Katy and the Wise Old Owl

Copyright © 2011 by Karan Bishop.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2011917910

ISBN:         Hardback         978-1-4653-7497-4

                  Softcover         978-1-4653-7496-7

                  E-book            978-1-4653-7498-1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Dedication

To my father, John C. Bishop, who taught me to see the reason beyond emotion.

Chapter One

Katy was daydreaming as the school bus rumbled along the dirt road. The school day was over and she was going home. It was early in the spring, and the young leaves on the trees shimmered with the freshness of the breeze that made them ripple and whisper. It is pretty out, she thought.

I have a lot of homework tonight. That will keep me busy.

Katy’s stomach was uneasy as the bus came to a stop at her road. Her parents had been fighting that morning before her dad left for work. She hoped it wouldn’t continue that night when he got home, if he came home. Katy didn’t know what the argument was about, but she knew her name and her little brother Jamie’s names came up more than once as they yelled.

Katy tried to be a good girl and not ask for anything she absolutely didn’t need.

When she and Jamie stepped off the bus, their dog, Oliver, was there to meet them. It always made her feel good when he was so happy to see them. Hello, my friend, Katy said. I’m really glad to see you too. Were you a good dog today?

His whole body wiggled with glee as they walked down the lane. His doggy eyes were smiling welcome home, welcome home.

Oliver always had a stick in his mouth. His favorite game was fetch and he started asking to play the minute the children were off the bus. Jamie picked up the stick Oliver had dropped in front of him and threw it toward the yard. Oliver dashed off after it.

He was such a beautiful dog. He was a border collie with long black hair, a white chest and white and brown paws. They had adopted him at a pet adoption fair at Pet Smart. It had been love at first sight. He was Katy’s