"Even the Puppy Stayed to Listen" portrays a narrative in which a river spirit rises up to the surface to warn us of how things really are deep down below the surface—things we humans can't see or don't want to believe for ourselves. When the spirit arrives and begins to tell her story, the only creature who stayed to listen was an eager puppy. The puppy representing innocence, youth and universal pleasure holds a special power to believe, even in the face of adversity.