Wag, Wag, Bump, and One True Word

Pop! A warm bath bubble popped on Eli's nose. Eli was a puppy. He had soft brown ears and four wet paws. He sat in the warm bath and splashed. Splash, splash. Pop! Pop-pop! Two more bubbles popped.

Tavi was there too. Tavi was a big dog with a soft, warm voice. She held out a fluffy towel. "Ready, Eli?" she said.

Eli stepped out of the bath. Tavi wrapped him up. The towel was warm and smelled like clean laundry. Eli yawned a big yawn. "Aaah-ohhh," he went.

Tavi rubbed Eli's ears with the towel. Rub, rub, rub. Eli's ears went fluffy and warm.

Then Tavi looked at the window. "Eli," she said. "Look."

Outside the window, soft white flakes came down. Down, down, down. They landed on the little hill. They landed on the fence. It was the first snow of the winter.

Eli looked and looked. The flakes came down soft and slow, like little white feathers.

"Down, down, down, soft and slow," said Tavi. "Here comes the snow." Eli said it too. "Down, down, down, soft and slow. Here comes the snow." The snow went shhh. Shhh, shhh, shhh.

Eli put one paw on the cold glass. Tap, tap. The snow didn't stop. It came down on the little roof. It came down on the apple tree.

Tavi gave Eli his blue blanket. Eli held it in his teeth. On the little table by the rug was a cup of warm milk. It smelled warm and sweet.

Eli's tail went wag, wag, wag. Bump! The cup tipped over. The milk ran out on the floor, all white and wet. The cup rolled away, round and round, and stopped.

"Eli?" said Tavi. "What happened?" Eli looked at the milk on the floor. His ears went down and his tail went still. "Nothing," he said, very quiet. His tummy felt tight and heavy, like a small ball of wool.

At the window, the snow came down. Down, down, down, soft and slow. Here comes the snow. Eli didn't say it this time. He held his blanket and looked at the little white puddle.

Then Eli took a big breath. He walked over to Tavi. "Tavi," he said. "I did it. My tail went wag, wag, and the milk fell down." His voice was very small.

Tavi put her nose on Eli's soft head. "Thank you for telling me," she said. She wiped the milk with a cloth. Wipe, wipe, wipe. The floor was clean again. Eli's tummy felt light, soft as a bubble.

Tavi poured a little more milk into a small cup. "For a small puppy," she said. Eli drank it up. Then he licked his nose and wagged his tail, slow and easy.

"My tummy feels light now," said Eli. "Mmm," said Tavi, and she patted his back. "The snow is still coming down. It will make the hill soft for morning."

Eli looked at the window again. "Down, down, down, soft and slow," he said. "Here comes the snow." Tavi said it with him. They said it together, soft and slow.

The snow went shhh outside. Shhh, shhh, shhh. The moon came up over the little hill. It sat in the window and made a round white light on the floor.

The light was soft and round. The blanket was warm. Eli yawned. "Aaah-ohhh."

He curled up on his warm bed. He put his nose on his blue blanket. Tavi pulled the blanket up to his chin. She lay down close beside him. "Goodnight, Eli," she whispered.

Outside, the snow came down soft and slow. It made the hill quiet. It made the fence quiet. It made the whole world quiet and white.

Down, down, down. Soft and slow. Sleepy, sleepy snow.