Susan Meddaugh

Problems arise when Martha, the family dog, learns to speak after eating alphabet soup.

When a witch loses her magic walking stick, which has been used over the years to grant hundreds of miserable wishes, she tricks a young girl into finding and returning it, with unexpected results.

Martha and Skits take over baking responsibilities for mom when a last-minute order at the flower shop prevents her from finishing the cake she was making to cheer up Helen.

At long last here is the story of how Martha and Helen met, as told by Martha in her own words. Her puppy days included some dark times as a doggy criminal after she was adopted by a sneaky thief and her accomplice. After a series of criminal mishaps and general mayhem, Martha finds herself in police custody and, luckily, back at the shelter, where she is readopted by Helen. The rest is Martha Speaks history! Includes an introduction to the

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"Martha worries that her recent bouts of bad luck might be contagious! Uh-oh. Martha walked under a ladder--and then she broke a mirror--so now she thinks she's jinxed! Helen tries to explain that all the accidents are just coincidence. But when a nearby toddler stumbles and a waiter takes a clumsy spill, Martha worries that her bad luck might be rubbing off on everybody else. Will Martha be spreading bad luck for seven whole years?"--Publisher.