better, �cause she�s cuter.�

Wildcat thoughtfully patted her head. �Whoa. Time out. No one thinks that. Your mom and dad and brother and even your little sister love you lots and lots and lots and lots.�

�Yeah, right,� she said cynically. �No one pays any attention to me. It�s Cassie, Cassie, Cassie,� SPLASH! �all the time. If I ran away no one would even notice.�

�I would,�he said, frowning. He put a comforting arm around her shoulders.

Staring at the rock in her hand, she asked, �Can I come live with you?�

Brightly, the mechanic said, �Okay, Mollycat. But you�ll hafta sleep in the hammock.�

�I don�t care,� she said moodily. SPLASH! �I like sleeping in Daddy�s hammock.�

�There�s probably not gonna be room for all of your toys unless I move that piles of doohickies and thingamabobs, but that�s where my mouse friend Earl lives. Don�t want him to be homeless.�

�Oh.� While she bent down to pick up another pebble, Molly pondered that. She didn�t want to leave any of her toys behind, and she especially didn�t want her little sister playing with them.

�I hope you like fish and horseradish and pickle sandwiches, �cause that�s what I�m having for dinner tonight.�

�Well...� She thought of the delicious-smelling chicken and dumplings that her mother was cooking and her resolve to run away from her family wavered. Looking over her shoulder at Higher for Hire, she remembered how neglected she had felt the past week. The grim, resolute expression returned to her face. �I like fish and pickles, but leave off the horseradish, please.� SPLASH!

Wildcat grinned. �Okey-dokey, then. We�ll move your stuff in right away. It�ll be fun having a roommate.�

�Wait, Wildcat!� She grabbed hold of his sleeve. Solemnly, Molly voiced something that had been rankling. �Before we start moving stuff, I got a question. How come they�re always saying, �Look at Cassie do this� and �Look at Cassie do that�?�

�Because there�s not much she can do yet. She can�t play Danger Woman or help me fix an engine or mix up a batch of brownies with your mom or sit on your dad�s lap and steer the Sea Duck like you can.� Wildcat again searched through his toolbox. He retrieved a ball of twine and a nut. He threaded the twine through the nut and tied the other end to his wrench.

Molly�s eyes brightened at the thought. �Yeah, she can�t do anything.�

�She needs someone like her big sister to show her how to do those things.� Tongue protruding in concentration, he poked a jellybean into the center of the nut and cast it into the water with a soft �plop�.

�Yeah!� Dropping the stone that she held, the little girl hugged the lion fiercely. �Thanks, Wildcat.�

�Anytime.� His friendly smile turned to confusion. �Uh, for what?�

Molly pranced across the flagstone path, her Danger Woman �cape� billowing out behind her.

�Hey, Mollycat, I thought you were moving in with me!� He reeled in his fish bait and examined it to make sure that the jellybean was still there. It was. He popped the orange jellybean out and inserted a red one, thinking maybe that fish preferred cherry.

�Maybe some other time.� She ran into Higher for Hire and right into her mother�s outstretched arms.

�I�m sorry, Pumpkin,� Rebecca said contritely, hugging her and kissing her on the cheek.

�What for?�

�For not paying attention to you. I want you to remember that no matter what happens, no matter how many brothers and sisters you have, I�ll always,always love you, Molly.�

�You promise?� Molly shot her mother a skeptical glance. From experience she knew that her mother didn�t always keep her promises.

�I promise.� Rebecca crossed her heart and gave Molly another kiss. �You were my very first baby, and you�ll always be my first baby; but I would really like my big girl to help me with this baby. Can you do that?�

The little girl nodded, feeling very grown-up all of a sudden. Her mother was asking her for help.

�And I want you to tell me when you�re feeling sad, okay?�

Molly smiled, hugging her mother tightly. �Okay, Mom.�

Kit wiped his damp hands on his shirt as he bounded down the stairs. �What�s for dinner? It smells great!�

�Chicken and dumplings,� Rebecca and Molly replied simultaneously. As if they were sharing a secret, their eyes met and they giggled.

�Mmm-mmm! My fav-o-rite,� Baloo said, laying Cassie in her bassinet.

�If you can eat it, it�s your favorite, Baloo.� Rebecca laughed. Standing on tiptoe, she murmured in his ear, �Remind me to give Wildcat a raise,� prompting a slightly perplexed look from the big bear.

While her parents and brother headed into the kitchen, Molly stayed behind. She leaned over the bassinet. �I don�tdon�t like you anymore. I�m gonna show you how to do tons of neat stuff.� She gently touched one of the infant�s curls and smiled down at her. �I guess you�re even kinda...cute.� With a light heart, Molly skipped into the kitchen, saying, �Leave some for me, Kit!�

End of part 3

Baby Baloos
Part 4

Higher for Hire
One Week Later
Night

All was dark and peaceful at the small building jutting out into the Cape Suzette harbor. There was no sound except for the gentle lapping of the waves, the harbor buoy clanging, and...

�WAAAAAAAAAAA!�

�I�m awake! I�m awake!� Baloo exclaimed, bolting straight up in bed with his heart thumping. Hearing his daughter�s wailing, he blinked his bleary eyes and glanced at the clock - 2:40 AM. �Oh...don�t that kid everget tired?� he groaned. The big bear plopped his head down on the pillow and shook his wife�s shoulder. �Becky, the baby�s cryin� again.� Then, he rolled over and resumed his chainsaw-like snoring.

Taking off her earmuffs, Rebecca jabbed her elbow in his back, prompting a weak �Oof!� from the pilot. �Thanks for your help, Baloo!� she spat angrily.

He snored louder.

�Oooo...that bear!� She wearily perched on the edge of the bed and tried to get her bearings. After a minute, she donned her robe, and plodded downstairs to the room that Molly and Cassie shared. The closer she got, the louder the crying became.

�Mommy, make her stop!� Molly pleaded. Her voice was muffled by the pillow that she held over her head.

Gathering the bawling infant in her arms, Rebecca crooned softly, �What�s wrong, little one? Are you wet?� She checked her diaper. �No. Maybe you�re hungry.� She settled into the rocking chair and began nursing Cassie.

When the crying ceased, Molly cautiously poked her head out from beneath the pillow. �Can I sleep in Kit�s room?�

�Go ahead, Pumpkin, but don�t wake him up,� Rebecca whispered, smoothing the infant�s hair with a tender hand.

�He�s probably already awake from the stupid, loud-mouth baby,� Molly muttered morosely as she stumbled to her brother�s room, doll Lucy in hand. �I�ll be sleeping in Kit�s room �til she�s my age!�

The Next Morning

Baloo found Rebecca asleep in the rocking chair, still holding Cassie. Rubbing the back of his neck thoughtfully, he frowned as he stared down at his wife�s haggard face. There were dark smudges under her eyes, and she was noticeably thinner. He didn�t like the fact that she�d been cooped up in the house ever since she and Cassie had arrived home from the hospital two weeks ago. Rebecca was becoming frazzled under the heavy, stressful load of caring for their baby, running the household, and managing Higher for Hire. Baloo kissed his wife�s forehead while removing the wiggling infant from her arms.

Rebecca stirred. Opening her eyes a crack, she asked groggily, �What time is it?�

�Six o�clock,� he replied, nuzzling Cassie�s cheek against his own.

�Ohhhh...� Rebecca moaned. She grimaced as she craned her stiff neck up to look at him. �What are you doing up so early?�

�I�ve got that early delivery of water softeners to Tora-Tora. Ya know, the double delivery you�ve been talkin� about for weeks.�

Rebecca stared at him as if he was crazy.

�Zuzz Zuzz Water Softener drop off an� sombrero pick up at Picante City in Tora-Tora, remember? The sombreros for the Friendship Festival...?�

A frown of confused concentration creased her forehead. �Tora...� Rebecca�s eyes widened with panic. �Omigosh! I didn�t check the air waybill for the...and the...I completely forgot about that! I knew I forgot something last night!� She jumped out of the chair and sprinted downstairs.

�Morning, Mom,� Kit greeted cheerfully as his mother streaked past him on the landing.

Baloo strode into the hall, bouncing Cassie lightly in his arms.

�What�s with her?� Kit asked his father. They both watched Rebecca scurrying around and muttering to herself. Her hands moved so fast that they were almost a blur.

�She forgot some paperwork for today�s delivery.�

�That�s not like Mom.�

�She�s tired,� Baloo yawned. An idea popped into his head. �Say, Li�l Britches, you wouldn�t mind lettin� yer mom navigate for me today, would ya? She needs a change of scenery, an� I think you two kids can take care of the baby for a coupla hours.�

Grinning confidently, Kit waved a dismissive paw. �How hard can it be? She sleeps most of the time. There won�t be any high-diving queen or taking the Danger Mobile down to the harbor with Cassie.�

Baloo passed the infant to his son and slowly lumbered downstairs to where his wife was furiously scribbling on shipment documents. He leaned over

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