Dear Mrs. LaRue - PDF

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Written and Illustrated by

Mark Teague

SCHOLASTIC INC. New York Toronto London Auckland Sydney

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September 30 For Tracy Mack, BrilI.1&nt Editor;

David 883101', Impeccable Designer; and Earl and Ali, Dogs of Genius

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ISBN

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Copyright Š 2002 by Mark Teague.

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Printed in China

First ScholastIc paperback printing, September 2003 The display type was set In American Typewriter Bold. The text type was set in 14­ point ITC American TypeWl'iter Medium and 18-polnt Lltterbox. The illustrations were painted in acrylics. Book design by Mark Teague and David Saylor.

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Dear Mrs. LaRue, Were you really so upset about the chicken pie? You know, you might have discussed it with me. You could have said, "Ike, don't eat the chicken pie. I'm saving it for dinner." Would that have been so difficult? It would have prevented a lot of hard feelings.

Needless to say, I am being horribly mistreated. You say I should be patient and accept that I'll be here through the term.

Are you aware that the term lasts TWO MONTHS? Do you know how long that is in dog years?

Sincerely, Ike

October 3 Dear Mrs. LaRue, I'd like to clear up some misconceptions about the Hibb ins , cats. First, they are hardly the little angels Mrs. Hibbins makes them out to be. Second, how should I know what they were doing out on the fire escape in the middle of January?

They were being a bit melodramatic, don't you think, the way they cried and refused to come down? It's hard to believe they were really sick for three whole days, but you know cats.

Your dog, Ike

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T"'-al"lk yov {ov t"'e LoveLy 'jet weLL (dvJ. HiLL) I'f"'l -a LittLe >vvpvi>eJ t"'-at yov JiJI"l't cOf"'le 'jet f"'Ie. I kl"lOw w"'-at Dv. WiL{vey >-ay» bvt i> it ve-aLLy wi>e to t-ake vi>k> wit'" Ol"le l> "'e-aLt"'? I CovLJ "'-ave -a veL-ap>e) yov kl"lOw. Wit'" (-aLL "'eve) I t"'il"lk -abovt -aLL t"'e (il"le tif"'le> we v>eJ to "'-ave il"l t"'e p-avk. Ref"'lef"'lbev "'ow >of"'letif"'le> yov wovLJ bvil"l'j -aLol"l'j -a tel"ll"li> b-aLL? Yov wovLJ t",vow it -aI"lJ I wovLJ vet vieve it EvERY TIME) except (ov Ol"lce w"'el"l it L-aI"lJeJ ;I"l >of"let"'il"l'j I"l-a>ty -aI"lJ I bvov'j",t yov b-ack -a >t;ck il"l>te-aJ . A",) "'Ow I f"'I i» t"'o>e J-ay>.

P.L If"'I-a'jil"le "'Ow -aw{vL it i> {ov f"'Ie to be >tvck ;1"l>iJe f"'Iy til"lY P.P.L I >tiLL {eeL pvetty >ick.

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By t"'e til""e yov veacA t"'if I will be ~o~e. I "'ave cAe(icAecA to attel""pt a cAavi~~ ef(ape~ Ill"" fovvy it "'af (Ol""e to t"'if, fi~(e I al"" veally a vevy ~oocA cAo~, bvt {va~kly yov le{t l""e ~o ("'oi(e. How facA it if ~ot to be appve(iatecA~ Fvol"" ~Ow o~ Illl wa~cAev {val"" tow~ to tow~ wit"'ovt a "'Ol""e oV eve~ a~y cAo~ {oocA, l""oft likely. }v('" if t"'e lire o{ a cAefpevate ovtlaw. I will tvy to wvite to yov {val"" til""e to til""e af I (aVVY o~ wit'" l""y lire o{ "'avcAf"'ip a~cA cAa~~ev.

Yovv lo~ely {v~itive, Ike

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The Snort City Register/Gazette

o~tober 10

LARUE ESCAPES DOGGY DETENTION Former Snort City resident Ike LaRue escaped last night from the dormitory at the Igor Brotweiler Canine Academy. The dog is described as "toothy" by local police. His current whereabouts are unknown.

"To be honest, I thought he was bluffing when he told me he was planning to escape," said a visibly

upset Gertrude R. LaRue, the dog's Owner. "Ike tends to be a bit melo颅 dramatic, you know. Now I can only pray that he'll come back." Asked if she would return Ike to Brotweiler Academy, Mrs. LaRue said that she would have to wait and see. "He's a good dog baSically, but he can be difficult. .. ."

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DeaY My5'. LaR"e 1 T"'e woYl~ i5' a "'aY~ a",~ cy"el place {oY a [(5'tYay" ~O'} Yo" wo"l~ 5'CaYcely believe t"'e l""i5'eYy I)ve e",~"ye~. )0 I "'ave ~eci~e~ to Yet"y", "'Ol""e. Yo" I""ay tYy to lock I""e "p a'ja;"'l b"t t"'at i5' a Y;5'k I I"",,}t take.

A",~ {Ya",klYl eve", I""oye t"'a", I""Y5'el{l I wOYYY aboA Yo". Yo" I""ay "'ot k",ow it1 My5'. LaR"e 1 b"t Yo" ",ee~ a ~o'j~ Yo"Y 1"";5'"",~eY5'too~ {Yie"'~l

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The Snort City Register/Gazette

October 13

HERO DOG SAVES OWNER!

Ike LaRue, until recently a student at the Igor Brotweiler Canine Academy, returned to Snort City yesterday in dramatic fashion. In fact he arrived jUst in time to rescue his owner, GertrUde R. LaRue of Second Avenue, from an oncoming truck.

Mrs. LaRue had made the trip down足 town to purchase a new camel's hair coat. Apparently she neglected to

look both ways before stepping out into traffic.

The daring resCue Was witnessed by several onlookers, including patrolman Newton Smitzer. "He rolled right across two lanes of traffic to get at her," said Smitzer. "It Was really sonlething. I haven't seen rolling like that since I left the police academy."