Barnaby lunged for the squeaky blue rubber bone. "Mine!" he barked, kicking up a mighty cloud of dust on the living room rug. But Clementine the cat swatted it with a sharp white claw. She hissed, snatched the bone, and darted away.
He scrambled across the smooth wooden floor, his paws slipping and sliding. Crash! Down went a tall stack of scattered blocks. Barnaby kept his eyes right on Clementine's swishing tail as she leaped onto a pile of toys with a loud, taunting yowl. He thought she was being terribly unfair.
Clementine tossed the blue bone high into the air. Through the sunlit room it flew, bouncing right under the giant yellow sofa with a hollow thwack. Both pets dove into the dark shadow at the exact same time to grab it. Barnaby wiggled and Clementine squirmed, suddenly realizing they were completely jammed.
"Move over!" Barnaby grunted, his nose squished flat against a fuzzy, forgotten tennis ball. Clementine kicked her back legs against the low wooden frame of the couch, but they were wedged far too tightly side-by-side. Barnaby let out a long, tired whine into the dusty darkness. He just wanted to go back to the sunny rug.
A soft, clawless paw gently tapped his nose. Clementine pointed toward the sliver of sunlight pooling on the rug just outside the sofa. On the count of three, Barnaby pushed backward with his heavy paws while the cat pulled the rug with her claws. Slowly, inch by inch, they slid out into the bright room together.
Barnaby shook the dust from his scruffy fur with a great big wiggle. He nudged the squeaky blue bone across the floor toward the cat. Clementine batted it right back to him, letting out a loud, vibrating purr. Barnaby caught it with a happy snap and dropped it perfectly into a warm sunbeam, ready for another round.