Something moved across the grass. Benjamin wondered if it was a squirrel.
No, squirrels have bushy tails.
Was it a mouse? It was too furry.
Was it a chipmunk? No, chipmunks have stripes.
Benjamin saw brown, white, and black fur. What was it?
Mommy opened the back door. "Time to go to school!"
The furry animal ran under the porch.
Later that day, Benjamin put a carrot beside the porch. Soon, he saw a furry face and four tiny feet.
The animal gobbled the carrot.
Every afternoon, Benjamin put food beside the porch. The little animal ran out to eat. After several days, it let Benjamin pet its back, and it sat in Benjamin’s lap.
"You’re so soft," Benjamin said. "I'll call you Silky."
Mommy and Daddy had said Benjamin was too young to have a pet, so Silky was Benjamin’s secret friend.
One evening it rained. Benjamin worried. Was Silky safe and dry? Benjamin went to check.
Silky's fur was damp. Benjamin dried Silky with a towel and placed her in a shoe box in his bedroom.
"Benjamin!" Mommy called. "Please come to dinner."
At the table, Benjamin pushed his food with his fork. "Can I be excused?"
"Are you sick?" Mommy asked.
Benjamin opened his mouth to tell the truth. He heard a squealing sound. Silky stood in the doorway.
"What is that?" Mommy cried.
Silky ran down the hall to Benjamin’s bedroom. Benjamin, Mommy, and Daddy ran after her.
"It's a guinea pig," Daddy said. "I bet it came from our neighbor's house. They raise guinea pigs to sell to pet stores."
"A pig?" Benjamin asked. “Is Silky a baby pig? Will she lose her fur and turn pink?”
Mommy smiled. "It's a funny name. They're not pigs."
Daddy looked at Benjamin. "Do you have something to tell us?"
Benjamin put Silky in his lap. "I'm sorry I kept a secret."
"We can talk to the neighbors," Daddy said. "Maybe they will sell us this guinea pig.”
"Am I old enough?”
"You took good care of Silky,” Mommy said. “That shows you are.”
Benjamin hugged Silky and put her in the shoe box. A little while later, he came back with a carrot.
CHOMP! CHOMP!
~The End~