ONLY THE NOSE KNOWS
Excerpts and Preliminary Sample Illustrations from Book One of the series: The Quite Remarkable Tales of Professor Cooper T. Cat and Alouishus B. Hound
Written by Frank Walters Clark
Illustrated by Muffy McAlpin
(Copyright notices at bottom)
The investigation begins with a sneeze
The early morning sun rose boldly over
the red roses and purple morning glories climbing the white trellises
of Professor Cooper Tom Cat's garden, and reached around his sky-blue
lace kitchen curtains. While he stood at the sink washing breakfast
dishes, the sun's rays tickled the tip of his whiskered nose.
“Ah-ah-ah-choo!” the Professor sneezed.
From outside the Professor's front door a very stuffy-nosed voice
immediately exclaimed, “Gezu'dheid!”
The Professor laughed. The voice belonged to the his best friend and
fellow investigator, the fabulous follower of smells, the knowing nose
of mysterious occurrences, the one and only, Alouishus Blood Hound.
Pondering Alouishus' lost sense of smell
“If ins are outs, and doors can slide, Al,” he called, “then turn the
knob and step inside.” That was the Professor's way of inviting
Alouishus to come in and stay awhile.
The front door slammed and Alouishus trotted in, pulled a big, red polka-dot handkerchief from the pocket of his tweed coat, cleared his throat gruffly, and blew his nose very loudly. He sniffled, stuffed the hanky back in his pocket, then curled his thick tail to one side and sat down on one of the Professor's kitchen chairs.
Alouishus B. Hound's most prominent feature was his big, wet nose. He had reddish-tinted fur and the tip of his nose was black, cool, and shiny. It was also the first thing you saw when he came around the corner.
“I'b feelig bis'rable, Brofessor!” Alouishus muttered.
The front door slammed and Alouishus trotted in, pulled a big, red polka-dot handkerchief from the pocket of his tweed coat, cleared his throat gruffly, and blew his nose very loudly. He sniffled, stuffed the hanky back in his pocket, then curled his thick tail to one side and sat down on one of the Professor's kitchen chairs.
Alouishus B. Hound's most prominent feature was his big, wet nose. He had reddish-tinted fur and the tip of his nose was black, cool, and shiny. It was also the first thing you saw when he came around the corner.
“I'b feelig bis'rable, Brofessor!” Alouishus muttered.
The "Shadows" poem by Oliver Owl
"A poem on shadows, that Oliver wrote--I'11 recite the words, it's a
marvelous quote.”
The Professor closed his eyes and began:
“Shadows hang in moldy corners, and creep down bedroom walls. They stir in empty basements, and dance down dusty halls. They slide beneath the sofa, and hide among the cracks. When you think they're gone away, they loom behind your back! Shadows play beneath moon and stars, and laugh at old Sol's light. They see your every movement, and oft give you a fright. You think it's safe to go to sleep? Well, shadows have news for you. When you are deep in dreamland, they're messing with your shoes! So when you see a shadow, and think that nothing is there, Then go inside to get away, they're waiting 'neath the stairs! But have no fear, good children, and shadows know this fact, They cannot be like you and me, 'cause it's bodies that they lack!”
“Shadows hang in moldy corners, and creep down bedroom walls. They stir in empty basements, and dance down dusty halls. They slide beneath the sofa, and hide among the cracks. When you think they're gone away, they loom behind your back! Shadows play beneath moon and stars, and laugh at old Sol's light. They see your every movement, and oft give you a fright. You think it's safe to go to sleep? Well, shadows have news for you. When you are deep in dreamland, they're messing with your shoes! So when you see a shadow, and think that nothing is there, Then go inside to get away, they're waiting 'neath the stairs! But have no fear, good children, and shadows know this fact, They cannot be like you and me, 'cause it's bodies that they lack!”
Getting May
O'Clary's take on the matter
With her skin looking smooth and healthy, May O'Clary stood in the cool shadows of a huge maple tree in the side yard of her wood-sheathed house. She certainly was a sight to behold with her pink, curly-que tail peeking from between the folds of a bright yellow apron she had tied around her very ample waist. Humming merrily, she was hanging the wash piece-by-piece to dry on a rope tied to the tree at one end, and fastened to the house with a nail at the other end.
“Good day, good May!" the Professor called.
“May is my name and today, laundry's my game,” May O'Clary snoinked with a mischievous grin.
She sashayed to the white picket fence surrounding her yard and leaned precariously against the thin top rail. “To what do I owe the honor of your presence, Mis-ter Coop-tee-puss and Mis-ter Al-Bee-Hound?” she asked.
Arriving at
Oliver Owl's place
"Did you doe Oliber must have fifty-gadgillion cousins, a'd dat his fabily are de only ones dat fish?" "As May might say, Oliver Fish Owl's his name, and fishing's his game."
Alouishus and the Professor stood at the foot of the stairs leading up to the front door of Oliver's tree house, high in the oak tree overlooking the lake where the old owl always went fishing. A wonderful aroma was emanating from Oliver's window, and it smelled so good that it tantalized them off the road to Upton Clydesdale's farm.
“Ah-h-h, the delicate smells, of lemon and fish,” the Professor said, sniffing the air, “with herbs and butter, a gourmet's wish!
Inside Oliver's Treehouse
Oliver met them at the door wearing an an apron he had made out of an old burlap bag. It was dusty with flour, covered with spatters of grease, and had a wood spatula sticking out of one of its pockets. He had flour smeared on his face as well, and his big owl-eyes widened with pleasure when he saw the Professor and Al standing on his porch.
“Whooo-welcome, Professor! And you too-oo, Al-whooo-ishus! I spied you two when you were far down the road. On this fine, sunny day, what brings you to my humble abode?”
Alouishus almost blurted out, “de food,” but the Professor yanked his sleeve in the nick of time.
“As you may already know, my sharp-eyed friend,” the Professor said, “Alouishus can't smell, and I thought your potions might mend....”
“I see . . . well, I whooo-was about too-oo have lunch,” Oliver said. “Whooo-would you care to join me? And after we eat, I'll consider your predicament, Al-whooo-ishus.”
Helping Upton Clydsdale in his
barn
“Co-o-o-pee! You’re just in time to help
me off with my ha-ha-harness.” Upton gave them his biggest toothy smile
and went on, “It’s Mrs. Clydesdale’s chore, normally, but she’s
ho-ho-off to town, delivering grapes to Tidwell’s store.”
“The pleasure would be all mine, Uppy. And I would like to return this, a recent find.” The Professor dropped the big, iron horseshoe on the floor beside the giant stepladder that stood near Upton, where it landed with a CLANK! against another of Upton's horseshoes. Then he climbed up three steps on the stepladder and winked at Al, who stood below at Upton's opposite side.
“The pleasure would be all mine, Uppy. And I would like to return this, a recent find.” The Professor dropped the big, iron horseshoe on the floor beside the giant stepladder that stood near Upton, where it landed with a CLANK! against another of Upton's horseshoes. Then he climbed up three steps on the stepladder and winked at Al, who stood below at Upton's opposite side.
Tidwell's, after a day of investigating
The Professor and Alouishus walked slowly home, and, while passing
through the village, they stopped at Tidwell's General Store. As they
stood by Baxter Tidwell's front counter and admired the fancy cakes and
doughnuts he had in a glass case there, they each drank from a frosty mug
of root beer.
Suddenly, Alouishus got a funny look on his face, and exclaimed, “WOW! I just realized, Baxter, I can taste and smell this root beer, all the way down to my toenails! I've got my sense of smell back! Yippee!”
Suddenly, Alouishus got a funny look on his face, and exclaimed, “WOW! I just realized, Baxter, I can taste and smell this root beer, all the way down to my toenails! I've got my sense of smell back! Yippee!”