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Ned’s New Year’s Resolution

Bedtime Story #5 of 12

By Dylyce P. Clarke January 12, 2017

Ned’s New Year’s Resolution

Bedtime Story #5 of 12

by Dylyce P. Clarke

“Meow!”

Cindy Nelson turned from washing dishes at the unexpected sound. “Oh my,” she gasped. Her ten-year old son Ned held up a yowling grey kitten with a distinctive black patch over one eye. His clothes were dirty and the kitten dripped muddy water on the clean floor.

“Can I keep it,” Ned pleaded. “I found it in a puddle by the park.”

Cindy’s heart melted at the hopeful look in Ned’s eyes. She knelt and reached out to stroke the squirming kitten. “I’m sorry, honey. A pet needs a lot of attention and costs money to feed and take care of. I can’t afford it right now. It wouldn’t be fair to get your hopes up only to give it away later. We’ll have to take it to a shelter. Still, let’s make it comfortable for tonight.”

Cindy lined a box with newspaper and placed a dish of milk inside. With a sigh Ned set the kitten down. It began lapping the milk right away. “I guess it was hungry,” he said with downcast eyes.

That night they set off New Year’s fireworks and counted down to midnight. The next day after New Year’s was Saturday when they’d have to give the kitten away. While fixing him strawberry waffles for breakfast Cindy wondered, How can I make the parting easier for Ned? Then she had a bright idea. “Honey, how would you like us to make a New Year’s resolution?”

“What’s a resolution?”

“That’s where we promise to make ours or someone else’s life better. Why don’t we promise that when we take the kitten to the shelter, we’ll help them find a good home for it?” Ned only nodded his head.

At the shelter Ned handed the kitten to a worker, Alice. He’d hugged it the whole time in the car. Cindy learned from Alice that she and Ned could help by being pet detectives. That meant reading missing pet ads and seeing if anyone turned in animals matching a description. Or they could be escorts, taking people into the shelter to see if their pet was there.

Just then the bell over the door sounded and a couple entered. “Can you help us?” the woman asked. “Our kitten got out of the house on New Year’s Eve. We had a lot of company that day. Has anyone found her?”

Alice turned to Ned. “Ned, why don’t we escort this lady back to look for her missing pet?” She led everyone into the kennel area.

Within moments the woman squealed, “There she is! There’s our Patches!” Alice opened the door and handed the kitten over.

Ned yelled. “That’s the kitten I found! Wow, lady. I found your pet.”

“Thank you, young man,” the woman said. “It was good of you to bring her in.”

After the couple left Ned said with a grin, “Mom, I like this resolution. Can we do it again?”

“You bet,” Cindy replied.