Barnaby was a little puppy with very big ears and a very wiggly tail. He loved playing in the garden with his best friend, Lily. But sometimes, Barnaby felt a little bit scared. Especially when the wind rustled the leaves in the big oak tree!
One evening, as the sun began to set, Barnaby and Lily were playing hide-and-seek. Barnaby ran to hide behind a bush, but it was a new bush, and it smelled funny! He peeked out, and everything looked…different. The shadows were long, and the garden seemed much bigger.
Barnaby started to tremble. “Woof?” he whimpered, but Lily didn’t answer. He was all alone! He wanted to be brave, but his paws felt wobbly. He remembered what his mama always said: “It’s okay to be scared, Barnaby, but it’s important to ask for help.”
Taking a deep breath, Barnaby barked, “Woof! Lily? Where are you?” He barked again, louder this time. “Woof! Woof!”
Suddenly, he heard a giggle. “Barnaby! You’re a silly puppy! I’m right here!” Lily popped out from behind the rose bushes, laughing. “I was hiding *really* well!”
Barnaby wagged his tail so hard his whole body wiggled. He ran to Lily and gave her a big puppy hug. “I was a little scared,” he confessed. “The garden looked different, and I couldn’t find you.”
Lily smiled. “It’s okay to be scared sometimes, Barnaby. That’s why we’re friends! We can be brave together.” She took Barnaby’s paw, and they walked back towards the house, hand-in-paw.
As they walked, Barnaby realized that even though the garden *did* look different in the evening light, it wasn’t scary at all when he wasn’t alone. And he knew, with Lily by his side, he could be brave enough for anything.
They snuggled close, watching the stars begin to twinkle. Barnaby yawned a big puppy yawn. Being brave was tiring work! He closed his eyes, feeling safe and loved, and drifted off to sleep, dreaming of more adventures with his best friend.