The Puddle That Wasn't There

Starring Sparks, Ella

Sparks the Papillon dog and Ella the curious toddler set out to find a glittering blue puddle Sparks is certain he spotted near the old oak tree. When they arrive and find nothing but dry dirt, Ella insists she hears something, and together they dig with their paws and fingers to uncover a hidden spring — not the puddle Sparks expected at all. The story follows two friends who discover that being wrong about something can lead to finding something even better.

Sparks pressed his tiny black nose to the garden gate and sniffed three times. "It was HERE," he told Ella. "A big, shiny, blue puddle. I saw it this morning." Ella squinted at the dry gravel path. She did not see any puddle.

They walked all the way to the old oak tree. Sparks trotted in a quick circle, his feathery ears bouncing. The ground was cracked and dusty. Not one drop of blue anywhere. "Maybe," Ella said slowly, "you dreamed it?" Sparks sat down hard. "I did NOT dream it."

Sparks decided to show Ella exactly where he had stood that morning. He marched to a spot between two big roots and stopped. He was absolutely sure. He scraped at the dirt with his paw to mark the place. The ground felt cold and damp under his nails. That was strange.

"Ella. Come feel this." Ella crouched down and pressed both palms flat on the dirt. It was cold. And wet. Underneath. "I hear something," she whispered. Sparks held very still. There it was — a faint, soft gurgle, like a secret being told underground.

They dug together. Ella used her fingers. Sparks used both front paws as fast as he could, flinging dirt behind him like a tiny brown snowstorm. A clump flew up and landed right on Ella's nose. She sneezed so hard her ponytail bounced. Sparks did not stop digging.

Then Ella's finger found something wet. A tiny stream of cold, clear water bubbled up from the hole, spreading across the dirt in a bright, wriggling line. It was not a puddle. It was better than a puddle. It was a spring. Sparks stared at it. His tail went absolutely wild.

Sparks pressed his pink tongue to the water. Cold. Clean. It tasted like the inside of a rainstorm. Ella cupped her hands and let it fill up. She giggled when it tickled her fingers. "You were right," she said. "There WAS something shiny and blue." Sparks looked up. "I told you so."

They stayed until the light turned orange and the fireflies came out. The spring kept bubbling, quiet and steady. Ella had dirt under every fingernail. Sparks had dirt on both ears. Neither of them minded even a little bit.