The coupon books were a big hit. Some parents, like Amelia Bedelia’s, had purchased more than one. When Amelia Bedelia counted the money, there was enough for the ad, and a little left over.

Amelia Bedelia and Skip had worked all recess on the ad. Skip had drawn a picture of Pumpkin, looking very friendly and a little lonely, and Amelia Bedelia had written the words:

SWEET CAT NEEDS GOOD HOME!! EXCELLENT AT PURRING, VERY CUTE AND LOVES TO CUDDLE. PLEASE CALL 555-5555. EMERGENCY! NO TIME TO WASTE!

After school, Amelia Bedelia, Skip, Penny, and Joy hurried downtown, past Pete’s Diner and the library, to a bright green door. On it was written DAILY GAZETTE—WHAT’S HAPPENING AROUND TOWN.

They pushed the door open and went inside.

Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap!

Amelia Bedelia looked around. She had never been inside a newspaper office before. The desks had computers on them and papers piled here and there. A woman who was typing looked up and smiled.

“May I help you?” she asked.

“We want to—” said Skip.

“We need a—” said Penny.

“Do you have a—” said Joy.

They all stopped at once, uncertain.

“Come on, let the cat out of the bag,” said the woman, smiling.

“We didn’t bring the cat,” said Amelia Bedelia.

“What cat?” the woman asked.

“Pumpkin,” said Amelia Bedelia.

“The one the ad is for,” said Joy.

The woman shook her head. “What ad?” she asked.

“The one we want to put in the paper,” said Amelia Bedelia. She showed the woman their ad.

“So you’re trying to find a new home for your cat?” the woman asked, studying the ad.

“She’s not really my cat,” said Amelia Bedelia. She explained how they’d found the cat on the playground. Penny told how they’d tried to get the cat out of the tree. Joy explained that the fire truck had to come. Skip described how Lieutenant Johnson had lured the cat down with Amelia Bedelia’s tuna-fish sandwich.

The woman listened. Her eyes got rounder and rounder.

“I think you’ve made a mistake,” she said. “You don’t want to place an ad.”

“Yes, we do,” said Amelia Bedelia. “We have two hundred and forty dollars, so we can afford it.”

The woman smiled. “I’m sure you can, but you don’t need an ad. This is news! I want to write a story for the paper about Pumpkin the cat and how the students at Oak Tree Elementary rescued her. You kids are the cat’s pajamas!”

Amelia Bedelia looked at her clothes. She had pajamas with cats on them at home, but she wasn’t wearing them. She had on leggings and a stripy skirt and a shirt with flowers on it and a purple jacket with a hood.

“These aren’t my pajamas,” she said. “And mine are way too big for Pumpkin anyway.”

“I can see that,” the woman said, smiling. “My name is Lydia Scoop, and I’m a reporter for the Gazette. First thing, I’d like to get a picture of Pumpkin for the paper. Can you bring her here for a photograph? Then I’ll interview you all. If we can get this done today, I’ll have the story ready for the paper tomorrow.”

Amelia Bedelia looked at her friends. They all looked back at her and grinned. Pumpkin was going to be famous—and so were they!

“We’ll be right back!” said Amelia Bedelia.

“Mom! I’m home!” called Amelia Bedelia when she, Skip, Penny, and Joy rushed through the front door. “Guess what?”

“What?” her mother called. She came from the kitchen, carrying a tissue in one hand and her phone in the other. “Sweetie! You look like the cat that swallowed the canary!”

“Oh, no! Did Pumpkin eat a canary? She really likes birds. But, wait, we don’t have a canary. And you said no more pets except for Finally. Did you change your mind?” Amelia Bedelia gasped in horror. “Did you get a canary today when I was at school? And did Pumpkin eat it already?”

“There is no canary,” her mother said, pausing to blow her nose.

“Mom, guess what! A reporter named Lydia Scoop wants to do a story for the Gazette about Pumpkin!” said Amelia Bedelia. “We’re supposed to take Pumpkin to the newspaper office so she can take her picture.”

Amelia Bedelia’s mother smiled. “That’s wonderful. And I have good news, too. Lieutenant Johnson from the fire station just called and said that she’s talked to all the other firefighters, and they’ve agreed that they want a cat to be their station pet. They’d like to adopt Pumpkin.”

Amelia Bedelia and her friends cheered. “We did it!” shouted Joy.

“Our posters worked!” yelled Skip.

“Let’s go tell Pumpkin!” Penny hollered.