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Cassie wanted a dog.
She was not unique in this desire. Most little girls wanted a furry friend to go on magical adventures with. Her friend Maisie wanted a pony, and her friend Josie wanted a cat. Her neighbor Greta had a rabbit, and Stacy from school had both a guinea pig and a hamster. Cassie was certain that her request for a dog was a reasonable one.
She was certain that her parents would agree. After all, she was eight now. She could definitely take care of a dog.
Imagine Cassie’s surprise when instead of agreeing, her parents said no!
Not just that! They told her, “We’ll get a dog when pigs fly.”
Now, for most people, this would sound like the end of the discussion.
But not to Cassie.
Cathleen Bate did not back down when she wanted something, and she took her parents’ answer as a challenge.
So, she changed tactics.
The next time her parents asked her and her sister where they wanted to go for family day, Cassie knew her answer. “The petting zoo!” she shouted. Her little sister was quick to agree with her, even if she didn’t know Cassie’s plans.
She was grateful, because with both girls in agreement, they went to the petting zoo.
They fed the chickens. They watched the goats play on their jungle gym. They imitated the sheep noises; the two girls competing for who could do it better. Their parents refused to pick a winner. Rude. They even got to milk a cow! Well… a pretend cow. It was a statue with water. But it was still really cool! And they got to see a farmer milk the real thing.
Cassie enjoyed her time at the petting zoo, but the entire time she was waiting for the moment they would reach the pigs. When they finally reached them, Cassie went right for them, her sister following behind her.
“Hello, little piggies,” Cassie cooed, sticking her fingers through the mesh fencing. “How are you?” Two of them came right up to her hands and began stiffing at them.
Contact. Perfect.
“New order,” Cassie said, “These pigs can fly.”
And just like that, the pigs were in the air.
“Look Mommy! Daddy!” her sister explained excitedly, the first to notice. “They’re flying!”
Her parents looked up, and they watched, in shock, as the pigs flew.
Cassie got a proud smile on her face.
She waited a bit. Just to make sure they really saw the pigs flying. After nearly a minute of her parents staring in shock at the pigs, Cassie finally asked, “We can get a dog now, right?”
Her parents’ eyes snapped away from the pigs and down to her. Their jaws were hanging open. “What?” her mom asked.
“You said we could get a dog when pigs fly.” Cassie pointed to the pigs in the air that seemed to be getting the hang of their new ability. “The pigs are flying.”
Her parents’ jaws dropped even further, if that was possible. “A dog?!” her little sister cheered, already excited. “Can we name it Sprinkles? Or Sparkles?” Her sister gasped dramatically as an idea came to her, “Princess Sparkle-Sprinkles!” she cried excitedly jumping up and down.
Their parents did not know how to react.
Cassie laughed.