A Pet For The Goofs

Big Goof and Little Goof lived together. Sometimes they got everything all mixed up. They were pretty goofy. One day Big Goof and Little Goof were working in the yard when a turtle walked by.

“Look at that cute little animal!” said Little Goof. “What is it?”

“I don’t know,” said Big Goof.

“We could keep it for a pet,” said Little Goof.

“We never had a pet before,” said Big Goof. “We might do something wrong.”

“We will read a book and learn how to take care of it,” said Little Goof.

The Goofs picked up the turtle and walked to the library.

“Do you have a book on pets?” Big Goof asked.

The librarian showed the Goofs a whole shelf of books about pets. Big Goof picked one out. It was called OUR FRIEND THE DOG.

“Dogs have four feet,” read Big Goof.

“One, two, three, four,” counted Little Goof. “Our pet has four feet. He is a dog!”

“When a dog is happy, it wags its tail,” read Big Goof.

“Our dog has a tail, but he is not wagging it. He must be sad,” said Little Goof.

Big Goof read on, “A dog needs a bone to chew and a collar to wear.”

“No wonder our dog is sad,” said Little Goof. “He doesn’t have those things.”

“Let’s go get them right now,” said Big Goof.

“Come on, Doggie,” said Little Goof.

But the bone did not make Doggie wag his tail. Neither did the collar. The Goofs felt terrible.

heir pet was not happy. They walked around their yard wondering what to do.

When they passed the pond, Doggie jumped in and swam around. As he swam, his tail moved back and forth.

“Look at his tail!” cried Big Goof.

“He must be a water dog,” said Little Goof. “He is happy when he is swimming.

Now when the weather is nice, the Goofs take their dog for a swim in the pond. When it is too cold or rainy to go out, Doggie swims in the bathtub.

“We learned something, Little Goof,” said Big Goof.

“Books don’t tell you everything. You have to find out some things for yourself.”

Joanna and Philip Cole