Tuesday, November 09, 2010

Wendell's Traveling Dime Store

If you look at our dog Wendell you might not think much, he just looks like a boston bulldog, plain black and white with four paws and a round head like a little pumpkin. But inside that pumpkin there must be pages and pages of the Sears catalog or something because Wendell loves to bring things home from faraway places.

This happens when he gets under the fence and goes snuffling around the neighborhood, which is strictly forbidden so it only happens roughly three or four times a day.

Here are some of the items Wendell has brought back from his travels: stuffed animals (several regular teddy bears and a duck wearing shorts and suspenders and a little cap), hand tools, unmentionables, a slice of pepperoni pizza (still warm), a plastic Godzilla one foot tall, a carburetor, 10,000 balls (tennis, golf, and other sports), a new pair of socks (tag still on it).

Those are just some things. We don't have room to list everything. It is possible he is running some type of backwoods delivery service. We just don't know.

Anyway you might think a dog that has the nerve to snatch a slice of pizza that is still warm or a carburetor which somebody almost certainly needs, probably a large person with muscular forearms, you might think a dog like that would be very brave.

But that is not the case.

Yesterday Wendell was sitting in the living room and he started shaking and shaking uncontrollably, which is what he does when he is in the grip of a terrible fear. The farmer looked out the window from whence the horror came and there was a deer in the yard. More of a fawn, really.

And last week Wendell was in the barn and the farmer shooed him out but he wouldn't go which is a serious violation. "Get out, Wendell!" the farmer yelled, but Wendell just sat there shaking and shaking like the end was near. The farmer looked out and the tuxedo cat from next door was strolling through the garden. Wendell was pop-eyed with terror.

So you might think that a little dog afraid of a tuxedo cat and a fawn must be a terrible coward. But consider the case of Wendell and B.D., in which Wendell routed a bold, gigantic coyote.

So maybe he is both, a terrible coward with the heart of a lion and the guts of a burglar. And a traveling dime store all his own.

4 comments :

Claire MW said...

The 87 lb greyhound at my house is, quite assuredly, one of the fastest dogs on earth, and can dispatch small critters with ease, although that upsets my lady terribly, but on the other hand, he is deathly afraid of box elder bugs. They make him quiver and shake. I think this is a dog trend. My lady says maybe her dog and Wendell have a common ancestor.
**Lucky Nickel**

Marigold said...

Has he come home with Peanuts? That would be an awesome coupe, if you ask me. Go Wendell! Go for the Peanuts, boy!!!!

Anonymous said...

Ah, I think that was my slice of warm pizza. Bin wondering were my tools went. Plese bring tools tomorow to me at the brown house.
Russ

Yang said...

I do not blame Wendell. Fawns have been known to attack when you least expect it and everyone knows a tuxedo cat is the worst kind of cat possible - they all think they are the James Bond of the animal kingdom. What one dog calls fear another dog calls intelligence.