The Red Blanket
The dog takes the red blanket out of the basket. It pulls the blanket across the kitchen floor. The girl watches it go. The basket is new. The blanket is soft. It is a bed for the dog. But the dog does not stop by her chair. It goes under the table.
The girl gets down on her knees. Two brown ears are behind a table leg. The dog looks at her. Its nose is on the blanket. "That is your bed," she says. She points to the basket by the door. The dog closes its eyes.
Her mother comes in with a bag of food. "Where is our new dog?" she asks. The girl points under the table. "He does not like his bed." Her mother puts the bag down. "Does he want to play?" The girl stands up. She knows a good game.
The Ball
She gets a small blue ball. She rolls it across the floor. The dog opens its eyes. Now she can see its white feet. It runs out and gets the ball. The girl laughs. "Bring it here!" she says. The dog brings it to her.
She rolls the ball again. The dog runs after it. Then her mother puts a pan on the table. The pan makes a loud sound. The dog stops. It leaves the ball on the floor and goes back under the table. The girl waits with her hand open.
"One more time?" she asks. She rolls the ball slowly. It stops beside the red blanket. The dog looks at the ball. Then it looks away. The girl sits on her chair. Under the table, the brown ears go down. She does not roll the ball again.
A Small Place
The girl puts the ball in the basket. She carries the basket to the table. She wants to put the bed there. She pushes it between two chairs. It is too wide. She moves a chair, but now the basket is in front of her mother's chair. There is no place for her mother's feet.
She puts the basket by the door again. The dog moves its nose. One corner of the blanket is under the table leg. The girl pulls the corner out. Now the blanket is flat. She puts the other end under the dog's feet. Its eyes are still open.
The girl lies on the floor beside the table. From here, she can see the dog's little place. There are chairs on two sides. The table is above it. Her mother walks past with the plates, but her feet are far from the blanket. The dog has room to lie down.
"Do you want to sit here?" her mother asks. The girl gets up and moves her chair. It is beside the table leg now. She sits down. She can see the brown ears from her chair. Her mother has room for her feet, too.
After Lunch
There are two plates on the table. The girl eats her lunch. Once, she puts her hand down, but she stops above the blanket. The dog is asleep. She puts her hand back on the table. Her mother gives her a piece of bread. They eat quietly.
After lunch, the girl carries her plate to the kitchen sink. Behind her, she hears little feet. The dog is by the basket. It takes the blue ball out and brings it to her. She sits on the floor and holds out her hand. This time, the ball drops into it.
She rolls it towards the door. The dog runs after it. The red blanket stays under the table.



