explained, asshe put a bowl of grapes and a plate of chocolate chip cookies on the table. “He is crazy about that dog. All he wanted to do all day was follow her around and do everything she did. He even tried to drink from her water bowl!”
Charles looked down at the Bean and shook his head. Who else had a little brother who thought he was a dog? “So we’re not keeping Goldie?” he asked.
“Well, we aren’t keeping Goldie for good,” said his mom, smiling. “But she’s sweet to the Bean, so she can stay for a little while. Just until we find her a really good home.” Their mom patted Goldie on the head. “She deserves the best.”
“Mom!” Lizzie threw her arms around her mother.
Charles couldn’t believe his ears. “Really? Really? Goldie is staying with us?”
“Only for a while,” his mother answered. “Don’t forget that part.” She looked down at the Bean. He was tugging at one of her shoelaces whileGoldie tugged at the other. “It’s great for the Bean to have such a good friend. But this family is not ready to have a full-time dog. Not yet.”
Charles nodded. “Right,” he said. He was sure he could convince his mother to keep Goldie forever. He slid down off his chair and sat on the floor next to Goldie. She trotted right over, climbed up into his lap, and started chewing on his ear. It tickled! Charles laughed and kissed the top of the puppy’s silky head.
Goldie liked that. This boy made her feel happy and safe. She was
so
glad to see him again. It seemed like
forever
since he had gone away.
Goldie wagged her little tail as hard as she could as she nibbled and licked and nuzzled. By now, Lizzie had joined Charles on the floor. “Let me hold her for a minute,” she said. “Here, Goldie!”
Happily, Goldie climbed over to explore Lizzie’s ears. The girl was also wonderful. She smelled good and tasted even better.
Then the Bean started to nibble on Charles’sears. “Hey!” said Charles. “Mom, tell him he’s not a dog!”
“I’ve been trying to tell him that all day!” his mom said, laughing. Then she sat down at the table and got serious. “So here’s the deal,” she said. “You two are going to be responsible for this puppy whenever you are home. That means you walk her, you feed her, you make sure she has water. And don’t forget our goal: We need to make sure Goldie goes to the best possible home.” She looked at Charles, then at Lizzie. “If you do a really good job fostering Goldie, I might start to believe that this family will be ready for a puppy of our own sometime soon.”
Charles and Lizzie were nodding eagerly. “Okay, Mom,” said Charles.
“We’ll start training her right away,” promised Lizzie. “It will be easier to find a good home for a puppy that behaves.”
“Oh, and one more thing,” Mom added. “You also have to take care of all your regular chores. Idon’t want your rooms to become disaster areas just because we have a puppy in the house.” She looked at Charles when she said that. Lizzie was tidy, but Charles’s room was usually a mess. “No falling behind on school work.” This time she looked at Lizzie, who sometimes waited to do her homework until the last minute.
“No problem,” said Charles, even though he hated cleaning his room.
“Absolutely, Mom,” promised Lizzie. She held Goldie up and rubbed noses with the pup. “We’ll do anything to keep you around, right, sweetie?”
Goldie stuck out her tongue and licked Lizzie’s nose. Then she clambered down and started to sniff the floor.
Lizzie jumped up. “That means she has to pee!” she said. “When she sniffs like that we have to get her outside right away. Then we praise her for doing it outside.”
Charles scooped up Goldie and ran for the back door. As soon as he got outside, he put her downand watched proudly as she ran straight onto the lawn and squatted. “Good girl!” he said. “You’re such a good girl.”
Goldie didn’t know why the
Charles looked down at the Bean and shook his head. Who else had a little brother who thought he was a dog? “So we’re not keeping Goldie?” he asked.
“Well, we aren’t keeping Goldie for good,” said his mom, smiling. “But she’s sweet to the Bean, so she can stay for a little while. Just until we find her a really good home.” Their mom patted Goldie on the head. “She deserves the best.”
“Mom!” Lizzie threw her arms around her mother.
Charles couldn’t believe his ears. “Really? Really? Goldie is staying with us?”
“Only for a while,” his mother answered. “Don’t forget that part.” She looked down at the Bean. He was tugging at one of her shoelaces whileGoldie tugged at the other. “It’s great for the Bean to have such a good friend. But this family is not ready to have a full-time dog. Not yet.”
Charles nodded. “Right,” he said. He was sure he could convince his mother to keep Goldie forever. He slid down off his chair and sat on the floor next to Goldie. She trotted right over, climbed up into his lap, and started chewing on his ear. It tickled! Charles laughed and kissed the top of the puppy’s silky head.
Goldie liked that. This boy made her feel happy and safe. She was
so
glad to see him again. It seemed like
forever
since he had gone away.
Goldie wagged her little tail as hard as she could as she nibbled and licked and nuzzled. By now, Lizzie had joined Charles on the floor. “Let me hold her for a minute,” she said. “Here, Goldie!”
Happily, Goldie climbed over to explore Lizzie’s ears. The girl was also wonderful. She smelled good and tasted even better.
Then the Bean started to nibble on Charles’sears. “Hey!” said Charles. “Mom, tell him he’s not a dog!”
“I’ve been trying to tell him that all day!” his mom said, laughing. Then she sat down at the table and got serious. “So here’s the deal,” she said. “You two are going to be responsible for this puppy whenever you are home. That means you walk her, you feed her, you make sure she has water. And don’t forget our goal: We need to make sure Goldie goes to the best possible home.” She looked at Charles, then at Lizzie. “If you do a really good job fostering Goldie, I might start to believe that this family will be ready for a puppy of our own sometime soon.”
Charles and Lizzie were nodding eagerly. “Okay, Mom,” said Charles.
“We’ll start training her right away,” promised Lizzie. “It will be easier to find a good home for a puppy that behaves.”
“Oh, and one more thing,” Mom added. “You also have to take care of all your regular chores. Idon’t want your rooms to become disaster areas just because we have a puppy in the house.” She looked at Charles when she said that. Lizzie was tidy, but Charles’s room was usually a mess. “No falling behind on school work.” This time she looked at Lizzie, who sometimes waited to do her homework until the last minute.
“No problem,” said Charles, even though he hated cleaning his room.
“Absolutely, Mom,” promised Lizzie. She held Goldie up and rubbed noses with the pup. “We’ll do anything to keep you around, right, sweetie?”
Goldie stuck out her tongue and licked Lizzie’s nose. Then she clambered down and started to sniff the floor.
Lizzie jumped up. “That means she has to pee!” she said. “When she sniffs like that we have to get her outside right away. Then we praise her for doing it outside.”
Charles scooped up Goldie and ran for the back door. As soon as he got outside, he put her downand watched proudly as she ran straight onto the lawn and squatted. “Good girl!” he said. “You’re such a good girl.”
Goldie didn’t know why the
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