WHEN MARIA PIA GOT A PELLE-NILLE

WHEN MARIA PIA GOT A PELLE-NILLE

         Maria Pia woke up very happy today. It was her sixth birthday. And she was going to get a puppy dog.
         Mother had asked her the other day, "What kind of puppy do you want?"
         "I would like a chocolate-brown puppy with long soft ears," Maria Pia answered.
         "Oh," said Mother, "you want a Pelle-Nille."
         "A Pelle-Nille!" laughed Maria Pia. "What kind of dog is that?”
         "It's a chocolate-brown dog with long soft ears," Mother said with a smile. “After breakfast, Daddy will drive us to Mr. Nilsson's farm.”
         "Who is Mr. Nilsson? What kind of farm does he have?” she asked, as milk dripped down her chin from a spoonful of cereal.
         "Don't talk with your mouth full of food, dear," Mother said.
         "I’m ready. Can we go now?" asked Maria Pia.
         “Soon,” Mother said.
         The road seemed awfully long to Maria Pia. "Are we there yet?" she asked.
         "Look! There’s Mr. Nilsson's farm," Mother said.
         "Where, I don't see a farm!" shouted Maria Pia.
         "It's straight ahead," Father said.
         "That's just an old red house," said Maria Pia.
An old man was standing by the red house. "Welcome," he said. His eyes peered at Maria Pia from under bushy, black eyebrows.
         "I'm Maria Pia. It’s my birthday today."
         "I know.  I've heard you want a Pelle-Nille," Mr. Nilsson said.
         Maria Pia giggled. "Yes. Can I hold the puppy?"
         "Yes, but first you must meet the puppy. If it likes you, and you like the puppy you get to hold it. Okay?" said Mr. Nilsson.
         "Okay," agreed Maria Pia.
         They followed Mr. Nilsson behind the red house where the barn was.  Next to the barn was the kennel where sounds of “Arf, Arf” and “Woof, Woof” could be heard.
         "Look! There's my puppy," said Maria Pia. She pointed to a chocolate-brown dog with long soft ears.
         "Oh," she whispered, "he likes me!" The puppy nuzzled and licked Maria Pia's hand, his short tail wagging.
         "I think the puppy likes you, too.  But the puppy is a she. Does it matter to you?" Mr. Nilsson asked.
         "Oh, no!" said Maria Pia. "Can I hold my puppy now?”
         Mr. Nilsson took the puppy from the kennel and put it in Maria Pia's arms. She held it gently, but tight.
         "My cheek feels cold and is getting wet," said Maria Pia happily, as the puppy's button nose sniffed and the purple tongue licked her face.
         "Are you sure you like this puppy?" asked Father. “Once we take her home you can’t return her.”
         "Oh, yes! I like her," Maria Pia said.  Then she saw more puppies. Two. No. Three? Four! More! Five and Six! All alike.  "Look!" she squealed, "look at them all. There are lots of them!"  The puppy squirmed out of Maria Pia’s arms.  She forgot all about the dog she had been holding when she saw all the other puppies.
After a few minutes, Mother said, "Maria Pia, where's the puppy you were holding?"
         Maria Pia looked down. Where was the puppy? She was nowhere. "I don't know," she said, looking scared.
         "Well, young lady," said Father, "you better find her."
         "Here, puppy! Where are you puppy?" called Maria Pia.
         She came to the corral. “Here puppy! Come, puppy!" she kept calling.  She crawled under the fence when she heard barking.  Then she saw a wagging puppy tail.  The puppy was stuck behind a wall-board of the barn.  Maria Pia ran up behind the puppy and tried to lift the piece of wood.  "Oh, no! It's too hard. I can't do it," she cried out. "Please, puppy wait--don't move. I’ll help you."  The puppy whined and cried. Carefully, Maria Pia pulled on the wood panel--it moved just a little bit.  She pulled harder, her face turning red, and it gave way some more.  It was enough to put her toes underneath and hold it while her hand slipped under the puppy’s belly and pulled her out.  "I did it! My poor little puppy." Maria Pia hugged her. The puppy licked her whole face.
         "I can see that you like each other. Are you ready to take care of a puppy, now?" asked Mr. Nilsson.
         "Yes. I am," said Maria Pia.  "I saved her from under the piece of wood."
         "Well, that's true, but you did forget about her.  She wandered away-- then she got into trouble.  You have to be sure to keep your eyes on her.  A puppy is a lot of work.  Are you sure you’re ready?”
         "Yes, I am. I'm sorry I didn’t watch her better. I got so excited when I saw all those other puppies."
         "Let's go and tell your parents you found the puppy."
         "There you are," Mother said and gave both Maria Pia and the puppy a hug. "We didn't know where you went, and we became worried."
         "I saved the puppy from behind the wall by the barn," Maria Pia said. "I'm ready to take care of my own puppy."
         "Yes, she’s ready to handle a Pelle-Nille," said Mr. Nilsson, and wiggled his bushy black eyebrows.
         "What’s a Pelle-Nille?" Maria Pia asked.
         "When I was a young boy,” Mr. Nilsson said, “my father gave me a chocolate-brown puppy with long soft ears. When I was asked what I wanted to name the puppy, I'd told them ‘Pelle-Nille is the name.’  I thought they'd asked for my name, Pelle Nilsson. It was difficult for me to say. Later as a young man, I bought more dogs.  The Pelle-Nille name followed my dogs.  Everyone around here calls them ‘Pelle-Nille.’"
         "But Mother, how did you know of this kind of dog?" asked Maria Pia.
         "I had a Pelle-Nille when I was a little girl," said Mother.
         “Oh. But what kind of dig is it,” Maria Pia asked.
         “It’s a cocker spaniel,” said Mr. Nilsson.
         On the way home, Maria Pia held the puppy on an old blanket in her lap. “I don’t know what to name her,” she sighed.
         "What names have you picked?" asked Father.
         "I'm thinking of Fudge 'cause it's chocolate-brown, and I like fudge. Or maybe I'll call her Ria, like I used to call myself."
         "That would be different," said Mother.
         No sound came from the back seat. Both Maria Pia and the puppy, maybe named Ria, were sound asleep.