The Sound Jacob Heard

By Heather Cicero

Illustrated by Judy Ziegler

Jacob listened to the sound coming from underneath his bed.

 “Are you talking to me?” Jacob asked the sound.

“Well, a high falootin’ yes,” said a voice.  “I’ve been waiting for you.”

Jacob got his flashlight and looked under the bed.

 “You’re small for a buffalo,” Jacob said.

He was just like the buffalo that Jacob had seen at the zoo, only smaller.  His hooves made a clickity clack sound on the wooden floor.  He smelled like warm oatmeal.

The buffalo looked at Jacob’s room.

“Well, pull my horn,” said the buffalo, “where’s the grass?  I’m hungry.”

“Outside,” said Jacob.  “I’ll take you to get some.”

He got dressed and led the buffalo out of his room and into the back yard.  Jacob listened to the buffalo graze.  He heard munching and tail switching sounds.  The swinging tail looked like a paintbrush.

“How about we paint with your tail?” said Jacob.

“Go rustle up some paint and we’ll have at it,” said the buffalo.

Jacob got paint from the garage. They decorated the fence, some chairs, and the swing set with hoof prints.  Then they cut up blankets and played superheroes. Finally, they made mud pies in the sandbox.

At bath time, the buffalo was dirty.  Luckily, there was a full bottle of shampoo.  Jacob used all of it to clean his friend.  There was paint, and mud, and bubbles, and water on the floor when they were done, but the buffalo got clean.

         That night, there was a sound coming from underneath Jacob’s bed.  But this time he knew—it was the sound of the buffalo snoring.