Post by ECRose on Mar 31, 2022 19:17:57 GMT -7
"Oh. Hello. I didn’t hear you come in. Welcome - please make yourself comfortable. Would you like to enjoy a story with me?"
This adventure begins with a very small puppy named Meringue...
Meringue stumbled up the back steps of her new home. She’d just finished exploring the back yard and was excited to see what other new sights and smells were waiting for her inside. She was a very small puppy, and she liked that because it meant treats, toys, and pillows seemed even bigger and more exciting.
She sniffed about in every room until her nose was feeling a bit dry and tired, which signaled the need to take a break and look out the big window in the front room. Perhaps there was something outside to bark at. Her voice was not tired.
Meringue’s toenails scratched and slipped against the upholstery as she made her clumsy climb onto the couch in front of the window. Now she had an excellent view of the front yard – and the house across the street. At that residence there were two very large dogs watching the passersby from the front porch.
Meringue hunkered down a bit and tried to conceal herself with the back of the couch, hoping she hadn’t already been seen. Those dogs were scary –they didn’t look very nice at all. She wanted to find something to teethe on to soothe herself, and yet she couldn’t look away.
That was when the faithful postal worker came into view with a stash of bills, credit card offers, and some exciting looking packages. Meringue watched as he approached the mailbox across the street. The pair of dogs leaped off the porch and bounded toward him, a barrage of deep barks heralding their advance. Oh no! The postman! They were going to eat him!
Meringue covered her eyes with her paws. She couldn’t watch! It was a cruel fate to suffer. Who would tell his family and friends? How would people get their long-awaited packages? Did postal workers taste like stamps? Should she call a K9 unit? She didn’t know the answer to any of these questions, and she retreated to her basket to chew her teething toy, hoping it would calm her down.
That was when the faithful postal worker came into view with a stash of bills, credit card offers, and some exciting looking packages. Meringue watched as he approached the mailbox across the street. The pair of dogs leaped off the porch and bounded toward him, a barrage of deep barks heralding their advance. Oh no! The postman! They were going to eat him!
Meringue covered her eyes with her paws. She couldn’t watch! It was a cruel fate to suffer. Who would tell his family and friends? How would people get their long-awaited packages? Did postal workers taste like stamps? Should she call a K9 unit? She didn’t know the answer to any of these questions, and she retreated to her basket to chew her teething toy, hoping it would calm her down.
If she stayed inside those dogs wouldn’t be able to bother her, but she needed to go out a lot because she was a very tiny puppy, so that would never do. Maybe they wouldn’t be able to see her in the back yard. It would be alright. She just couldn’t explore out front or go for walks. She gnawed on her teething chew until there was a big drool spot on the bedding in her basket and she fell into a fitful sleep.
When the siege of nightmares faded away, Meringue needed to go outside very badly. She pattered across the floor to the kitchen, hoping that she would make it to the back door in time.
Thankfully, she made it out onto the grass to do her business without incident. Feeling quite relieved in more ways than one, she strolled over to the flower bed to stretch and tug a few leaves off of a particularly interesting looking shrub.
That was when a cacophony of barking reached her ears. Oh no!
“Small dog!” barked the massive red dog.
“I saw her first!” snarled the white dog.
Meringue didn’t know which way to flee. They had already reached the back porch and were closing in. Left with no other choice she thrust herself into the bushes, clumsily digging and scratching at the dirt as she squeezed through the tangle of branches.
The pair of lumbering dogs halted at the foliage and appraised the small gap that Meringue had pushed her way through, their noses snuffling and huffing an alarming amount of hot breath. It didn’t smell like stamps. Meringue whimpered.
“Oh, she makes squeaky sounds!” laughed the white dog.
“Come out of there small dog!” ordered the red.
When the siege of nightmares faded away, Meringue needed to go outside very badly. She pattered across the floor to the kitchen, hoping that she would make it to the back door in time.
Thankfully, she made it out onto the grass to do her business without incident. Feeling quite relieved in more ways than one, she strolled over to the flower bed to stretch and tug a few leaves off of a particularly interesting looking shrub.
That was when a cacophony of barking reached her ears. Oh no!
“Small dog!” barked the massive red dog.
“I saw her first!” snarled the white dog.
Meringue didn’t know which way to flee. They had already reached the back porch and were closing in. Left with no other choice she thrust herself into the bushes, clumsily digging and scratching at the dirt as she squeezed through the tangle of branches.
The pair of lumbering dogs halted at the foliage and appraised the small gap that Meringue had pushed her way through, their noses snuffling and huffing an alarming amount of hot breath. It didn’t smell like stamps. Meringue whimpered.
“Oh, she makes squeaky sounds!” laughed the white dog.
“Come out of there small dog!” ordered the red.
“No! Go away! This is my yard and my momma has a spray bottle. She’ll get you with it if she sees you here!”
“Small dog is territorial,” noted the red dog.
The white dog began to dig her way into the bushes, her massive paws clearing the dirt like a warm blooded bulldozer.
“Charlotte! You’re going to get dirty. Then you’ll have to have a bath!”
Charlotte ignored him.
“Come here small, squeaky dog!”
Meringue had to move quickly to avoid getting clobbered by a large digging paw, which caused her to stumble over the edge of the flower bed and topple back onto the grass.
“Oh, there she is!” proclaimed the red dog gleefully.
Meringue tried to run away but the red dog grabbed her by the tail.
Meringue began to cry.
Meringue began to cry.
Charlotte disentangled herself from the landscaping, smeared with dirt and leaves like some kind of camouflaged soldier.
“What are you doing, Robbie?! Don’t pull her tail!”
“Mffrwyngn,” Robbie explained.
“Let her go!” Charlotte demanded as she gave Robbie’s shoulder a rough punch.
“Ow!”
“What are you doing, Robbie?! Don’t pull her tail!”
“Mffrwyngn,” Robbie explained.
“Let her go!” Charlotte demanded as she gave Robbie’s shoulder a rough punch.
“Ow!”
“Are you alright?” Charlotte asked Meringue.
“My sweater is dirty and my tail is slobbery and you’re going to eat me!” Meringue howled.
“My sweater is dirty and my tail is slobbery and you’re going to eat me!” Meringue howled.
“Eat you?” Charlotte gasped.
“Cannibalism,” Robbie whispered. “How morbid. Small dog is territorial and has dark thoughts.”
“We just wanted to say hello,” Charlotte explained. “What’s your name?”
“M-meringue.”
“I’m sorry we scared you, Meringue. We were just excited. Sometimes we just get a little carried away. I’m Charlotte and this is Robbie.”
“Hello,” Meringue sniffled.
“Don’t be sad. Your mom can wash your sweater. And, um, we have lots of toys. Do you like toys?”
“I do! Especially chew toys,” Meringue perked up.
“I hope you like baths. Because you and Charlotte are both going to need baths,” said Robbie.
Charlotte shook herself and sent the leaves fluttering to the ground.
“That didn’t help much.”
“Ah, well, I suppose I deserve it for forgetting my manners.”
“What did you do to the mailman?” Meringue asked bravely.
“Claude? We just helped him deliver the mail.”
“He had a box from CHEWY for us today!” Robbie barked. “I just couldn’t contain myself.”
“What was in the box?” asked Meringue.
“Oh we don’t know. Our people aren’t home to open it yet.”
“I have some guesses about what it might be though,” said Charlotte.
“I think it’s SHAMPOO,” said Robbie.
And the three dogs laughed, delighted with their newfound friendship.
Thank you for joining us today!
CREDITS:
Meringue - Bunni@Funfetti
Robbie - Ratqueen@RKC
Charlotte - ECRose@Mythic Silence
Ralph - ECRose@Mythic Silence