Biscuit the Puppy Who Learned to Rest
In a cosy house at the end of a quiet lane, there lived a little puppy named Biscuit — golden and fluffy, with a tail that never, ever stopped wagging.
Biscuit loved his family more than anything in the whole world. All day long, he followed them from room to room. He fetched his ball a hundred times. He guarded the garden from the birds. He watched the door, and watched the window, and kept his ears perked up for every single sound — because Biscuit had a very important job: to look after everyone he loved.
But when night came, and it was time for bed, Biscuit did not want to sleep. "What if someone needs me?" he worried, his ears twitching. "What if I hear a sound? A good dog stays awake. A good dog keeps watch!" And he paced by the door, round and round, too busy worrying to rest.
Then his boy came and sat down beside him on the soft dog bed, and gently scratched him behind the ears, just the way Biscuit loved. "It's alright, Biscuit," the boy said softly. "You don't have to watch over us tonight. We're all safe. The doors are locked, the house is warm, and we're all here together. Now it's your turn to rest."
Biscuit looked up at his boy. And he saw that it was true. The whole family was home. The house was warm and safe and quiet. There was nothing to guard against, nothing to worry about — nothing to do at all, but curl up close and rest.
He let out a big, happy sigh, turned around once, and flopped down onto his soft warm bed, right beside his boy's feet. His wagging tail went still. His perked-up ears went soft. And for the first time all day, Biscuit felt his busy body grow calm and heavy and sleepy.
"Goodnight, Biscuit," his boy whispered. "Good dog. Rest now."
And the little puppy, safe and warm beside the family he loved, tucked his nose beneath his paw, closed his eyes, and drifted happily off to sleep.