Ruby Rey noticed everything. The clouds outside her kitchen window, floating silently over the neighbor's jagged red chimney. The baby marshmallows in her cocoa and the way they softly swim all by themselves.
Like little white rafts sailing in a chocolate pond, she thought, watching them eventually melt and make a surgary ice rink at the top of her penguin teacup.
She pictured her pet caterpillar, James, and all of his delicate green feet, tucked neatly into white skates. James was really very coordinated and he seemed meant for ice skates.
"I think James should take up ice skating. Don't you, Pigalou?" she asked. Pigalou was seated quietly beside her at the kitchen table, across from James. Ruby Rey leaned over and gave Pigalou a kissy on his mashed-up nose.
Pigalou is Ruby Rey's best friend. He is her brother and sister, her dog and cat, all swirled-round together. Even though, Pigalou was actually once a very round circus pig. That was a long time ago, though, before all the repairs.
Last year Pigalou was practicing his old high-wire routine and accidentally landed a somersault into the washing machine. That's when Ruby Rey called her Mama at work and Mama called Lou at work. Lou used his super-duper, plumber powers to rescue Pigalou from the spin-cycle.