“I think we should get Albert a pet. He's almost one year old now. What do you think?” Mrs. Applebottom asked her husband the question.

“A pet? How about a goldfish?” Mr. Applebottom made his lips pucker and move like a fish breathing under water.

“A goldfish? That's not what I had in mind.”

“How about a ferret?”

Mrs. Applebottom sighed. “One year old boys do not play with ferrets. I was thinking more like a dog or a cat.”

“A cat? We could buy a fluffy cat and name it Whiskers. Albert would love a cat.”

“I really mean that we should get Albert a dog. We could name him Spot, or Ruff, or Doggie.” Mrs. Applebottom loved dogs.

“We'll get him a dog, but its name won't be Spot, or Ruff, or Doggie. Its name will be George.”

They went to the pet store and let Albert pick out the dog he wanted. Albert selected a big reddish-brown dog.

“He looks just like a George,” Mr. Applebottom said.

Albert said, “George.”

“Did you hear that, dear? Albert spoke.” Mrs. Applebottom was ecstatic. “My baby spoke his first word, George.”

From that day on George and Albert were inseparable. They played together, slept in the same bed and ate meals at the same time. As the years went by Mr. and Mrs. Applebottom watched their boy grow from a baby to a toddler and into a boy. George was always by his side.

“I'm glad we got a dog instead of a goldfish,” Mr. Applebottom said.

“Me too, dear. Me too.” Mrs. Applebottom kissed her husband on the cheek as both of them watched their son and his dog playing in the back yard.