“She can’t name anyone in her class but she remembers the dog’s name,” Izabel said, mostly to herself, as Kaito continued.

The story went that Shiro led the old man to a spot under a tree, and together they dug up a huge treasure. But their greedy neighbor saw and asked to borrow Shiro.

“The couple was too kind to refuse,” Kaito said.

So they let their neighbor take Shiro. He led him all over, hoping Shiro would find more treasure. And when Shiro found nothing, the neighbor killed him.

Cami gasped even though she’d heard the story dozens of times.

The neighbor buried Shiro under a tree and did not tell the old couple what he had done. But when the couple asked him to return Shiro, he told them everything. The old couple asked to have the tree where Shiro was buried, and the neighbor consented. So they cut down the tree and made it into a mortar where they could crush rice for rice cakes. And when they used it, it made more rice than they could ever need and they never had to worry about being hungry again.

The neighbor saw this and asked to borrow the mortar.

“The couple was too kind to refuse,” Kaito said.

But when the neighbor used the mortar a horrible smell came out of it, so the neighbor burnt it to ash. When the couple discovered what he had done, they said the neighbor should have only asked for rice cakes if he wanted them. Then they took the ashes home with them.

Back home the old couple scattered some of the ashes, and a tree, which had been dying, burst into bloom.

“But isn’t it bad for trees to bloom?” Cami asked.

“It didn’t used to be,” Kaito said.

“But now?”

“Now it makes it hard for us to breathe,” Kaito said.

“But the moral of the story,” Izabel said, “is not to be too kind. You have to be able to say no.”

“No!” Cami said.

“I think the moral of the story is to love fiercely and loyally,” Kaito said.

“And what? You’ll get rewarded?” Izabel said. “That’s not why you should love someone.”

“No, but you’re rewarded in lots of ways for loving people.”

“Sure. Of course. But that’s not the most important moral.”

“Say no!” Cami said.

“That’s right,” Izabel said. “Advocate for yourself.”

“And your dog!” Cami added.

    Chapter Nine

Andy found Izabel online and messaged her to see if she wanted to meet at the pool at the community center. Izabel said yes.

“Let’s put everything we need into the big bag,” Izabel said.

“I have your bathing suit,” Cami said.

“Mine? Where’d you get my suit? Go get your suit.”

“Okay!”