A Dog Named Bella

On Saturday morning, Lily went to the park with a book. Near the gate, she saw a small brown dog. The dog sat and looked at the road. It did not run or play. It waited. Lily walked to it slowly and said, “Hello, little dog. Are you lost?” The dog looked at her with sad eyes.

Lily looked at the dog’s neck. There was a red collar and a small round tag. On the tag, Lily read a name: BELLA. But there was no phone number and no address. “Bella,” Lily said. “That is a beautiful name. Come with me. Let’s find your home.”

Lily took Bella to her house. She gave the dog water and some food. Bella drank the water quickly and ate happily. Then Bella slept on a soft blanket in the kitchen. Lily’s mother helped her make posters. They wrote: FOUND: SMALL BROWN DOG, NAME BELLA. They put the posters on trees near the park and in two shops.

On Sunday, Lily walked with Bella in the park. She asked people, “Do you know this dog?” Everybody said no. In the evening, Lily was a little sad. “Maybe nobody is looking for you,” she told Bella. Bella put her head on Lily’s shoe and closed her eyes.

On Monday morning, the telephone rang. A man’s voice said, “Hello, my name is Mr. Johnson. I saw your poster. I think Bella is my dog!” His voice was happy and nervous. “She ran out of the garden on Friday night. There were fireworks, and she was afraid of the noise.”

Mr. Johnson came to the house that afternoon. When Bella saw him, she jumped up and ran to the door. Her tail moved fast, and she made happy little sounds. Mr. Johnson knelt down and hugged her. “Thank you,” he said to Lily. “You are a kind girl. Please come and visit Bella any time.”

Now Lily visits Bella every Saturday. She takes her to the park, and Mr. Johnson makes lemonade for them. Bella has two homes full of love — and Lily has a new friend, with four legs and a happy tail.