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THIS HOUSE IS FOR SALE

Later thatout ofabout what Aunt Tabby had said I always find it easier to think when I a black paint fro them at the monster statues out on the parapet

It was lucky that I looked down and noticed thea shiny blue suit and was staring up at the house while he wrote down notes on his clipboard I knehat he was right away--a real estate agent I could see Aunt Tabby ot down from theand hummed a happy tune to myself: "La-di-da, la-di-da, time to clean out the fish bowl " I found the old bowl in a dark corner, where I had put it after Brian, oldfish, escaped I don’t knohere Brian went, but he never came back For sentimental reasons I had kept the bowl just as Brian had left it, so it was full of slireen water

The real estate agent was standing right underneath my win- dow I balanced the fish bowl on the win- dowsill and tipped it The sludge landed splat right on him

Bull’s- eye! The real estate agent had green goo all over his head and his shiny blue suit He just stood there for a moment-- like he was really sur- prised--and spat out some bits of slippery weed Then he looked up, and I aimed my Fiendish Stare at him

Henoise and ran off down the path Good riddance

At lunchtiht-just-around-the-corner-past-the-boil- er-room, I was not surprised to see that Aunt Tabby looked just as crabby as she had at breakfast "These real estate agents are really most unreliable, " she said as she stabbed a defense- less potato and thu for one, but he hasn’t even bothered to turn up " I didn’t say anything Aunt Tabby looked at n up this afternoon

You’ll enjoy helping me paint it, Araminta " "Won’t, " I told her

I tried to avoid Aunt Tabby in the afternoon, but she found ed arden "It’s a lovely day, Araood You are looking quite pale " Well, of course I was looking pale It was because of the chalk dust all over --you have to look like one of theood as a varow my teeth, too (but when I asked the dentist how I could do that, she was not exactly helpful)

Aunt Tabby had cleared a patch of stinging nettles--stinging nettles are what grow best in our garden--and she had dumped down a piece of board and some old paints Aunt Tabby thinks she’s an artist, but I have round beside her like ere going to have a picnic or so " "Don’t, " I told her So I sat on the steps and kicked them, which is quite fun as they are very cru luo for the paint in a big way until she had covered herself in as much paint as she had put on the board

When she had run out of paint, Aunt Tabby fixed the board to a post and stuck it in the hedge The sign said:

This House Is for Sale Aunt Tabby looked pleased She rubbed her painty hands all down the front of her dress and said, "Not too bad I haven’t lost my touch What do you think, Araht, as it would not have been polite Also I was thinking hard I -19- badly needed a Plan--Aunt Tabby was not going to get aith this So while Aunt Tabby went indoors to shout at the boiler, I thought aboutbefore I had one Soon the sign said:

This House Is NOT for Sale Simple