right, so do you know when our families are leaving?” Muggy asked.

“In a couple of days, at least, that’s what I heard.” said Thomas.

“Ok, I hope this works, I mean, we don’t have opposable thumbs or anything.” said Muggy, unsure.

“It will be fine! I have done it before and it works perfectly.” assured Thomas.

“Oh, Okay! Are there any other things that we need to talk about?” asked Muggy.

“We need to consider places that Spike might have taken Princess.” said Thomas.

“Well I don’t really know my way around D. C. at all. How about you?” said Muggy.

“I don’t really have a clue either, but once we get there, I think that we will have a better idea.” said Thomas.

“Me too. Anything else?” said Muggy.

“We need to have our equipment ready when we escape, but how are we going to get it to the kennel?” asked Thomas.

“When our owners are packing, we can sneak our equipment into our doggie bags! Will it work, you think?” said Muggy.

“I do think that it will work.” said Thomas.

“Okay, could there possibly be anything else?” asked Muggy.

“No, I don’t think so. See you Friday!” said Thomas.

“See you Friday!” said Muggy.

Chapter 2

Finally, Friday came. Everybody was excited, including the humans. The plan was working so far, they had snuck their things into their bags, and they were about to leave when the Januskis decided to call Thomas’s owners, the Korks.

“Hello? Janice?” said Muggy’s pack lady, “Let’s board Thomas and Muggy together, so they don’t get lonely.”

“Okay.” said Thomas’s pack lady, “Meet you there.”

After the phone call, they hopped in the car and drove to the kennel.

“Here we are, Muggy! Have a good time!” said Muggy’s Pack Lady.

The Januskis and the Korks said goodbye, and then they drove to the airport. That left Thomas and Muggy to escape.

“Are you ready, Thomas?” asked Muggy.

“I sure am! So after we escape the kennel, what do we do?” said Thomas.

“Once we get outside, we go down the street to the airport. When we get to the airport, we disguise ourselves as takeout food and get on a plane to D. C. It sounds pretty tricky, but I think that we can pull it off, don’t you?” said Muggy.

“I do. But how do we get out of the building?” asked Thomas, unsure.

“I have come here many times before, so I know this place pretty well. We slip through that hole in the wall! Easy.” said Muggy.

“Okay, since we have all of that covered, I better open this door!” said Thomas.

And with that, Thomas opened the door.

“Nice job, Thomas! Let’s slip through the hole.” said Muggy, impressed.

They slipped through the hole in the wall, almost too small to get through, and got outside. When they got outside, in a matter of time they realized that the airport was not just down the road, but forty-five miles away!

“Now what do we do?!” asked Thomas.

“I have an idea. It may be a little far-fetched, but it’s an idea!” said Muggy.

“Go on,” said Thomas.

“There are taxis that come past here on their way to the airport all the time. The taxis have small luggage trains on the back carrying suitcases and things. Sometimes people wait in front of the kennel building for a taxi. When the taxi stops, BINGO! We hop on the luggage train and we are on our way to D. C.!” said Muggy.

“Ah, Muggy, you are so smart! I am glad to be your sidekick.” said Thomas, impressed.

“We have our share of fine moments, now we have to hurry! There is a taxi coming!” said Muggy.

When the taxi stopped, Muggy and Thomas hopped on the train just like planned, but a moment after they were settled, they heard a scream!

“Aaaughh! Dogs on my banquet clothes! Shoo! Shoo!” screamed a lady, but the dogs had jumped off when she screamed.

“That was a close one, Thomas my old buddy! We need to do something differently. Any ideas?” said Muggy.

“I think that we should hide in the bags, instead of on top of them. That way we won’t be spotted by screaming ladies.” suggested Thomas.

“Brilliant idea, Thomas! You are the best sidekick a detective pug could have!” said Muggy.

“Thank you, Muggy. But we must hurry, here comes another taxi!” called out Thomas.

And with that, they hopped onto another luggage train. They were careful to slip into the bags without disturbing anything. They were started on their long journey.

In about five minutes, they were at the airport. In case you’ve forgotten, in this part of the plan, they were to disguise themselves as fast food and sneak on a plane to D. C. Right now they are just getting off of the luggage train.

“Phew! Man am I glad to get out of that bag! It was getting stuffy in there.” said Muggy.

“Oh it was? Are we here?” asked Thomas sleepily.

“Yes it was, and yes we are. Now if we don’t get out now, we won’t be able to save Princess!” said Muggy.

But it was too late. The man already took the bags off of the luggage train! They were headed inside!

“Quick, Thomas! We have to get out! On the count of three, jump out!” said Muggy.

Thomas, who was asleep during the trip, was now wide awake and posed to jump out.

“Okay, Muggy!” said Thomas.

“One, Two, Three!” shouted Muggy.

And on three, they jumped out and ran over to the bushes to hide.

“Nice job, Thomas!” said Muggy.

“And the same to you, Muggy.” said Thomas, flustered from all of the excitement.

They took a rest behind the bushes and found a little snack, and then they started on another part of their journey.

After they rested, they found some fast food containers and put them on. (This was very hard because dogs don’t have hands.) Then they went inside the airport. Muggy, who could read, looked at all of the signs and finally found the one for D. C.

“Here it is, Thomas! Good ol’ D. C.” said Muggy, excited.

“Yay! I’m just glad we can sit down for a decent amount of time.” said Thomas.

“Me too.” said Muggy, who was tired too.

“What’s the plan?” asked Thomas.

“When one of the people goes through the metal detector, then we sneak through when nobody’s looking. Then we go down through the place where you find your gate, we find our gate, find some food, and then we get on the airplane! D. C. here we come!” said Muggy.

“Good idea. Especially about the food.” said Thomas.

A couple moments later, they slipped through the metal detector, and were in the “world of gates”.

“Do you see our gate?” asked Thomas.

“Yes, right over there.” Muggy pointed with his paw.

“Oh, okay. Can we go look for food now?” asked Thomas.

“Yes, but we have to get back here in a few minutes, our plane will be leaving!” said Muggy.

And with that, Thomas shot off to look for food. Muggy stayed there and waited. A few moments later, Thomas came back with a full to-go box.

“Where did you find this?” asked Muggy.

“A little girl gave it to me! She saw that I was a dog and gave it to me.” said Thomas.

“How did she see you were a dog?” asked Muggy, confused.

“She saw some of my fur, I think. But I got food!” said Thomas.

“You should get a new cup to hide in, but you’re right, let’s bring the food to our gate, though, and then we can eat it on the plane too.” said Muggy.

“Good idea, but how do we get on the plane?” asked Thomas.

“We stay disguised as fast food! Once we get on the plane, we hide under the seats!” said Muggy.

“Oh, yeah! Why didn’t I think of that?” said Thomas.

“Because you’re not me. And hurry, the flight hatch is opening!” said Muggy.

Right then, they put on their outfits and ran over to the door. They slipped through when one of the people boarded. Then they went down the hall and onto the plane. As soon as they found their spot under a chair, they took off their outfits and settled down.

“Well Thomas my buddy, we made it!” said Muggy.

“Yeah! And without being nabbed and taken to the pound, either.” said Thomas, happy to be resting at last.

“Get comfy, Thomas. This will be a long ride.” said Muggy.

But Thomas didn’t hear, he had already fallen asleep!

“I suppose I better settle in too,” said Muggy.

And with that, Muggy fell asleep too.

Chapter 3

“The plane will be landing in Washington D. C. in five minutes. Please put your seats in an upright position and buckle your seatbelts.” said the pilot.

When the pilot said that, Muggy woke up. Thomas did not, however. He was in a deep dream about finding millions of bones and dog treats.

“Thomas, did you hear that?” asked Muggy.

This, however, was not enough to wake Thomas up.

“Thomas!” shouted Muggy, “Wake up! We have to get in costume!”

But a dog yelling sure did the trick! Thomas woke up and jerked his head around like there was something happening around him.

“What’s wrong? Did the flight go back around? What happened?” asked Thomas.

“Nothing is wrong! In fact, the plane is about to land in D. C.!” assured Muggy, “I was just saying that we need to get into disguise!” said Muggy.

“Oh, ok. So we aren’t being taken by the pound or anything, are we?” asked Thomas, still unsure.

“No, nothing of the sort.” said Muggy, “But if you don’t hurry we will!”

And when Thomas heard that, he got on his disguise in a matter of seconds! Thomas had a bad experience with the pound, and whenever there is a chance that he is involved with it, he will do anything to prevent it.

What was that incident, you may ask. Well here it is. One day, Thomas was out taking a walk before anyone in the city was awake. As you may know, when a human finds a dog, he or she wants to get it home, thinking that it is lost. Most of the time, those dogs are lost, but Thomas wasn’t. He knew his way around, but the dog catchers didn’t think so. They snatched him up and put him in a kennel and waited for someone to claim him. Luckily, a few hours later, the Korks came in and, as he put it, “saved him”. Ever since, Thomas has kept his distance from the pound, and the dog catchers.

But back to the story. Anyway, pretty soon the plane started downward. Muggy and Thomas had to stay braced to keep from sliding into the row of feet in front of them. I a few moments, however, the plane was on the ground.

“What was that?” asked Thomas, who had never been on a plane before.

“The plane was landing.” Muggy explained, “When the plane gets to where it is supposed to go, it lands on the ground. In order to get to the ground, the plane has to go down. Got it?”

“Got it. Can you tell me more?” asked Thomas.

“Later.” said Muggy, “When we aren’t on a life saving mission.”

“Okay! The people are getting off of the plane, is that our queue for something?” asked Thomas.

“Oh, yes! I almost forgot. Are you in costume?” said Muggy.

“Yes, what about you?” asked Thomas.

“Me too. Okay, get in the crowd of people and sneak through into the hall. If I am not there with you, wait for me, ok?” said Muggy.

“Okay, we better get a move on!” said Thomas.

And with that, they snuck into the crowd. With the feet everywhere, they had to be careful not to be stepped on. Pretty soon they got into the hallway.

“Wow! Were those all feet?” asked Thomas, who was still amazed at all of the feet.

“Yes they were. To tell you the truth, I have never seen that many feet either!” said Muggy.

They walked out into the lobby, and took a rest. They were both a little confused from dodging everything. Right when Muggy was starting to doze off, Thomas broke the silence.

“I just thought of something.” said Thomas.

“What?” asked Muggy, still a little drowsy.

“We have to find a place to stay, don’t we?” said Thomas.

Now Muggy was wide awake.

“Yes we do, but where?” asked Muggy.

“Well, there are the things called hotels. We go through the door when somebody goes in, and then we find an empty room, and voila! That is where we stay!” said Thomas.

“Ah, yes, that is a brilliant idea, but the doormen are always watching what comes in, and what goes out. First, when we go back to the hotel, we’ll have to go late, so nobody will see us. Second, we’ll have to enter through the vent pipes, like they do on T V, you know?” said Muggy.

“Are you sure that that works?” asked Thomas.

“Yes, in fact, I’ve tried it several times to get back into my house.” said Muggy.

“Oh, ok! But is there anything else that we need to know before we go outside?” asked Thomas.

“Yes, we need some food, before we go running and saving lives. And we need to know where we can go to get food every day. And we need to find the right hotel to stay in. Any ideas?” said Muggy.

“I think so. I have a friend that used to live here, and he told me about a lot of stuff to do, and places to go, and things like that. He said that there is a bakery that often has stale or day old, but still good, breads and pastries. We can go there to eat. As for the hotel, we’ll have to wander around a little bit, you know, get a feel of the town. But we do need to find different outfits, I’m getting tired of the fast food thing.” said Thomas.

“I’m getting tired of it, too. But unless you find something else that will cover our whole body, you’ll just have to deal with it.” said Muggy.

“Yeah, I was afraid you’d say that. But maybe we can---” said Thomas, as Muggy cut him off.

“Listen to me, would you rather save a life, or be comfortable?” asked Muggy.

“Save a life.” said Thomas impatiently, “But shouldn’t we get a move on?”

“Yes, we do need to do that. Do you have your costume on?” said Muggy, ready to go.

“Yes, are we ready? I think the hotel is just down the street. And so is the bakery.” said Thomas.

“I believe that we are ready, when we get outside, you lead, ok?” said Muggy.

“Ok!” said Thomas.

And with that, they headed off. They got through the double doors, and once outside, they switched places and headed down the street. After a few minutes of walking, they came upon a very tall building.

“What is that?” asked Thomas.

“Our temporary home! We can check things out at night. Right now we should explore town so we can get a feel of where we are, and things like that. You know?” said Muggy.

“Yes, I do. Will we look for Princess yet?” said Thomas.

“Nah, not till’ tomorrow. Right now, like I said, we need to explore.” said Muggy.

And with that, they walked on.

Chapter 4

After a while of walking, they came across another building.

“The Bakery!” exclaimed Thomas.

“Pardon?” asked Muggy, surprised by the immediate commotion.

“Oh, sorry. It’s just that, it looks just like my friend described it! It’s the Bakery, Muggy!” said Thomas.

“Oh, that’s fine. I know what you mean. Shall we check it out?” asked Muggy.

But Thomas wasn’t there to answer! He was already inside! Muggy, of course, suspected the worst.

“Oh great!” said Muggy to himself, “I shouldn’t have let him out of my sight for a second. Ooh, man!”

And right then, Muggy saw him. He let out a sigh of relief.

“Thomas! Where were you?! I was worried sick about you!” exclaimed Muggy, knowing that almost nothing could keep Thomas away from food.

“I was looking at the food, it’s like a library of pastries! They even have cream filled ones!” said Thomas, drooling at all of the food.

“Well if you want some, you have to go out back. Are there any holes where we can stash the food?” asked Muggy.

“I don’t know, I’ve never been here before, just like you.” said Thomas, “But if we want to find out, then we could check.”

But Muggy was already on his way. It took a few minutes to get around, for it was a big building. But soon enough, they got there.

“Wow!” said Muggy, “It is a library of food!”

“You haven’t seen the inside yet! Let me take you.” said Thomas.

“No, we can’t. We have to stay undercover. And, anyway the outside is good enough for—” said Muggy as he jumped.

He had heard something. It sounded like something moving, but something bigger than him. He couldn’t figure it out until he saw it.

A fox! Muggy froze as it came toward him. It sat down and stuck his paw out.

“Hello,” he said with a friendly English accent, “I’m Toby. Nice to meet you.”

Muggy nearly fainted. He somehow stayed awake and stuck his paw out to shake Toby’s. Thomas, however, could not hold on, and he fainted in a pile of day-old jelly filled donuts.

“Sorry, he…he’s never…” sputtered Muggy.

“I understand.” said Toby, “Other animals have done that before.”

Right then, Thomas woke up. As soon as Toby saw him he said:

“Hello!”

And Thomas fainted again.

“Oh well, I’ll talk to him when he wakes up for good.” said Muggy, embarrassed.

“Shall I take you to my home?” asked Toby.

“Why sure, but we’ll have to leave Thomas behind.” said Muggy.

“If that’s ok with you, we can go.” said Toby.

“Yeah, just make sure to leave footprints. See you later, Thomas!” said Muggy as he left.

And they walked off.

About a half hour later, Thomas woke up. He looked around, and realized that he was alone. He noticed the footprints and started following them. Thomas, being the worrying type, started to panic.

“Oh why did I have to faint?! Now I bet that Muggy is fox-food in a big pot full of boiling water!” said Thomas as he started to run.

Thomas ran much faster than Muggy and Toby did, and he got to where he was going fairly quick. When he got there, he expected to see dark, thorny trees, and a fire with a huge pot on top, but instead, he saw a cute little beach house with a small fire in the middle. And on the small fold-up chairs sat Toby and Muggy. Muggy was telling him about Princess and Spike.

“And we just sat there puzzled, and then, Thomas came up with this great idea and… Oh, hello Thomas!” said Muggy.

Thomas almost fainted again, but managed to hold on this time.

“What are you doing with him?” asked Thomas.

“We’re just talking, do you have a problem with that?” asked Muggy.

“Oh, well, then why did you worry me like that?” asked Thomas.

“We didn’t mean to worry you, did we, Toby?” said Muggy.

“No, we didn’t. I’m Toby. I tried to introduce myself, but you fainted.” said Toby, calm as could be.

“I—I’m---I’m Thomas.” sputtered Thomas.

“Thank you for not fainting again.” said Muggy.

And then they talked on, until they had filled Toby in on as much as they possibly could. And then came the questions.

“Are you living alone?” asked Thomas, who always liked a buddy.

“Yes, partly because everybody is scared of me, and partly because not a lot of foxes live in D. C.” said Toby.

“How did you get to be living here, then?” asked Muggy.

“Well, in a town not too far from here, there was a small zoo. Not with exotic animals, but wild ones that got hurt. Anyway, I was one of them. I had broken my leg in a fight for food, and the zoo had taken me in.” said Toby.

“Go on.” said Muggy.

“After I was better, I was ready to get out. I thought that I had it all planned out perfectly, but then came Mrs. McCully.” said Toby.

“Mrs. McCully?” asked Thomas.

“Yes. She was the guard. Scary thing she was. Until she got sick, and then they had a very ignorant guard. Most of the animals got out when he was on duty, including me. I ran and I ran until I reached the forest, and then I rested. And then I caught a train. I thought that I had caught a train for England, but it was New England instead. I hopped off part of the way there, and then I ran to the nearest forest. Which just happened to be in D. C.!” said Toby.

“You wouldn’t fight us for food, would you?” asked Muggy.

“Oh, no. Of course not! I was fighting a big gnarly bear. You are just two little dogs trying to save the president’s dog!” said Toby.

“Oh, good! So would you mind if we kept some of those old pastries here?” asked Muggy.

“No, of course not! As long as I can have some.” said Toby.

“Oh, sure! That’s fine. But I need to ask you something. Should we stay here, or stay at the hotel?” asked Muggy.

“Oh, you should probably stay here. They’ve got really high security at the hotel, all of the hotels.” said Toby.

“If it’s not too big of an imposition, then I suppose that we could stay here.” said Muggy, “Do you have room?”

“Of course! I have a guest bed in case anyone wanted to stay here.” said Toby.

“Oh, good. So you don’t mind?” asked Muggy.

“Of course not! I don’t mind a single bit. I get quite lonely by myself.” said Toby.

“We’ll be home by five o’clock each day, is that alright?” asked Muggy.

“Just fine! But you better not head out until tomorrow, it’s getting dark.” said Toby.

“Okay,” yawned Muggy as he lay down, “Goodnight, Toby. Goodnight, Thomas.”

“Goodnight.” said Toby and Thomas.

And they went to bed.

Chapter 5

Thomas opened his eyes, or more his nose, to the smell of breakfast. He got up and walked over to Toby, who was cooking.

“What are you cooking?” asked Thomas.

“Scrambled slugs and fried ants. They’re my favorite.” said Toby as he filled Thomas’s plate.

“Uh, ok.” said Thomas with a wrench in his gut.

Though Thomas thought that it was incredibly disgusting, he remembered his manners and took a bite of both. His lips curved into a smile.

“That is delicious! Do you have more?” said Thomas.

“Help yourself!” said Toby, “There’s plenty more where it came from!”

“Thank you! Oh, hi, Muggy!” said Thomas, “You should try this!”

“Ok,” said Muggy, “but we must be leaving soon, are you ready?”

“Yes, whenever you are!” said Thomas.

After Muggy ate breakfast, they said goodbye and were on their way.

Meanwhile, Muggy and Thomas’s families were worrying. They had just gotten the call from the kennel.

“We never should have put them together; I knew that they would get in trouble!” said Mrs. Januski.

“Yeah, Thomas has escaped from his kennel before. I bet he did it again!” said Mr. Kork.

“Yes, they’re both pretty smart.” said Mr. Januski.

A moment later, a woman walked by and asked why they were worrying.

“We just got a call from the kennel that said that our dogs have escaped! Do you have any idea why this might have happened?” asked Mrs. Januski.

“This might sound silly to you, but they might have gone searching for the president’s dog. She’s missing, you know.” said the lady.

“She is? I never knew that! I bet Muggy and Thomas went off looking for her. They’re those kind of dogs, you know. Pretty tricky ones, they are. If you happen to see them, tell us, would you?” asked Mr. Januski.

“Why of course! I’ll call you right away. I’m Janna, by the way. What breed of dogs are you missing?” asked Janna.

“A Yorkshire Terrier named Thomas, and a Pug name Muggy.” said Mr. Januski as he jotted down his phone number and hotel room, “And tonight, would you join us for dinner at Mirabelle’s?”

“Why yes! If you don’t mind.” said Janna.

“We don’t mind a bit! We’d love to have you join us. Is 6:00 alright?” asked Mr. Januski.

“Yes! See you tonight!” said Janna.

“See you later!” said Mr. Januski as Janna walked away, “Well she was nice!”

“Yes she was, pretty too. I’ll have to ask her where she gets her hair done. But for now, we better get ready!” said Mrs. Januski.

“Yep, come on gang! Let’s move out!” said Mr. Januski like the sergeant he was.

Meanwhile, Muggy and Thomas were wandering around the streets and alleys of Washington, D. C., when something caught Muggy’s eye.

“Did you see that?” asked Muggy.

“See what?” asked Thomas.

“It was—Oh, it was probably nothing. Maybe just some cat or—Wait, there it is again!” said Muggy.

But Thomas had already seen it. He was hiding behind Muggy, shivering. Thomas was afraid of things like that, for fear of being caught.

“I—I saw it—what was it?” stammered Thomas.

“I’m not sure, but we’re going to find out.” said Muggy.

“We? Shouldn’t I stay here, you know, just in case anything happens.” said Thomas.

“No. If we save Princess then we do it together, ok?” said Muggy.

But Thomas didn’t answer.

“Did you hear me?!” asked Muggy, and then he turned around, “Oh,”

And then Muggy saw it. A big figure about 3 feet tall with pointy ears and a dark, mean face.

“Did somebody say Princess?” asked the figure meanly, “Let’s go have some fun, shall we?”

And a big paw swooped down and picked up Muggy and Thomas. And they were carried down the alley to the dead end.

“I suppose you were looking for her, eh?” asked the figure.

Chapter 6

And sitting before them, bundled in chains, was Princess. She was whining softly, but with a small growl deep down in her throat.

“You’ll never get away with this, Spike!” said Muggy.

“Oh, so you haven’t forgotten me.” said Spike.

Spike and Muggy had a little run in before. On a nice day in summer, he was taking a walk in the park with his Master and Pack Lady. And then Spike came along with his Master and Pack Lady. Back then, they were good friends, but after they had dreams of their own, they turned into enemies. What happened was that, they were talking about their dreams, and Muggy mentioned that he wanted to be a detective. And Spike had said, “Yeah right, you couldn’t find a job small enough!” But with that, Muggy had the last straw. Muggy swiped Spike’s nose, and Spike just had to continue on.

“How could I forget you?!” said Muggy through clenched teeth.

“I guess that your dream came true. How about you help me with something?” asked Spike.

“No!” screamed Muggy.

“Then I’ll help you!” shouted Spike as he thrust them into a doggy cage, “Now you be good doggies!” called Spike in a baby voice while he walked away.

As soon as they were sure that Spike was out of earshot, they got to work.

“Hurry, Thomas! Open the door!” said Muggy.

“It’s no good, the door is locked. He must’ve remembered when I escaped before!” said Thomas.

“Oh, wait! I keep a pin behind my ear!” Muggy felt around for it, but it was gone, “It must’ve come off in the metal detector.”

“I have a pin.” said beautiful voice, “It’s on top of my head, you can grab it if you like. I’d use it myself, but my paws are chained down.”

“Why thank you, Princess!” said Muggy as he slipped his paw through the bars, “Good thing that this is a big dog kennel or else I wouldn’t be able to do this at all!”

“Yes, do you have the pin?” asked Princess.

“Yes, I do.” said Muggy, “Here, Thomas. Can you use this?”

“Be careful, it’s my favorite.” said Princess.

“I will, ah, there we go!” said Thomas as the kennel door opened.

“Yes!!” said Muggy as he got out of the kennel, “We’re coming, Princess!”

“Oh, thank you Muggy!” said Princess as Muggy unlocked her chains, “How can I ever repay you?”

“No need for repaying, I’m just glad that we found you! Here’s your hairpin back.” said Muggy.

“Thank you!” said Princess, “Do you want to know why it’s my favorite?”

“Sure!” said Muggy.

“Because it has a camera in it! It’s been recording everything that Spike has been doing to me!” said Princess.

“Wow!” said Muggy, “Right now it’s going to record us getting out of here!”

And with that, they ran! As fast and as far as they could, until they reached the White House. Thomas looked puzzled.

“I thought that the White House was orange!” said Thomas.

“Old wives tale.” said Princess.

“Oh,” said Thomas.

“Do you know when the next flight back to New York is?” asked Muggy.

“Are you really leaving that soon? Stay at least one night! I’d love to have you meet my Master.” pleaded Princess, “And, if you like, I can send one of my friends out to find a flight home for you tomorrow.”

“That sounds fine! As long as your Master won’t mind.” said Muggy.

“Not at all!” said Princess.

“Oh, I almost forgot. May we go say goodbye to a friend? It will only take a few minutes.” said Muggy.

“Go ahead, as long as you’re back by six. Will that be ok?” asked Princess.

“Yes, that will be fine. Come on, Thomas!” called Muggy.

“See you later!” said Princess.

And with that, they went on. They walked down the street to the Bakery, and went into the forests beyond. When they entered Toby’s home, he said,

“What took you so long? I was getting worried about you! What happened?”

“We found Spike and Princess, and we got locked up ourselves. But we escaped and have to be heading home. We wanted to say thank you for your hospitality, even if it was just one night.” said Muggy.

“But where will you stay tonight? Surely you can’t find a flight this soon!” said Toby.

“I’m afraid we have found a place to stay. Just for tonight, though, we’re staying at the White House.” said Muggy.

“Which isn’t orange.” said Thomas, still fascinated.

“So, this is goodbye?” asked Toby.

“Hardly! When you find a crime, ring me up!” said Muggy.

“Phew! So, goodbye for now!” said Toby.

“Goodbye!” called Thomas and Muggy.

And with that, they ran back to the White House. It was six o’clock sharp as they knocked on the doggy door.

“Princess? It’s us! Muggy and Thomas!” said Muggy.

And then they heard a click, and they saw Princess. She was wearing her camera pin, and her jeweled collar. She looked beautiful.

“Hello, Princess. You look beautiful tonight, may we come in?” asked Muggy with a bow.

“Why of course! I invited you here, didn’t I?” said Princess.

“Yes, you did.” said Muggy.

“What are we having for di---” asked Thomas as Muggy nudged him, “Ow!”

“Thomas! Mind your manners!” whispered Muggy.

“Please come in! Dinner will be ready soon!” called Princess as she walked back inside.

Thomas was already drooling. When he saw the look on Muggy’s face, he stopped. They walked inside to a doggy paradise. Muggy spotted Princess seated on one of the chair of the big, long table. Thomas and Muggy’s eyes popped open wide. They had never seen anything as amazing as this, except for Thanksgiving.

“Hop up, boys!” called Princess.

“Thank you,” said Muggy, “Would you mind me asking what’s for dinner?”

“Look in front of you!” laughed Princess.

And, sure enough, sitting in front of him, was his favorite dinner in the entire world!

“Chinese Chicken!!!!!” he exclaimed.

“I’m glad you like it.” said Princess, a bit disgusted by Muggy eating like a pig, “Would you mind eating a bit more slowly?

“Oh, yes. I’m sorry, I forgot my manners. But I haven’t had this good food in a while. All that I eat at home is dog food.” said Muggy, “Sorry if I ate like a pig.”

Princess smiled and said, “It’s alright.” And they went on eating. They had no dessert for chocolate was bad for dogs. And then they went into their living room to their TV the size of the wall to watch the movie on Princess’s pin.

The first thing that they saw was the president kissing Princess goodbye in the morning. “Goodbye, my sweet girl. Go catch some bad guys, ok?” he said. Princess barked approval, and she was out the door.

She obviously knew where the crime was, because the first moment she was outside, she was headed straight toward the alleys. And then there was the same shadow that Muggy had seen early today that turned out to be Spike. Princess must’ve seen it too, for she walked right into the alley. And then came the big paw swooping down to pick her up.

“Auugghh!!” she squealed, “HELP!!!”

“No help for you, little miss. Only mine.” bellowed Spike.

“You’ll never get away with this!” screamed Princess, but Spike didn’t answer, “You dirty, low down monster!”

“Why, I hope you aren’t bothered by me. I’m just having a bit of fun.” said Spike happily.

“Oh, I bet you are. Stealing the president’s dog and scaring him to death!” said Princess, baring her teeth, “I can bite you! I have teeth!”

And then Spike slapped her, “You, trying to bite me? You better not try that again!” he said as he tied her up in chains and locked the big, bulky lock.

“Now, you be a good girl!” called Spike in a baby voice, much like when he did when he left Muggy and Thomas.

Spike left for a couple of minutes, and then came back with Muggy and Thomas. He shoved them in the big dog kennel, which was there in case any big dogs tried to come and fight to save Princess.

And then the camera moved, and you can see Muggy and Thomas. And then, the screen goes black. The pin is in the lock. And then, there is a small “click,” and the door is opened. The pin is placed back on Princess’s head, and they run back to the White House. The president turns off the TV.

“Princess! You’ve had quite a day! These dogs saved you?” asked the president, still amazed that his own dog could get in such a mess.

Princess nodded her head.

“Well, well! These dogs deserve something! Shall we give them a medal?” asked the president.

Princess nodded her head again.

And then the president said, “Maid? Run and fetch a couple of medals. And three bones. Leave a little meat on them; we don’t want our heroes getting hungry.”

“Yes, sir.” said the maid that resembled the big ones on cartoons. I wouldn’t be surprised if her name was Helga!

“Thank you, Helga.” said the president. I knew it!

And Helga walked down the hall to the kitchen. Muggy could hear her preparing the bones. And then she walked down the hall a little more, and there were a few clanks of metal. And then Helga walked back into the living room with the bones and medals.

“Here you are, sir.” said Helga, handing the president the medals and bones.

“Thank you, Helga.” said the president, and then he started his speech, “Today, you two dogs have proven to me that you are worthy of honor. Today, I give you this medal, because you saved my dog. I am, and always will be grateful for what you have done. Here are your medals. I hope you come back sometime.”

Muggy and Thomas nodded, and bowed. And then Princess led them to their bedroom. They walked up a flight of stairs, and down a hall to an open door. They walked in.

“Here’s your room. It’s not much, but it should do for tonight.” said Princess.

Muggy took a look around. “Where’s the dog bed?” he asked.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot to tell you. You sleep on the bed. Think of it like, an extra-sized dog bed. Sleep well!” said Princess, “And, by the way, Helga will come in and give you your bones in a few minutes. If you ever come back, which I know you will, you can stay in here. See you in the morning!”

“Ok, thank you!” called Muggy as he climbed onto the bed, and then a relaxed expression came on his face, “Thomas, this is the most comfortable bed I’ve ever been on!”

Thomas, seeing that it looked quite comfortable, decided to climb up also. When he got up, he had the same expression on his face.

“Oh my gosh! You are right! Let’s come back here again!” decided Thomas.

“Oh, we will. Later, though. Let’s get some shut-eye in before tomorrow.” said Muggy.

“In a minute, here comes Helga.” said Thomas as Helga came into their room.

“Here are you’re bones, you little dumplings, have a good sleep!” said Helga as she put the bones on their bed.

And then she walked out of the door.

“Now can we go to sleep?” asked Muggy.

“Yes,” said Thomas with his bone in his mouth.

And with that, they went to sleep.

Chapter 7

In the morning, Thomas and Muggy woke up to the best smell ever! They tucked their bones into their doggy bags, and they headed down the hallway. They waltzed into the dining room to see Princess seated and waiting for her breakfast.

“Hello, Princess.” said Muggy.

Princess jumped. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” said Muggy.

“Oh, that’s fine.” said Princess, “I often get scared easily.”

“Oh, well I still apologize.” said Muggy.

“Why, what a gentleman!” said Princess.

Muggy felt himself blushing. “Thank you,” he said as the chefs came out with breakfast. Muggy noticed Thomas frowning slightly. He heard him whisper, Where are the ants and slugs? Muggy just ignored him.

Sitting in front of him was a plate of something quite more gourmet than slugs and ants. Homemade pancakes and freshly cooked bacon. Yum!

After everybody finished eating, the humans went into the living room to watch the news, while the dogs went over to the doggy door. When they got there, some dog’s head poked through and said,

“There’s a flight going out in an half an hour, can your—Oh, hello. I was just wondering if you could make the flight.”

“Yes, I believe that we can.” said Muggy.

“Muggy, Thomas, this is Joey. Joey these are our heroes.” said Princess.

“Very nice to meet you.” said Joey, “But if you want to get home, it’s probably best if you start off now.”

“Oh, yes, you’re right. I’ll see you next time, Princess. Goodbye!” said Muggy.

Right before they left, Princess gave Muggy a little lick on the cheek, and said, “See you next time, Muggy.” And she did the same with Thomas.

And with that, Joey saw them off. They walked through tall weeds for a while, and then they reached short grass.

After a little while, Joey started a conversation.

“I heard about what you did. It was very brave, if you ask me. And to use her pin as a key, pure genius!!” said Joey.

“Why, thank you.” said Muggy as humbly as he could.

“You’re welcome!” said Joey.

And the conversation went like that until they reached the airport. Muggy sighed as he saw the airport parking lot. He said,

“I think that we can make it from here. Thank you for seeing us off. I’ll see you next time, I suppose?”

“Of course! Just bark me up!” said Joey.

“Thank you! Goodbye!” said Muggy.

“Any time! See you later!” called Joey.

As soon as Joey was out of earshot, Muggy sighed and said,

“Phew! He said a lot!”

“You can say that again!” said Thomas.

“But I don’t want to,” said Muggy as they reached the parking lot, “I’ve had enough talking for now.” And as they neared the doors they found some new cups to put on. They walked over to the side of the building and entered through the vent.

They traveled through the musty vent of the airport until they reached an opening. They hopped through the opening into the “world of gates” again, and wandered around until they found the gate that said, BOARDING NOW.

“There it is!” said Muggy, “That’s a sight to sore paws! I can’t wait to get home.”

“Me either, I agree with you.” said Thomas, “Let’s run for it!”

And they ran, my, did they run! In fact, they ran so fast, that their outfits came off! They were running so fast that they couldn’t run back to get them. Some people noticed the dogs and shouted about them. The gate attendants looked around, and then at the gate, but the dogs had already gotten in.

When Muggy and Thomas got on the plane, they immediately got under a chair. A few moments later, they heard footsteps. They saw some regular tennis shoes, and then they saw some high heels and some shiny black shoes. People boarding the plane! thought Muggy. More feet?! thought Thomas.

A few minutes later, the people settled down, and so did Muggy and Thomas. Thomas fell asleep within minutes of the takeoff. Muggy thought about his family, and then he fell asleep too.

Meanwhile, back in New York, the Januskis had already gotten home. They had thought that Muggy would have come home, but he wasn’t there to comfort them. The Korks had thought the same, and now are gathered at the park to share their sorrow.

“Why did we even go on vacation anyway?”cried Mrs. Januski.

“Because we wanted to get away! You said that yourself.” said Mr. Januski, “The dogs will come back. They probably go away all of the time when we’re gone! And they’ve gotten home on time. This time they probably just had a few delays, or they didn’t want to fly during the night!”

“How do you know that they’re flying?” asked one of the Januski kids.

“I know because of that lady named Janna. She said that Princess was stolen in D. C. They would have to fly to get there.” said Mr. Januski.

“You believe that lady?!” exclaimed Mrs. Kork.

“Yes,” said Mr. Januski.

“And I do too.” said Mr. Kork.

All of a sudden, a plane flew overhead. It landed in the airport downtown. A pretend light bulb seemed to flash on in Mr. Januski’s head. He said,

“Hey! We should head to the airport to see if they came back that way!”

“No thanks, we’ll stay here. You men go on.” said Mrs. Januski.

And Mr. Kork and Mr. Januski ran off.

They arrived at the airport moments later. They went inside and were just in time for the unloading of the plane. People were walking around and saying hi, and then something strange walked down the runway.

Chapter 8

It was a pair of dogs! Muggy and Thomas!

“Muggy!” shouted out Mr. Januski with joy.

“Thomas!” shouted out Mr. Kork with joy.

The dogs started to run to their excited owners, when, all of a sudden, a net fell over them! It was Animal Control! Thomas nearly fainted, he was so scared.

Mr. Kork and Mr. Januski ran over to them. The dogs whimpered with joy to see their owners.

“These yours?” asked the Animal Control cop with a furrowed brow.

“Yeah,” said Mr. Kork, “Listen, we’re really sorry. Our dogs got away, and we couldn’t figure out where they were. If you just give them back, we’ll leave you alone.”

“It’d mean a lot to us.” added Mr. Januski.

“Go ahead,” said the Animal Control cop, “And don’t let this happen again!”

“Ok! Thank you!” called Mr. Januski.

And with that, they ran out the door. They ran back to the park with their dogs at their sides. When they arrived at the park, their families’ eyes bugged out. The kids ran to their dogs, and the wives ran to their husbands.

“You were right!” shouted Mrs. Kork and Mrs. Januski at the same time.

“Aw, it was nothing.” said Mr. Januski, “Let’s walk home and we can tell you all about it.”

Thomas and Muggy high-pawed. They walked home together, and parted when they got to the crosswalk.

“See you later!” they called to each other.

The Januski’s were eating dinner when Mr. Januski decided to turn on the news. He turned the TV on, and the first thing they saw was: A picture of Muggy and Thomas, and the headline: TWO DOGS SAVE PRESIDENT’S DOGS.

“WOW!” exclaimed the Januskis.

And, yet again, Muggy and Thomas had saved the day!

The End!