The Last Precious Thing

Luca found a box in the sandbox. It was made of wood. And carved on the lid, in small letters, it said:

THE LAST PRECIOUS THING.

He sniffed it.

“It’s The Last Cookie,” he said.

Dodo jumped down from the swing. She rattled the box.

“Absolutely not,”

“Can’t you tell? It’s the Last Piece of the Puzzle,” she said.

“Let me see that” said Professor Abacus.

He checked to see if the box had a secret code. It didn’t.

“Children. This is far more precious than either of those things.”

“This is The Last Number.”

“And we must never, for anything, ever, open the lid.

Or it will be gone. Forever”

“We would like to disagree,” said Luca and Dodo.

“I will show this to an expert”, said Professor Abacus.

Professor Magnus peered at the box through his monocle. There was nothing written on it.  

Nevertheless, he knew immediately.

“This,” he said, “is The Last Page.”

“We would like to disagree,” said Luca, Dodo, and Professor Abacus.

They all went to the bakery café to discuss it over cocoa.

Mr. Furnus noticed the box on the table. He left sticky jam-prints on the lid.

“Extraordinary,” he said softly.

“It’s the Last Secret Ingredient.”

“We would like to disagree,” said Luca, Dodo and both professors.

“I know who can help us,” said Mr. Furnus.

Miss Flora was watering her hydrangeas when everyone arrived.

She dusted the box for pollen.

“This,” she said, “Is the Last Flower of the Season.”

“We would like to disagree,” said Luca, Dodo, both professors and Mr. Furnus.

“I know just the person,” said Miss Flora.

Madame Carmen held the box to her ear.

“This,” she whispered, “is The Last Note.”

“We would like to disagree,” said Luca, Dodo, both professors, Mr. Furnus and Miss Flora.

“I know who can solve this mystery,” said Madame Carmen.

The Detective took a good look at the box with his magnifying glass.

He took a very, very good look.

“I know exactly what this is,” he said.

“It’s The Last Clue.”

He was very pleased with himself.

“We would like to disagree,” said Luca, Dodo, both professors, Mr. Furnus, Miss Flora, and Madame Carmen.

“We have insufficient evidence,” said The Detective.

“There is only one person we can trust.”

The Mayor was very surprised to see all of them waiting in his office.

He put on his glasses.

“I know where this goes,” he grinned.

He placed the box on the highest shelf in his office.

“This is The Last Vote,” he said. “And it’s mine now.”

“We hoped to disagree,” said everyone who was not The Mayor.

The Mayor sat down and returned to his important documents.

They all looked at each other.

Mimi had been pouncing around the office.

She had not been listening to any of it.

She spotted the box and climbed the highest shelf.

She scratched the lid open with one claw.

She jumped inside.

It was warm.

It was cozy.

It was exactly the right size.

PURRRRRRRRRR

Nobody disagreed.