The Orange Thread Between Them

Mina the mole pup sat beside the burrow window with two pieces of soft cloth. Her friend Pip was making paper tickets for their puppet show. Mama mended a cushion nearby. Between Mina's paws stood a wooden spool of orange thread. “Sewing is easy,” Mina said. “I'll finish our puppet before you finish those tickets.”

But the needle kept missing the place Mina wanted. A loop caught another loop, and soon a tight knot puckered the puppet's middle. Mina pulled harder. The knot shrank into a hard orange bead. Heat crept beneath her fur. She was embarrassed, and her stomach squeezed. I said it was easy, she thought. What if Pip laughs when he sees this? She tucked the cloth beneath a scrap of felt.

“Finished?” Pip asked, holding up his last ticket. “Yes,” Mina said. “But you can't look yet. It's a surprise.” Pip's ears lifted. “Then I'll put the chairs out. I've made a ticket for Mama too.” He carried three little stools to the rug. Mina watched him arrange them in a careful row.