Ivy Leads the Giant Leaf Puppy

A free puppy bedtime story, written for ages 7–9 and ready to read aloud in about 3 minutes. Tonight's hero is Ivy.

At Ferncap Mountain’s autumn puppy parade, Ivy checked Pepper’s green leash. Pepper was a black-and-white pup with one speckled paw. Beside them stood Crumb, the youngest puppy there. One of his ears pointed up. The other flopped over his cheek. It was his first parade, and every shout made him press closer to Ivy’s shoe.

The parade route circled a flat, fenced meadow. Orange flags marked the path through the grass. Families and puppies gathered behind a striped starting ribbon. Before the first paw crossed, a gust swept down the mountain. Red and gold leaves rolled across the field. They whirled into a tall pile. Then the pile rose on four legs.

A giant leaf puppy stood in the meadow. Its ears were two small branches. Its nose was a pinecone. It gave a huge, rustling “WOOF!” Leaves puffed from its mouth. The real puppies yipped and jumped. The leaf puppy jumped too. Its enormous tail swished through the orange flags and knocked them flat.

Crumb hurried under a wooden bench. He was worried, but he was safe. Ivy crouched beside him. “I’m right here,” she said. Around the meadow, families held their puppies close. The puppies kept wriggling and barking. The giant puppy bounced harder with every sound. No one could start the parade.

Ivy watched instead of shouting. A spotted terrier spun around. The giant leaf puppy spun too. Pepper bent his front legs and lifted his tail. Across the meadow, the giant made the same puppy bow. Then a beagle shook its ears. The branch ears shook at once. Ivy jumped up. “It’s copying the puppies!” she said. “It’s trying to join us.”

Ivy chose Pepper to show it what to do. She walked to the starting ribbon with his leash in hand. “Pepper, slow paws,” she said. Pepper stepped onto the parade path. Ivy walked at a calm, steady pace. The giant puppy lifted one leafy paw. Then it followed, placing each paw behind Pepper’s.

Ivy led Pepper around the wide meadow. The giant puppy copied every step. Its tail rose above the flags and stopped knocking them down. Halfway around, Ivy glanced back. Crumb had crept from beneath the bench. Ivy patted the grass beside her. “Come with us, Crumb.” The little pup hurried over and marched by her left shoe.

When Ivy reached the starting ribbon again, the other puppies joined behind her. Soon the whole parade moved around the meadow. Pepper walked on Ivy’s right. Crumb trotted on her left. The giant leaf puppy brought up the back. Crumb’s folded ear bounced with each step, but he did not hide again.

At the finish, Ivy stopped. Pepper sat. Crumb sat. The giant puppy folded onto the grass with its pinecone nose between its paws. Everyone cheered, and it gave one soft, leafy woof. Ivy knelt between Pepper and Crumb for a picture. A red leaf slipped from the giant tail and landed on Crumb’s folded ear. Ivy grinned and left it there.