The Lily-Pad Token
Coco thinks the tiny lily-pad token is only a pretty gift from the moonlit pond. Then it begins to float across the yard on the hottest day of the week and leads him to a dry birdbath, where a group of thirsty birds needs help fast.
A Hot Morning
The morning sun was already warm when Coco woke up on the porch.
Something cool tapped against his blue collar.
It was the little green lily-pad token Bloop had given him at the moonlit pond.
“You again,” Coco murmured.
The token gave a tiny shimmer.
Coco padded to the yard and looked around. The grass looked sleepy. The flowers drooped. Even the air felt slow.
Milo scrambled down the fence post. “Morning! It is far too hot for running, so of course I ran here.”
Coco lifted the token with one paw. “Do you think it means something?”
“Oh, absolutely,” Milo said. “Magical gifts never mean nothing.”
Just then the token swung away from Coco’s collar.
Then it floated right into the air.
Milo froze. “I love that,” he whispered.
“Come on,” Coco said. “Let’s follow it.”
The Dry Birdbath
The token drifted over the stepping stones, past the tomato pots, and straight to the old stone birdbath near the lilac bush.
Coco slowed down.
The birdbath was empty.
Ruby the robin stood on the rim with two sparrows beside her. A blue jay peered into the bowl and gave a sad little chirp.
“Coco!” Ruby called. “It’s dry.”
Coco put his paws on the stone edge and looked in. A dusty ring sat at the bottom where the water should have been.
“What happened?” he asked.
Ruby fluffed her feathers. “It was full yesterday. This morning it was low. Now there’s nothing left, and everyone came for a drink.”
One of the sparrows gave a tired peep. “The puddle by the gate is gone too.”
The blue jay drooped his wings. “The whole yard feels like toast.”
Milo made a face. “Toast is lovely. This is not.”
The token settled back against Coco’s collar.
“So this is why it brought me here,” Coco said softly.
Ruby tipped her head. “Can you help us?”
“I can try,” said Coco.
Looking for Clues
Coco sniffed around the base of the birdbath.
No puddles.
No wet dirt.
No crack in the stone.
“It didn’t leak,” he said.
He circled the birdbath again. The ground was covered with tiny bird tracks.
“A lot of birds stopped here today,” Coco said.
Ruby looked up at the bright sky. “More than usual. It’s been so hot.”
Coco glanced back at the empty bowl. “Then the water didn’t vanish in a strange way. It got used up because everyone was thirsty.”
Milo scratched his chin. “A weather mystery.”
“Still a real mystery,” Coco said, “and still a real problem.”
Ruby looked toward the house. “Daniel usually fills the birdbath, but he hasn’t come out yet.”
Coco followed her gaze. The kitchen window was open, but the yard was quiet.
He could not tell Daniel what was wrong.
He had to think of another way.
Too Small for the Hose
Milo puffed out his chest. “We could carry water in acorn caps.”
The blue jay stared at him. “That would take forever.”
“Only a very long forever,” Milo said.
Coco looked at the garden hose by the porch and the tall watering can by the shed.
They were too big.
For one moment, his ears drooped.
He was brave for his size.
But he was still very small.
Then Hazel glided down from the oak tree and landed beside the lilac bush.
“A small helper is still a helper,” she said.
Coco hurried over. “Hazel, the birdbath is dry, and Daniel hasn’t noticed.”
Hazel studied the yard. “Then do not look for a giant answer. Look for a clever nudge.”
Milo’s tail popped up. “Clever nudge! That sounds exactly like a Coco job.”
Waiting and Watching
Coco sat in the shade and thought.
Daniel usually came outside when he remembered the tomato plants.
The tomato plants were starting to droop.
Coco’s tail gave one hopeful swish.
“The tomatoes,” he said.
Hazel’s eyes turned kind. “Go on.”
“If Daniel comes out to water them, he’ll see the birdbath too.”
Ruby fluttered down beside him. “Can you get him out here sooner?”
Before Coco could answer, he heard Daniel’s voice through the open kitchen window.
“I should water the tomatoes after lunch,” Daniel said from inside.
After lunch?
Ruby let out a weak chirp.
That was too long to wait.
Coco’s Nudge
Coco dashed to the porch and grabbed Daniel’s little gardening glove in his teeth.
He dragged it to the back door and dropped it right in front.
Then he raced to the watering can by the shed and shoved it with all his might.
Clunk.
He shoved again.
Clunk-clunk.
Footsteps turned inside the house.
“Coco?” Daniel called.
Coco barked once and stood beside the glove.
The back door opened.
Daniel saw the glove. He saw the tipped watering can. Then he looked toward the droopy tomatoes.
“Oh! Right,” he said. “I forgot to water everything.”
Coco’s ears lifted.
Daniel filled the watering can and headed into the yard. Coco trotted after him as if he had nothing at all to do with this idea.
First Daniel watered the tomatoes.
Then the basil.
Then the marigolds.
At last he turned and saw the empty birdbath.
“Oh no,” he said. “The poor birds.”
He carried the hose to the stone bowl and filled it until cool water shimmered in the sun.
The episode mystery was solved at last.
Ruby swooped down first for a long drink. The sparrows fluttered in after her. The blue jay dipped his beak and gave a much happier chirp.
The yard sounded lively again.
The Next Clue
Daniel scratched Coco behind the ears. “Good job, buddy. You really did remind me.”
Coco wagged but kept the real secret to himself.
Hazel watched from the branch above. “A clever nudge,” she said.
“And no acorn-cap water buckets,” Milo added. “Very wise.”
Ruby bowed her head. “Thank you, Coco. We were getting worried.”
Coco touched the lily-pad token with one paw. It felt warm, almost proud.
“It brought me here because someone needed help,” he said. “Maybe that’s why the magical places keep finding me.”
Hazel’s moon charm glinted. “That is a good thought to keep.”
That night, when the stars came out, Coco curled up on the porch.
A breeze slipped in from beyond the fence.
His blue collar began to glow on one side.
The wind came again.
The collar glowed again.
Coco sat up. “East,” he whispered. “The next clue is coming from the east.”
Follow-Up Questions
- Why did the birdbath become empty on such a hot day?
- How did Coco help Daniel notice the dry birdbath?
- What do you think the east wind clue will lead Coco to next?