Dot, Beru, and the Case of the Borrowing Squirrel

On a bright, sunny morning, Dot adjusted her favorite detective hat. It was a little big and flopped over one eye, but she didn’t mind. She held her magnifying glass in one hand and looked down at the muddy ground. Beside her, Beru, her fluffy dog with floppy ears, wagged his tail so hard his whole body wiggled.

“Beru, look!” Dot pointed to a set of tiny paw prints in the dirt. “A mystery! Let’s follow the trail!”

Beru barked in agreement, his nose already sniffing the ground. The paw prints led across the yard and into the garden. Dot crouched down, examining them with her magnifying glass. “They’re small… too small to be yours, Beru. Who do you think left them?”

Beru woofed and bounced ahead, leading her to a bush. Sticking out of the branches was Dot’s toy rabbit, Floppy.

“Floppy! What are you doing here?” Dot gently pulled the rabbit free. “Hmm… our mystery friend must’ve dropped it.”

The paw prints didn’t stop there. They wove around the flower bed, where Dot’s blue slipper sat—half buried in soft dirt.

“My slipper!” Dot exclaimed. She picked it up and looked at Beru. “Who’s taking all our things?”

Beru tilted his head, then barked excitedly. The trail of paw prints led to the base of a tall oak tree. Dot squinted up and gasped.

High in the branches, a squirrel chattered happily. Around it were twigs, leaves, and little treasures—Floppy’s other ear, Dot’s slipper, and even a shiny button from Dad’s jacket.

“Oh, you’ve been borrowing things for your nest!” Dot laughed.

Beru wagged his tail, and Dot smiled. “We’ll help you out, but we have to put these things back first, okay?”

Together, Dot and Beru returned the borrowed treasures to their proper places. The squirrel watched them from above, squeaking cheerfully.

“Good teamwork, Beru!” Dot said, giving him a hug.

Beru barked proudly, ready for their next adventure.