Tuff-Fluff the Chihuahua (Tuffy for short) was curled up cozily in the laundry basket, sleeping soundly, knowing he was somewhere he shouldn’t be. That always helps Chihuahuas get a good night sleep, knowing that they’re causing mischief even while they’re snoring. But something startled him awake. He listened carefully, big ears swiveling like satellites. There it was. A sound like lots and lots of tiny little feet, on the stairs leading up to the attic! Tuffy was up in an instant. Yes, he loved to cause a little bit of trouble when possible, but he took his job as guardian of the house VERY seriously. He bounded up the stairs, fluffy tail bobbing behind him. As Tuffy turned the corner at the landing, he saw something he did not at ALL expect: the toys that had been recently stored up in the attic were escaping!!! The youngest child in the household has just decided that she was “too big” for toys, and now just wanted her tablet, phone and gaming systems. So they had been put up, out of sight but not really gone, just in case she changed her mind (as she very often did). But it seemed that the toys were not satisfied with this new arrangement. The hair on the back of his neck (and everywhere else, really, he was very furry) stood up straight, and Tuffy growled just a little bit, to show that he meant business. He anticipated a long, difficult battle, but he was prepared to defend his people! He stood firm, waiting for the toys to make the first move. But they just waved at him, and continued awkwardly making their way down the stairs. They were cheerful and calm, clearly not looking for any trouble. They climbed down as quietly as they could, so as to not wake up the family. Tuffy looked up, and saw that they had even closed the door politely behind them! He relaxed, and sat down on the landing. It appeared that the toys were just lonely and bored, and wanted to return to the youngest daughter’s room. Tuffy thought about it, and decided that there was no harm in that. The girl would probably be happy to see them, and no doubt Tuffy would be the one credited for their return. He was usually the one to blame whenever something odd happened in the house. Content that all was well, Tuffy left the toys to their journey, and padded back down the stairs. He pushed all the throw pillows off of the living room sofa, and plopped down like a prince on top of the soft pile. Not quite as comfy as the laundry basket, but it would do. He didn’t feel like walking all the way back to the laundry room. Besides, this way he could keep one eye open to watch the toys, and make sure that they didn’t cause any trouble. Comfortable, and rather proud of himself, Tuffy went back to sleep (with both eyes definitely closed). When he woke up in the morning, he was surprised to find that he was actually still in the laundry basket! Confused, he ran to the daughter’s room to see about the toys. When he got there, however, there were no toys to be found. He cocked his head in that funny little way that dogs do when they’re trying to think. Had it all been a dream? Yes, he determined, it was just a strange dream, probably caused by that sock he ate before bed. Socks were rather difficult to digest sometimes. Later that day, the youngest daughter did, in fact, decide that she wanted her toys back. Tuffy was very pleased to hear that, as he had considered for a while that it was possible that he could tell the future, and this just proved it. He spent the rest of the day insufferably pleased with himself. Rendered in Daz Studio Iray. Postwork in Pixelmator Pro. No AI used.