Conversations with kids... Hazel, age 10

It was summertime. Hazel walked by with her pet ferret, Smoky, on a leash. Smoky was wet and shivering. Hazel had on a bathing suit.

Katie: “Hi, Hazel. Did you go swimming?”

Hazel: “Yep.”

Katie: “Awww, look at Smoky. He’s so cute... How’d he get wet?”

Hazel: (Picking up shivering wet-as-a-rat ferret) “Well, he was sniffing all curious around the water. So, I let him try it. He’s a pretty good swimmer.”

Katie: “I BET. When you get home, you should wrap him in a nice, warm blanket. He’ll like that.”

Hazel: “Okay. Bye.”