A little girl sat at her sewing table, pushing the needle through the red fabric; going back and forth, back and forth. Her toy animals sat on the little girl’s bed watching her sew with wide eyes.

            “I bet Lanie is making me a skirt!” said Duckie, the little stuffed duckling.
            “No, she’s making me a hat!” Leo the snow leopard said, sticking out his tongue. The animals continued to quarrel, while Lanie finished sewing. She smiled and held it up to admire it. All the animals stood up, trying to see what it was.
            “She made a coat for me!” said Monkey, a toy monkey. The little girl turned around, and the animals smiled. Lanie smiled back.
            “What are you making?” asked Leo. Lanie laughed.
            “Wait and see.” She said, putting the red piece down. The girl walked out of the room and the animals sighed. They knew Lanie was going to school, and wouldn’t be back for a long, long time. Leo sat back down and licked his paw.
            “Told you it wasn’t a skirt.” He huffed. Duckie laid her head on the pillow, staring at the ceiling.
            “You don’t know that.” She quacked back. Monkey jumped off the bed and skipped over to the sewing table.
            “Come on! If I stand on Leo’s shoulders, we can see what it really is!” He said excitedly.
            “Not going to happen.” Leo barked. Duckie sighed and flew over to Monkey.
            “I can just fly up,” She said. “But it won’t be as fun as your idea.” Monkey chuckled and with Duckie’s help, he stood up on her shoulders to see the table.
            “What is it?” Leo asked.
            “I was right!” Monkey practically shouted. Leo rolled his eyes and sat back down to sleep.
Newbies
            “Why you?” Leo asked a few hours later. “Lanie always makes you everything you want, and nothing for us. Scratch that—nothing for me.” Duckie woke from her nap and nuzzled the pillow on Lanie’s bed.
            “You know, the world does not revolve around you, Leo. We need things too.” She scolded, angry with him for waking her up.
            “Whatever. You wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for me, anyway.” He purred. Duckie remembered when she was at the store, waiting to be called out to by a little boy or girl. Even then she knew Leo; he was always sitting right next to her. One day, Lanie was out shopping with her grandmother, and she saw Leo. She jumped up and down with joy and asked if she could get him. Her grandmother said yes, and Duckie felt so sad and alone without her friend. Leo, then quickly took Duckie’s wing, and Lanie saw how close the two friends were. She was, in fact, the only girl in the world that could talk and listen to her stuffed animals like friends. Duckie certainly owed Leo one, but he still got on her nerves at times.
Just then, the door opened. The three animals were bouncing with excitement, but not for very long. Lanie was holding another animal in her arms.

Who is The Coat For?
    “What is he doing here?” Leo growled. He stared at the brand-new stuffed lion.
    “Leo, he’s going to be our new friend.” Lanie said happily. Leo struggled to keep from crying out: “Go away and never come back, you worthless little lion!”. As if the lion could read Leo’s thoughts, it whimpered and sagged down into Lanie’s arms. She placed him on the bed with the rest of the animals, and brought the red coat over. Lanie held the lion up and wrapped the coat around him. She buttoned the tiny buttons on the tiny coat and placed him back on the bed. Leo growled and took a tiny catlike step towards the lion. It backed away into Lanie’s arms once more.
    “Leo, don’t be rude to your new brother.” Lanie scolded. Leo’s eyes widened with shock. Then he laughed.
    “A brother! You’re kidding, right?” Leo licked his paw. The little lion looked down at the red sheets on the bed, tears welled up in his eyes. Lanie said something about leaving for homework, and walked out the door. That was all the lion heard, before he silently sobbed into a pillow.
    “What was that?” Duckie said, almost pushing Leo off the bed. she waddled over to the lion and sat by him.
    “I don’t need a brother.” Leo purred matter-of-factly.
    “But I do,” The little lion sniffed. “I’ve never had any friends before—” He stopped crying. “My name is Toby.” Leo rolled his eyes.
    “Oh, please. You’re so stuck up. Lanie made that coat for you, and nothing for me. Everything for Toby, Nothing for me, um, us.” He spat.
    “It’s nice to meet you, Toby.” Duckie said, extending a wing. Toby wiped his nose with one paw and shook Duckie’s wing with the other. Leo huffed and took off down the hallway.
Toby
            “I’m happy to have friends.” Toby said, as he, Monkey, and Duckie walked through the room. Leo was gone, and had not been back for a long time.
    “We’re happy to be your friends! Duckie quacked.
    “Hey, can I have a moment alone with Duckie for a moment?” Monkey asked. Toby nodded and went to play by the sewing table. Monkey turned to Duckie as she hummed a song to herself.
    “I don’t like him.” Monkey’s voice was barely a whisper. Duckie held her breath.
    “Why? He’s so nice.” Duckie kicked her head towards Toby, who was playing with some string. Monkey sighed.
“Lanie made that coat for him. Look how snobbish he’s wearing it, with his head held high.” Monkey said a little louder this time. Duckie couldn’t believe what she was hearing. How could Monkey, “Mr. Nice guy”, be so rude?
“I think you’re being silly. He seems so nice.” Duckie puffed. She flew away.
Monkey climbed back onto the bed and left Toby alone by the sewing table. He sat on his favorite yellow pillow and frowned.
    “He only seems nice,” grumbled Monkey. “Until he turns around and the two-faced Toby comes out.” Monkey chuckled at his own insult. He gazed around at the items on the bed. A ball of Lanie’s yarn, two knitting needles, a green ball, a sketchpad, and a small cardboard box. Monkey stared at the box in interest, for it had not been there when he woke up that morning. He carefully walked up to it and stuck his head in between the two flaps that closed the top. It was empty.
    “So much for some excitement.” Monkey sighed to himself. He then tried to pull his head out, but he couldn’t. It was stuck.

Monkey’s Hero
    “Help! Somebody, please help me!” Monkey cried. His eyes widened with fear when he realized that perhaps no one could hear him through the walls of the box. He tossed his head from side to side, but he only succeeded in getting his head stuck farther into the box. Monkey’s little brown nose was right up against the bottom now, and his eyes welled up with tears.
    “Monkey?” A sweet little voice came from outside the box. Monkey's head bobbed with excitement.
    “Duckie? Please! Help me get out of this box!” He then felt soft but strong arms pull the box froward.
    “I’m sorry if this hurts a little, but-” The voice cut off and was replaced by one swift pull the yanked the box off Monkey’s head completely. Monkey looked down rubbing his neck.
    “Thanks. You know, I would have never thought that…” Monkey’s voice trailed off when he looked up and saw his rescuer.
Toby. Toby looked at Monkey’s blank, surprised face and laughed. Then Monkey laughed, and soon, they were both in a strange hysteria of laughter and confusion. When it finally stopped, their eyes were watering and both were out of breath.
    “Wow,” sighed Monkey. “I thought you were Duckie.” Monkey sat down. Toby sat down with him.
    “Huh. How did you get stuck in the first place?” Toby asked as he looked at the ceiling. Monkey shrugged.
    “I was bored.” Monkey glanced over at Toby.
    “Well, do you want to do something fun?” Toby raised his eyebrows. Monkey sat up, and laughed.
    “Sure.” Monkey smiled. Maybe Toby wasn’t so bad after all.

Don’t Judge a Lion by His Coat
    As Duckie sashayed down the beige painted hall, she talked quietly to herself.
    “I’ll just put those two in a room together, Monkey will surely come to his senses then.” She nodded in determination. Just then, Leo came prancing up to her side.
    “Why are you talking to yourself? You’re not two people. I’m also pretty sure you’re not crazy either.” Leo said, he grinned and laughed. Duckie rolled her eyes.
“I’m trying to think of ways to make Monkey less paranoid about Toby.” Duckie quacked. Leo shrugged.
“I don’t blame him, Toby’s just a selfish lion.” Leo purred. Duckie and Leo stepped into the bedroom and couldn’t believe what they were seeing. It was Monkey and Toby jumping around on the bed, laughing.  Duckie’s beak dropped open. Toby glanced over and a shocked pair of animals and laughed harder.
“Careful, you don’t want to catch flies, do you?” He asked. Duckie shook her head slowly.
“Party!” Leo shouted. Then he ran up to and on the bed, joining Monkey and Toby in their fun frenzy. Duckie slowly walked up to the party, and asked:
“How?” Monkey and Toby smiled.
“We worked things out.” They said.

One For Everyone
    Tired and tuckered out, the four animals lay in bed that night talking and just being friends. At seven O’clock, Lanie came back into the room and made an announcement.
    “So mother and I were at the store today, and we found the most adorable things for you guys.” Lanie then pulled three tiny bright colored coats out of her jacket pockets. One by one she handed the to Leo, Duckie, and Monkey. Leo’s was lemon yellow, Duckie’s was baby blue, and Monkey’s was lime green. All four animals laughed and smiled up at Lanie.