Once, there was a seal that ate grass. His name was Scampy and he lived in our backyard. Sometimes he would come out to the front yard, mostly when the grass started to get too long.

He just showed up one day, and since he kept the grass so nice and trim, my parents did not mind and let him stay as he pleased. He was fun to play catch with, well it was not really catch but almost. I would bounce the ball to him, and then he would bounce it back with his nose. I would come home after school and he would give me rides in the backyard. Around the swingset, under the branches of the willow, and over the funny lump in the lawn towards the back right corner where there was a hole in the fence.

Sometimes he would leave for a while, we never knew where he went really. Mom thought he went to the sea, and Dad said just to a nearby creek. I bet it was actually the ice-cream store. He always liked ice-cream lots. I secretly let him have licks from my cone when mom was not looking.

My parents brought home something from the store one day. Dad was exited, he showed me the shiny red lawn mower. It had a cord to pull which would start the motor and made lots of noise. It was very neat. I asked dad why he bought it, we already had a seal to keep the grass cut. Dad said it was a good deal and how could he pass that up. I thought that was silly. Grownups always do silly things. The next day was saturday and dad took the new mower around the lawn coughing and chewing up grass into small bits. Scampy looked scared and kept away the whole time. When dad was done, the lawn looked great and perfect. The grass was all very short and even. It was too short really, so there was none for Scampy to eat. He stayed around for a few more days. Then he must have been too hungry. He ventured off to find a new lawn and family to stay with the next day. Scampy was great fun and I miss him lots, but I know the people he lives with next will love him lots too.