Marie laughed to herself as she ran her bike full tilt through yet another puddle. Her pants were soaked up to the knee and her wet hair hung in her face, making her nose itch, but that was all okay. She might be the only kid on the block still outside playing, but that was just because the other kids didn’t know what they were missing. They had all run inside when the first sunny day of the year had suddenly turned rainy. Even Marie’s mom had tried to call her back inside. But Marie was tired of playing indoors. That was all she’d done for what seemed like forever. It wasn’t like it was cold outside –just a little wet, that was all. Plus it was fun to see how high she could get the water to spray up.
Sure, she didn’t have anyone else to play with, but she did have Brownie with her, and he was always good company.
Brownie was her dog. Her parents had bought him for her when she was really little. He was brown and white and came up to her knees. And just like Marie, he loved the water. So while she swerved around and around the sidewalk on her bike, he happily ran around chasing her and jumping into ever puddle he could find.
Or at least he was, right up until he found something to chew on.
“No, Brownie! Bad, Brownie! Drop it!” she instructed in her best imitation of her mother when Brownie managed to get into the trash.
It didn’t seem to work as well coming from her, since Brownie simply shook his head some more, gnawing away at whatever was in his mouth. Screwing her face up, Marie realized this was going to take more guts on her part. Without letting herself think much about just whatever it was that Brownie had found, she reached down and yanked it out of his mouth. It came away covered in drool and slippery in her hand, but she didn’t dare set it down. Brownie wasn’t very bright and would probably pick it right back up again if she did. “No!” she repeated firmly. “Bad! It’s dirty!” ‘Though part of that might have to do with Brownie’s treatment of it, more than anything. Slowly, Marie uncurled her hand and stared down at it. She tried to make sense of whatever it was. It was green, and black and slimy and looked like some kind of scary bug. But it wasn’t moving much now, so it probably wasn’t going to bite her. One of its wings was even torn, and even though it was kind of ugly, she still felt bad for it. Brownie shouldn’t be trying to eat bugs. Besides the ickiness of it, it just wasn’t very nice to the bugs. And the more she looked at this bug in particular, it was kind of almost pretty. It wasn’t just drool that made its wings shiny, and they did look kind of soft and pretty.
“Never seen a bug like this one,” Marie told Brownie. She glanced around the sidewalk and the large street that ran beside it. She wasn’t allowed to cross the street yet, even though she knew how to ride her bike. There wasn’t much else to see there, just some boring buildings and the road. “Do ya think it lives around here?” she asked. But even though she looked, she couldn’t see anything that looked likely to hold a bug this big. Unless he lived in the trash can, but that wasn’t a very good place to live. “I think we ought to take him home,” she announced.
Having reached a decision, she turned back to her bike. She still had that old jar in her basket from the last time they’d went firefly catching. There was a field behind her house that was perfect for that. Maybe her new bug would like to live there. She opened the lid of the jar and slide the sticky mass off of her hand and dropped it to the bottom. “Bugs need leaves,” she told Brownie as he watched her closely. “That’s what they eat. And maybe a stick to climb on, since his wing’s all torn. Come on, let’s go find some!”
Sure, she didn’t have anyone else to play with, but she did have Brownie with her, and he was always good company.
Brownie was her dog. Her parents had bought him for her when she was really little. He was brown and white and came up to her knees. And just like Marie, he loved the water. So while she swerved around and around the sidewalk on her bike, he happily ran around chasing her and jumping into ever puddle he could find.
Or at least he was, right up until he found something to chew on.
“No, Brownie! Bad, Brownie! Drop it!” she instructed in her best imitation of her mother when Brownie managed to get into the trash.
It didn’t seem to work as well coming from her, since Brownie simply shook his head some more, gnawing away at whatever was in his mouth. Screwing her face up, Marie realized this was going to take more guts on her part. Without letting herself think much about just whatever it was that Brownie had found, she reached down and yanked it out of his mouth. It came away covered in drool and slippery in her hand, but she didn’t dare set it down. Brownie wasn’t very bright and would probably pick it right back up again if she did. “No!” she repeated firmly. “Bad! It’s dirty!” ‘Though part of that might have to do with Brownie’s treatment of it, more than anything. Slowly, Marie uncurled her hand and stared down at it. She tried to make sense of whatever it was. It was green, and black and slimy and looked like some kind of scary bug. But it wasn’t moving much now, so it probably wasn’t going to bite her. One of its wings was even torn, and even though it was kind of ugly, she still felt bad for it. Brownie shouldn’t be trying to eat bugs. Besides the ickiness of it, it just wasn’t very nice to the bugs. And the more she looked at this bug in particular, it was kind of almost pretty. It wasn’t just drool that made its wings shiny, and they did look kind of soft and pretty.
“Never seen a bug like this one,” Marie told Brownie. She glanced around the sidewalk and the large street that ran beside it. She wasn’t allowed to cross the street yet, even though she knew how to ride her bike. There wasn’t much else to see there, just some boring buildings and the road. “Do ya think it lives around here?” she asked. But even though she looked, she couldn’t see anything that looked likely to hold a bug this big. Unless he lived in the trash can, but that wasn’t a very good place to live. “I think we ought to take him home,” she announced.
Having reached a decision, she turned back to her bike. She still had that old jar in her basket from the last time they’d went firefly catching. There was a field behind her house that was perfect for that. Maybe her new bug would like to live there. She opened the lid of the jar and slide the sticky mass off of her hand and dropped it to the bottom. “Bugs need leaves,” she told Brownie as he watched her closely. “That’s what they eat. And maybe a stick to climb on, since his wing’s all torn. Come on, let’s go find some!”
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