Speedy Dog decided he didn't want to go back to school. His mother and father looked at him as he lay on the coach, and then at each other.

 "You can't lay around here all day," said his mother.

 "You'll have to earn some money and pay board," said his father. "You need to get work if you won't go to school."

 Speedy figured that would be an easy task and set off to look for work.

 Speedy first went to the Irving station. He visited there every day anyway, so there must be something he could do.

 "Do you know how to fix motors?" asked Leonard Lion, the owner.

 "No . . . can't say that I do," said Speedy.

 "Do you know how to pump gas?" asked Leonard, scratching his head.

 "No . . . can't say that I do," said Speedy.

 "Have you ever worked a cash register?" asked Leonard, thinking maybe he could use Speedy to ring in sales and sell chocolate bars.

 "I don't know how to do that either," said Speedy, looking down to the floor.

advertisement

 "Why isn't a young fellow like you in school? You are too young to be out working every day for a living," said Leonard, leaving to fill up an 18-wheeler.

 Speedy wasn't going to let the first access denied get him down. He wasn't returning to school and that was that. The next place would hire him, he was sure of that.

 He tried the local pizza shop which was just around the corner. Surely, they would have something for him.

 "Can you flip pizza up in the air and twirl it like this?" asked Arnold Dog, who was the owner. Arnold swung the pizza dough up into the air and the dough went round and round stretching to fill the pan.

 "No . . . can't say that I can do that but I'll try," said Speedy, picking up a clump of dough and tossing it in the air. It hit the ceiling and fell to the floor. It didn't stretch, it only got dirty.

 "Maybe you can cut the pizza after the other guys make it. Take this cutter and give me eight pieces exactly the same," instructed Arnold.

 Speedy tried to do what Arnold had just done a few seconds ago, but the pieces were all torn. The owner shook his head.

 "I think you should go back to school. You are too young to be out working every day," sighed the owner.

 This was not what Speedy wanted to hear. Once again, access had been denied.

 There was only one more place left that Speedy thought he might stand a chance. It was the local cafe where Cherry Vanilla, the cat, was the owner. Speedy was over-joyed when Cherry Vanilla said she had an opening for a taste-tester for after school.

 "I don't go to school anymore," said Speedy. Access would be denied again.

 "This job is for a student. You are too young to be out of school. Let's make a deal . . . you go back to school and this job will give you pocket money," urged the cat.

 Realizing that he wasn't going to get a job without an education, Speedy went back to school and worked afternoons at the cafe. His mother and father were so proud of him, and Speedy was proud of himself as his grades improved. Access denied had taught him a valuable lesson.

(A previously run Young Readers) 

posted on 01/04/11