The world, for a little Basset Hound puppy named Winston, was a place of endless mystery and wonder. But at this particular moment, it was also a place of profound sadness. He sat on a rough wooden bench, his massive, velvety ears—which seemed to have a gravity of their own—pooling around his paws.

He wasn’t sure why he was sad. Maybe it was the butterfly that had just flitted by, a beautiful thing he couldn’t quite catch. Maybe it was the distant sound of a squirrel chattering, a sound full of promises of adventure he was too small to embark on. Or maybe it was just the sheer weight of his own existence, his big, soulful eyes telling a story of a hundred tiny sorrows he hadn’t even experienced yet.

His human knelt down in front of him, and Winston tilted his head, the wrinkles on his brow deepening. He didn’t need words to explain his feelings; his eyes said it all. “Why is the world so big?” they seemed to ask. “And why are my legs so small?”

With a gentle hand, his human scratched behind his ears, and for a moment, the weight of the world lifted. The sadness in his eyes softened, replaced by a glimmer of hope. He may be small now, but his world was just beginning. And with a nose that could track a scent for miles, and a heart full of love, he knew there was so much more to discover.