One More Soft Thing
Bo rubbed the moss with one thumb. It was soft. It was cool. Pip put his nose in it too. Bo pulled a green piece free. Bo set it down in the warm ferns. Pip sat beside it. The rain had stopped. The whole valley dripped.
Bo found a feather in the ferns. Bo touched it. Fluffy. Pip's ears went up. A big slow dinosaur walked by. Her tail brushed the leaves. Bo waved. Bo carried the feather back. Bo put it on the moss. One more soft thing for the nest.
Pip ran to a low flower bush. Bo came slowly after. The petals felt warm and smooth. Bo picked three. One, two, three. Bo laid them on the feather. Pip patted them flat with one paw. The rain began again, warm and small.
Warm rain made rings in a footprint. Bo watched the rings go round. Then Bo saw white fluff on a stem. Bo pinched it. It tickled. Pip sneezed. Bo laughed and laughed. Bo carried the fluff in two hands. One more soft thing for the nest.
The last thing was a big leaf. It was smooth on top. It was furry underneath. Bo tugged. The leaf would not come. Bo tugged again, harder. The leaf came free. Pip held one end. Bo held the other end.
They carried it over the wet ferns. Bo spread the leaf on the pile. Moss. Feather. Petals. Fluff. Leaf. The nest was done. Bo climbed in. It was soft everywhere. Pip climbed in too. He was warm against Bo's side.
The rain tapped on the big leaf. Bo touched the moss one last time. Still soft. Pip yawned a small fox yawn. Bo held Pip's paw in one hand. "One more soft thing for the nest," Bo said. Then Bo slept.
