Pandora Puppy s Caring Circle Elizabeth L Hamilton Character-in-Action an imprint of Quiet Impact Inc
CHARACTER CRITTER SERIES Pandora Puppy s Caring Circle Copyright 2004 by Elizabeth L Hamilton First printing 2004 Second printing 2004 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided by USA copyright law. Cover design Elizabeth L Hamilton Printed in the United States of America ISBN 0-9754629-0-3 Character-in-Action books are an imprint of the publisher, Quiet Impact Inc. http://www.character-in-action.com
1 For such a tiny animal, Pandora Puppy was very busy. She woke up early every day, yawning as the sun came up in the east. She stayed awake until late in the day, yawning as the sun went down in the west. And all through the day, from sunup to sundown, Pandora was busy. Pandora, said Mother Dog, is a busy puppy, but I am worried about her. She shows no interest in the other puppies and she does not care about their feelings. Pandora, said Father Dog, is a busy puppy, but I am worried about her, too. She does not help the other puppies and she does not try to protect them from getting hurt.
2 Older Brother Puppy added, Pandora is not at all caring. Pandora did not hear them, of course. She was busy. She was busy running across the beach. She was busy chasing the birds. She was busy dancing in the waves. She even put her black nose near a tiny crab and stared at its ten red legs. She jumped back when the crab reached out to pinch her. Hey! Pandora yipped. Play fair. The crab did not answer, and soon the little puppy was running again. Across the sand she ran. Up over a hill she ran. Right to her home ran Pandora.
3 I m hungry, she said. Her soft black ears bounced against her brown and white face. Her little black tail wagged right to its tiny white tip. It is not time for lunch, said Mother Dog. You must wait. Sit, and we will talk while you wait. Pandora jumped onto her soft cushion of green-blue and sat. She gave a big yawn. Then she said, What shall we talk about? I think we should talk about caring, said Mother Dog. I want to teach you a big, wonderful word compassion. She said the word in three parts: com pas sion.
4 Pandora Puppy made her brown eyes big and round. That is a big word, she said. What does it mean? Compassion, said Mother Dog, is: knowing what makes others feel bad, feeling the same as they feel, and doing something to help them, even when nobody is watching. Compassion is caring about others. It is letting the things that touch others touch you, too. A crab almost touched me on the beach, said Pandora.
5 Mother laughed. A crab would only touch you on the outside, silly puppy. I mean things that touch you on the inside. What kinds of things are those? The three color puppy scratched her ear. Things that touch on the inside touch your feelings like others being unfair. The crab was unfair to me, said the puppy. Oops! I interrupted. I m sorry. There, said Mother Dog. You gave me compassion just now. You knew I felt sad when you interrupted. You said you were sorry. That showed that you care for me.
6 Does every puppy but me know about caring? asked Pandora. I m afraid not, said Mother, but I have an idea. You can start a caring circle. Oh, goodie! A caring circle! What fun! I like caring circles! Pandora jumped from her cushion and began to chase her tail. Round and round she ran. Suddenly she stopped. What is a caring circle, Mother? A caring circle is a group of friends that show interest in one another. Mother had been lying down, but now she sat up. It is very easy to start a caring circle, she said. How do I do it? Pandora Puppy asked.
7 First, said Mother Dog, we will make a list of those to include in your caring circle. Of course, the circle will grow, but we will start with just a few. Who will they be? Oh, put Dash on the list. I like his black and white spots. I like to see him run, too. He runs ever so fast. Pandora scratched her itchy ear again. I like Chien, too especially her tail. It would be fun to chase a tail like hers. The furry little ball on the end bounces. One by one, Pandora added names to her caring circle. There was Ping Pong, the brown and white puppy who got into even
8 more mischief than Pandora did. Then there were Ally McBeagle, Atticus Terrier, Lassie Collie, Bonnie Scottie, and Biscuit O Cocker. Add Bologna, too, said Pandora. You mean that little brown wiener dog with the big ears? asked Mother. Yes. He needs caring. Pandora jumped at a butterfly, and watched it fly away. All right, said Mother. Now we will eat lunch. Then you can begin caring. Pandora ran to her bright red dish. Mother put a big round meat ball in the dish. Beside it, she put two bright green sprigs of broccoli. Then she put a big puddle of creamy
9 white yogurt over the top. The puppy s pink tongue lapped hungrily at the soft yogurt. Her sharp white teeth crunched the broccoli. Then she gulped down the delicious fat meatball. Last of all, she hurried to her blue water dish and took a long slurp of cool water. That was good, said Pandora. Now. How do I start my caring circle? Do we have to sit in a circle to do it? It is not that kind of circle. Mother drew a ring on the ground. In the ring, she made ten dots. This is you, said Mother. She pointed to one dot. These other dots are your friends. All of you are inside one circle. Every one must care for the others in the circle.
10 Like Bologna. How can I care for little Bologna, Mother? First, said Mother, invite Bologna to be part of your caring circle. Tell him to come home with you. Then we will see how to care. Pandora grinned, and off she ran. Soon she found Bologna, but how sad. The long, brown wiener dog was sitting in a big puddle of tears. One after another, big tears rolled down his face and plopped in the puddle. His ears hung very low, and his face looked very pitiful. What happened, Bologna? Pandora got down on her tummy to look up into his
11 gloomy brown eyes. Are you hurt? Are you sick? Are you hungry? No. Bologna sighed a deep, sad sigh. Just like that, Pandora felt sad, too. You need compassion, said Pandora. What is compassion? Bologna asked. Compassion, said Pandora Puppy, is caring about others. It is letting the things that touch others touch you, too. Come with me, and we will get compassion. Slowly, the sad brown wiener dog got up on his short legs, and followed Pandora home. Slowly, he told Mother Dog that he was crying because no one would play with him.
12 My legs are so short that I cannot run as fast as the others. So they will not let me play with them, he said. You can play with me, said Pandora. We can run on the beach together, and it won t matter whether you run fast or not. She turned to Mother Dog. How can I show caring to Bologna, Mother? You just did, said Mother Dog. He was touched by sad feelings of being left out. You were touched by the same feelings. You helped him in his sad time. That is compassion. Pandora was so happy that she ran down the beach with Bologna. Soon he was
13 happy, too. I like you, Pandora, he said to the busy little puppy. Come with me. We will go and see Dash, said Pandora. Off they ran together, Bologna s small legs working very hard. When they found Dash, he was running in circles. His little red hat nearly fell off of his head his black and white spots shook with disappointment. Just like that, Pandora felt let down, too. You need compassion, she said. At least, I think you do. I m not sure. What is compassion? asked Dash.
14 Compassion, said Pandora Puppy, is caring about others. It is letting the things that touch others touch you, too. Come with me, and we will get compassion. Let s go! Dash flew down the beach with Pandora right behind him. Bologna tried to make his short legs go very fast. Still, he could just come in third, but that was okay. Dash already was talking when Bologna reached Pandora s home. I feel let down, he said, because I had a glorious experience, and no one will listen to me tell about it. I will listen, said Pandora Puppy, but first I must ask mother something. She
15 turned to Mother. How can I show caring to Dash, Mother? You just did, said Mother. He was touched by feelings of being let down because no one would listen. You were touched by the same feelings. You helped him in his time of disappointment. That is compassion. Pandora shook her little head. But Mother, she said. Dash was not sad. I thought caring was only for sad feelings. Caring is for sad feelings and let down feelings, said Mother. Caring puppies show an interest in others when they are sad or let down. Caring puppies listen to each other.
16 Pandora was so happy that she barked with joy. Then she, Mother, and Bologna all three listened to Dash tell about his glorious experience. He had raced through the town on a shiny red fire engine, and had watched the fire fighters put out a fire. He had worn his bright red hat. Dash was very happy to tell his story at last. I like you, Pandora, he said to the busy little puppy. Come with me. We will go and see Ping Pong, said Pandora. Off they ran together Bologna s small legs working very hard Dash racing so that
17 his black and white spots became a blur Pandora Puppy panting along between them. When they found Ping Pong, she was hanging from the clothesline. Someone had tucked the puppy into a pair of blue shorts, and there she hung. The wind blew her back and forth back and forth. It looked as though she might fall at any moment. Her little pink tongue hung out, and she cried. Her tiny paws shook with fear. Just like that, Pandora felt afraid, too. You need compassion, she said. At least, I think you do. I m not sure. What is compassion? sobbed Ping Pong.
18 Compassion, said Pandora Puppy, is caring about others. It is letting the things that touch others touch you, too. Come with me, and we will get compassion. But I can t get down, said Ping Pong. Oh, poor Ping Pong, said Pandora. Dash, run and get my mother. Bologna and I will stay here with Ping Pong and guard her. Away flew Dash. In only a few minutes, he was back with Mother Dog. Ping Pong still hung in the blue shorts. She still felt afraid. Mother, said Pandora Puppy, how can I show caring to Ping Pong?
19 You just did, said Mother Dog. She was touched by fearful feelings, but no one would make her safe. You were touched by the same feelings. You helped her in her time of being afraid. That is compassion. Pandora shook her little head. But Mother, she said. Ping Pong was not sad, and she was not let down. I thought caring was for sad feelings and let down feelings. Caring is for sad and disappointed and fearful feelings, said Mother. Caring puppies show an interest in others when they are sad or let down or fearful. Caring puppies protect others, and help them when they are afraid. Mother barked for the lady in the big
20 house, who came out and took Ping Pong out of the blue shorts. She set the little dog on the ground, and Ping Pong shook all over. The other puppies danced. I like you, Pandora, Ping Pong told the busy puppy. Come with me. We will go and see Bonnie Scottie, said Pandora. They found Bonnie Scottie sitting all by herself. Her pretty white coat was gray and dirty. Bonnie looked lonely, as though she had not a friend in the world. Just like that, Pandora felt lonely, too. You need compassion, she said. At least, I think you do. I m not sure.
21 What is compassion? asked Bonnie Scottie. She did not even look at them. Compassion, said Pandora Puppy, is caring about others. It is letting the things that touch others touch you, too. Come with me, and we will get compassion. All of the puppies hurried to Pandora s home. There, Bonnie Scottie softly told Mother Dog, I m lonely. No one will share their toys with me. I will share my red sneaker with you, said Pandora Puppy, but first I must ask mother something. She turned to Mother. How can I show caring to Bonnie, Mother?
22 You just did, said Mother Dog. She was touched by lonely feelings because no one would share with her. You were touched by the same feelings. You helped her in her lonely time. That is compassion. Pandora shook her little head. But Mother, she said. Bonnie was not sad, and she was not disappointed, and she was not afraid. I thought caring was for sad feelings, disappointed feelings, and fearful feelings. Caring is for sad and disappointed and fearful and lonely feelings, said Mother. Caring puppies show an interest in others when they are sad or disappointed or fearful or lonely. Caring puppies share with others.
23 I like you, Pandora, Bonnie Scottie said to the busy little puppy. We should share with Chien, the French puppy, said Pandora. We should invite her to a party and share food. What a grand idea, agreed the other puppies. What shall we serve? Hot dogs, said Bologna. Smoked haddock, Bonnie Scottie said. Frog legs, yipped little Ping Pong. Meatballs and spaghetti taste best, said Pandora. If Chien invited me to a party,
24 I would want meatballs and spaghetti. And mother says you should treat others the way you want to be treated. So we should treat Chien with meatballs and spaghetti. Isn t that right, Mother? Mother stretched on the grass and slowly licked one paw. Then she said, If you want to show caring to Chien, you will treat her the way you want to be treated. That does not mean your favorite food, though. It means Chien s favorite food snails. Snails! The other puppies wriggled. Will snails show caring to Chien? asked Pandora Puppy.
25 Mother Dog laughed. Yes, she said. Caring puppies show an interest in others when they serve another puppy s favorite food instead of their own. Caring puppies use good manners when they eat, too. All right. Snails it is, said Pandora. What else can we do at the party, Mother? I think you should invite all of your caring circle. You should eat, play games, and sing, said Mother Dog. Sing what? asked the puppies. Let s write a song about compassion, said Mother. You can sing it at your party.
26 You all know the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, don t you? The puppies all knew that tune, and they helped Mother Dog write a verse. When they were done, this is what they had. Caring puppies show concern. That is what good puppies learn. If a sadness touches you, They will feel the sad touch, too. Then they ll help your sadness go, Leave you happy, head to toe. We need another verse, said Pandora. The puppies all agreed, and soon they had this second verse.
27 Caring puppies show concern. That is what good puppies learn. If a letdown touches you, They will feel the letdown, too. They will listen as you speak, Making not the smallest squeak. More, said Ping Pong, bouncing up and down. So the puppies worked together to write another verse. Caring puppies show concern. That is what good puppies learn. Any feeling touching you, Touches caring puppies, too. They ll protect you and they ll share, That is how you ll know they care.
28 When the puppies wanted to write more verses, Mother Dog told them, You can make that one of your games at the party. See how many good verses you can add to the song. She bit a flea that was on Pandora s soft black ear. Now, she said, run and invite all of your friends while I get some snails. Away the puppies ran. Ping Pong bounced away to the north end of town with Bonnie Scottie. Dash zoomed to the south end of town. Pandora raced off to the east side of town. But they left the closest the west side of town for Bologna s short, small legs. By dinner time, a crowd of puppies had gathered on the beach. What a crowd it was!
29 Dash invited Agro, a pushy little black and white dog, who brought his small beach ball to the party. Bonnie Scottie brought Biscuit O Cocker, who brushed her silky blond hair for the party and brought her best smile. Tiny Ping Pong got Lassie Collie to come, and felt very safe with such a big dog beside her. Pandora invited Bashful, who was big, black and white, but very shy. Then she found a band of four big dogs. They could help with the music, she thought. So, although she did not know them, she invited them, too.
30 Bologna brought Atticus Terrier, Scruffy Browndog, Chien, and Ally McBeagle. When everyone arrived, Pandora told them about her caring circle. Every one of them wanted to be a part of it, and she made them all members. Mother served the snails, which were not at all bad. Then they raced on the beach, played games, and sang their song about caring. When the sun began swimming in the waves, the puppies went home, and Pandora sat alone on the beach. She yawned, yawned again, and said to a nearby bird, You know what? Compassion is a good thing. Then the busy little Pandora Puppy went home to bed.