Li'l Genius #29

Li'l Genius and Li'l Tomboy dream of getting their names in the newspaper by catching a burglar, so they set out to find one—only to keep mistaking innocent people for criminals. When they finally think they've caught their crook and turn him over to the police, they discover he's actually a detective who was chasing the real burglar all along, and their mix-up sends him crashing through a police station window.

Li'l Genius discovers a perfect spot for echoes during a picnic outing, and sets out to demonstrate the phenomenon to a skeptical companion—but each call into the canyon seems to bring back stranger and stranger responses. When Li'l Genius decides to settle the debate once and for all with an extra-loud insult, the "echo" turns out to have more bite than expected.

Li'l Tomboy borrows her mother's makeup and dress to learn about feminine things, but naturally puts them to her own mischievous uses—including giving the snooty neighbor boy the scare of his life. When her father sees how glamorous she looks all dressed up, he sweeps her mother off her feet with affection, prompting Mom to finally accept that her tomboyish daughter might never fully embrace being a lady.

Li'l Genius builds a doghouse for a visiting friend's dog, only to have a cocky rooster next door keep commandeering it—and when she constructs an identical one as a peace offering, the stubborn bird refuses to take the hint. She'll have to get creative if she wants her handiwork to go to the right animal.

A playful look at how dogs came to be the loyal, tail-wagging companions we know today—starting with a mishap when they were first made with all the wrong features (donkey ears, duck noses, and a chicken's cluck!). When their mixed-up parts get sorted out and redistributed to their rightful owners, the newly corrected dogs face an unexpected problem that leads to the perfect solution.