Nell: I need to talk to you now.
Me: Why? What’s happened?
Nell: You know Morning Snuggles with the children?
Me: Yes. It’s my favourite time of the day.
Nell: And you know you asked Poppy and I to do some puzzling with Faye and Jonathan?
Me: Yes. I thought you could have some special time with them as they are leaving tomorrow.
Nell: Well, I have to tell you that Faye is an extremely strong willed young baby.
Me: She is only 9 months old, Nell.
Nell: That’s as maybe, but she insisted on playing her way. She put a piece of the puzzle on my paw instead of on the board.
Me: I’m sure it was just by accident.
Nell: That’s where you are wrong. When I asked her to remove it, she silenced me with a wave of her hand.
Me: That was brave of her. Was Poppy playing?
Nell: Poppy was no help at all. She just turned over and went back to sleep.
Me: She was up early baking bread with Malcolm. I think Dave’s organising a picnic to the beach to lift spirits. Knitwear Wolf brought us all blankets.
Nell: He is such a kind and handsome wolf. Sometimes I think Myfanwy takes him for granted.
Me: Why?
Nell: Joyce was telling me that she orders him around.
Me: Joyce is a gossip.
Nell: She just enjoys a chat.
Me: Well, I don’t trust her. Gladys said she was snooping in Harriet’s notebook.
Nell: I’m sure there was a good reason. Anyway, I’m not puzzling with Faye again. It’s too risky. Fortunately Jonathan distracted her and I was able to move out of the danger zone.
Me: It was only a piece of puzzle, Nell.
Nell: It was on my paw.
Me: Yes. Sorry.
