Carolyn and Cat spent much of their time together in Carolyn's back yard. It was a fine yard with a fence around it and a big tree in the back.

 On the outside of the clubhouse door was a sign. It said "No Girls Allowed!" Carolyn and Cat couldn't read the sign, but Robert and Ryan could, and they told Carolyn what it said and that it meant she couldn't come into the clubhouse. Carolyn cried long and loud. This scared Cat, and he ran to the tree and climbed up as high as he could.

Then Carolyn shouted at Robert "I'm telling" and went into the house to look for Mommy and Daddy. But Mommy and Daddy weren't where she could find them, and Carolyn was too upset to search for a long time.

Carolyn came back into the back yard and looked up to where Cat was, high in the tree. This gave Carolyn "A PLAN". Carolyn thought that if she could climb up the tree like Cat, she could look down into the clubhouse and see what Robert and Ryan were doing. That would surprise them.

So, Carolyn waited until Robert and Ryan went into the house, looking for a snack. She put five small stones in her pocket and began to climb up the tree toward where Cat was. Carolyn climbed higher and higher, until the tree started to move back and forth when she climbed. But Carolyn wasn't afraid because her friend Cat was with her.

It was fun up there with Cat. They could look down and see their house. . . and Ryan's house . . . and the Wilson's house down the street with their dog in the back yard. The cars going by on the street looked very small. Then Ryan and Robert came outside and climbed into the clubhouse. Carolyn smiled and dropped one of the rocks from her pocket down into the tree house.

 Robert jumped up and said "What was that?" But Ryan convinced him it was a nut from the tree. Carolyn dropped another little rock. Then another. The last rock hit Robert on his head, and Carolyn laughed out loud. Robert looked up and saw Carolyn. "Carolyn, you stop that!" Carolyn laughed.

Then Robert climbed down out of the clubhouse and ran into the house saying "Mom, Dad, come quick! Carolyn's in trouble again!!" Carolyn didn't think she was in trouble. She thought she was having fun.

Then Mommy and Daddy came out of the house. "Carolyn, you come down out of that tree right now!" Carolyn looked down at Mommy and Daddy. They looked very small from where she was. They looked like little cartoon people. Only Cat seemed real. "Carolyn, you come down this very minute!" called Daddy.

 Then Carolyn knew she was in trouble. "Come on, Cat, we've got to go down." When Carolyn started to climb down, the tree moved. Cat meowed loudly and climbed even higher up. Carolyn was scared, and when she tried to climb down, her legs wouldn't move. Then she was very, very frightened.

"Mommy, Daddy, I can't."

Carolyn cried loud and long. Daddy climbed up the tree to try to get Carolyn down, but when he got halfway up to her, the tree started to move, and Carolyn screamed. Then Mommy tried, but the same thing happened. Carolyn screamed, and Cat meowed and climbed farther away. Carolyn was very alone and scared.

Mommy and Daddy talked quietly to each other. Then Daddy went into the house, and Mommy said, "Carolyn, you stay still there. We're going to get someone to help you get down." So, while Mommy and Robert stayed near the tree with Carolyn and Cat, Daddy telephoned someone for help. In a very little while, Carolyn looked down at the street and saw a big red hook and ladder fire truck coming to their house. It looked just like the toy one Robert had.

The truck drove up close to the fence, and a nice man came out and talked to Mommy and Daddy. Then the nice man called to Carolyn, "Stay still, Carolyn. I'm going to put the ladder up against the tree. Then I'll climb up the ladder and come and get you."

And that is what happened.

When the nice man reached Carolyn, he picked her up in his arms, and she held on very tight. Then Carolyn asked "Can you get Cat, too?" The fireman told Carolyn he would get Cat next, after he'd taken her down to Mommy and Daddy.

When the fireman and Carolyn got back on the ground again, Carolyn got between Mommy and Daddy and held on to them both very tightly. Then they all looked up the tree, as Cat came scrambling down all by himself. Cat got back on the ground. He looked at everyone and said "Meow" and started to lick his paws.

The firetruck went back to the station, and Mommy, Daddy, Robert, and Carolyn sat in the back yard with Cat. No one had to tell Carolyn not to climb that high in the tree again.

The next day, the "No Girls Allowed" sign was gone from the clubhouse.

THE END

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