The Stray Dog

It was a great day for a picnic.
“What’s this?” asked the father.
“It’s a scruffy little dog,” said the mother.
“He looks hungry,” said the girl.
“I think he wants to play,” said the boy.
The children played with him and taught him to sit up.
They named him Willy.
They kept playing until it was time to go.
“Let’s take Willy home,” said the children.
“No,” said the father.
“He must belong to somebody,” explained the mother,” and they would miss him.”
On the way home the girl said, “Maybe Willy doesn’t belong to anybody.”
During the week all the family had Willy on their minds.
“Willy!” they all cried when he appeared.
But Willy didn’t stop.
Willy was in a big hurry.
“He has no collar. He has no leash,” said the dog warden. “This dog is a stray. He doesn’t belong to anybody.”
The boy took off his belt.
“Here’s his collar,” he said.
The girl took off her hair ribbon.
“Here’s his leash,” she said. “His name is Willy, and he belongs to us.”
They took Willy home.
And after that…
they introduced him to the neighborhood, where he met some very interesting dogs.
And Willy settled in where he belonged.