

Lily and Tom were going to church with Mom and Dad. They liked church because they could sing and pray and see their friends. They also liked to pick flowers from the garden outside the church. They always asked Mom and Dad if they could pick some flowers to take home.
One day, as they were walking to church, they saw a big dog on the street. The dog was barking and running towards them. Lily and Tom were scared and held Mom and Dad's hands. Mom and Dad told them not to worry, they would keep them safe.
"Shoo, shoo, go away!" Mom said to the dog. "You are not nice, you are scaring the children!"
The dog stopped and looked at Mom. Then it wagged its tail and licked Mom's hand. Mom smiled and petted the dog. She said the dog was just lonely and wanted to play.
"Can we play with the dog, Mom?" Lily asked.
"Only if the dog's owner says it's okay," Mom said. "We don't know if the dog is friendly or not."
They looked around and saw a man coming towards them. He was holding a leash and a collar. He said he was sorry, he had lost his dog and was looking for him. He thanked Mom and Dad for stopping the dog and said his name was Max.
"Can we play with Max, please?" Tom asked the man.
"Sure, you can play with Max for a little while," the man said. "He is very gentle and loves children. But don't pick his fur, he doesn't like that."
Lily and Tom nodded and played with Max. They threw a ball and Max fetched it. They rubbed his belly and Max wagged his tail. They had fun with Max and forgot they were scared.
"Okay, kids, it's time to go to church," Dad said. "We don't want to be late."
"Bye, Max, we'll see you again," Lily and Tom said. They gave Max a hug and a kiss.
"Bye, kids, thank you for playing with Max," the man said. He put the leash and the collar on Max and waved goodbye.
Lily and Tom went to church with Mom and Dad. They sang and prayed and saw their friends. They also picked some flowers from the garden outside the church. They gave some to Mom and Dad and some to Max's owner. They were happy and safe.
