"The Snake in the Sundress" Just a light-hearted story. Ruby finds a garter snake.

The afternoon sun hung low over western Kansas, casting golden light across the backyard behind the Dillon house. The air was thick with spring, that soft prairie smelling of fresh grass, lilac bushes, and dirt warmed by the sun. Ruby was in the backyard, barefoot and wearing her favorite yellow sundress with little white daisies stitched at the hem. She was busy doing what she called "explorin'," which mostly meant poking around under the lilac bush with a stick and singing songs she made up on the spot, a hobby she picked up from her Uncle Festus.

It had been over a month since Ruby's accident and she had made excellent strides in her recovery. She no longer needed the braces or the crutches. Even though she could walk, running was still a bit of a challenge. That would come back as time went on. Doc was impressed with Ruby's progress, but at the same time he wasn't surprised. Children tended to heal faster than adults. Plus, Ruby was the child of Matt and Kitty Dillon.

Ruby was walking towards the outdoor pump, when she spotted it, a harmless green garter snake. The snake was coiled in the shadows of the pump. Cautiously, Ruby made her way to the pump. She crouched down and with gentle hands, Ruby picked up the snake and examined it. "You're the cutest snake I've ever seen," Ruby addressed the snake. "Since you're green like a pickle, I'll call you, Mr. Pickles." Ruby put the snake in the front pocket of her dress. "You'll be safe in there." Ruby patted her pocket.

Kitty had been in the kitchen preparing supper. Tonight's meal consisted of biscuits with chicken and gravy. Kitty knew that Matt would be home soon, and that Ruby needed to come inside and get cleaned up. Kitty took the biscuits out of the oven and put them in a bowl on the table to cool. She walked to the back door and opened it. "Ruby!" Kitty called from the back door. "It's time to come inside and wash up!"

Hearing her momma call for her, Ruby called back. "Comin', Momma!" Satisfied that Mr. Pickles was safely in her pocket, Ruby walked to the house.

Kitty stayed by the back door until she could see Ruby coming. She had to make sure the little girl didn't get sidetracked. That did happen once in a while. When Ruby reached the house, Kitty stepped to the side to let her enter. "Wipe your feet on the mat, and then go to the washroom and wash your hands. Make sure to get the dirt out of your fingernails. When you finish washing, you can set the table." Kitty returned to the stove to stir the pot of chicken and gravy.

"Okay, Momma," Ruby agreed as she rubbed her feet across the mat. She was about to leave the kitchen, but turned back around. Reaching into her pocket, Ruby pulled out the snake and put it on the table. "Momma, will you please watch Mr. Pickles?"

Kitty was only half listening to her daughter. Her focus was on the pot of food in front of her. She was busy adding cornstarch to thicken the gravy. "Sure, honey. Just go wash your hands."

Ruby skipped off the washroom to wash her hands. When she finished, Ruby walked to the parlor just in time to see her daddy come home. "Daddy!" she exclaimed. As quickly as she could, Ruby made her way to her daddy.

Matt hung his hat on the hook and bent down to gather Ruby in his arms and pick her up. Ruby wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Hello, Little Gemstone. How was your day?"

Ruby smiled. "It was fine. Guess what I found when I was explorin'?"

Matt was about to make a guess, when Kitty yelled from the kitchen. "RUBY KATHLEEN DILLON! You get in here this instant!" Matt, still carrying Ruby, quickly went to the kitchen to see what had Kitty so upset. He found Kitty staring at the table. Kitty looked at Ruby and pointed to the table. "Get that thing off the table and out of this house." It was then that Matt saw the snake. Matt instantly knew what Ruby had found. He set Ruby down.

Ruby walked over to the table and picked up the snake. "Momma, this is Mr. Pickles. You said you would watch him."

Matt looked over at Kitty with raised eyebrows. "You said you would watch him?"

"I guess I didn't realize I was supposed to be watching a snake," Kitty admitted. "I surely didn't expect a snake to be staring me down and sticking his tongue out at me."

Ruby still had the snake in her hands, which was coiling around her wrist. "He wasn't sticking his tongue out at you. Mr. Pickles was smelling the biscuits. Miss Grey said snakes use their tongues to smell things."

"She is correct," Matt pointed out. He bent down to better examine the snake. "He's just a harmless garter snake. Why did you name him Mr. Pickles?"

"Because he's green like a pickle," Ruby replied. "Now he's like a pretty green bracelet."

Matt chuckled. "I guess I should've figured that out. I must say you are very brave to handle the snake like that. Not too many little girls or boys for that matter would pick up a snake."

Not only was Kitty upset, she was now getting frustrated. She glared at Matt. "Matt Dillon, you are not helping the situation one bit. Ruby, that snake needs to go outside where it belongs."

"Aw Momma," Ruby whined. "I want to keep him as my pet. Mr. Pickles loves me. He can stay in my bedroom." Ruby brought Mr. Pickles up to her cheek and nuzzled him.

"Absolutely not," Kitty stressed, her voice firm. "Snakes and any other creepy, crawly, slithering critters do not belong in this house. Take him outside right now."

Ruby turned to her daddy with pleading eyes. "Daddy?" She was hoping her daddy would give in, take her side, and let her keep Mr. Pickles in the house.

Matt knew better than to give in to Ruby. "Yer Momma's right. Snakes don't belong in the house. Go put him outside where you found him, 'n then come back inside and wash your hands. The food yer momma made smells delicious, and I'm hungry."

Ruby sighed and put the snake in her pocket. "Fine, I'll put Mr. Pickles outside."

"You better put him outside. If you come back in this house with that snake in your pocket, you will be in serious trouble," Kitty warned. "Do you understand?"

Ruby knew her momma meant business. "Yes, Momma, I understand." She walked out the back door.

Kitty turned her attention to Matt. "I meant what I said earlier. You were not helping the situation, especially when you told Ruby she was brave."

"Well, what's wrong with calling her brave?" Matt questioned. "I was being sincere when I said that. Not too many little girls would pick up a snake."

Kitty blew out an exasperated breath. "Ruby adores you, and she should. You are a wonderful father. But if daddy calls her brave for picking up a harmless garter snake, what's she gonna try to pick up next to show her daddy she's brave? A rattler?"

Matt rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't think about that. I will definitely have a talk with her at the supper table tonight. Did you ever bring creatures into the house when you were a young girl?"

"Whether I did or not doesn't mean Ruby should," Kitty replied. She walked to the cupboard to get the plates and cups.

"I'll take that as a yes." Matt walked over to the kitchen window, while Kitty went to set the table. Matt watched Ruby at the water pump. A smile spread across his face. "Kitty, come and look at this."

Kitty put the last spoon on the table and went to join Matt at the window. She looked outside and saw Ruby at the pump. A smile also tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Is she saluting the snake?"

Ruby was standing at full attention at the pump with her right hand in a saluting position. Matt slowly nodded his head and chuckled. "I think so."

Kitty couldn't help but laugh herself. "Never a dull moment at the Dillon house." Ruby returned to the house a short time later. "Go rewash your hands and join us for supper."

The Dillon trio was seated around the supper table. Kitty sliced open a biscuit and put it on Ruby's plate. She then poured a scoop of chicken and gravy over the biscuits. "Be careful. It's hot. Daddy wants to talk to you."

Ruby started to stir her food and was lightly blowing on it. She looked at her daddy. "What do you want to talk to me about?"

"I know I told you that you were brave for picking up that snake, but it's also important to be smart," Matt started to explain. "Not all snakes are harmless like Mr. Pickles. Some snakes, like rattlers, are poisonous and can kill you, if they bite you. Yer momma 'n I don't want that to ever happen to you. So, from now on no more picking up snakes. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Daddy. I understand," Ruby agreed. "Am I still a brave girl, if I don't pick up snakes?"

"Of course you are," Matt reassured his daughter. "There are many ways to be brave."

"Don't forget. You are a Dillon. I haven't meant a Dillon that wasn't brave," Kitty added. She looked at Matt with a look of love and admiration on her face. Ruby had a look of pride on her face. She was a brave Dillon, just like her daddy.

The end of this story