Hey human,

Just wrapped up a tail-wagging adventure here in Pawsburgh. Solved the curious case of Muffin’s Missing Bark with Duke—the finest moonbathing detective partner a Shih Tzu sleuth could ask for. Turns out, some mysteries only need a Little Bit of sniffing and a whole lot of heart. All in a night’s work for your pint-sized detective with an oversized spirit. 🐾

Wags and winks,
Little Bit

Listen to the story here

In the hush of nightfall, when the speckled sky whispers secrets to a sleeping world, I, Little Bit—your minuscule yet mighty Shih Tzu sleuth—am usually curled up in the lap of dreams. But not last evening. Under the enchantment of a particularly vivacious moon, I discovered that Pawsburgh had tucked away a mystery more twisting than a leash in the hands of an excitable puppy.

It all started when I pawed my way into Mutt Munchies for a surreptitious late-night snack. The hushed chatter that lines the walls of such establishments could fill volumes, but it was the absence of a certain spirited bark that struck me odder than a cat at a fire hydrant convention. Muffin, the Pomeranian tornado and my dear friend, was conspicuously silent.

I nosed my way to the Weimaraner Woods, the rumors of Muffin’s unexplained quietness pricking my ears. Pinpricks of light danced between shadowy branches, mocking the clarity I sought. Under the grand canopy, amidst secrets tall as the trees, I stumbled upon Muffin’s polka-dotted collar. It was abandoned like a once-beloved toy, hinting mischief or misfortune.

“Muffin!” I called, my voice echoing softly. Nature hummed a lullaby around me, but tonight, it felt more like a prelude to an unfathomed riddle. The collar, festooned with twinkling stones that mirrored the night, teased me with untold stories.

I whisked to Opal Pomeranian Park next, the very heart of Pawsburgh’s whimsy, where the imagination unrolls like an endless carpet of green. There, Duke the Gentle Giant was moonbathing—his mountainous silhouette outlined by lunar rays.

“Duke, something’s afoot,” I said. “Muffin’s peculiar silence is as unsettling as the vacuum of space.”

He nodded, his deep eyes pools of concern. “We must scour Pawsburgh. We are, after all, creatures of loyalty and love.”

Indeed, we canvassed every inch—past the shimmering spire of Spitz Spire, searching high and low; at Fetch! Toys and Treats, where my beloved plush squirrel kin hung in the window, taking notes of the quiet unease settling over the shopkeepers.

In our detective duet, Duke and I split up to weave through alleys and avenues, turning over every stone, every clue, snuffled every scent. And then, as if guided by the stars themselves, I arrived at The Pooch Playhouse.

The place bore the hush of secrets, and there, amidst the scattered toys and costumes of canine drama, was a clue—a single, small, citrus-scented kerchief, a tease of citrus from some foreign hand that knew not the preferences of a Pawsburgh palate.

“What scoundrel brings oranges to a world woven of wagging tails?” I mumbled, my nose crinkling at the scent that was a dissonant note in the town’s symphony.

“I’ve never cared much for the stuff myself,” a voice yapped from behind a curtain. Muffin! “It’s great for keeping Snoopy detectives at bay, though.”

I turned to see her, tail fluttering like a victory flag. “You were hiding?” I exclaimed.

She teased a giggle. “An experiment, my dear Little Bit. To see who cares when one small voice falls silent.”

I chuckled—a sound soft like the rustle of silk—relief washing over me. “Well, consider your hypothesis confirmed, you mischievous fluff.”

We returned to the moonlit streets, wrapped in the warmth of friendship, the mystery solved—the tale of Muffin’s missing bark, a puzzle pieced together with patience and a penchant for sniffing out the truth, in this magical realm known to none but dogs. Pawsburgh, under that same old moon, settled once again into the comforting rhythm of a town like no other. For there, under layers of lighthearted frolic, beats a metronome of mutts, an anthem to the adventurous hearts of dogs like us—small as a Little Bit, vast as a Duke.

The End.