Asa here. You may think that being friends with stuffed animals is all fun and games, but there’s a lot of responsibility too. For example, yesterday my stuffie friend Moosey was feeling a bit stuffy, and wanted fresh air. I never want to disappoint my stuffies, so I was more than happy to oblige his request to go for a walk with me. However, while he enjoyed our walk, it meant a great deal of responsibility for me. Just between you and me, Moosey has lived a sheltered life and isn’t street smart like me.

You see Moosey has never been outside of the house before, so I needed to carry him so he wouldn’t get lost. That meant I needed to concentrate and not accidentally put him down and leave him somewhere on the side of the road. After all, hitchhiking is illegal in our state! Although judging by the smiles of the people driving by, I’m sure they would have helped Moosey find his way home if he squeaked politely.

Another responsibility when taking Moosey into the big world is protecting him from others who may not want to play nice with him. Case in point, my neighbor Chenille and her sisters were also out for a walk at the same time, and they made it very clear with their barking that they wanted my friend to go home with them. Normally I’m all for sharing my toys, but I had the feeling they would play rough. Therefore, I politely wagged my tail at them while carrying Moosey away for his own safety. I know he was disappointed I didn’t let him make new friends, but he doesn’t understand stranger danger.

I also had to prevent Moosey from getting dirty. I could tell he really wanted to roll in that poop Mr. Raccoon left on our driveway. But what Moosey doesn’t understand is that would mean Mom would give him a bath afterwards. I wanted this to be a positive experience for Moosey, which meant even I had to resist that fragrant treat too. After all, I had to set a good example. Not to mention, he’d never want to go home if he knew a bath would be waiting for him, but I needed to return to check on my other stuffed animal friends.

So despite Chuck Billy’s accusations that I was goofing off on my neighborhood patrol responsibilities by bringing Moosey along, in reality I was working harder than ever! But that’s ok. Moosey is worth the effort.