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Leibish and the Lost Dog Sign

Ages 6-9 | Story and 9 activities

On the way home from school, Leibish sees a sign on a lamp post.

It is a piece of white paper with a photograph of a small brown dog, and big black letters across the top: LOST. His name is Biscuit. Please knock at 14 Pine Street.

Under the picture, in a shaky hand, someone has written: He is deaf in one ear and very friendly. We miss him very much.

Leibish reads it twice. A small tight feeling settles in his chest. He thinks about how it will feel to lose someone he loves. He thinks about the girl who might be crying at home.

"Totty, look," he says, pointing at the sign.

Totty reads it. "That poor family."

"Can we help?"

"What do you have in mind?"

Leibish thinks. "Maybe we could look for him."

"That's a good idea. Let's make a plan."

That afternoon, they go through the neighborhood, walking the streets near the sign. Leibish checks bushes and behind garbage cans and under porches. He calls, "Biscuit! Biscuit!" in a gentle voice, remembering that the dog can't hear well in one ear.

An hour passes. They find nothing.

"Maybe he's far away," says Leibish.

"Maybe," says Totty. "Or maybe he's hiding. Dogs get scared when they're lost. They might not come out, even if they hear their name."

Leibish thinks about that. If he were a lost dog, where would he hide? Somewhere small and quiet and safe.

They pass the old playground at the end of the block. Beneath the big slide, there is a little shadowy hollow, hidden from the street.

Leibish crouches down and looks in. Two shiny eyes look back.

"Biscuit?" he whispers.

The dog is curled up in a ball, shivering. His fur is matted, and his ear is folded over. He looks at Leibish with a nervous wag of his tail.

"It's okay," says Leibish, speaking softly. He holds out his hand, palm down. "I won't hurt you."

Biscuit sniffs his fingers. His tail wags faster.

"Totty, I found him!"

Totty kneels beside him. "Look at that. A very brave detective."

Leibish picks up the dog gently. Biscuit licks his chin. He is warm and trembling. They carry him to the house on the sign, number 14, just around the corner.

Leibish knocks. A girl with braids opens the door, and her mouth falls open.

"BISCUIT! MOMMY, THEY FOUND BISCUIT!"

In a moment, the whole family crowds into the doorway. The girl throws herself on the dog. "Biscuit! Biscuit!"

The dog squirms and barks with joy. She buries her face in his fur and cries.

Her mother hugs Leibish. "Thank you so much. We've been looking for two days."

"I saw your sign," says Leibish. "I wanted to help."

"You made my daughter the happiest girl in the world," says the mother.

That night, Leibish lies in bed. He feels warm and tired. He remembers that tight feeling he had in his chest at the sign. It has turned into something different. It is the good feeling of helping.

The next morning, there is a note on his door. Thank you for finding Biscuit! it says, with a drawing of a dog and a boy holding hands.