Once there was a guinea pig. His name was Leo. Leo lived all alone in a dark cage. He was very sad.

One day, he heard a rustling outside of his cage. Maybe it’s someone to play with me! he thought. But it was just a human, feeding him quickly, before rushing out of the room. Leo was very lonely.

Leo sighed and went to sleep. In his dream, he dreamed about a wide area in the light where he could run and play. He dreamed of having a friend to run with. He dreamed of being happy. When he woke up, he was sad all over again.

One day, a little girl came to visit. She was new to town, and didn’t have any friends. She was visiting the family in the house where Leo lived. She wandered into Leo’s room.

Leo heard the little girl, and he squeaked in the way that guinea pigs do. But he didn’t expect her to come and play with him. No one ever had before.

“Oh, you poor thing!” exclaimed the little girl. “You don’t have any food or water. Let me help you.” The little girl gave Leo food and water. He grunted appreciatively. When he had eaten his fill, he looked up longingly at the little girl. She picked him up.

“Are you lonely? I’m lonely too,” the little girl murmured. “But if you were mine, I would love you and play with you all the time.” Leo snuggled safely in the little girl’s arms. He suddenly didn’t feel so lonely. The little girl didn’t feel lonely anymore either.

Leo was sad, though, when the little girl had to go away. He looked for her every day, but she didn’t come back for a long time.

When she did come back, she was so excited. “Guess what, Leo?” Being a guinea pig, Leo couldn’t say anything back, but he was very excited as well. “I get to take you home! You’re going to be my guinea pig forever and ever!” Leo jumped around in excitement. The little girl took him in her arms again.

Every day when the little girl got home from school, she went straight to Leo. Leo always greeted her with happy little squeaks. Leo finally had a friend.