Week 5 story: Lucky and Molly

Molly ran into her room and flung herself onto her bed. She had been holding in tears, but now that she was out of sight from her sister, she began to sob with her face in her pillow.

Her best friend, who happened to be a golden retriever, jumped up onto her bed after her and stuck her nose underneath Molly's in an attempt to comfort the young girl.

Molly took a deep, shuddering sigh as she tried to shut down her tears. "Thanks, Lucky," she sniffled. "You're the only one here who loves me."

Lucky knew it wasn't true -- Molly's parents and siblings loved her very much -- but her older sister had been rather cruel to her lately. Lucky couldn't understand why everyone couldn't just get along, but she supposed maybe it was something dogs just didn't understand.

Looking up at Molly, Lucky's own eyes began to well up in sympathy. She hated seeing her favorite human so hurt. So, she took a deep breath, cleared her throat, and began to speak.

"Molly," she began, in a voice that carried wisdom and compassion. "Can I tell you a story?"

Molly's eyes widened in shock, but the little girl just nodded.

"Nearly one hundred years ago, a little girl named Molly, just like you, was crying on her front porch. Her two brothers had used her favorite doll to play 'Monkey in the Middle' and accidentally dropped it in a pond. Molly was upset when she found out, but instead of apologizing, her brothers teased her for acting like a baby and pushed her down the stairs.

"Molly was already so lonely because her family had just moved and she had no friends in her new neighborhood. Now, she didn't even have her favorite doll to keep her company. She was so upset that she ran out to the wide field down the street from their home. She loved to lie in the grass and watch the clouds drift by, but she she wasn't supposed to go by herself.

"But Molly went anyway, and she got lost. The field was big, and there weren't any trees or anything else that might serve as a landmark to help her get back home. Now, she was sad and scared, and she sat on the ground and began to cry even harder than before. She cried and cried and cried until suddenly, she felt something cold and wet brush against her shoulder. She jumped up and yelped, but when she looked in the direction of the sensation, there was just a little black lab.

"'What's troubling you, Molly?' the lab asked.

"'H-how did you know my name?' Molly responded, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"'I've been told of you,' the dog responded. 'The bluebirds that sing by your window in the morning and the crickets that chirp by your bedroom at night have told me of a sad young girl named Molly, lonely in a new neighborhood. They say she doesn't want much -- just a new friend and brothers who will play fun games with her -- but her closest companions are the creatures she imagines out of the clouds. Is that you?'

"Molly just nodded, and the lab smiled at her.

"'You're in luck, then,' he said. 'I want a new friend, too. If I help you find your way home, will you give me a place in your home?'

"Molly hesitated, then squeezed her new friend in a tight hug. The two ran home together, and they were inseparable for the rest of their days. Molly made new friends in school, and her brothers started being kind to her, but nothing could touch her bond with her dog."

Lucky, who had been sitting on the floor as she told her story, looked up at her human. Molly -- the real Molly -- was dozing off, covering her mouth with the back of her hand as she yawned. Lucky smiled.

"Good night, sweet Molly," she said, then jumped onto the bed and curled up next to Molly. She knew that when the little girl woke up, she wouldn't remember what Lucky had said, but she would remember the way she had made her feel: safe and loved. And that was all Lucky truly cared about.

Author's note: This story was inspired by Tales of a Parrot, in which a pet parrot tells its owner stories to keep her from going to the home of another man while her husband is away. My story is made up, but the sweet dog, Lucky, is real -- she was my best friend as a kid. The pictures in this post are both personal photos of Lucky and me. I'm not sure exactly when they are from, but the first photo was taken in roughly 2003 and the second photo was likely taken around 2000 or 2001.