Storytime

Finding a warm place to spend the night was the best Christmas gift ever

Once upon a time, there was a little dog who loved to ride in the car with his family. Whenever he heard the car keys jingle he would run to the door, ready to go for a ride. One Christmas Eve, a light snow was falling as he rode along with his family. When they arrived at the supermarket his master rolled down the window part way and said, “Stay here, Buddy, we’ll just be a minute.” Buddy watched people going in and out of the store, then noticed some bushes and decided to check them out. He squeezed through the partially open car window and ran over to the bush.

He meant to be really quick but then he saw more bushes a little further down the boulevard, so he decided to sniff them, too. Then he saw another bush and still another one. He kept going from one to the other, sni€ng as he went. After a while, he decided he should go back, but suddenly realized he didn’t know which way to go. Darkness was creeping in and he was starting to shiver. As he made his way along the street, he noticed people walking, hunched against the cold. “Mister, do you know where my family is?” he yipped to a man who crossed his path. The man made no reply as he hurried on his way. The little dog trotted on. Each time he saw a human he asked his question, but no one paid any attention to him. Sometimes he even wagged his tail a little, but no one noticed. Oh, why hadn’t he waited like his family told him? Now he was lost.

For hours he wandered, looking for something familiar. He trotted up one street and down another. In the lighted windows he could see families gathered around their Christmas tree or sitting in front of a fireplace. He hurried up the steps to one house that looked like his and barked in his little dog voice. No one came to let him in. “This can’t be my house,” he said to himself. “My family wouldn’t leave me out in the cold.” So he kept travelling, on and on. Soon he left the bright lights of the city behind. He was now truly lost. The snow was falling harder, big flakes that coated his fur and stung his eyes. Where was his family? Maybe if he stayed in one spot, they would find him. He sat down by the side of the road and waited and waited. But no one came.

He was shivering so hard that his whole body trembled. He had to keep moving or he would freeze. In the distance, he noticed a barn in a field. Maybe he could find shelter there. As he approached, he could hear other animals inside. Would they let him come in? He pushed his cold nose against the door and it opened just wide enough so he could squeeze inside. He saw a calf lying on a bed of hay. A mother cat and her kittens were curled up beside the calf. “Please,” begged the little dog. “I am very cold. Can I share your bed of hay tonight?” The calf and the cat looked at the shivering dog. “Yes,” they both said as they moved over to make room for him. “You are welcome to stay the night, and tomorrow we will help you find your family.” As the little dog cuddled into the sweet-smelling hay, he thought that if he couldn’t be with his family on Christmas Eve, then this was the next best place to be.