It was Saturday, and Katie Donovan sat on the kitchen floor petting Magoo, the family dog.
Her twin sister, Joy, was at the big round table, waiting for a snack.
Grandpa, the best cook in the family, had just baked brownies.
"Mmm," said Katie. "I love brownies!"
Just then Mom looked toward the County Road and said,
"The mail truck is coming, girls.
It's turning the corner."
Katie jumped up. "Let's go, Magoo!"
She and the hound raced through the house and out the front door.
Magoo followed Katie all the way down the driveway.
Katie hardly ever got any mail, except birthday cards.
And those were sent to Katie and Joy Donovan. and
But both girls still liked to collect the mail when it came.
The mail truck rumbled to a stop at 10 Blackberry Road.
The mailman leaned out of the window.
"Hello, Magoo!" he called and gave the mail to Katie.
"Hello, Jeff," said Katie.
Jeff looked at her closely.
"Which twin are you?" he asked.
Katie sighed. "I'm KATIE."
"I always get you two mixed-up," said Jeff.
Then he drove off down the road.
"We're totally different . . . ,"
mumbled Katie as the mail truck disappeared in a cloud of dust.
Katie liked having a sister who was her identical twin.
But she hated it when people mixed them up, which happened all the time.
"You know which one I am, don't you, Magoo?" whispered Katie.
Magoo sniffed her hand. "That's right.
Joy and I smell different, don't we?" smell
The house smelled like brownies.
"Mail delivery!" Katie called out.
She read the name on the first envelope.
"For John Donovan—from Sunshine Seed Company."
"Great!" said Grandpa. "My corn seeds!"
Grandpa would be planting the garden soon.
"Here's a letter for Debra Donovan," said Katie, flipping through the mail.
Mom was looking at a book about Missouri birds.
"Thanks, honey," she said.
"And for Steve A. Donovan—the new Green Zine!" exclaimed Katie. Green Zine!
This was a magazine all about recycling.
Dad owned the Willow Creek Recycling Center.
"The rest is junk mail," said Katie.
"Nothing for us today, Joy.
Unless you want a chicken catalog!
It's from a place called the Cackle Farm." She said with a grin.
"Okay," said Joy as Katie grabbed a brownie from the table.
"Okay?" echoed Katie in surprise.
"Okay, I'll look at the catalog," repeated Joy.
"Really?" Katie handed it to her. "You're interested in chickens?"
"Yep." Joy flipped through the catalog.
"Hey, I didn't know chickens came in all these colors," she said.
"Look at this one, Katie!"
"I don't like chickens," Katie said. "You like them." You
"You're no fun sometimes," Joy complained.
Katie ignored her sister.
Instead she followed Dad, who was carrying a bucket out to the compost bin.
"Dad," she asked slowly, "how can you tell I'm Katie and not Joy?"
"Oh, that's easy.
I just . . . Well . . ." Then Dad grinned.
"I know. Your freckles!
You have fourteen freckles on your nose.
Joy has twelve!"
"Oh, Dad!" Katie moaned.
"You don't believe me? Go count them!"
Katie rolled her eyes and walked back inside.
Her father was teasing her.
He didn't understand that sometimes it was hard to be a twin.
Joy was still looking at the catalog.
"We can buy these chickens when they are tiny chicks and raise them."
"Then what would we do?
Make fried chicken? HA!" joked Katie.
"We wouldn't eat them!" Joy said. "We'd eat their eggs!"
"What's wrong with the eggs from Tucker's Grocery?" asked Katie.
Joy made a face.
"Chickens are fun, Katie—not like you right now!"
Katie looked away.
She knew she was being a little mean to her sister.
But for some reason, she couldn't help it today.