A tornado can be a very dangerous thing, Melissa's mom said. If there is a tornado, we should go into the basement and stand under the strongest part of the house.
Melissa was not worried about the tornado. She was only worried that her doll and her kitten might get hurt. She had seen pictures on television of houses that had been destroyed by a tornado. It was hard to believe that their house could be blown down. Her dog was not scared. He was just very friendly and dumb. Melissa would have to remind her mother to take the dog with them when they went to the basement.
Just then, the telephone rang. Melissa suddenly realized that her mom didn't mean there really was a tornado coming. She was just telling Melissa what to do when one did come.