Mrs. Davis felt peculiar as she took her morning bath.
“I feel like I’m being watched,” she sinabi to herself.
And she was being watched…
…by Shirley Rat, the nosiest person in town.
“I see you’re using lila bubble bath,” sinabi Shirley. “I personally prefer rose.”
Mrs. Davis pulled down the shade.
“I pag-ibig to know what’s going on,” sinabi Shirley. “I don’t get paid for it—it’s my hobby.”
And Shirley’s hobby kept her very busy.
pagbaba other people’s mail took half the morning.
“You learn such interesting things,” sinabi Shirley.
Listening in on private telephone conversations, Shirley sometimes forgot to fix lunch for her kids.
“First things first,” sinabi Shirley.
In the afternoon Shirley did lots of snoopy things—like poking around in other people’s shopping carts.
“Can you really afford this expensive brand?” she sinabi to Mrs. Butler.
And at night, while people were watching television, Shirley daga was watching them.
“There’s a madami amusing program on Channel Five,” sinabi Shirley.
Sometimes Shirley wore a disguise.
“I can find out madami if people don’t recognize me,” she said.
“There’s that nosey Shirley Rat,” whispered one of her neighbors.
Most folks had gotten used to Shirley’s little ways.
“There’s one in every town,” they said.
But not everyone was so understanding.
“I hate that Mrs. Rat,” sinabi Brewster Blackstone, who lived susunod door. “She makes my life miserable.”
Brewster Blackstone couldn’t get away with a thing.
“Shouldn’t you boys be in school?” sinabi Shirley, just when Brewster and his gang thought they were safe.
“I’m so sorry to hear Brewster flunked history,” sinabi Shirley to Mr. Blackstone.
“He did?” sinabi Brewster’s dad. “That’s the first I’ve heard of it.”
Brewster Blackstone was grounded for a whole week.
And he had plenty of time to think.
“This calls for a creative solution,” sinabi Brewster.
One afternoon, while Shirley daga was engaged in her paborito activity, something attracted her attention.
“Hmm,” sinabi Shirley.
The postman had just delivered a large and interesting package to Brewster.
“Ooh, ooh,” sinabi Shirley. “I wonder what’s inside.”
“Brewster, dear,” sinabi Shirley in her sweetest voice, “what is in that large and interesting package the postman just delivered?”
“None of your beeswax,” sinabi Brewster.
And he hung up.
“How rude,” sinabi Shirley. “I’ll find out what’s in that package if it’s the last thing I do!”
Using her special sticky shoes, Shirley scaled the Blackstones’ house to get a look in Brewster’s window.
But Brewster had pulled down the shade.
susunod Shirley sifted through the Blackstones’ garbage.
“You’ll never know what clues you’ll find,” she said.
But the Blackstones’ garbage gave Shirley no clues.
Shirley tried to disguise herself to get inside Brewster’s room.
“I’m the Roach Patrol,” sinabi Shirley.
“I know who you are,” sinabi Mrs. Blackstone.
At home, Shirley had trouble concentrating.
“That package is really none of your business,” sinabi her husband.
But he wasn’t heard.
Shirley went to the park to sit and think.
Suddenly she spotted a small envelope marked CONFIDENTIAL—DO NOT OPEN.
“Oh goody,” sinabi Shirley.
The card read: SNEAK PREVIEW—INVITATION ONLY BREWSTER BLACKSTONE’S BACKYARD AT 8.
“I love sneak previews!” sinabi Shirley.
At Brewster’s Shirley took a front-row seat.
The film began.
“Oh my,” sinabi Shirley. “There is nothing worse than a nosey neighbor.”
Suddenly, for everyone to see, there was Shirley daga up to her old tricks—snooping shamelessly.
The audience began to laugh out loud.
“What’s so funny?” sinabi Shirley.
And when the film showed Shirley trying different ways to peek in Brewster’s window, someone called out, “That’s our Nosey Mrs. Rat.”
“Nosey?” sinabi Shirley. “Nosey?”
Soon the audience was in hysterics.
They laughed so hard they fell out of their seats.
Shirley made a quick exit.
“I’m so humiliated!” she said.
At tahanan Shirley went straight to bed.
“I’ll never snoop again,” she said.
“There, there,” sinabi her husband. “Perhaps you can save snooping for special occasions.”
“Oh, no,” sinabi Shirley. “I’m finished with all that.”
“Well, you have a nice rest, dear,” sinabi Mr. Rat.
And he gently closed the door.
“Hmmm,” sinabi Shirley.
“Well, perhaps for special occasions…”
“I feel like I’m being watched,” she sinabi to herself.
And she was being watched…
…by Shirley Rat, the nosiest person in town.
“I see you’re using lila bubble bath,” sinabi Shirley. “I personally prefer rose.”
Mrs. Davis pulled down the shade.
“I pag-ibig to know what’s going on,” sinabi Shirley. “I don’t get paid for it—it’s my hobby.”
And Shirley’s hobby kept her very busy.
pagbaba other people’s mail took half the morning.
“You learn such interesting things,” sinabi Shirley.
Listening in on private telephone conversations, Shirley sometimes forgot to fix lunch for her kids.
“First things first,” sinabi Shirley.
In the afternoon Shirley did lots of snoopy things—like poking around in other people’s shopping carts.
“Can you really afford this expensive brand?” she sinabi to Mrs. Butler.
And at night, while people were watching television, Shirley daga was watching them.
“There’s a madami amusing program on Channel Five,” sinabi Shirley.
Sometimes Shirley wore a disguise.
“I can find out madami if people don’t recognize me,” she said.
“There’s that nosey Shirley Rat,” whispered one of her neighbors.
Most folks had gotten used to Shirley’s little ways.
“There’s one in every town,” they said.
But not everyone was so understanding.
“I hate that Mrs. Rat,” sinabi Brewster Blackstone, who lived susunod door. “She makes my life miserable.”
Brewster Blackstone couldn’t get away with a thing.
“Shouldn’t you boys be in school?” sinabi Shirley, just when Brewster and his gang thought they were safe.
“I’m so sorry to hear Brewster flunked history,” sinabi Shirley to Mr. Blackstone.
“He did?” sinabi Brewster’s dad. “That’s the first I’ve heard of it.”
Brewster Blackstone was grounded for a whole week.
And he had plenty of time to think.
“This calls for a creative solution,” sinabi Brewster.
One afternoon, while Shirley daga was engaged in her paborito activity, something attracted her attention.
“Hmm,” sinabi Shirley.
The postman had just delivered a large and interesting package to Brewster.
“Ooh, ooh,” sinabi Shirley. “I wonder what’s inside.”
“Brewster, dear,” sinabi Shirley in her sweetest voice, “what is in that large and interesting package the postman just delivered?”
“None of your beeswax,” sinabi Brewster.
And he hung up.
“How rude,” sinabi Shirley. “I’ll find out what’s in that package if it’s the last thing I do!”
Using her special sticky shoes, Shirley scaled the Blackstones’ house to get a look in Brewster’s window.
But Brewster had pulled down the shade.
susunod Shirley sifted through the Blackstones’ garbage.
“You’ll never know what clues you’ll find,” she said.
But the Blackstones’ garbage gave Shirley no clues.
Shirley tried to disguise herself to get inside Brewster’s room.
“I’m the Roach Patrol,” sinabi Shirley.
“I know who you are,” sinabi Mrs. Blackstone.
At home, Shirley had trouble concentrating.
“That package is really none of your business,” sinabi her husband.
But he wasn’t heard.
Shirley went to the park to sit and think.
Suddenly she spotted a small envelope marked CONFIDENTIAL—DO NOT OPEN.
“Oh goody,” sinabi Shirley.
The card read: SNEAK PREVIEW—INVITATION ONLY BREWSTER BLACKSTONE’S BACKYARD AT 8.
“I love sneak previews!” sinabi Shirley.
At Brewster’s Shirley took a front-row seat.
The film began.
“Oh my,” sinabi Shirley. “There is nothing worse than a nosey neighbor.”
Suddenly, for everyone to see, there was Shirley daga up to her old tricks—snooping shamelessly.
The audience began to laugh out loud.
“What’s so funny?” sinabi Shirley.
And when the film showed Shirley trying different ways to peek in Brewster’s window, someone called out, “That’s our Nosey Mrs. Rat.”
“Nosey?” sinabi Shirley. “Nosey?”
Soon the audience was in hysterics.
They laughed so hard they fell out of their seats.
Shirley made a quick exit.
“I’m so humiliated!” she said.
At tahanan Shirley went straight to bed.
“I’ll never snoop again,” she said.
“There, there,” sinabi her husband. “Perhaps you can save snooping for special occasions.”
“Oh, no,” sinabi Shirley. “I’m finished with all that.”
“Well, you have a nice rest, dear,” sinabi Mr. Rat.
And he gently closed the door.
“Hmmm,” sinabi Shirley.
“Well, perhaps for special occasions…”