A Pup Named Chaos - a very short story.

Yesterday, Chase stole Dad's car key and raced around the house with it. | By the time Sam caught him, Dad had missed his morning train.|

"You better train that puppy, Sam. | I will sell him to a farm," Dad threatened.

Mom said Dad wasn't serious about selling Chase, but Sam was taking no chances. | He had a plan.

When the morning alarm rang, Sam sprang from his bed, opened the door, let the dog inside, and closed the door again. | Now Chase was safe inside his bedroom and Sam would keep him there until Dad was gone.

"Sam. I brought some dog bones for Chase," said Mom, rattling the door knob.|

"Great idea," answered Sam. | He opened the door just a crack, but the puppy squeezed through. | Chase half ran, half rolled down the stairs with Sam in hot pursuit.

The puppy ran straight to Dad, who was fixing his hair in front of the hall mirror. | Chase jumped up and grabbed the hair gel from the chair. | Gel squeezed out of the tube and onto the hall carpet.

"Chase, sit!" Sam held out a dog bone. | Chase dropped the gel and sat down. |

"Good boy!" | Sam gave the dog a bone. | He quickly grabbed the hair gel and placed it out of reach on the hall bureau beside Dad's cell phone.

"Did you see him sit, Dad?" |

"It's a good start, Sam." | Dad kissed Mom goodbye. He grabbed his cell phone and hurried to the door. | As soon as it opened, Chase dropped the bone and ran through!

"Whoa," Dad smiled. | "More work to do, Sam." |

"Quick, Sam. | You'll miss the bus," said Mom.

Sam pulled a jacket over his pajamas and ran outside just in time to see Chase squeeze under the hedge. |

"Oh no," moaned Sam. | "Not Mrs. Cobley's yard. | If he digs another hole in her garden, Sam will have to fix it!"

Sam chased the puppy around Mrs. Cobley's house three times, wondering when the pup would tire. | Suddenly Mrs. Cobley's cat appeared in the front yard. Chase stopped. | He wagged his tail, but the cat arched her back. | Sam seized the moment (and the puppy)!

Sam started back home with Chase held tightly in his arms. | Amber, and her friends stood gabbing at the bus stop. | The girls smiled at the puppy. | Sam remembered he was still in his pajamas. | He blushed. His glasses fogged.

Sam hurried inside his house. | Chase squirmed out of his arms and darted under the hall table.|

"Better hurry Sam," said Mom. | "The bus is coming."

Sam ran upstairs to dress. | If he missed the bus, he would have to ride his bike to school like a madman. | "Oh well," thought Sam. | "I wanted a puppy, and Chase is worth a little chaos."

Related Exercises:
| see

Learn and practice verb tenses, adjectives, and adverbs.
Read and write postcards: My new puppy.
Play a text adventure game: My Dog Chaos.
Read and write letters: My new dog Chase!; Sorry about your garden.