The Cow-Pie Chronicles by James L. Butler Page B

Everything was starting to come together, everything was beginning to make sense. Tim felt very uneasy as he closed his eyes to sleep.

    * * *

    The new baby topic didn’t come up again. Then one morning, the Slingers popped another surprise on their children—they walked into the kitchen, Dad carrying a large cardboard box.
    â€œWhat’s in there?” Dana asked.
    Dad placed the box on top of the table. “Take a look,” he said.
    Dana and Tim pulled the flaps back slowly and spotted a shiny little black nose between two bright eyes. “A puppy!” they both said.
    â€œHer name is Bell. She’s only six weeks old,” Mom said. She lifted the little ball of black-and-brown fur from the box and placed it on the table.
    Dana ran her hand across Bell’s back. “She’s so cute!” Dana said.
    Tim smiled as he reached out and touched Bell’s little nose. It was soft, wet and cool.
    â€œ She looks healthy, too. Why did you get a puppy?” Tim asked, knowing everything on the farm, no matter how cute, had to have a purpose. There were no free rides allowed.
    â€œShe’s a hunting dog. She’ll be worth a lot to us when she grows up,” Dad said.
    â€œBut for now, you and Dana are going to take care of Bell together. Both of you have responsibility for her,” Mom said to Tim.
    â€œI told you,” Dana said.
    â€œBut we don’t know how to take care of a puppy,” Tim said.
    â€œYou’ll learn. It’ll be easier than taking care of Patsy,” Dad said.
    Dana noticed Bell walking in circles and sniffing the table. “I think she wants to pee.”
    â€œThen take her outside,” Mom said.
    Tim picked up Bell and went outside with Dana. He set the puppy down and she ran around sniffing the ground then squatted. When Bell was done, she ran over, bit Tim’s shoelace, pulled on it, jumped back and barked.
    â€œShe likes you,” Dana said.
    â€œMaybe this will be fun,” Tim said.
    He lifted his foot up to dangle the shoelace in front of Bell and Dana sat down in the grass. Both kids played in the yard all day with their new pet. Close to suppertime, Bell crawled into Tim’s lap and instantly fell asleep. He put his hand on the warm ball of fur and felt the tiny heart beating inside.
    â€œYou know why Mom did this, right?” Tim asked.
    â€œSo we can practice taking care of a baby,” Dana said.
    â€œYeah, but I don’t get it. I don’t think we’ll be taking Mom’s baby out in the yard to pee.” Both laughed out loud at Tim’s silly joke.
    â€œBetter take her back inside.” Dana said.
    Dana followed Tim as he carried Bell back into the house. They found Mom sitting at the kitchen table.
    â€œWhere should we put her?” Dana asked.
    â€œHer food, water dish and bed are next to the stove,” Mom said. She pointed to a small wicker basket with a blanket in it.
    â€œWhy is Dad’s old alarm clock in her bed?” Tim asked.
    â€œWhen you put the clock under the blanket, the ticking sounds like her mother’s heartbeat. It makes her feel safe,” Mom said.
    â€œDid you put a clock in my bed when I was a baby?” Dana asked.
    â€œNo, but when you were crying, your father would lay you on his chest so you could hear his heartbeat and you would stop crying almost instantly.”
    â€œWhat about me?” Tim asked.
    â€œYou slept like a rock from day one, except when you were hungry,” Mom said.
    Tim laid Bell in her bed then tucked the clock under the blanket. It was one of those big, yellow wind-up clocks with two bells on the top. Tim could hear it ticking all the way from the living room. He figured his mom was right because Bell was still sleeping peacefully when they all went to bed.
    But there was one flaw in the alarm clock plan. That alarm clock was an old one Dad had used to wake him up at 4:30 every morning to go milk the cows. When