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“So, what are you doing?” “Keep your distance,” Daisy warned.
“Waiting,” Daisy whispered. “Here, let me help you,” Purdy said.
“Waiting for what?” “No way. I can handle this myself.”
“For it to hatch,” Daisy said solemnly. “But you’re doing it all wrong.”
“I see.” Barker scratched his ear. The situation was more com- “How?”
plicated than he had expected. Daisy clearly thought the ball was “You don’t sit on it.”
some kind of egg. Barker, on the other hand, understood balls “But Barker said I had to.”
well enough to know it would be quite a while before anything “Pfft, Barker’s a dog. What does he know? You should have
hatched from it. asked me from the start. I’m an expert.”
“What’s it going to be?” Barker asked. Daisy sized Purdy up, then slowly got up off the ball.
“How should I know? I’m not the one who laid it. Cows don’t “Then show me—but don’t harm it.”
lay eggs,” Daisy snapped. “Of course not. I’m famous for my velvet touch,” Purdy said.
“I’m no expert on hatching eggs either, but don’t they need He grabbed the ball and started tossing it around.
to be sat on?” “What are you doing? Be careful!”
“Do you think so?” Daisy asked. “Don’t worry. Watch this.” Purdy switched paws. He spun the
“Yes. That’s what it takes. I could sit on it for a bit while you ball on one paw, threw it high, trapped it with his chest, gave it
fill up this bucket with milk.” With this kind of cunning Barker a kick and headed it.
was bound to be the winner. Daisy looked on in horror.
Daisy looked at the ball and then at Barker. “Thanks, but I’ll Then Purdy said, “Now it’s your turn. I’ll throw the ball and
sit on it myself.” She lowered herself onto the ball, which disap- you head it to me.”
peared beneath cow and udder. “Are you sure this is the right thing to do?”
“What about the milk?” Barker asked in desperation. “Sure. I’ll teach you everything I know, and all I ask in return
“I’ll give it some milk once it’s hatched,” Daisy said. is a bucketful of milk,” Purdy promised.
Barker could only admit defeat and trudge back to the others. “All right.”
“Here, you try.” Barker handed the bucket to Purdy. “Good. Now I’ll throw the ball, and you head it back. Ready?”
“This is almost too easy,” Purdy laughed to himself. Daisy eyed Daisy nodded and waited. Purdy threw the ball high in the
him suspiciously as he crept towards her. air. Daisy followed its arc and then tossed her head. There was a
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