|
|
|
Right at the southernmost edge of Krumble there was a country home that stood almost in the center of nearly two acres of fields and trees and at the bottom of the back yard where green lawn was surrounded by flower beds. A narrow stream gurgled and sang over pebbles and small rocks, and because the water was so clear you could sometimes see small fish darting in and out of the rocks or hiding in the shadows with just the small movement of their tails giving them away. Sunny Creek Farm was the home where Veronica lived and she loved the old farmstead. It was a quiet peaceful place and she loved to sometimes just stand at her bedroom window and look across the fields where cows and sheep grazed, and when it was calving season one could hear the lowing of the cattle as mother cows called to their young, and in the stillness on a warm summer's day the lambs would bleat like children crying and the ewes would answer back. Porky and his friends liked to visit Veronica because she would go exploring with them when they roamed along the lanes that wound through the fields or along the stream bed, or just walk through the trees kicking the leaves and looking for birds' nests, or fox holes, or occasionally they might discover a badger's hideout. One Friday in the late afternoon after school, Porky asked Veronica if he, Snorkel and Dress could go home with her and they could go hiking up the hills at the back of the farm. Since it was summer time it stayed light until well after nine o'clock at night and being the weekend, their folks allowed them to stay out till 9pm but they had to be home not a minute later! Their parents thought that nine and ten year olds should not be roaming around after dark even though they trusted Veronica not to lead them into trouble. Veronica said she'd love to have them come home with her and they could stop by the Laytons and Hardys on the way and let them know where they would be. When they reached Sunny Creek Farm, Veronica asked her Mom if they could make some sandwiches to take with them when they went hiking and that they were going up in the hills behind the Farm. "Be careful to keep to the paths", Veronica's Mom admonished. "We don't know those hills too well, and we wouldn't know where to look if you got way out in the wilderness." They promised to be careful and after each of them stuck a sandwich and some cookies in their pockets, they set off through the back fields to the bottom of the wooded hills where a number of paths led up through the trees. “I do wish I had a dog." said Veronica softly, as they started along one of the paths, enjoying the springy feel of the earth and leaves under their feet. "ever since Raro was put down because of that accident, I've asked Mom and Dad if I can have another dog. but they said not unless one is given to me." Porky and the others knew how devastated Veronica had been when she lost Raro. He was a golden Labrador and the gentlest, sweetest dog they'd ever known. He would do anything Veronica asked him to do and would come down the road every day to meet her after school - they had been inseparable. A tourist had run over Raro speeding down the main street in Krumble just five weeks ago yet it only seemed like a day or two, and she especially missed him when going on hikes or walks. They climbed up the winding path in silence for a while, concentrating on reaching the skyline before it got too dark. The path wound around trees, large rocks and boulders and it was fun running along the trunk of a fallen pine tree, or scuffling the leaves that lay thick on the trail. Veronica was enjoying the peaty smell of the earth and having her friends with her when she thought she heard a sound. "Stop a minute, guys," she said, holding up her hand, "I'm sure I heard a sound like a dog whining. Listen, see if you can hear it too." All of them stood very still and silent, listening for any noise at all. Then they all heard it. A soft whining that seemed to come from their right but up the hill a ways through the pines and brush. Veronica said, "I know Mom said not to go off the path and get lost, but I HAVE to see if there's a dog hurt up there - you don't need to come, if you'd rather not," she said to the others, "but I'm going to climb up and find out where that whining is coming from. He sounds hurt to me and maybe he's been caught in a trap". The thought of an animal caught in a trap dismayed Porky and his friends and they all immediately told Veronica they were coming with her. They clambered up off the trail and it was steep climbing and they had to push through undergrowth, climb over large rocks and wend their way through the trees. Once or twice they called out, “Here, Boy! Where are you? Come here'" and each time there was an increased whining and a sharp bark that ended in a yelp and the youngsters were sure the dog was hurt. As they drew nearer to where they thought it was,they realized they had climbed a long way off the trail and couldn't even see it when they looked back and down - all they saw was the tree-covered hillside, moss-covered rocks and logs and leaves covering the ground like a carpet. "Oh LOOK!" cried Veronica as they puffed around a large rock and came upon a huge boulder that had obviously been dislodged and tumbled down from higher up the hill and had caught the hind quarters of a black and white collie that was lying motionless on the ground, the rock pinning it down so it couldn't move. As the youngsters drew closer it tried to wag its tail feebly but pain filled its eyes and it whined softly some more. Veronica knelt beside it and gently stroked its head and the dog's tongue tried to lick her hand but it seemed too weak to even do that. Snorkel told them they could move the boulder together but they would have to be VERY careful because the dog was lying at the bottom of it which meant they would have to somehow lift it up and over a little ways or it would simply fall back onto the dog. This meant they would actually have to stand the lower side of the dog and push upwards at the boulder, then step over it to move it to the side so it could roll downhill away from them. They also didn't want to hurt the dog any more if they could help it, and took a little while to figure out how to heave in one move and not in any way have to rock the boulder to get a leverage on it. As they tested how heavy it was by simply putting their hands against it without moving it, they felt they could do what was needed provided they were COMPLETELY in synch. So while they murmured encouraging sounds to the dog, they got in a line on its down side with Porky at one end, then Snorkel and Veronica in the middle to take the heaviest part, and Dress at the other end. As they stood in a straight line and found the best places to put their hands where they were sure they wouldn't slip or move, Veronica said that she would count to three and at THREE they would push up until the rock was lifted off the dog, then keep pushing up till they could step over it and all heave it to the left beyond the dog's tail and then let go so it could roll away. They felt it good that they had to step over the dog because then they were between the rock and the dog should it start to slide back and they could stop it before it touched the dog again. They stood firmly in their positions, and finding their hand grips on the side of the boulder they waited for Veronica to count. At the sound of her shouting, "THREE !", they all push up together as HARD as they could and the boulder lifted up. Then they step forward and upward over the dog and pushed as hard and as fast as they could to the left, and Porky, who was at that end, cried, "OK, let it roll!" and they watched it tumble down the hill crashing through the undergrowth until it came up against a tree trunk: and knocked a lot of bark off it but was stopped in it's descent. Looking at the dog lying on the ground they could see it was hurt badly and because there was no blood, Veronica and the others were afraid that there might be internal injuries and maybe some broken bones. The dog tried to move but whimpered in pain and lay back. Now what to do? They had no idea how far they were from the trail and certainly didn't know how to get the dog down there without perhaps doing more damage to it. Porky said perhaps some of them should go scouting around and see if there was a house or something around since maybe the dog belonged to someone who lived in the hills, and the others could stay with the dog. Snorkel said he'd be happy to go exploring and if Porky wanted to go with him that would be fine and the girls could stay with the injured dog. This seemed a good idea to them all, so they started off and said they would break branches as they went along so they would know how to find their way back to that spot again. They wanted to do this as fast as they could before darkness fell and so they set off looking for some sort of trail. Porky noticed one that seemed a narrow path that didn't look like it was used much, but a path, never-the-less, and they followed it as best they could for about half a mile. It led up and to the right of where they had been and led them to a log cabin sprawled under a canopy of oak and fir branches as the trees formed a natural hideaway for the building. There was a wooden porch in front of the cabin door and as they drew nearer, the door opened and a slim woman clothed in a long forest green dress that hung in folds to her ankles, and had a brown leather belt at the waist, came out to meet them. A black and white collie bounded out, pushing past her and barking furiously and rushed up to Porky and Snorkel, who stood stock still and held their breath, wondering if they would get eaten for supper! "Brock, heel!" called the lady and the dog immediately turned back and went to sit on the porch near its mistress. She smiled at the two friends and said, "Hi. I don't often have visitors here - what can I do for you?" Porky told her they had found an injured dog down the hillside and had come looking to see if they could find its home. As soon as he described the dog, the woman turned pale, and gasped, "That must be Scratch, that's Brock's brother - he left early this morning and I was wondering where he was. He often goes off for hours so I wasn't worried. We must go at once - I have a large wooden plank behind the cabin. We can take that and lay a blanket on it and see if we can bring him home on the makeshift stretcher ". They introduced themselves and found out that her name was Raylene, and that she lived alone with Brock, Scratch and a litter of five puppies that belonged to Brock -which accounted for her rushing out and barking. Raylene said. she was protecting her little ones. Raylene got the wide plank and a blanket and they went down the hill looking for the broken tree branches that showed them where the two had come from. When they reached the girls and Scratch, the dog tried to get up to welcome his mistress but he yelped in pain and had to sink back on the ground. Raylene felt over Scratch's body with hands that probed ever so gently, and she breathed in relief after her examination. “ Well, I don't think there's any really bad internal injuries, " she said, “There will be a lot of bruising and I think his left thigh is broken but that will heal and I can immobilize it with a splint. He'll be very sore for a while but he'll heal. I can't thank you all enough for finding him and finding me. May I ask if you could help me get Scratch back to my home?”' The four friends and Raylene managed to get Scratch on the blanketed plank without moving him too much and moving the broken thigh and they carried him home in high style. Brock came rushing out as they drew near the cabin and went into a frenzy of excitement when she saw and smelled Scratch. Raylene had to give her commands to STAY, more than once to stop her knocking against the ones carrying the plank and spilling Scratch off it. When they had got him lying as comfortably as they could on a blanket in the large comfy living room which went the length of the cabin, Raylene asked if they'd like to see Brock's puppies. Would they ever!! They went out the back of the cabin to a small shed and as they entered, Brock growled but hushed up when Raylene told her to stop. In a large cardboard box on the floor under the window of the shed were five roly poly puppies. Two black and white, two pure black and one odd dog out that was brown with white paws and white neck. One of the blacks was a female and one of the black and white was female too, but the others were all male. The pups were about six weeks old and pushing and gnawing on each others' ears and rolling over and over in the box. Porky and his friends were soon down on their knees playing with them and having a great old time. Raylene had heard it was Veronica who had heard Scratch whining and if she hadn't he might have died under the boulder. She was so grateful to her and asked if she'd like one of the puppies as a reward. Veronica was thrilled as she looked at them, and she told Raylene about Rafe and how she had lost him and wanted another dog so badly, but her folks had said no, unless she was given one. Now she could take one home since it was a gift, and Raylene said she could choose which ever one she liked, so she chose …… and decided to call it….. ? By this time, it was getting dark and they knew they might be late. Raylene said she didn't have a phone as she was so far out in the hills with no neighbors, but she had a four wheel drive jeep that was an open vehicle with just a hand bar between the back seat and front seat and no roof on it, and she offered to take them back to Sunny Creek if they would like that? They thought this would be fun and piled into the jeep, Veronica holding her new puppy tightly. The road went behind the cabin and down the hill which was why they hadn't seen it on the way up. "You'll have to come back and see us again" said Raylene , "you can play with the puppies before they get too big and I have to sell them. I come into Krumble every Saturday to do my shopping and perhaps we could meet there and I could bring you back up the hill?" The friends thought that would be a GREAT idea and said they would ask their parents and let her know. She had a box in the Post Office where they could leave her a message, since she didn't have a phone. As they were winding their way down the hill the jeep bounced and shook as it encountered roots and small holes and little rocks in the road All of a sudden, Dress shouted, "HOLD it! Porky's not in the Jeep any more!". And sure enough there were just Veronica and her puppy, Snorkel, Dress with Raylene at the wheel and not a sign of Porky. "Oh dear," Raylene exclaimed, " He must have been bounced off on one of the curves, we must go back but there's nowhere to turn this thing around, the path's too narrow." She brought the jeep to a stop and put on the emergency brake and got out. Snorkel and Dress jumped down too, but they told Veronica to stay in the jeep as they were afraid if she put the puppy down he'd run off and they'd never catch him, especially as it was getting dark now. The other three then start back up the road they had come from, calling Porky's name. No answering call and they began to get worried They had back tracked about half a mile and were calling, " Porky, Porky, can you hear us? Where are you?" and finally they heard his familiar voice responding. "Hey, guys, I'm up here on a log". They climbed up a short way towards where they heard his voice coming from and found Porky sitting stride a thin tree trunk that had fallen across a deep ditch. He was leaning over trying to reach something they couldn't see. As the reached him they saw a small animal floundering around in the ditch that was full of water and Porky was trying unsuccessfully to help it get out. It looked like a baby raccoon by the markings they could see on its body As it struggled to climb out of the ditch it kept sliding back into the water. Snorkel reached over and grabbed it with both hands and lifted it up on to the log. Porky grinned and clapped his hooves together. "I'm SO glad you came right now - I fell off the Jeep when you drove over a hole, but you were gone so fast I couldn't get my breath to call and you were out of sight round the next bend. Then I heard this splashing noise and came to investigate. I've been trying to get this animal out of the ditch but my arms weren't long enough." The poor little raccoon was very bedraggled and miserable and weak from struggling so hard but it was very happy to be safe and among friends. Porky asked him if his Mommy was nearby but the little one said he didn't have a Mommy so Porky said he had a friend called Molly who had a raccoon friend called Frosty, and if he liked, he would take him and ask Molly if he could stay with them. They asked him what his name was and learned it was Acorn because he had been born at the bottom of an oak tree in a hole in the trunk. So Dress carried Acorn back down to the Jeep and the set off once more and this time they reached Sunny Creek Farm safely and the clock was just striking nine as the Jeep drove up to the front door. Veronica's folks came out when they heard the Jeep pull up and were surprised to see everyone who climbed out of it! Raylene was introduced and the story told about how they had found Scratch, and because it was Veronica who had first heard him, she was given the puppy. Veronica reminded her parents of their promise she could have a dog if it was given to her and they smiled and said, that was right. When they saw him they thought he might learn to herd sheep when he grew older and could be trained easily as it would be in his blood. Actually, they seemed very pleased to have him and Veronica felt happy and ----- seemed to sense he was accepted as family, and wagged his tail and tried to lick her face. Porky had to show Acorn to the folks and they were fascinated to learn of how he was rescued. Snorkel asked if he could call his folks and the Hardy's as they would be later than 9pm getting home, and so he called and put their minds at rest. Raylene said she had to be getting home back up the hill and received an okay from Veronica's parents for her to visit again and see the puppies and take ________back to see its mother and brothers and sisters once more. Porky and his friends caught the last bus back into town and the next day he took Acorn over to Molly's and Frosty was delighted to have a little raccoon friend to play with, and Molly said it was fine for him to live with them. Back at Sunny Creek Veronica and _________ were fast becoming the friends that Raro and she had been, and even though she still missed Raro a lot, now she felt her empty spot was filled and the two of them went everywhere together when she was home, and she felt the saying was so true that a dog IS a man's best friend - and a girl's too! So YOU guess which puppy Veronica chose, and what she named him ? ********************* Goessoftly Retired Therapist www.goessoftlyishere.com (No Copies Allowed) | PIGMUS STORY 1. Heather | PIGMUS STORY 2 Nancy | PIGMUS STORY 3. Drew | PIGMUS STORY 4 Holly | PIGMUS STORY 5 Nobody | PIGMUS STORY 6 Mollie | PIGMUS STORY 7 Heidi | PIGMUS STORY 8 . Veronica | PIGMUS STORY 9. Nichole | PIGMUS STORY 10. Stephanie | Sunny | Merry Flipper | | THE HEALING PROCESS | DISSOCIATIVE IDENTITY DISORDER | POETRY | Biographical Entries | THE OTHER SIDE OF LIFE | STORIES FOR LITTLES (Pigmus and friends) | |
||