Lily and Chloé look forward to hearing from you....
This is a wonderful short story submitted to basset hound town by Jill Keating. I found it totally engrossing. I think you will as well. Thank you Jill for this wonderful story. You are very talented! Love Cat, Chaps and Emma
1-4-09
HOUNDED TO DEATH
by Jill Keating
Jaxie and I have been best friends for as far back as either of us can remember, but if we hadn’t been raised on the same street, we almost certainly would not be. My childhood was all about ballet lessons and Barbie. Hers was all about playing football with the boys and GI Joe. Her real name is Jacqueline Jones, but no one calls her that, not even her mother. If Mrs. Jones was expecting a daughter who was as elegant and sophisticated as Jackie O., she was destined to be disappointed.
Jaxie and I share a small house in Pasadena, which is kind of nice, and kind of a trial, too. Recently, she had started a new job at a dog grooming shop, and she had been obsessed with getting a dog ever since. Frankly, I was less than thrilled by the idea, so when Jaxie came home from work one night and lifted a tri-color basset hound out of the passenger side of her little red pickup, I was a little concerned.
“Don’t panic, Darlene” Jaxie told me. “Stupid, damn Cynthia Johnson brought Gertrude in this morning for a bath and never came back to pick her up. Honest to God, she is just as flaky now as she was in high school. I’ve been waiting and trying to call her for two freaking hours. I even drove to her house to find her. I was just going to stick Gerty in her back yard,” Jaxie pointed accusingly at Gertrude, “until she started howling her head off…”
“Swell,” I said without enthusiasm. “So you decided to bring her here.”
My beautiful, Oriental cats took off for parts unknown as Gertrude took an olfactory tour of the house, her long ears swinging form side to side. Then in a deft leap I would not have thought possible for a dog with such short legs, she was on our sofa. She pushed all of my decorative, handmade pillows onto the floor, settled down, and looked at us with disinterest.
After two weeks, I had to admit that I was getting kind of attached to her. To my complete surprise, Gertrude and the cats hit it off right away. Even better, I’d often thought about going to college to study psychology. I thought it would be a huge advantage when dealing with some of my ‘high maintenance’ clients. (Not to mention Jaxie.) And Gertrude was a Pavlovian training lesson come to life.
One morning, for example, Gertrude barked imperiously from the kitchen. Jaxie ran to see what she wanted only to find that Gertrude was standing in front of the refrigerator. Gertrude looked back and forth between the fridge and Jaxie expectantly. I watched as Jaxie removed one item at a time from the fridge and offered it to Gertrude for her approval. “No.” She said. “Not bologna. No. Not a hot dog. Aha!” Jaxie was finally triumphant. “It’s Swiss cheese she wants.” This scene played itself out so many times a day that eventually Jaxie decided to keep a deli tray in the fridge for the sake of convenience.
In an effort to console Jaxie, who was spending a lot of extra time and money buying Gertrude gourmet dog food and cold cuts, I told her that this was a good opportunity for her to practice being dog owner.
“Gertrude is not exactly what I have in mind, Darlene.” Jaxie said. She sat slumped on the floor so Gertrude could have her usual spot on the couch. “Look at me.” She said pointing to her short, recently tinted, ‘fire engine red’ hair. “I need a dog with style; something really flashy and exceptional. Gertrude is alright, I guess, but she’s a hillbilly dog.”
In the meantime, we tried everything we could to track down Cynthia. We called Cynthia’s sister and her parents. No one was the least bit concerned about her whereabouts, nor did anyone have the slightest desire to take Gertrude. The consensus was that Cynthia had temporarily run off with some new guy or gone on a binge. Apparently, this was not her first disappearance.
I guessed that Cynthia’s family was probably right, and I was understandably annoyed. Jaxie, however, had formulated a theory of her own. It was obvious, she told me at breakfast one morning. “Cynthia has been murdered.” Jaxie leaned conspiratorially across the kitchen table. “And I think I know who did it.”
I almost choked on my Raisin Bran. “Jaxie, I really don’t think this situation needs more drama than it has already. “
“I mean it Darlene. The more I think about it, the more I think Cynthia was acting nervous the day she dropped Gerty off. She seemed sort of distracted.”
“Oh, please. Cynthia was born distracted.” I told her. But Jaxie was convinced that something sinister had happened. In the end, I decided it was easier to placate her. So, against my better judgment, I agreed to accompany Jaxie on a visit to Cynthia’s ex-boyfriend Noah.
Noah was working as a cook in a local restaurant owned by Jack Miller whom my mother had gone to school with. After some checking around, I learned that Noah had rented Miller’s guest cottage.
After work that night, Jaxie and I parked her truck in front of Miller’s house, locked Gertrude in the cab, and walked down the shared driveway to a cute little cottage made out of rough-hewn bricks and surrounded by wild rosebushes. It looked like it belonged in an English novel not in Jack Miller’s backyard. The idea of Noah living here was laughable.
Noah graduated two classes ahead of Jaxie and me. He had tattoos before they were fashionable, and he played in a vicious sounding thrasher band.
If I had any hope that I had outgrown my uneasiness of Noah, it was quickly dispelled. He stuck his head through a small crack in the door, blocking the view inside with his body. He looked at Jaxie and me with a contemptuous smirk. His eyes were like twin black holes. Noah withdrew his head back into the house and shut the door again. We heard him moving away from the door.
I looked at Jaxie uncertainly. Had we just been dismissed, or what? Even Jaxie looked perplexed.
Noah’s door opened again. This time his whole body accompanied his head outside. He stood on the porch and closed the door tightly behind him. I remembered that I thought he was kind of scary in high school, but I had forgotten that he was so hot!
His ebony hair was just-rolled-out-of-bed tousled. The only thing he was wearing was a pair of faded blue jeans that were slung low across his flat belly. His arms and chest were a canvas of colorful tattoos. It started to rain lightly, and I imagined that each drop sizzled when it touched his skin.
“What do you losers want?” He took a puff off of a cigarette he was holding between his thumb and index finger.
Jaxie was not intimidated. “We’re looking for Cynthia.”
Noah squinted his eyes against the self-inflicted secondhand smoke. “Yeah? So what the hell has that got to do with me?”
“Well, no one has seen her for awhile, and Darlene and I are getting a little concerned.” Jaxie looked at him meaningfully. “We’re thinking maybe it’s time to call the police, but we thought we’d talk to you first.”
Noah shrugged his shoulders and flicked his cigarette onto the gravel path. “She’s probably at some sleazy, local motel getting her brains fucked out. Not my problem.”
Before Jaxie could respond, we heard the sliding glass door from the main house slam open. Miller yelled, “Hey, get the fuck out of here!” He bent down, grabbed a small rock, and threw it into some nearby rose bushes. Out came Gertrude at top basset hound speed, her tail tucked between her legs and her long ears flapping.
Gertrude slid to a stop in front of us. She rolled her big, brown eyes back toward the imposing figure of Jack Miller and did her now familiar ‘Gertrude-the-silent-film-star swoon’ which usually preceded going out in the rain, taking a bath, or doing anything else she did not want to do.
“Is that your dog?” Miller demanded. Jaxie nodded mutely, unprepared for the sudden attack.
“Well, you better keep it off my property!” he yelled. He retreated back into his own house and slammed the sliding glass door shut.
“So, Cynthia disappeared and left you with her stupid dog?” Noah snickered and shook his head. “You two really are a couple of losers.” He went inside and left us standing on his front porch with Gertrude lying next to us, all four feet in the air, and her head thrown back dramatically.
When we got back to the truck, the passenger side door and window were covered with basset hound nose prints. Apparently, Gertrude had shoved her long nose under the door handle just enough to open the door.
After seeing Noah, I really did feel like a loser, but Jaxie was excited. “Did you see the way he was acting? He’s obviously hiding something, Darlene.” She looked at me slyly. “I’m going back tonight when Noah and Jack Miller are at work to have a good look around.”
Late that night, we parked Jaxie’s truck in an inconspicuous place, locked Gertrude in the cab, and fervently hoped that she remained there.
The weather was disgusting. If there was a moon, it was wisely hiding behind the clouds, so it was pitch black. Big puddles of rainwater lurked all over the lawn, and as I stepped in another one I silently cursed myself for letting Jaxie talk me into her mystery investigation nonsense. She had brought a flashlight, but she insisted that we could not turn it on until we were out of the neighbor’s sight. I was getting wetter and more exasperated by the second.
Finally, our waterlogged sneakers found the gravel path. Jaxie knocked twice on Noah’s wooden front door. She tapped out four or five seconds with an impatient foot as she waited, then assured that no one was home, she pressed her ear against the sodden wood of the door and listened. Obviously, she was not going to hear a damn thing over the drumming of the rain, but by now she was in full Nancy Drew mode. Why let a little thing like common sense stop her?
Jaxie twisted the doorknob and gave the heavy door a hard shake. It didn’t budge. Thankfully, all of the windows proved to be locked as well. After trying to force open the last one, she smacked her hand against the rough-hewn brick in frustration. Then, in the darkness, she grew still. Too still. The kind of still that could only mean she was forming another one of her brilliant ideas.
Jaxie took her gloves off and shoved them roughly into her jacket pocket. Then, she scrunched the fingers of both hands into the cracks between the rough-hewn bricks above her head. I watched dubiously as Jaxie tested the strength of her hand holds, then satisfied that they would support her, she wedged the toes of her tennis shoes into a couple of lower cracks and started up the side of the cottage Spiderman style.
I rushed to get below her perch on the wall. “Jaxie this is ridiculous. You’re going to get hurt. We’ll come back and try again when the weather is better.” It was a lie, of course. As far as I was concerned the next time she decided to do something stupid, she could do it alone.
“I’m doing great.” She panted down to me as she continued to climb. She was only about three feet from the roof by this time. “Maybe I’ll be able see the crime scene by looking down through the skylight.” Yeah, sure, I thought. And maybe she’ll see the entire cast of CSI inside working on it, too.
Finally, her hand grasped the edge of the roof. With the strength of her sports sculpted arms, the scraping of her feet, and a rather unladylike grunt, she dragged herself up onto the roof. She laid on the edge with her feet hanging over for a few seconds to get her breath, then hitched herself onto her feet and walked tentatively along the top of the house towards the skylight.
I backpedaled until I could see the dark outline of Jaxie’s silhouette above me. She was a shadow in the darkness. I watched worriedly as her shadow approached the skylight, took out her flashlight and shined it down into the house.
A few minutes later, I heard Jaxie yell “Oh, crap!” Her shadow moved quickly down the slope of the roof. It waved its arms wildly fighting for balance, sat down very hard on its behind, and flew off the roof.
I wasn’t sure if I should try to break her fall or get out of the way. “Jaxie, What the hell is wrong?” I asked as she landed in a wet heap next to me.
“It’s Gertrude.” Jaxie answered breathlessly. “She’s in the house.”
“How did Gertrude get into the house before we did?”
“No, no, no!” Jaxie grabbed me by the arm and started pulling me along through the mucky mess of the back lawn. “She’s in the main house.”
The living room light had been left on, and the living room was a disaster. No need to ask how the sneaky hound got in. There was a Gertrude size hole in the screen door, a Gertrude size opening in the sliding glass door, and a Gertrude size mess everywhere else. There was mud all over the carpet, the TV, and the walls. Naturally, the expensive looking, leather sofa had several big, spongy-looking basset hound footprints on it.
We didn’t want to make the mess any worse with our own muddy shoes, so we stood on the porch and called Gertrude’s name. After living with her for a couple of weeks, we both knew it was futile. Gertrude only obeyed the “come” command if the commander was holding something really tasty.
We tiptoed over the muddy, beige carpet following the trail of hound prints. They led to a short hallway. The walls were painted off-white to compliment the color of the rug. I could tell that someone had spent a bit of time working on the décor. But something about the place did not feel right. All at once, I realized I had not seen a single personal momento in the living room or the hall. No family pictures. No old trophies. No well-thumbed books. Nothing. It was as sterile as a hospital, and it kind of gave me the creeps.
We heard a wailing sound coming from ahead. It sent a shudder through my body like an electric jolt. Jaxie gave a startled jump, too. We discovered that the hallway opened into the kitchen. The wailing sound was coming from an open door near the back of the room. We approached it cautiously and found ourselves looking down a nasty, old staircase which led to an equally nasty looking basement. Gertrude was down there baying and howling for all she was worth.
We had to get down there and find her. I found a light switch just inside the door and flicked in on. The light flashed on for a second, then burned out with a brilliant pop that made us both jump, again. “Is it too much to ask for one Goddamn thing to go right tonight?” Jaxie muttered, as we started down the stairs.
The smell was not the first thing I noticed when we entered the basement. It was the immediate, drastic change of temperature that caused the hair on my arms to reach out into the darkness; the cool sensation of being too close to damp earth.
I couldn’t see much. The only decent light was from the door we had entered. It led us underground and then tumbled halfway down the stairs. I could see the square outlines of light from the edges of four otherwise blacked out windows. Jaxie’s flashlight was an arrow that pierced the darkness directly ahead of us, but it only made the other areas seem darker.
Sounds came to me next. The first one was my own much too loud breathing. Jaxie’s breathing was loud, too. The worn-out, wooden stairs shrieked under the weight of each step we took. I heard Gertrude whining. Eventually, I became aware of the patient, tired hum of an unknown electrical appliance.
The smell was more insidious. It crawled its way into my nose and slithered straight into the most primitive part of my brain. My fight or flight response was in full alert.
As we reached the bottom of the stairs, Jaxie found another light switch and turned it on. We both sighed in relief and got our first real look at the room. It was just an ordinary, unfinished basement, really. An old, crudely built workbench was against one wall and held hammers, a rusty saw, and mayonnaise jars full of screws and bolts. In direct contrast, a shiny, new washer and dryer stood guarding the opposite wall. There was an dirty-looking refrigerator across from the stairs, and Gertrude sat in front of it wagging her white-tipped tail.
As soon as Gertrude saw Jaxie she barked triumphantly and looked meaningfully at the refrigerator.
“Oh, that’s just great,” Jaxie said. “We’re going to be sent to jail for breaking and entering because Gertrude wanted a freaking wiener.”
The smell was starting to get to me, but Jaxie seemed oblivious to it. I watched from the foot of the stairs as Jaxie crossed the basement and grabbed Gertrude’s collar. When she tried to pull her back to the stairs, Gertrude planted her front feet and dug her nails into the dirty cement. Jaxie tried to push her forward from behind, but Gertrude refused to budge. Jaxie sighed in frustration as Gertrude turned back to the refrigerator and barked again.
“Gertrude, this is not our fridge. There is nothing in there!” Jaxie grabbed the silver door handle.
Suddenly, it all made sense to me. Gertrude’s stubborn determination to follow a scent around the main house, Miller’s refusal to have Gertrude around, and Cynthia’s sudden disappearance. I knew exactly what was in that refrigerator.
As Jaxie pulled the refrigerator door open, I yelled “Jaxie don’t!” but it was too late. A sickening smell traveled through the room as Jaxie, stunned, took three steps backward and let the door swing slowly closed. I watched helplessly as Jaxie sank to the floor in slow motion, her eyes staring straight ahead like she was still seeing inside the fridge. Then she put her head in her hands and sobbed.
I ran to where she was sitting on the floor. “Jaxie, come on.” I pleaded. “We’ve got to get out of here.” She was crying so hard that she was gasping for breath. She shook her head at my words, and fell over sideways on the floor into the fetal position.
Something inside me snapped. I grabbed Jaxie and pulled her back into a sitting position, and yanked her hands away from her face.
“Knock it off!” I yelled. “You were right, Jaxie. Cynthia is dead.” I shook her with a strength I didn’t know I possessed. “But you are not going to fall apart on me. Stop crying and get up right now!”
Jaxie blinked back tears and looked at me with surprise. She took a deep shuddering breath, wiped the black lines of mascara off of her face with the back of her hand, and rose unsteadily. I gave her a push toward the stairs. Even Gertrude listened when I called her. She was probably worried that I would shake her, too.
Jaxie led the way up the protesting stairs. Gertrude bounced along and passed us halfway up. Just as she reached the top, we all heard the front door slam. Jaxie and I froze. Gertrude dashed through the doorway and dove under the kitchen table.
We could hear someone walking quickly through the entryway. “Goddamn it!” Miller yelled as he entered his mud-splattered living room. The sound of his feet pounding down the hallway finally got us into action.
Jaxie leaped the final few steps into the kitchen, then turned back to give me a hand. As I stepped on the fourth or fifth step from the top, it gave one last pathetic groan and cracked in two. My right leg went through the crack to just below my knee, and I felt the wood cut deeply into my skin. When I tried to pull my leg back up through the hole, the two pieces of wood created a vice that tightened around my leg.
Jaxie turned to face Miller as he entered the kitchen.
“You stupid little bitch.” Miller said.
He was a big man; his oil stained work clothes stretched taunt across his shoulders and biceps. His blonde crew cut glistened in the light. He was speaking calmly, but his blue eyes were glaciers. He nodded to the open door of the basement. “So, you’ve come to join your friend Cynthia, huh?”
I worked doubly hard to free myself. I tried to stay balanced and quiet while I struggled to free my foot, but the step my left foot was on creaked traitorously. Miller’s cold eyes shifted to me.
Jaxie hurled herself at him at that moment, hoping to catch him by surprise. She bent over and caught him in the gut with her shoulder. For once, I was grateful that she preferred football to ballet.
Miller stumbled back into the oven. He peeled Jaxie away from himself, and hit her hard underneath the jaw. Her teeth clacked together loudly as the force of the blow flung her backward into the kitchen table. One of the wooden legs of the table broke, and the whole table collapsed with Jaxie half-conscious on top of it.
Gertrude bolted out from under the table like a scud missile and flew towards me. The upended table gave her cover, and she managed to get through the basement door and down two or three steps without being seen.
Miller turned and walked towards me with a terrible smile. “Ok, pretty girl. Now you and I can take some time to get to know each other a little better.” At the sound of his voice, Gerty threw herself onto a step and performed a ‘Gertrude-the-silent-film-star swoon’ that Rudolph Valentino would have been proud of.
I managed to slide my bleeding foot out of its wooden prison just as Miller started down the steps towards me. He laughed at me tauntingly. My foot was free, but we both knew I was still trapped. He took another step down and planted his foot on Gertrude. She gave a startled yelp, rolled onto her feet, and clambered back up the stairs. I held the banister tightly and shimmied up with her. Miller’s foot flew out from under him. He landed hard onto his back on the steps, and with a final shriek, the whole staircase caved in. I turned away as Miller collided, head first, into the cement.
It’s been a week since that day in Jack Miller’s kitchen. I am slowly returning to a (somewhat) normal life.
Jaxie is showing off her bruises to anybody who is willing to look at them. Gertrude doesn’t really understand the significance of what she did, but she does know that it is getting her a lot of extra attention and slices of ham.
This morning Jaxie said, “Darlene, if Gertrude is really that smart and talented, just imagine what she could do if I really start training her?”
Oh dear, just imagine.
A LOVE STORY.........BY SAVANNAH
Once a upon a time there was a Bassethound named, Beatrice she was a princess but every Bassethound in the kingdom wasn't attractive until one day when she was looking around as usual she found the most hansome,male, Bassethound she ever saw in her life his name was Chaps she decided to send him a love letter this is what it said" my dearest beloved please find me and marry me and you will be mine forever yours - secret admider so she told her royal guards to send it to him and she said "not a word of this letter to him just say this is for you!". so she waited till next morning and it was the happiest day of her life can you guess what that was? Chaps proposed to her! she was so happy she kissed him on the cheek they slept togethor that night and the next morning was her wedding day Beatrice wore a beautiful long silk dress and wore a beautiful veil and Chaps wore a hansome tux and then after they got dressed there was alot of singing then the bride music started bum- dum de-dum-bum-dum-de dum.... and it went on then when the bride came it was time for the questions and answers then the preacher asked" do you Beatrice take this hound to be your loving wedding husband?" "i do" she answered. "do you Chaps take prinncess Beatrice to be loving wedding wife?" "i do!" he answered. "you may kiss the bride" the preacher said. just then Chaps gave Beatrice a big smooch and it was a big beautiful wedding and they danced all night long and they lived their happily married life togethor. The End
A hound named Tracker by Nicole:
On a nice summer day in the year of 2007, my hound tracker went outside to run around and enjoy some fun with other hound's in the neighbourhood, and he found his way under our deck, when we found out, we were devistated, we practically all went under our deck and tried to get him unstuck. after about 5-10 minutes. we all decided to go outside and run in the yard with tracker to celebrate his freedom from under the deck, and he still tries, but he is unsuccessful to getting by us to go underneath the deck again, we celebrated the bond of our beloved companion that day, and felt the true joy and love that we never felt before. We all felt better after that day and have felt that way ever since. A dog like him truly changed our lives forever, and our lives will never be the same again. We will fell true love and joy until we die, thanks to our beloved basset hound Tracker.
Ken, thank you so much for sending this wonderful poem. I printed it out and I have it hanging in my office. It is simply, stunning. We look forward to more. Cat, Chaps and Emma
Mr. Ken Johnson
Buster and Lemon Drop Johnson
JUST A PUP, by Mr. Ken Johnson
I was just a pup in need the result of puppy mill greed
All I wanted was to be loved and a family of my own
But I was sick and all alone No one to hold me no one to care
I lived in a cage my back all raw and loosing my hair.
The pet storeowner said I was worthless and should be
Put down I cost him too much to keep around.
Then when I was so hungry and weak, a kind lady
Began to speak, She said Rescue will take him
We will fix him all up and find a good home for this little pup
I took a ride in the lady’s car, I don’t know where but it sure
Was far. The lady called some one on her cell phone and I heard
It was a Suncoast foster home. Well then we pulled up to a house
With a big fenced yard with three kids and four Bassets on guard.
I knew right away that this was a place where I was wanted and
Would finally be safe. They fixed me all up I was no longer sick,
My hair grew back all shiny and thick. I have a full belly and a
Place to roam until I go to my forever home.
By Ken Johnson
Maple's Sleep over, by Danielle March 2007
Maple's sleep over
It was a warm spring day, the birds were singing (so was I) the grass was green
every thing was going fine.....until. ...............TO BE
CONTINUED........not! Okay so there I was laying on my bed and I heard my mommy
saying something about vacation for two days. "Whats vacation?" I thought ...Uh
well. Everything was to good to go wrong. A few days later my mommy
said "Okay Maple time to go to Boone and Bella's!" "Boone and Bella's
alright!" Those are the neighbors bassets they are really fun to play with I go
over there every once in a while to play. So she put my leash on and we headed
that way. When we got there mommy said to Mrs. Paula " here is her food she
eats one cup in the mornig and one at night". Food? I want food! While she
talked I played with Boone and Bella. " bye Maple I'll be back tommorow"
Alright a sleepover...wait WHAT your leaving me! She walked out the door.
AAARRROOOO! Don't leave! AAARRROOOOOO!I sat there for awhile then I decided to
make the best of my time so I rough housed with Boone for a while. Then he got
tired so I played with Bella and I played the rest of the day until it was bed
time, Boone and Bella hopped into bed and I got in my crate and said " hey why
do they get to sleep in a bed" Uh well I like my crate. The next day I played
some more and I bagan to wonder where is my mommy? Will she come back? Of
course she will she would never leave me. DING DONG! Me boone and bella all
howled. "MOMMY!" your home! I ran to the door. "Maple!" I'm back from vacation!
she said "Mommy your back!". she took me home and I was happy once more.
Penny the Aussie is loved by her family
My Dog Story
A true story
By: Lanie, Fourth Grade Student
LANIE WINS A FREE LILY BOOK FOR HER STORY ABOUT PENNY!
One day, my mom and I went to a store to buy decorations for a Thanksgiving feast! On the way I said “ Mommy, can we please go look at the dogs and cats at the shelter? J” she replies, “ We can look, but I told you, I am not going to get a pet, until after I finish college, and especially not a cat because you know we are both allergic to them.” “Okay Mommy.” I said. When we got to the shelter the lady at the front desk said, “Are you two ladies looking for anything in particular?” we replied” NO we’re just looking, but do you think you could tell us where the dogs are?” “Puppies or regular?” she asked.” I think we just want to look at regular dogs first.” “Okay then, right this way,” she said. As soon as we stepped in, it was very loud. We walked by, and saw a dog, a beautiful aussie. We instantly said aaawwww how cute. She was about the only dog that wasn’t barking. The lady came over and said, “Would you like to spend some time with this dog, to see if you like it?” I immediately said, “YES!” As soon as we went in the room with the dog, she sat on my mom’s feet. At that moment, I knew she now wanted the dog as much as I did.” Maybe we can get it,” she said, “but you know we’ll have to ask Costa (step-dad) first.”
When we got home they started talking about it. I couldn’t hear them though, because, they were whispering. He said, “I have to take Jake (brother) to get a haircut though, so you guys will have to go alone. If I don’t like this dog, it’s going back.” We both said, “We know you will love this dog, and by the way, it’s a she, not an it.”
We went to go adopt the dog, but she was not there!!!! We asked where she was, and the lady said “She had to get surgery, but she’ll be back tomorrow.” “What surgery?!?!” I immediately replied. She said, “She had to get spayed.” “But it said on the form outside her cage, that she had already been spayed.” “What dog do you want to adopt again?” Mom said, “The white and brown Australian Sheppard.” The lady said, “We thought you wanted a different dog. I’m so sorry. Let me go check about that beautiful aussie.” I thought, “Phew” She came back a few minutes later and told us that an aussie
breeder had picked her up when you left, I can give you her number though. We took the number, and were silent the whole ride home. We wanted that dog so much. When we got home, I reminded mom to call the breeder. She called, and the lady said someone called that wanted to adopt her all the way from North Carolina!!! My mom explained how we saw her in the shelter, and wanted to adopt her. She understood, and said that we were the owners, and we went on vacation, and came back, and our dog ran away, she would also ask the person if they would let us have her. The person felt bad for us, and said, “Of course we will let you have your dog!” The breeder told us the good news, and also said we would have to come pick her up. She gave us her address, and told us to come over. When we got to her house, there were aussies running around everywhere!!! We asked her where our dog was, and she said, “Come On” She ran up as soon as she was called. She sat on Mom’s feet, out of breath. The breeder gave us a collar, a leash, and a brush, and also told us how to use them. She said, if we ever need any help with her to give her a call. When we got home, we introduced her to the family. Everyone loved her! We looked at the sheet that the shelter gave the breeder, who gave us, and it said her name was Maggie. We wanted to change it, but not if she was used to being called that. Mom said, “Come here Maggie.” She didn’t respond. Mom said “Guess it is okay to name her.” I said, “I know what to name her, “We can name her Penelope, and Penny for short.” She is the perfect dog for us, and we still have her today.
MAPLE, A BASSET HOUND
Art work by Danielle, 12 years old AND WINNER OF A FREE LILY BOOK!
Fantastic job Danielle!
LIBERTY BELL
A Short Story by Brandon Shank - 4TH Grade Student AND WINNER OF A FREE LILY BOOK!
One day I was walking to my grandma`s house when a dog came up to me.It followed me all over the place. When I went in a store she stayed out side, but when I came back out she followed me again. I went back home after all mr erens, and it followed me home I went out side and invited it in. My mom said "Where did that dog come from?",I said it followed me around all day. I asked one million times if I could keep her and finaly she said YES!! i named her Liberty Bell SnowWhite Shank. I play with her everyday, even in the winter.
A special story from Kelly about her dog Holly! Another 4th grade student AND WINNER OF A FREE LILY BOOK!
My dog Holly is very funny and gentle. But she can get very jealous and acts up when our attention isn't totally on her when we have company.
When somebody we know had a baby named Reid, we started to babysit him. Then Holly's behavior was REALLY tested. She is usually a sweet dog and now that the baby is almost a year and a half she is very good. But when he first started coming to our house Holly was jealous and did funny and sometimes bad things to get our attention back on her. As an eight-year-old dog, she started to chew up my stuffed animals like she did when she was a puppy. She even chewed up the baby's toys!
When Reid started to crawl things really got interesting around here. One day Reid was playing with Holly and he started flapping her tail up and down. Holly just looked at him. Holly lets him crawl all over her and they snuggle together. One time when Holly was napping she was woken up by Reid's crying. She just lifted her head, looked at Reid and let out one single, "WOOF"! as if to say, "be quiet!"
Now they are best buddies, especially when it's time to eat. Reid laughs his head off when he tosses his food to Holly and Holly races around the kitchen, scrambling to get the bits of food and bumping into things. She slides around the kitchen and crashes into chairs while at it. Reid shares all his food except his cookies with Holly. They fight each other for that. Unfortunately, Holly usually wins. She grabs it out of his hand and takes off into another room with Reid behind him yelling, "cookie! cookie!"
As you can see, Holly still can be a naughty doggie but all in all she is a great dog and I love her (so does Reid).
Hi my name is Emma. You came to my school on Dec.6.2006 I thought that Chaps was so cute. Well you said that we could win a free book if we write a story to you about our dog so here is a story about my dog.
My family was looking for the right dog. We went to many pounds and could not find the right dog. So we looked in the phone books and found a pound called the Hamilton County SPCA so we drove out there and we went in and looked all around and we saw all kinds of dogs so we took them out off there cages and tried to see how calm they were. But all of them were to wild or to hyper .So we looked and looked and we saw her she was a Black Lab and then her name at the pound was Pepper. So we adopted her she was a GREAT dog she does not like to play at all. She will not jump on you or lick you. She is so sweet! Now her name is Lexi right now she is about 10 years old. Well if you liked hearing about her here is her picture.
EMMA ALSO WINS FOR SUBMITTING THIS PICTURE OF LEXI .... WE LOVE STORIES WITH PICTURES!
Check out these great pictures!
Chaps read the Lily book to a preschool class and they sent these pictures in. We just love them.
MISS SADIE LADY LOVED THANKSGIVING BY MARTY MAYS
Every Thanksgiving I remember Miss Sadie Lady. You see she was a very crafty gal!! She was totally deaf, but understood that we were all hearing. On the first Thanksgiving she was with us she behaved so well while we all enjoyed our dinner. All the hounds knew that treats were soon to come and it was best to just wait their turn! However, after dinner when all the humans went to take a nap or enjoy a movie Sadie went into “stealth “mode! She opened the kitchen gate; tip toed to the trash can and laid it on its side without making a sound!!! Carefully removed the turkey carcass and took it to the back porch!!! Pettie and Trav came into the computer room to tell on her!!! My to gals took me to the door and lead me outside where Miss Sadie was very carefully removing every little bit of turkey from the carcass!!! All I could do was laugh at her!!! I know all three for those gals had one heck of a feast yesterday at the bridge!!! I am sure they spoke of that day as well!!!
A HOUND NAMED THELMA BY TYLER FLEMING
On June 25, 200 my dog was in labor. We waited about 3 hours and she started to deliver what we thought was pup bought it was only the sac. Mom and I were scared so we called the vets and rushed her to the hosptial. It took us 30 minutes to get there what a long ride. She made it there ok and the vet took us right in. THe checked heer out and told us the couldn't feel any pups but were going to give her a shot to try and get things moving. They give her it and we waited abother 40 minutes and out came the part of another sac but still no baby so the rushed our dog to the operating room for an emergency c-section. Mom and I were so scared because the vet said they didn't know if she would make it and the pups were probably dead. We waited about an hour and they brought us out a box with 7 beautiful wiggly basset pups. There were 6 boys and one little girl. We had 5 tri colored and 2 red and whites. Taking care of the pups for the next 8 weeks was great. I loved watching them grow and running in the back yard. I helped my mom take good care of them. We ended up keeping 2 of the puppies one named Cesar and one named Griv which means miracle in armanian. Griv was sold once before and got parvo from there house and lived thats how he got his name. My Thelma will never have anymore babies she has been spayed. We love our bassets we have 4 of them. Junior who will be 4 in December. Thelma who will be 3 November 29. And the pups Griv and Cesar who are 19 weeks old tommorow. I love to watch them do the basset 500 in the back yard.
From the Beginning by Marty Mays
I was there the day you were born, and held you the day that you passed from this world. In those 17 years you gave me everything! Never did you complain that I worked to hard, was away from your side, never did you speak ill of me, never did you lie, steel or cheat me. You greeted me happily when I came home, and waited for my return when I left. You understood that I loved more than one, and you gladly welcomed the others I loved into our home.
The day you were born I knew you would someday be mine. I looked at you, held you and watched you grow. I had taken your sister home with me right away, and you were the one that cuddled with her and protected her when she was with your mother. When you were 7 weeks old a family came and paid for you. I was so sad, so afraid I would never see you again. I spent a lot of time visiting you everyday that last week with your mom. And then you were gone! Your sisters and brothers soon went to their new families. I asked about you many times, but alas, no one had heard how you were.
Then one day about 6 months later I received a call. It was from your mother’s human! She said “Can you take one of Pettie’s sisters? It seams the people that bought Trav dumped her and a fireman found her running the streets in Palm Bay. She had her tag and he tracked her back to my vet.” Well!! I knew you were going to be mine from the very start!!!!
I rushed over to the vet’s office, as soon as you saw me you jumped up and ran to me! The kisses you gave me that day are still on my face. My Chelsea Traveler was coming home!!! You and Pettie had so much fun. Sisters together playing and growing up. You know she still misses you also.
When I found Lady Luck you became the perfect mother to a very sick puppy only 4 weeks old. She grew into a fantastic hound because of your guidance. Next, Norman came to live with us. When he came into the house you looked at me as if I was nuts! He was a big boy, but each time his epilepsy caused a seizure you were there to comfort him or you came to get me. After he went to the bridge you knew how sad I was and you comforted me. Then I joined the rescue and the first hound that came here was Thomas. He was so sick, skinny and dirty. But you knew he was a special boy. You helped him so! And I could tell there was something that connected the two of you. No matter who I brought home, or how sick, scared, or worried they were you guided them, taught them and shared so much love. Over the years you were so loving toward all others I opened our home to. You loved and help care for many hounds. You were the one that cleaned the faces and ears. If some hound had a cut or sore, you cleaned it and assured them it would be fine. When Sadie came to live with us, the two of you became fast friends. She and you would lay together for hours, like two sophisticated ladies having a tea. Yes, you had your sister as well, but you knew a soul mate in Sadie. You were already partly blind, and she was deaf. Yet I could hear you talking and her answer. You would walk the yard together each morning and then retire together in the sunlight.
The years spun by, time just dose not stop, not even for love. When you lost the use of you hind legs my heart nearly stopped. You will never know how happy I am today that I chose a different path than the one that the vet recommended. You have no idea how many Hounds you have helped!! Because of you many more stay here with their families, able to walk and run again. Thank you for showing me that the vet was wrong. Thank you from Bella, Dixie, Ems, Scarlet, Ely, and many others. Blue will be walking again soon, I know you are here guiding him everyday.
Then came the loss of your vision, and the cancer. I am so sorry it could not be stopped. But, again you left behind a part of yourself so that research could be done to help others. You are indeed a grand Dane!
Then the time came for me to say goodbye. Oh how I cried. I was losing the greatest hound I had ever known. We spent the last night together, you in my arms giving me gentle kisses while Sadie and Pettie sat by our side. When morning came you left this earth to become an angel. So many people had sent me messages and flowers after your leaving that morning I had to say thank you to them. Ms. Sadie came to my side. She placed her head on my leg, kissed my hand and joined you at heavens door. You know I don’t miss work. I never have, but the next two days I sat in shock. How could I lose two, so very special gals. Soon the answer came . I had a job to undertake. You returned my Thomas home. My first Suncoast Basset Foster. The man, my Tommie Tom needed me. Thank you for easing my pain. When he lays next to me at night he makes the sweet coos that you did. I see that same sparkle in his eyes. You knew he would be mine, just as I knew you would be.
I still miss you and Sadie! I always will. Thank you my Chelsea Traveler for putting me on a journey of love.
Then One Day She was Found Poem by Brandon Evans (14 years old)
There was a houndThat lived in the pound
Her belly was big and round
But she always kept her four paws on the ground
Then one day she was found
Laying on a mound
Someone brought her to her house
And she dressed her in a blouse
The next day she met another dog
She was roudy
And she barked loudly
She was stressed
Because she was in a dress
So she layed down her head
And she went to bed
The very next day
She went away
They went to Kentucky
And became very lucky
She won a dog contest
But never the less
She put on a dress
She didn't like it
So she bit it
It came off
And she walked off
She was bad
And now she is sad
Then she fell asleep
When she woke up, she was in a bed
So she lifted up her head
She looked up and saw her mom
She was calm
And she was happy
Do you know what her name was
It was Cathy
STORY BY HENRY HILLEY (12 years old)
Once upon a time there was a little fat dog waiting to be adopted watching her sisters go to a new home. People would pass by and laugh but inside see knew someone would find her. She waited there for long days with nothing to do when a young boy came by. She wagged her tail and smiled and to her surprise the boy started to walk over to her! He picked her up with a struggle and went to his mom and asked, "Please mom, please can I have her!" The mom said,"No we have a dog already", but the boy refused to give up. Then the boy’s brother came holding a skinny bloodhound. The little fat girl heard two names, Ronald and Henry. After a long time Henry and Ronald convinced their mom to let them have the dogs.
When the little fat dog got home, she thought, "Wow I love this house!", and her brother replied, "Me too", but then they heard a scatter of paws and looked up and saw a hound by the name of Lucy say,"You can live here, but you have to know...THIS IS MY HOUSE!!" they both looked at each other in fear.
After they got settled in, the little fat girl was named Luna and her brother was named Tracker. They both got along great. One day Henry and Ronald noticed that Luna was sick and they were very worried. They both told their mom immediately. Their mom took Luna into the vet and the vet said, "We can try our best, but she doesn't look too good." That night we decided to try to save her life. The next day they were called into the vet.
When they arrived they looked at the vet and he smiled. Then Luna ran out of the vet room to Henry with a huge smile and a gleam in her eye. She was saved and the family was so happy that she lived!
BOOK REPORT BY JULIAN LEE (9 years old) Grade 96%
The title of the book I have chosen is Lily a basset hound’s tail of love. This book was written by Cathy L. Rudert who finished this book this year. It took her 6 years to complete this book.
The reason I know this is she is my aunt! Which is why I had picked this book, she also worked very hard on it. I like the book a lot, I like it because it is a funny book.
This book about Lily was fairly easy to read. The books I usually read are chapter books.
The setting starts out in nowheresville, this is where lily has nobody to love. Then she went to somewheresville and then she found someone to love and a very nice home.
The characters in the book were Chloe and Lily, they were both basset hounds. One of the other characters was the person that rescued them.
The problem of the book was there was a dog named Lily that had no home.
The solution was a very nice lady came along she found Lily and loved Lily untill the rest of her dogish life.
My favorite part of the story was when the nice person found Lily. I liked this part of the book because I felt very happy when she found lily.
SIDE STREETS, A SHORT HALLOWEEN STORY BY CATHY L. RUDERT, AUTHOR OF LILY A BASSET HOUND'S TAIL OF LOVE
I was thirty minutes early for breakfast that morning to meet my study group. It would be pontificating over pancakes prior to the most important law school test of the semester. I decided to turn down a side street to clear my mind. I had never seen this street before. I had lived in the next city over all my life. The homes were small and looked so quaint that Halloween morning. The decorations were cute and fun. I had been studying so hard that I forgotten that Halloween was that night. Note to self. Get some candy for a treat after a day that I would hopefully not be tricked by. As I drove towards the end of the street I spotted an elderly lady in front of her home. She was clapping her hands and calling someone. Sure enough, that someone was a rather portly fellow in a position I was familiar with. Flat dog down. He laid there, smelled the air and licked his paw. I pulled to a stop and rolled down my window. The elderly lady immediately clutched her hand to the top of her house coat and looked at me with fear. I didn't want to frighten her but I had to shout. "I love basset hounds, I have two myself." There was no reply. Then I got a better look, the portly fellow's paw appeared to be very swollen. I glanced back to the woman, still clutching the top of her house coat. This time her look was not fear, but bewilderment and I asked. "Can I help you?" At that point she broke down and cried and I stopped my engine. She shouted. "I think his paw is hurt, his name is Sherman." Sherman I thought, a man after my own heart. As I got out of my car and approached Sherman he went belly up. The elderly lady walked slowly towards us. She introduced herself as Sarah. "Cathy". I replied, "you have a fine smelling hound here." Hoping to get a laugh. "He has been limping for a week". No laugh in sight I thought. Sarah cried, ""I was sure he would get better, he's always been such a sturdy hound, we are all each other's got." Her translucent face was racked with concern, a tear slowly rolled down her cheek. I translated her concerns, she could not afford a vet visit for old Sherman. "Listen," I said. "My vet is two minutes away from here. I even have a ramp in my car that Sherman can go up and down." I was afraid she wouldn't let me take him and he was in dire need of a fifty thousand mile check up. It appeared that he had missed the twenty thousand mile one. I took Sarah's white hand into mine and tried not to squeeze it too hard for fear it would break. "Sarah, please let me take him, give me your phone number and I will call you with updates". She replied with a stifled tone, "Uhm, my phone's not working." Translation, she didn't have a phone. Sarah then said, "Sherman will be fine", as she released a sob, "my precious Sherman, he's like a son to me." I could tell by her conflicting words that Sherman did need help but she was scared, most likely of me. I was some stranger that drove up on Halloween day. "Sarah, I want to take Sherman to the vet. It's my treat and definitely not a trick. I'm not just some looser combing the streets for old Basset Hounds." With that I got a small laugh and a trembling hug. I knew that she was placing her love in my hands. The vet was one minute from the University. The study group could pontificate over pancakes without me. Thank God I was early. As Sherman waddled up the ramp I took off my Mom's wedding ring and placed it on Sarah's finger and told her. "I have never taken this ring off my finger since my Mom's death. Like Sherman is precious to you, my two hounds are to me, however, they are not here and this ring is just as precious. I promise you we will exchange our precious gifts very soon. As I took off, Sherman in tow, I glanced in my rear view mirror. Sarah was slowly heading to her door which she had left cracked. What I didn't know was that someone had been watching us exchange our precious gifts and was waiting inside her home. As I made my way up the side street the sun was brighter and the small quaint houses were, well, un-quainter. A man was walking down the street with a pit bull. The dog's collar looked like something out of the Spanish Inquisition. What I had thought were cute Halloween decorations on the way down the street were actually two homes with yellow crime scene tape coming up the street. This side street was definitely losing it's charm. Poor Sarah I thought as I pulled into my vet's parking lot. I immediately felt a pit in my stomach. I wasn't sure if it was hunger or the feeling that Oprah talks about. I had to go with Oprah. I did a u-turn in the parking lot and zoomed back down the side street. As I reached Sarah's house Sherman started to howl. I saw the guy with the pit bull sitting next door to Sarah's. When he saw me he put a cell phone to his ear. The pit in my stomach turned into a stone. This was definitely not hunger. I grabbed my cell phone and dialed 911. I did not send the call. Sore paw or not Sherman justified his name. I was being drug behind a small tank. As we reached the door my fist pounded in rhythm with my heart, fast and hard. No answer. Send 911 call. Sherman broke loose from me and headed to the front of the house. I followed him and that point all physics were denied. That long, ninety pound hound took off like a Harrier jump jet and sailed through the window, glass and all. I heard him hit with a thud. The opening was large enough for me to crawl through. "Hoooooooowl, hoooooooooooowl, Sarah, Sarah, hoooooooooooowl, bark, bark, hoooooooooooooooooowl". Together we found Sarah tied to a chair and gagged. I heard a door slam from the basement. I selfishly glanced down to Sarah's hand and my Mom's ring was gone. It became perfectly clear that someone had watched us that morning and I had made sweet Sarah a target for more crime scene tape. All of this was going through my mind as Sherman was licking his Mom and I was untying his Mom. Sarah was gasping for air as well as answers. I didn't think she would be up for an Oprah moment at this point. I made her sit still and catch her breath as the sounds of sirens approached. The lights of the police cars were reflecting on the basset hound sized hole in the plate glass window and onto the broken glass in the front room. I saw tiny rainbows dancing on the dingy walls. As I turned to Sarah I saw that same reflection in her teeth. As she pulled the ring from her mouth she looked at Sherman, then me, and said, "I think my precious boy needs to go to the vet." It turned out that Sarah's a tough old broad and Sherman, thank God, has tough old skin. For once in my life the dog was my excuse. We and went to see my teacher about the test I missed. She said, "You better have a good excuse". For once in my life the dog was my excuse. It didn't take much to convince Sarah and Sherman to move in to my duplex. No one had lived in the other side since my Mom died ten years ago. Sherman fit right in like a King. My two girl hounds assumed the position of ladies in waiting. Ladies waiting for him to give up the best sleeping spot on the couch. Sarah and I don't talk about that tricky Halloween day much any more. We do stick to the main roads and we always, always treat ourselves to an early breakfast.
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