Jim and Pup on the Hunt UFLI Foundations Lesson 126

Jim runs down the path as fast as he can. He is unstoppable! His pup Dash runs ahead, ears flapping like two small flags. 'Come on, Jim! Come and see what I got!' Len calls from up the path. Jim's pal waves them over with a big grin. Jim runs faster. When Len calls 'come and see,' it is always a good thing.

Len holds up a shiny red toy boat. He grins so wide his eyes shut. 'My dad got me this! It can sail on real water.' What a remarkable boat! Jim's mouth falls open. Jim's pal laughs and points at it. Even Dash sits down and stares. Envy fills Jim up. He wants that boat. No. He wants a thing that is even better than that boat.

'So what!' Jim hears himself say. 'I have the best stuff in the world. Unbeatable stuff. Far better than a boat.' The words fly out fast. Jim can not stop them. Len crosses his arms. Jim's pal squints. They do not trust it. Not one bit. 'Come to my house and see!' Jim says.

Back home, Jim stares into his toy box. A rubber frog. A red ball with a dent. A game with parts missing. Dash peeks out from the side of the box, full of hope. 'This is terrible,' Jim says. He scratches his head. Soon, Len will come to see the best stuff in the world. Jim needs to find an incredible thing. And fast.

Then Jim has a plan! He raises his fist in the air. 'Our house is full of cool stuff! Grandpa's plants! Gran's crafts! Dad's games! We can borrow a few.' Dash is so glad, his tail can not keep still. 'Come on, Dash. We have a house to raid.' The plan is doable. Almost.

First stop: Grandpa's garden. Grandpa has the most remarkable plants. People stop to admire them. Jim grabs the biggest one, a monster of a plant, giant and green. He hugs the pot to his chest. 'Len has not seen a plant this big!' He runs past the bushes with Dash right at his heels. One down. Four to go.

Next stop: Gran's craft basket. Jim grabs a bowl piled up with wool and twine in every hue. Gran can fix just about any thing. A torn dress, a snapped kite string, even a doll with a broken arm. 'Gran thinks this stuff is valuable,' Jim says. 'So it is good enough to impress Len.' Dash paws at a strand of wool. Jim pulls it back just in time.

In the living room, Jim spots Dad's game box on the table. Every weekend, Dad and Pa put on their glasses and play it with their pals. They talk and talk about it for hours. 'If Dad and Pa love it this much,' Jim says with a grin, 'it must be incredible.' He tucks the box under his arm. His pile is growing.

Jim's sister Jill has rows and rows of books. Jim grabs a big stack. The one on top has a fox on it. Jill has read it to him three times, and he has asked for three more. 'Unbelievable!' Jim says to no one. Dash finds a box. And gets the box stuck on his head. He stands very still, like a confused robot. Jim does not even notice.

Last stop: Mum's room. Jim grabs a bit of this and a bit of that. He rubs on lipstick. He plops a big floppy hat on his head. Red heels sit by his feet, three sizes too big. He looks in the mirror and laughs and laughs. Dash sits in the corner, wrapped in a yellow scarf like a tiny, adorable queen. They look so silly. They look perfect.

Len and Jim's pal come to the door. They see the big pile Jim has made, and they give him a look. One by one, they pack it all into the trunk. The wool. The game. The books. Len pushes in the floppy hat. 'This is Mum's hat, Jim.' Jim's pal packs in the plant. 'And this is Grandpa's plant.' Jim's cheeks go hot. Not one bit of the stuff is his. The big plan is unworkable. Jim smiles a small smile. Len is right.

Then Mum yells. 'Where is my perfume?' Mum stands in her bedroom, staring at the empty spot between her bottles. She marches to the door with her hands on her hips. Jim goes cold. This is horrible. Jim, Len, and Jim's pal go still. Very, very still. Did they pack it all back? Not all of it. One thing is still missing.

They hunt all over Jim's room. Jim's pal reaches under the bed. Just dust and one old sock. Len checks every box in the cabinet. Not a thing. Jim throws his arms wide. 'It is not in this room!' But in the corner, by the wooden chair, Dash presses his nose to the floor. Sniff. Sniff sniff. His tail starts to wag. That pup is remarkable.

Dash pushes his nose under the chair. And there it is! The small glass bottle, cool on the tiles. 'Yes!' Jim drops to his knees and gives Dash the biggest scratches of all time. Len and Jim's pal clap and cheer. 'See?' Jim laughs, scratching Dash's soft chin. 'I do have the best thing in the world.' And this time, no one says 'So what!' Dash is unbeatable.