Hi, my name is Tina.
This is my dog Hazel.
Hazel is very fat.
Why is my dog so fat? I really wanted to know.
So this morning I thought, "I know! I'll go ask my mom."
"Mom, why is my dog so fat?"
"Hazel's not fat dear," Mom said. "She is just half cow."
"But Mom… Hazel can't moo!"
"Of course she can't moo," Mom said.
"Then can Hazel make cheese?"
"No," Mom sighed. "I'm very busy right now dear. I know! Why don't you go ask Dad. I bet he'll know why Hazel is so fat." Mom can be strange sometimes.
"Dad, why is Hazel so fat?" "She better not be eating my snacks for the big game," Dad said.
"But Dad I thought this was the big game." "Remember what I always say..."
"…THEY’RE ALL BIG GAMES!" we yelled.
"That's a good girl," Dad said patting me on the head. Then he yelled at the TV and threw his popcorn. "Maybe you should go upstairs and ask your sister," Dad said. "I need to do my special cheer."
"The one where you stomp around and call the football people names? Can I help!?" Dad said "no," he can be pretty strange sometimes.
"What are you doing?" "Reading a book for school," my sister said. "Is it any good?" "It's about that icky romantic stuff. I don't think you'd like it," my sister said sticking out her tongue. "E
 Mushy stuff, your teacher is mean!"
"Do you know why Hazel is so fat?"
"Maybe Hazel is a queen," my sister said, "and her brave knights bring her all the cupcakes in the land."
"Ha! Ha! Ha! That's crazy!" I said laughing on the floor. Hazel licked me in the face, "Eww! Biscuit breath! Yuck!" "If I’m so crazy why don't you ask your brother?" "Fine I will!"
My sister can be strange sometimes.
I asked my brother, "why is Hazel so fat?"
"That's because at night Hazel turns into a giant monster and attacks the city with her doggy death breath! Then she eats everything in her path," my brother said.
He picked me up and put me on his shoulders. Then he stomped around the room and roared like a T-rex.
"AGAIN! AGAIN!"
"I can’t right now kid," my brother said. "I have to do my homework. Why don't you go play with Cousin Ben?"
"Not cousin Ben!"
My brother can be pretty strange sometimes, but Cousin Ben…
… is the strangest one of all.
"Hazel be fat because she’s a fearsome pirate, robbing the land lovers of all their foodstuffs! Yarr!" said Cousin Ben.
"Oh really?"
"Yarr, it be true! Just last week she ate me parrot with all the fixins. Twas tasty stuffing, Yarr!"
"HA! I win!" I yelled knocking the stick from Cousin Ben’s hand.
"Uh-Oh! Looks like the fearless pirate needs a potty break!" said Cousin Ben, and he ran screaming all the way back into the house. "AHHHHHHHH!"
I told you he was the strangest one of all.
Hmm. I guess I'll never know why my dog is so fat. There is no way Hazel could be a snack thief, pirate, half cow, monster, princess … Right?
"I need a detective. Are you a detective Hazel?" Hazel just looked at me funny and dropped her tennis ball at my feet. It was her way of saying, "Play with me!" "Okay Hazel, just a quick game."
Wait! Where is Hazel going?
I better follow that sneaky dog!
I thought I smelled biscuit breath!
Hazel has a second family!
She's sneaking extra snacks!
"Bad dog Hazel! The sad puppy eyes won't work on me this time!"
"No more snacks for you! You're going on a diet!"

Tina has a problem! Her dog is too fat, and she doesn't know why! Can her family help her solve the mystery?
