Written by David Walters
Illustrated by Alejandro Damian De Santis
One day Ellen and her friend decided that they wanted to make some money. They asked their parents if they could set up a lemonade stand. The parents agreed and soon they were busy gathering everything they would need to start selling lemonade on the sidewalk in front of their house.
Wire Dog was confused as he watched them set things up. First he saw them make a table from some wood in the shed. Then he watched them spread a large tea towel on the wood for a table cloth. Next they went into Ellen’s kitchen to mix up the lemonade while Wire Dog waited outside. Wire Dog could not figure out why the girls would set up a table outside and then go back in the kitchen to eat. But he also knew that if he was patient and waited he could usually figure things out.
Before long the girls came out. One was carrying a jug of cool, fresh lemonade and the other one was carrying a stack of cups. Wire Dog was still a little confused. Why would the girls bring lots of cups but no plates? Where was the food? Why were there no knives and forks? He had seen the girls play house before but never anything like this. Next the girls got a piece of paper and a colored marker and made a sign that read “Lemonade small 15 cents, large 25 cents.
Wire Dog was still not sure what all this meant because he couldn’t read so he decided to just watch to see what would happen next. As he watched he became even more puzzled because the girls just sat on one side of the table. They didn’t drink any of the lemonade that looked so good but instead they just sat looking out at the street talking quietly to each other. Wire Dog tilted his head one way and then the other as he looked at the two girls sitting behind a table looking out onto the street, watching the cars go by. Finally he sat down beside the table and looked toward the street too, just like the girls.
Eventually a car slowed down and stopped right in front of the table. Two children and their father got out of the car and walked toward the table. Ellen and her friend smiled at each other. Wire Dog barked with excitement even though he was still not quite sure why he was excited.
Wire Dog watched Ellen pour three large glasses of lemonade and the father handed the girls 75 cents. When the family got back in their car and drove away Ellen and her friend gave each other a high five and Wire Dog barked again.
Then the girls settled down and watched the street for the next car. Wire Dog was beginning to understand how this was supposed to work. When the next car came along Wire Dog barked. The people in the car heard the bark and looked toward the sidewalk. They saw a dog but they also saw the lemonade stand and the girls. The car slowed down and stopped. The girls looked at each other then they looked at Wire Dog, then they looked at the car again where a mother and a little boy climbed out and came over to the table. Ellen poured two more glasses and the mother gave the girls forty cents. When that car drove away the girls gave themselves another high five, patted Wire Dog on the head and said, “good boy.”
Wire Dog had it all figured out now. Every time a car went by he would bark a couple of times to draw attention to the girls’ lemonade stand. Not all the cars stopped but enough did that before long the girls were out of lemonade.
As the girls took down their lemonade stand and put everything neatly away they took time to kneel down beside Wire Dog and thank him for being such a good salesman and bringing in so many customers. Then they told him that they would use some of the money they earned to buy him a little treat. Wire Dog just smiled.
Wire Dog Stories 