Sandy Dog knew he had hidden that bone in the barn yesterday. He could remember it like it happened 10 minutes ago. He had carried it into the barn, dropped it behind the bin that held oats, and pushed hay into that corner. It was his special "Thank goodness, it's Friday" treat.

 The dog sniffed behind the bin for the 10th time and stuck his nose so far back, he almost got stuck. Backing out, the dog looked around to see if anyone had a good view of this area from their stall and looked directly at Shadow Horse, looking back at him. Surely, Shadow Horse would know something.

 "Shadow Horse, did you see me hiding a bone yesterday behind that bin?" asked Sandy Dog.

 "Yes, I did," replied Shadow Horse, while he munched on hay.

 "Was it on the left side of the bin covered in hay?" Sandy Dog asked to check location.

 "Yes, it was," replied the horse, shaking his head up and down.

 "Did you see anyone take that bone from that spot?" asked the dog, getting so excited he held his breath for the answer.

 "Yes, I did," said the horse, flicking a fly off his leg with his tail.

 "Do you know who it was?" asked Sandy Dog hopefully.

 "Yes, I do!" answered the horse, blinking his eyes.

 "Will you tell me?" asked Sandy Dog, who couldn't believe that finding the culprit would be so easy.

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 "Yes, I will," answered Shadow Horse. "It was a mouse."

 "A mouse?" asked the dog knowing there were lots of those in this barn.

 "Yes," said the horse and he lay down on fresh hay for his afternoon nap.

 As the barn was full of mice, Sandy Dog was presented with a difficult problem. Which one or where to look came immediately to mind. The dog stood there scratching his head until a sight caught his eye in the corner.

 There was a gathered group of mice. In the centre was a mouse using his bone as a barbell. The mouse lifted the bone above his head while his little legs trembled with the weight. When the mouse's arms were straight up over his head balancing the bone, the group cheered and clapped.

 "What are you doing?" asked the dog to the mouse.

 "He is training for Olympic weightlifting. He found this bone yesterday and by lifting it, he beats the record set by a mouse on the next farm," answered an older mouse at the back.

 "How can he lift that with being so little?" asked the dog amazed.

 "He takes vitamin C every day," answered a girl mouse, who clearly was a fan.

 "That's amazing!" said the dog, watching the mouse taking deep leg lunges and doing sit-ups.

 "I suppose you want your bone back?" asked the older mouse.

 "No, let him practice and then return it to the same spot. It will be really special when I get it," answered the dog.

 Question about the story: What was the mouse using the bone for?

 Winner: S. Knox of Liverpool received a prize for sending in the answer to Storytime.

 Send answers to Storytime, c/o Verna Dunlop, PO Box 325, Sheet Harbour, NS B0J 3B0. Prizes will be sent to those sending in the answer.

posted on 01/18/12