The Little Way Home
Drip. Drip. Bo heard it in the dark. Pip heard it too. His ears went up. The sound came from the rocks. Bo took Pip's paw. The warm sea washed over their toes. "Let's go the little way, Pip."
The little way went past the pools. It looked short. It was not short. A crab sat in the first pool. Bo said hello to the crab. The crab waved one small claw. Drip. Drip. The sound waited for them.
The second pool held a silver fish. The fish went slow, slow, slow. Bo went slow too. Pip went slow too. The moon sat on the water like a plate. "Let's go the little way, Pip." Drip. Drip. The little sound kept on.
The third pool was full of stars. Sea stars, soft and orange and slow. Bo touched one with one finger. It felt soft and wet. Pip put his nose in the water. His whiskers came up shiny. Drip. Drip. Bo looked up and listened.
The long way took a long time. Bo did not mind at all. Pip did not mind either. Warm water. Small waves. A round moon. Bo counted three shells and put them back. Drip. Drip. Closer now. Bo followed the little sound.
There. A rock, wet and shiny in the moonlight. Water fell from it, drop by drop. It fell into a small warm pool. Drip. Drip. That was all it was. Bo laughed a little laugh. Pip's tail swished side to side. Then they found the soft dry sand.
Bo lay down on the warm sand. Pip curled up close beside them. "Let's go the little way, Pip." Drip. Drip. It was far away now. Bo breathed in. Bo breathed out. Pip breathed slow beside them. The sea breathed too, in and out.
