The Casebook of the Seven Marvelous Mysteries: Pride

The adventures of one very intelligent otter, a sleuth German shorthaired pointer, a cuddly army-doctor hedgehog, and one very feisty ferret.

Title:  The Casebook of the Seven Marvelous Mysteries
Type:  Illustrated Childrens Book of Bedtime Stories (supporting Illustrations described, not rendered (yet))
Ages:  Preschool to first grade (4..7)
Genre: Mystery/Adventure 
Plots/stories: Per your imagination
Characters: Petting zoo, farm or household animals (North America)
Extra-credit: Each story, seven in total, based upon one of the Seven Deadly Sins (or other age-suitable moral lesson).
--------------------------------------------------------
-Pride-

Brooke was a very unique otter. She had silky black fur and beautiful blue eyes. But what really made her special was her brains. Brooke was very intelligent. She could memorize maps and books, and she would know where another creature lived just by glancing at their fur. 

But Brooke was also very proud. She liked to show off and insult the less-intelligent. Especially Gretchen.

Gretchen was a German shorthaired pointer. She was a detective. With her keen nose to help, she made a spectacular sleuth. She was smart, of course, but not as smart as Brooke. 

And even though Gretchen admired Brooke, the otter found it nearly impossible to make friends. She was very rude--although not always intentionally--and was easily bored of ordinary things. 

Especially ordinary things.

One day, on a chilly fall morning, Brooke decided to use the lab at St. Bark's. She removed her blue scarf and wool coat before bumping into Mike.

"Oops, sorry, Brooke," the pudgy pug mumbled, stepping off to one side, "Didn't see you there." 

She scowled, ignoring him as she swept past. She didn't have time for his mundane apologies. There was work to be done!

Dutifully, he followed her. "So... how you found yourself a flatmate yet?"

Brooke scoffed, "It's unlikely that I ever will. It would be difficult to find someone who'd be able to tolerate my level of intellect." She whirled about, shooting the chubby dog a dangerous look. "Stop following me. I can sense your feeble mind trying to think, and it's distracting."

And with that, she turned on her heel, leaving Mike to stare after her in bewilderment. 

As she darted into the lab, Brooke felt a little guilty for snapping at Mike. He was always nice to her, which was more than she could say for anyone else, but she wouldn't apologize. There was no way that she would admit that she was being mean. She was too proud to allow it.

Brooke studied and ran experiments all morning, still feeling guilty about being rude to the pudgy pug. For the first time in a long time, she felt lonely. No one really talked to her because she was so abrasive. Even Gretchen kept her at an arm's length. Brooke heaved a deep sigh. Maybe she was just meant to be alone. 

Or, at least, that's what she thought until Mike ran into an old friend outside Bark's.

//END CHAPTER 1//

Author's Note

Another wonderful prompt! There will be seven in all, based on the seven deadly sins. This is also very loosely related to Sherlock Holmes, so... **DISCLAIMER! I do not own Sherlock Holmes or any of the actors involved (unfortunately), and all rights go to Moffat, Gatiss, and Sir Doyle, respectively.**

Reviews

[Ufi Auttorri ~ Amy C. T..]

Hi aunty Em!! Love the characters!! Yea, I'm hooked... let the adventure continue! :)

CONFUSED: I'm sensing a blending of dimensional shifts; is my reader-eye supposed to be seeing the woodsy outdoors from inside a human school or the other way around or something else entirely? Perhaps it's the animal characters (or are they persona's (or animal attributes of real humans perhaps) that seem to swim in an out of focus. Please help this worldly-experience-limited young reader nail down the context and images to something they can relate to. I think it would be OK to insert your ideas for pictures too; something in [{description}] brackets perhaps?

{oozing with pride, the good kind} ^_^

[Emma Lee-Riviera]

I'll have a go at reworking it. I couldn't decide if I wanted them inside or outside at first, so you probably felt my puzzlement. :)

[Ufi Auttorri ~ Amy C. T. Serrat]

Aye, matey! Puzzlerrrereded t'wer I! &:Q {Awk! What he said! ..Quiet Polly!}

[Emma Lee-Riviera]

Lol you're so cute. :3