Mimi pushed her glasses up her beak. She just finished her advice column for Animal Academy Gazette. This week she was trying to solve a dispute between a puppy named Roxie and a chinchilla named Rory. They were fighting over who got a blingie rhinestone collar they both saw at the same time. Personally, Mimi thought that was ridiculous. Really? she thought. A full-blown war over a plastic collar? However, Mimi knew she shouldn’t judge. Friendship came in all shapes and sizes.
    
“Knock, knock,” someone said. Mimi turned around to see her best friend, Layla, at the door. That was a perfect example. One might guess they could never be friends with Mimi’s small, tweety bookworm appearance and Layla’s hulking size that came with her being a gorilla.
    
“Hey, Mimi,” Layla said, “I have a letter for you.”
    
Now that was unusual, Mimi thought. Almost no letters came in at this time of day.
    
“Are you sure it’s not old?”
    
Layla nodded. “Someone pressed it into my hand when I went to grab my backpack.”

Normally someone will drop it in the letterbox outside the room that teachers let Mimi use at night so no one would see her answering letters. She opened up the letter and read it out loud:

Dear Tweety Bird,
    
My best friend is really mad at me. I accidentally spilled juice all over my friend’s journal. I apologized, but she was still mad. Then I said she shouldn’t be so dramatic, and we got into a huge fight. I wish I had been more empathetic, but my friend is the king of “I told you so”s. I don’t want to admit I’m wrong, but I miss my friend. What should I do?
    
Signed,
Proud Puppy

H’mm. This was a tough letter. Mimi understood how it was to feel proud, but best friends should stay best friends. “Layla,” she called, “I need some help with this letter.”
    
Layla lumbered over. “I think maybe you should advise her to just make up with her friend.”
    
Mimi nodded. Friendship was important, and pride just harmed it.