Marlee Teaches Stashia How To Hunt For Treasure

Marlee was excited to visit her Grandma B. It had been awhile because she had been visiting her other grandma. Plus, it seemed like she had been so busy! She had been swimming, playing with the hose, and riding her new big wheel! Whew! She was glad to go out to the farm and relax. She especially wanted to visit with her good friend, Stashia, Grandma B's dog. But the minute that Marlee walked in the house she realized that something was wrong. Stashia did not come out to the porch to greet her. She was not wagging her tail with happiness. In fact, Marlee found her laying on Grandma B's bed in the middle of the day. This was not normal and Marlee was worried.

Since Marlee and Stashia could talk to each other without the humans knowing about it, Marlee asked Stashia what was wrong.
"Stashia, what is going on out here on the Mini Farm, you don't act like you are happy to see me."
Stashia wearily told Marlee that big machines were out at the farm. The men were destroying all the good hiding places that she had buried bones in for years. She probably wouldn't have a single bone left to her name in case of an emergency.
Marlee could not have her good friend be sad. So she decided that she would help Stashia hunt for treasure. She knew just how to do it. She said, "Stashia, come on, let's go outside. I want to show an old dog new tricks." Stashia made a low noise in her throat. She didn't particularly like being called old. Marlee had pushed the right button and Stashia followed Marlee outside.
Marlee said, "Now Stashia, you have to think out of the box for treasures like I do. You wouldn't believe how many treasures I find out here. You just look for old dirty bones. You need to look for a different kind of treasure."
As Marlee and Stashia were walking outside looking at all the destruction that the men and the machines had made of Grandma B's yard, Stashia took off like a flash! "Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, they have completely destroyed my bone hiding places, Marlee. What am I going to do now? I have nothing left to my name for a cold winter day."
Marlee thought and thought about all the shiny beads, and coins, and bucket full of all kinds of good stuff that was on B's porch. She looked down and found a strange looking thing. It was all furry and brown and black."Oh, Stashia, look I found a treasure and I wasn't even looking. I was trying to help you and I found a treasure that I'm going to put in my pocket and show Grandma B."
Little did Marlee know that Grandma B probably was not going to be pleased.
Marlee decided to tell Stashia that she was not going to go without treats because Grandma B always had treats for Stashia. When she told Stashia, Stashia was not impressed and told Marlee it was not the same; she liked a good old dirty bone every once in awhile.
Marlee and Stashia continued to walk and search for treasures and quietly talk about their lives when they were apart. It seemed to Stashia that Marlee had it made. Her life had not been torn apart by machines destroying her life.
When Marlee stayed at "B's" house she always had left her clothes there for Grandma B to wash. When she and B went out to lunch or shopping she always had clean clothes to wear. When it was her sleep time, she jumped into her clean jammies and went to sleep.

Grandma B always cleaned up after Marlee when she napped and at night before she went to bed. She automatically picked up Marlee's dirty clothes. She always checked Marlee's pockets for left behind treasures. All of a sudden Stashia heard a terrible scream. She jumped off the bed and went running to the laundry room. Oops, Marlee had forgotten her "bug treasure" in her shorts pocket. Ooh, ooh, Grandma B was not a happy camper. There she stood with a smooshed bug in her hand.
Stashia considered the smooshed bug and her lost bones and thought herself lucky because she was not going to get in trouble this time! She would have Marlee's back though, because they were friends.