Katy, Daniel and the Puppy
Illustration © 2023 Susan Fleming
It is Christmas Eve. Daniel and Katy are very excited. They love Christmas time. It is getting dark and there is snow on the ground. They look out of the window and the moon is making the snow glitter. It looks magical. Katy sees a small animal in the garden. Could it be a rabbit? No! It is not a rabbit. She looks again and points it out to Daniel.
“It is a puppy,” says Daniel.
They rush outside to bring the puppy into the warm house. Mummy wraps the shivering puppy in a blanket and gives it some warm milk. Then she puts it in the basket of their dog, Vic, to sleep. Vic goes over to the basket and, very carefully, gets in and cuddles up to the puppy to keep it warm.
“Well done Vic!” says Daddy. “Where could the puppy have come from? I do not know of anyone who has a new puppy. It is too late now, but we must try to find its home in the morning.”
They are all puzzled, but it is bedtime, and next morning is Christmas Day.
In the morning Daniel and Katy wake up early and look out of the window. The snow is still there! Then they see their friend Matthew, from across the road, with his Mummy and Daddy searching for something.
“What are you doing?” calls out Daniel.
“We have lost our new puppy,” Matthew calls back.
“We have found it!” shouts Daniel.
They tell their Mummy and Daddy then rush downstairs and take Matthew and his Mummy and Daddy into their kitchen. There is Vic in his basket carefully looking after the puppy.
“She is Matthew’s Christmas present,” says Matthew’s Daddy “She was in her basket last night. She must have got out when I took the rubbish out.”
They are VERY pleased to have found their puppy. Mummy then makes hot chocolate for everyone, which they enjoy with a mince pie.
Matthew says, “I will call my puppy Eira because it means snow in Welsh. I am so glad Vic likes Eira. They will be able to play together when we play together.”
Matthew and his Mummy and Daddy then say “Happy Christmas” and go home with Eira.
“What a lovely start to Christmas Day,” says excited Katy, “with lots of lovely things still to come.”