# Grandma’s Rainy-Day Puppy

- Link: https://thecuriosi.com/english-language-lab-for-kids/stories-for-kids/grandma-and-make-believe-prompts/stories-about-a-grandmothers-pets-when-she-was-young/
- Published: 2026-10-30T02:32:52+05:30
- Author: MAHENDRA MANCHIKALAPATI

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Grandma’s Rainy-Day Puppy

✦An original fictional family story

# Grandma’s Rainy-Day Puppy

Grandma remembers bringing a puppy home as a child. She wanted an instant playmate,
but the puppy needed time to explore and settle in.

📖 4-minute read🍃 Ages 5–11✨ Patience and respecting an animal’s space

[Begin reading ](https://thecuriosi.com/english-language-lab-for-kids/stories-for-kids/grandma-and-make-believe-prompts/stories-about-a-grandmothers-pets-when-she-was-young/#sf-story-text)
[More grandma & make-believe prompts](https://thecuriosi.com/english-language-lab-for-kids/stories-for-kids/grandma-and-make-believe-prompts/)

![A young girl and her mother watch a small brown puppy resting on a dry mat beside
an open-sided box on a sheltered rainy veranda.](https://thecuriosi.com/wp-content/
uploads/2026/10/grandmas-rainy-day-puppy-illustration.png)

**A friendship that began with waiting**Read together · Retell · Imagine

Settle in and read at your pace

A story to read together

## Grandma’s Rainy-Day Puppy

Take your time. Let the story unfold.

When rain drummed on the veranda roof, Meera asked Grandma whether she had liked
rainy days as a child. “Some of them,” Grandma said. “One brought a puppy into our
family.” Meera moved closer. In Grandma’s remembered story, the puppy was small 
and brown, with one ear that tipped forward when he listened. His name was Balu.
Grandma had expected him to become her best playmate before the first afternoon 
was over.

Chapter one

### The open-sided box

Grandma’s mother had prepared a quiet corner on the sheltered veranda. There was
a dry mat, a bowl of water, and a box with one side open so Balu could choose where
to rest. Young Grandma placed a toy nearby and called his name. Balu sniffed it,
then went back to the mat. She called again, more brightly. Her mother asked her
to pause. “He has had a busy day,” she said. “We can let him look around before 
expecting him to join our games.”

Chapter two

### Waiting without a test

Grandma sat a little distance away and drew the rain beyond the steps. At first,
she kept checking whether Balu was coming towards her. Then she became interested
in the pattern of drops on a leaf. Balu watched from the mat. Nobody picked him 
up to make the friendship happen faster. When he got up to explore, her mother kept
the space calm and clear. Young Grandma wanted to follow every little step, but 
she stayed where she was and let him choose his route.

Chapter three

### A small visit

After a while, Balu wandered near the paper. Grandma asked her mother what to do.
She suggested staying still and allowing him to sniff without reaching over him.
He investigated a corner of the mat, looked at the toy, and sat down a short distance
away. That was all. Grandma had imagined a whole afternoon of chasing and tumbling.
Instead, she shared several quiet minutes with a puppy who was beginning to notice
his new home. Later, her mother helped with his care and showed her suitable ways
to play.

Chapter four

### The part she remembered

Years later, Grandma could recall many games with Balu. But the rainy first afternoon
stayed special because so little had happened quickly. “Did he like you straight
away?” Meera asked. Grandma thought before answering. “I cannot know exactly what
he felt. I remember learning to give him time.” Outside, the rain softened. Meera
drew a small brown puppy beside a large quiet space on her page. “That part matters
too,” she said. Grandma looked at the space and nodded.

The end

### Story path

[01The open-sided box](https://thecuriosi.com/english-language-lab-for-kids/stories-for-kids/grandma-and-make-believe-prompts/stories-about-a-grandmothers-pets-when-she-was-young/#sf-chapter-1)
[02Waiting without a test](https://thecuriosi.com/english-language-lab-for-kids/stories-for-kids/grandma-and-make-believe-prompts/stories-about-a-grandmothers-pets-when-she-was-young/#sf-chapter-2)
[03A small visit](https://thecuriosi.com/english-language-lab-for-kids/stories-for-kids/grandma-and-make-believe-prompts/stories-about-a-grandmothers-pets-when-she-was-young/#sf-chapter-3)
[04The part she remembered](https://thecuriosi.com/english-language-lab-for-kids/stories-for-kids/grandma-and-make-believe-prompts/stories-about-a-grandmothers-pets-when-she-was-young/#sf-chapter-4)

### Word basket

**settle**to begin feeling comfortable in a new place

**explore**to look around and learn about a place

**investigate**to examine something with interest

**patient**willing to give something the time it needs

**Read it together**

This is original fiction about an invented grandmother and pet. Animal preferences
vary. A trusted adult should manage a pet’s care and help children interact appropriately;
do not approach unfamiliar animals or force contact.

## After the final page

There is no single right answer. Invite young readers to notice, wonder and imagine.

Remember

Why did Balu need time before playing?

Think

How did young Grandma change what she expected?

Imagine

Why does Grandma avoid claiming she knows exactly what Balu felt?

**Make something:** Draw a fictional pet’s comfortable resting place. Include space
to retreat and an adult who helps with care, then invent a calm first meeting.

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