Just then, Haley shrieked. "You don't have to pinch me!" she said angrily to Suzi. Then she took Matt's hand and started to drag him out of the yard. "C'mon," she said, forgetting to sign as she spoke. "Let's get out of here." Matt seemed to know what she'd said even without the signs. He gave one last angry glance back at Buddy and Suzi, and stalked out of the yard at his sister's side.

    "Oh, great," said Mallory. "Look, it's time to quit this fighting." She sat Buddy and Suzi down on the porch steps. Mamie, still in her stroller, had fallen asleep - and the fight hadn't even woken her up.

    "Look, you guys. There's no rule that says that only one person can enter each pet in the pet show," said Mallory. She'd been thinking the problem over, and had come to realize that this was the only solution. "Why don't you enter Pow - together!" Buddy and Suzi looked at each other hopefully. Mal could see that they both thought it was a good idea, but neither one wanted to be the first to give in.

    "You could be in charge of his looks, Suzi," said Mal, trying to push the idea. "And Buddy, you could teach him some new tricks. How about it?" Buddy and Suzi smiled at each other. "Yeah!" said Buddy. "Maybe I can teach him how to roll over, just like Aunt Jo's dog does!" "And I can give him a bath, and paint his toenails pink, and put ribbons on him," said Suzi. "He'll look so, so beautiful!" They ran off to find Pow, leaving Mal alone on the porch. She shook her head and spoke to the still-sleeping Mamie. "Sweetie, that was a close one," she said. "I thought they were going to do each other in this time." Mamie shifted in the stroller and smiled in her sleep.

    Later that afternoon, her job over, Mal walked back to her house. She was hoping desperately that her brothers and sisters would have settled the Frodo issue while she was away. She couldn't take any more fighting that day.