round eyes that sparkled with mischief and curiosity. She loved her home—a cozy little house with a big yard where she could chase butterflies and dig tiny holes. Her favorite thing in the world was her squeaky toy, but her least favorite thing? Surprises.
Bibi’s tail stopped wagging. She took a step back, eyeing Poopy suspiciously.
“Hi, Lucy!” the man said cheerfully. “I’m so sorry to drop by unannounced, but I think Poopy ran into your yard this morning. He must have left something behind. Have you seen his blue chew toy? He’s been whining for it all day.”
Lucy smiled and stepped aside. “Come in! Let’s take a look.”
Bibi’s eyes widened. No, no, no! This was bad. She had seen that blue chew toy earlier that morning, lying in the corner of the yard. And she had done what any good dog would do when faced with a lonely, unattended toy—she had claimed it as her own!
Her paws felt sweaty. Her little heart raced. She knew that Poopy’s owner would find the toy, and then they would know she had taken it! What would Lucy think? Would she be disappointed? Would Poopy laugh at her? Oh, the embarrassment!
Bibi needed a plan. Fast.
As Lucy and Poopy’s owner walked toward the backyard, Bibi sprang into action. She dashed past them, her paws skidding on the wooden floor as she made a beeline for the back door. She had to get that toy before they did!
She pushed through the doggy door and rushed to the corner of the yard. There it was—the blue chew toy, slightly damp from her morning of playing with it. Without a second thought, she grabbed it in her mouth and looked around. Where could she hide it?
The flowerbed? No, Lucy would see the dirt on her paws. The bushes? No, too obvious. Under the porch? Yes! Perfect!
Bibi scurried to the porch and quickly pushed the toy underneath with her nose, just as Lucy and Poopy’s owner stepped into the yard.
“Let’s check over here,” Lucy said, scanning the grass.
Bibi sat down quickly, trying to look innocent. She wagged her tail, but only a little—just enough to seem natural. Her heart thumped loudly.
“Poopy, do you see your toy?” Poopy’s owner asked.
Poopy, who had been sniffing around, suddenly stopped. He turned his head, squinting at Bibi. She gulped.
Then, to her horror, Poopy marched straight to the porch. He sniffed once, twice, and then let out an excited bark. His tiny paws scrabbled against the wooden boards as he tried to squeeze under.
“Oh! Did you find it?” Lucy asked, walking over.
Bibi panicked. If they found the toy now, it would be over! She did the only thing she could think of—she jumped in front of Poopy, blocking his way. She wagged her tail extra fast and licked his face, trying to distract him. Maybe if she was really nice, he’d forget about the toy.
But Poopy wasn’t fooled. He barked again, louder this time. His owner bent down and peered under the porch. A second later, he reached in and pulled out the slobbery blue chew toy.
Bibi’s ears drooped.
“Oh, here it is!” Poopy’s owner laughed, shaking the toy. “Looks like someone had a little fun with it.”
Lucy looked at Bibi. “Bibi, did you take Poopy’s toy?”
Bibi lowered her head. Her tail tucked between her legs. She felt so guilty. She hadn’t meant to be a bad dog! She had just… well, borrowed it.
But then, to her surprise, Lucy scratched behind her ears and smiled. “It’s okay, Bibi. You just really liked it, didn’t you?”
Bibi hesitated, then slowly wagged her tail. Maybe Lucy wasn’t mad after all.
Poopy’s owner chuckled. “Looks like Bibi and Poopy have similar tastes in toys. You know what? Poopy has too many toys anyway. How about we let Bibi keep this one, and I’ll get Poopy a new one?”
Bibi’s ears perked up. Was this real? Did she just get to keep the toy?
Lucy laughed. “That’s really nice of you! What do you think, Bibi?”
Bibi jumped up and licked Lucy’s hand in gratitude. She couldn’t believe it! The toy was hers!
Poopy, surprisingly, didn’t seem too upset. He wagged his tail and bounced around happily, as if he had already forgotten about the whole thing. He playfully nudged Bibi, and for the first time, she nudged him back.
Maybe Poopy wasn’t so bad after all.
As Poopy and his owner left, Bibi lay down with her new toy, sighing in relief. The crisis was over. The embarrassment had passed. And best of all? She had made a new friend.
Well… sort of.
