Cassie knew something was wrong when her front screen door...

...flew open, and the twins, Jacob and Jenny, came bounding through the now open doorway. As they rushed past their mother, headed for the safety of their upstairs bedrooms, Jenny shouted at Cassie, "Whatever Mr. Collins says is a lie! We didn't put anything in his pool!"

After hearing that outburst from her daughter, Cassie walked to the wide open front door in time to see Mr. Collins, the neighbor across the street, exit his driveway at a hurried pace, and head directly towards her front door.

As soon as he got close enough for Cassie to see the angered look on his face, she could only anxiously mutter to herself, "Oh kids, what did you do to poor Mr. Collins this time!"

"Cassie, let me show you my pool........!"

by Stewart Lindsay, Buffalo, NY

...slammed shut again for the third time. One slam, it was her little brother Bobby. Two slams, it was more than likely her Ma being upset with her Pa. Three slams was cause for alarm. She picked up her cat, Piggy, as she ran up the basement stairs. That's where her Pa kept the best cider and she was sneaking a few pulls from the jug when she heard the door slam for the third time. She almost dropped her cat when she hit the first step, and stubbed her toe instead.

She entered the living room and saw her Pa and Ma sitting on the couch, with big grins on their faces. Bobby was laughing so hard he fell on the floor. Cassie looked into the mirror, someone had rubbed black shoe polish on the rim of the jug.

by Joseph L. Rose, Fairfield, CA

...was swinging back and forth. She knew it was latched when she went to hoe her flower garden in the back yard. Now as she stood in her front yard staring at the swinging screen door, she sensed someone was in her house.

What happened then was explained like this. Carrie sneaked to the side of her house and rapped her hoe twice against the siding. She then ran near her front porch and hid by the steps. The varmint in her home came barreling out the doorway and leaped off the porch. Cassie swung her hoe with all her might and whacked him across his shin bones. Would you believe, she cracked the handle of her hoe. The thief lay there in her yard until the police and ambulance came.

Nobody should ever try to steal from ol' lady Cassie. This 98 year cookie is one tough lady.

by Anthony Bagnick, Lake Ariel, PA