The Adventures of Zelda: The Second Saga

Chapter 8: Zelda and the Missing Milk-Bone

Now that the leaves are missing from the trees, I have been spending time outside in the yard before the white stuff covers the ground. It is chilly outside, but if the sun is shining I am plenty warm with my pug fur. 

 “Zelda, do you want a treat?” Nate shouts from the doorway. I run from the back fence to the door. 

“Good girl, Zelda,” Nate says. I already know what’s coming, so I sit and wait patiently. 

“Good sit, Zelda. Okay, Zelda. Shake.” I quickly raise my right paw to Nate. He shakes it and then bends over and gives me a treat. 

It’s a Milk-Bone! 

I haven’t seen one of these in months! At the old house, I used to get a Milk-Bone almost every day in the mail slot. I sat on the couch waiting for the mail lady. When she walked by the window, I knew it was time. She opened the slot and dropped the Milk-Bone along with some pieces of paper and envelope. When I heard the treat drop, I’d run to the closet and find it. Sometimes it landed on the floor; other times the bone was stuck in the slot. I’d use my paws to knock it out. Most days, I didn’t eat the Milk-Bone right away. Instead, I would find a place to hide it, like in my dog bed or under a blanket. When I was hungry the next day, I would retrieve the bone and enjoy its crunchy goodness. 

One day, the mail lady turned into a mailman and the Milk-Bones stopped appearing in the mail slot. I was depressed about it for weeks, but eventually I forgot all about the mail lady and the mail slot. Until now. 

Once again, I have a Milk-Bone. I grab it with my mouth and walk away. I look around the living room, searching for the perfect spot to hide it. I need to keep it safe until I need a late-night snack. 

With Hannah and Lucy in the living room, I decide it is a better idea to hide the bone upstairs. I walk upstairs into Lucy’s room. Her bed is a mess with blankets and pillows everywhere. 

Perfect.

I jump onto the bed and dig for the best hiding spot. With the blankets out of the way, I lay the Milk-Bone on the bed. I drag the blankets over it. I take a step back. I can smell the bone, but I can’t see it. That will do. 

I jump off the bed and run downstairs. I find a toy and play tug-of-war with Lucy. A few minutes later, I grow tired and cuddle up on the couch next to Hannah. I fall asleep. 

When I wake up, I am starving. I take a walk to the food bowl and have a few bites when I remember the Milk-Bone. I run upstairs to Lucy’s room. The lights are out; she is already asleep. I jump on the bed, careful not to wake her. I nuzzle my way under the covers toward the bottom of the bed where I left the Milk-Bone. I begin to suspect it is missing when I smell nothing. Sure enough, it’s gone. Disappointed and frustrated, I decide to go to bed. I curl up with Lucy and fall asleep. 

The next day I wake up recharged and refreshed. It’s not the first time I’ve lost a toy or bone. I’m sure I will get another one. I will have to find a better hiding spot for it. 

My day passes like many others. I go for a walk in the neighborhood and a romp in the backyard with Lucy and Ben. When I come inside, Lucy walks to the treat cabinet. 

“Do you want a treat, Zelda?” she asks. I wait patiently as she pulls a Milk-Bone out of a box and hands it to me. 

“Here you go,” she says. I grab it and run to the living room. Today, the living room is empty and perfect for milk-bone hiding. I bury it in the blanket on the couch. When I finish burying it, Lucy is staring at me. I ignore her stares and find a blue Nylabone to chew. 

The evening passes by like most other days. I go for a walk with Ben and play with Nate. They eat dinner at the table while Ben passes little bits under the table to me. When Lucy disappears upstairs, I know it’s time for bed. But first I want to check on my Milk-Bone. I hop onto the couch and move the blanket aside. 

The Milk-Bone is gone again! 

This time I investigate further. I check in the crevices of the couch and under the pillows. I find nothing. Dejected, I wander upstairs to bed and fall asleep with Lucy. 

The next day, I am determined to find the culprit behind the Milk-Bone disappearances. I wait patiently all day until Hannah gives me one in the afternoon. I hide it in the blanket on the couch and find a perfect lookout spot across the room on the chair. I lie down and wait. 

When I wake up, Lucy and Ben are home from school. I really want to greet them with a lick and maybe a sneeze, but I stay put. I don’t want to take my eyes off the Milk-Bone. 

“Hey Mom, is Zelda feeling okay?” Ben asks. He walks over and pets my head.

“I think so, why?” Hannah responds.

“She didn’t greet us when we walked in. She just stayed on the chair,” Ben says. 

“That is a little strange,” she says. “Let’s keep our eye on her today.” Lucy walks over and sits next to me.

“I’m sorry you aren’t feeling good,” she whispers. My plan is already being foiled. They think I am sick and won’t take their eyes off me. How am I supposed to find the Milk-Bone thief? Lucy and Ben wander away from me into the kitchen. 

“Can I give Zelda a treat to make her feel better?” Lucy asks. I perk up.

“No, honey, that might make her feel worse. Let’s wait and see. If she seems fine later, you can give her a treat,” Hannah says. 

Oh geez. Now I’ve lost an opportunity for a treat.

I maintain my lookout on the chair, trying to come up with a new plan. As I brainstorm, Lucy returns from the kitchen and sits on the couch, right on top of the Milk-Bone hiding spot. 

“What is this?” she asks. She digs through the blanket and recovers the Milk-Bone. 

“A Milk-Bone! Zelda, do you want it?” I remain motionless, not sure what to do. 

“How about I put it in your bed for safekeeping?” Lucy says. I nod. The bed is across from the couch, still in view from my spot. I watch Lucy walk to my dog bed. Instead of placing it on top of the bed, she hides it under the pillow. 

“There you go, Z Bug. It’s safe with the others,” she says. 

Wait a minute. With the others?

I break my stakeout and dash to the dog bed. I rip the cushion off the bed and toss it across the room. Staring at me are three delicious, untouched Milk-Bones. I turn and look at a smiling Lucy, the Milk-Bone thief. I should have known. Lucy is the other mischievous one in the house. I grab one and gobble it up. When I finish eating, the room is empty. Lucy is in the kitchen. I grab the cushion and drag it over top of the two remaining Milk-Bones. Lucy will think I moved the bones or ate them. They are safe here. At least I hope they are safe.