When I learnt that dogs and wolves share 98.8 percent of the same DNA, I thought really and wow and then I wrote this bedtime story for my dog...
photo by ldyck
These people had a pup and thought he was a dog. They tried to teach him to "come", "sit" and "stay".
The pup knew he was a wolf. He longed to run wild and be free. He howled at the moon.
The people told him to be quiet and brought him inside. They put him in a kennel so he couldn't see the moon.
One day, when the pup was on a walk, he slipped out of his collar. He ran fast; he ran far. He felt the wind in his fur. He felt the sun on his back. He smelled the wild smells. He heard the wild sounds. He ran and ran until he met a pack of wolves.
They showed him their razor-sharp teeth. "Go home, dog!"
"I'm not a dog. I'm a wolf," the pup told them. "I have no tags, no collar. I have no master; I will serve the pack."
The alpha wolf touched his nose to the pup's nose and brought him into the pack.
That evening, the pup married his voice with the other wolves as they paid homage to the moon. The pup dug a bed in the soft soil and slept under the stars, surrounded by his pack.
When thirst overtook him, the pup remembered how the humans would fill his bowl with fresh water from a jug they kept in the fridge.
"When do we drink?" he asked and the alpha wolf taught him how to crouch beside the river and drink.
The pup remembered his bowl of kibble.
"When do we eat?"
"Today is not a feasting day." He was told. All day he went hungry and daydreamed about his bowl of kibble.
That night the moon slipped behind a cloud and didn't show itself to the pack. Instead, the skies opened. The pup huddled with the pack as freezing rain dampened their coats. Shivering, he longed for his warm bed in his house miles away.
Early the following morning, the pup asked, "Can we eat today?"
"We are skilled hunters," the alpha wolf assured him. "Today we will feast."
They hunted for moose, deer, rabbit, beaver, mice. They found n--.
Far off in the distance, the alpha wolf spotted something and the pack howled with delight.
The pup strained his eyes and finally saw... Something white on the other side of a fence.
Quickly, the pack took turns digging a tunnel. Silently, they crawled through the tunnel and emerged on the other side of the fence. Working together, they surrounded the flock and drew the circle tighter and tighter and--.
A loud blast cut the air, and something flew right past the pup's ear.
"Gun! Run!" The pack barked.
The pup ran fast and he ran far. He didn't stop running until he was once again with his humans. And he learned how to "come". And he learned how to "sit." And he learned how to "stay."
photo by ldyck
And...
Wise islanders, tourists keep their eyes open while walking the streets of Mayne Island. That's what I did and I found...
photo by ldyck
Jason, one of my Mayne Island neighbours, is a talented carver. My island home--Mayne Island--abounds with his creations, and he has more to share. In fact, I think there isn't anything he can't create. Of particular interest to dog owners is his ability to capture a likeness of your canine friend for all time in wood. His work can also be found in Vancouver and elsewhere around the world.
"Hey, Jason," I said, "I'm publishing a dog-related short story on my blog. Your dog is so cute, so full of life. Can I take a picture and put it on my blog?"
"Please do," he said.
And so I did.
And...
photo by ldyck
Dragonfly is my dog Abby's favourite shop on Mayne Island. Usually, when we're out for a walk she insists that we stop and shop. Thankfully, Dragonfly has a lot of cool treats for humans too.
August on this blog...
