THE LITTLE
BLACK PUPPY
Copyright Š Paula Adele Harrison 2013
Reproduction in any form without permission is prohibited. All rights reserved.
The following is based on a true story. Yoda is a rare, black Podenco - a Spanish hunting dog, rescued by an English couple now living in Spain. He lives happily with his good friend and mentor Sparki, as well as at the last count, thirty-two ducks, one chicken and a cat. We hope the story of Yoda becomes a story of hope for all those animals abandoned, abused or lost in the world, and that they too find love and happiness one day.
O
nce upon a time, on a warm spring day, a little black puppy with four white feet was born. He wasn’t the prettiest of puppies, with his skinny little body, huge ears and long tail, but he was cute in an awkward, gangly sort of way. He knew he didn’t look like all the other puppies in the valley with their golden coats and perky little ears, but he was happy and his mummy loved him. He spent his days chasing butterflies and grasshoppers or just lazing in the sun while he waited for his mummy to return with food.
One day, while he was watching the butterflies flit from flower to flower and dreaming about what delicious snacks his mummy might bring back for tea, he heard a noise. A big, loud, scary noise. A noise he had only heard the other puppies talk about in whispered tones late at night. A crash and a growl from somewhere behind him. A thump and then another thump and another. He did as his mummy had told him to do and stayed as still as a mouse. His whole body shaking from fear and his heart beating so loud it reached right down to the tip of his tail.
The thumps came nearer and nearer and then stopped right behind him. The sun disappeared as a great shadow loomed over. He closed his eyes and prayed his mummy would return to save him. Suddenly a big, meaty hand grabbed him by his ears and lifted him clear into the air. He wriggled and struggled, but couldn’t break free. He opened his eyes and saw the biggest, ugliest face he had ever seen.
All of a sudden he was dropped into a dark hessian sack. He had trouble breathing and gasped for air as the rough material rubbed against his soft nose. He wanted to cry out for help, but no sound escaped. His little body twisting and thumping as he felt himself being dragged along the ground. This went on for what seemed an age until finally it stopped.
Exhausted and frightened his body went limp as again the big hand grabbed his ears and removed him from the sack. He heard the ‘clank clank’ of metal and felt something cold and hard being put around his neck before he was flung to the ground. Slowly he opened his eyes and noticed the stars were out – it was night time and he was all alone. He tried to move, but he realised he was chained to an old rusty car. He pulled and wriggled, but couldn’t break free. Eventually he gave up and through fear and exhaustion he cried himself to sleep.
The next morning he woke with the sun beating down on him. His little black nose was starting to crack and his body was covered in flies. His belly started to growl with hunger and he thought of all the lovely things his mummy used to bring him to eat. Sometimes there would be bread or rice. Other times there would be meat or pizza. Whatever it was, he used to lap it up without a care in the world. As the sun started to set he heard a noise and slid further under the car. He hoped it wasn’t the monster coming back, but as he peered out he saw a little brown and white dog with a short waggy tail trot past.
‘H h hello.’ he stuttered. His mouth dry from lack of water. ‘Can’t stop now.’ came the reply. ‘But wait!’ the little puppy cried. ‘OK, just for a minute.’ said the little dog impatiently. ‘What do you want?’ ‘Where am I?’ asked the puppy. ‘Well, you’re here, in this field tied to a car of course.’ replied the little dog. ‘But why?’ ‘Well, I don’t know why do I. Is that all, because I’ve got to go, I’ve got a date.’ said the little dog. ‘No, wait, please. What’s your name?’ cried the puppy. ‘My name’s Sparki. What’s yours?’ ‘Oh, I don’t know. I don’t think I’ve got a name. Where do you come from?’ asked the puppy. ‘Just over there.’ said Sparki, pointing across the fields to a little white house.
‘Do you live on your own?’ asked the puppy ‘Oh no, I have owners. They also have a cat, a chicken and a few ducks as well. We all live together. It’s very nice I must admit. I get fed twice a day, I get to stay inside at night and in the winter they have a toasty fire so I don’t get cold.’ ‘Oh’, said the puppy, thinking how lovely it all sounded. ‘Where are you going now then?’ ‘I’m going to meet my girlfriend. We like to take a stroll down to the bins on Mondays. There’s normally really good pickings first day after the weekend.’ ‘Oh’, said the little puppy again. His growling stomach reminding him how hungry he was.
‘Anyhow, must go.’ said Sparki, ‘She doesn’t like it when I’m late. Bye for now.’ and off he trotted. ‘Yes OK, see you soon.’ replied the little puppy as he watched Sparki disappear across the field. That night, the little puppy dreamt of food and fires and families. He dreamt of being cuddled and loved and being taken care of.
For the next week, the little puppy watched the happy Sparki trot past every day on his way to see his girlfriend. It was always the same. He’d shout out ‘Hello’ and Sparki would always reply ‘Can’t stop now’ as he trotted past. By the end of the week, the little puppy was so hungry and so sad. Since that first night, he hadn’t tried to escape from the chain that tied him to the car as it had made his neck sore with all the rubbing. But that night as he waited for Sparki to return home, he decided to have another go at wriggling out of the collar.
To his surprise, it felt looser than it had before. At first he just wriggled a little bit so as not to hurt himself, but when he realised he had managed to get it up to his ears, he decided to wriggle harder. He pulled and twisted and wriggled and stretched. Suddenly one ear popped out from under the collar and then the other. With one last almighty pull he tumbled backwards out of the collar. He was free!! He was free!! But what now? He didn’t know where he was. He didn’t know where his mummy was. What should he do?
Just then he saw Sparki trot past on his way back home. As quiet as a mouse the little puppy followed. Suddenly Sparki stopped, looked left and right and then disappeared into a bush. The little puppy waited a few minutes and then crept up to the bush. Peering in, he could see a little path which led to a fence that had a hole in it. Carefully he squeezed through the hole and in the fading light he saw Sparki skip up some steps and disappear into a little white house.
The little puppy crept across the garden and quietly curled up under a big tree. After a while, he could hear the ducks talking about him. Whispers at first, but then louder and louder. ‘Someone’s there! Can you see it. Look, a shadow under the tree.’ whispered one to the other. ‘It’s a monster!! cried another. ‘A monster!! Oh my! A monster! Save my eggs. My eggs!!’ screeched another. ‘Ladies, Ladies, please. Stop your quacking. It most certainly is not a monster. It’s a puppy’ said a calmer, deeper voice.
‘A puppy? Are you sure?’ asked the ducks. ‘Yes, absolutely.’ replied the deeper voice, ‘Now then, you out there. What’s your name and why are you here?’ ‘I don’t have a name.’ answered the puppy ‘but I’m going to live here.’ ‘Live here! Well, I don’t know about that.’ came the reply. ‘No one talked to me about it. There will have to be a meeting. Yes, we’ll have a meeting tomorrow. That’s what we’ll do’ said the deep voice. ‘Now, settle down everyone and get some sleep. We’ve got a busy day tomorrow.’ And with that, all the ducks settled back down and the puppy curled up under the tree and they all went to sleep.
The next morning the puppy woke to the sound of birds twittering in the trees and the whispered quacks of curious ducks. Suddenly the door to the little white house opened and Sparki trotted out followed by a very old cat. ‘Morning everyone.’ chimed Sparki. ‘Morning.’ purred the cat as she stretched. Just then, Sparki noticed the puppy under the tree. ‘Hey you! What you doing here?’ ‘Now, now, calm down.’ quacked the duck. ‘ He says he’s going to live here. We’ve scheduled a meeting. Get that fussy hen Wilmar over here and we’ll start before breakfast.’
With a huff, Sparki went to collect Wilmar, all the while mumbling to himself. ‘ That duck - always bossing everyone around. Thinking he’s in charge!!’ All the animals gathered round and for the next few minutes the puppy could hear them whispering and arguing. ‘OK, that’s settled!’ said the duck finally. ‘You can stay, but there are rules. You don’t chase the ducks, you never upset Hannah the cat and you always do as you’re told. Sparki is responsible for you. He will show you the ropes. Now then, where’s my breakfast, I’m famished!!’
Over the next few months the puppy was the happiest he’d ever been. Sparki had been true to his word. He was fed twice a day and if it was cold he had a fire. He spent his nights sleeping on a sofa and his days playing in the garden. Unbeknown to him, with all the love and care he was receiving, he had grown into a big, strong, handsome black dog. And the very best thing of all, he had a name. They had all decided to call him Yoda. Apparently something to do with his big ears. But he didn’t care, all that mattered was that he belonged.
Later that summer, not long after Sparki and Yoda had settled down for the night, they heard loud, panic screeching from the ducks in the garden. They both jumped up and dashed outside to see what all the commotion was about. In the light of the moon they could see ducks running and flapping everywhere and in the middle of the commotion was the biggest, most ferocious dog they had ever seen. Without a seconds thought, Sparki, hackles raised and teeth bared, charged towards the dog. But the dog was too big for him and with a swipe of his paw he sent Sparki flying through the air and crashing against the tree.
Yoda, incensed by what he saw, leapt onto the dog’s back and dug his teeth deep into the dog’s neck. The big dog cried out and flung Yoda off. But Yoda wasn’t to be deterred. Again and again he attacked the dog. They growled, snarled and snapped at each other. They began to tumble and roll, their teeth ripping into each other’s flesh. Yoda could feel his ears stinging from the wounds the big dog had inflicted, but still he continued. Finally the big dog realised he was beaten and fled with his tail between its legs.
Yoda, beaten and worn, limped over to where Sparki was now sitting. ‘You did well son.’ said Sparki. ‘I thought we were all gonnas for a while there. I don’t think he’ll be coming back very soon. Come on, we’d better see what the damage is.’ and together they walked around the garden checking on all the ducks. One by one the ducks started to appear from their hiding places. ‘Has it gone?’ asked one ‘Yes, it’s gone’ replied Sparki. ‘All thanks to Yoda here. He fought bravely.’ ‘Three cheers for Yoda’ cried another of the ducks. ‘Hip, Hip, Hooray, Hip, Hip, Hooray. Hip, Hip, Hooray’
To this day, Yoda still hears the ducks whispering about him when he passes. But now they are telling their children about Yoda - the little black puppy that saved them all. He still lives in the little white house with his friend Sparki, but now he also has a job, a purpose - to protect his friends - his family. The End