My mum Rene (Alice Irene Flitney née Harding) died in 1999. When my brother, sister and I went through her things we found an envelope full of old newspaper clippings and other bits and pieces. We looked through the papers and put the envelope away, but those yellowing pieces of paper keep whispering of half-forgotten times and places. Places like Butlers Cross, Stoke Mandeville, Aylesbury, West Wycombe, Little Kimble, Wendover, Ellesborough, Southcourt and Princes Risborough.

Tuesday 14 June 2016

A Sleepy Dog Story

Once upon a time, there was a boy who longed for a dog of his own. One day when the boy was nine years old, a travelling funfair visited the village where he lived. The fair arrived in large trucks and with the trucks came the showmen in their caravans. Inside one of the caravans was a litter of puppies. The boy enjoyed the brightly painted stalls and the rides, but he quickly lost interest when he spied the puppies.  The boy longed for a puppy of his own and pleaded with his parents to let him have one. They refused… they didn't want a dog, and besides the puppies were of an indeterminate breed and probably had worms or worse! The fair moved on and the boy was heartbroken, and so began the gradual capitulation of the hard-hearted parents. Soon a puppy of a pedigree nature came to stay...

A puppy of a pedigree nature;  A Beagle by the name of Kelso or Kelly as he became known. 


Never a fussy dog Kelly was happy to sleep anywhere.


Kelly and the boy (centre) were inseparable.


Wherever the boy went Kelly went and whatever the boy had Kelly wanted ….




It wasn’t long before the hard-hearted mother fell under Kelly’s spell and turned into a bit of a softy.


Time passed as time will, the boy grew up and Kelly went to heaven. Soon the boy married and left home, and his parents missed him, and they missed Kelly.  But then Patch entered their lives, and it's difficult to be sad with an eight-week old puppy about the place.


Patch liked to sleep on chairs and on loungers, but most of all he liked the luxury of a lap.


Patch loved his new parents, but he missed his brothers and sisters. He needed a playmate and so a second Cavalier King Charles Spaniel by the name of Albe joined the family.


Albe liked to sleep anywhere, but sometimes he stayed awake while his master slept!


Meanwhile, the boy now with two boys of his own was enjoying the friendship of another dog.  Sadly when work took the boy and his family to live abroad, Rosie the Cairn terrier couldn't go with them, and she went to live with the soft-hearted parents. Before they left the boy and his family gave Rosie a special pillow knowing she would be treated like a princess!


Princess Rosie loved to snooze, in her bed, under a desk, on a chair, in a lounger or on a lap.


After a few years, Patch and Albe went to join Kelly in heaven. Rosie grew old. She started to slow down. Her legs would no longer carry her, and her eyes grew tired.  The vet suggested a pair of Doggles (doggy sun glasses) to keep the sun out of her eyes. The indignity of it didn't spoil her enjoyment of life, and she carried on for as long as she could, but eventually she too was called away. 


The kind-hearted parents didn't want another dog.  It might have worms or worse it might die. But what of the boy?  He is now a father of four, two grown-up sons and two little girls. A beautiful dog by the name of Nushka is part of the family, but the boy will never forget Kelly his puppy of a pedigree nature.


Oh yes, the boy now lives in the land of Koalas, kangaroos and other wondrous things and his parents get to visit, and they are all living happily ever after...


...but truth be told the soft-hearted parents would really like another dog...worms and all!

  If you are still awake why not pop over and see what my fellow Sepians are up to here


Love is a four-legged word. Author unknown. 

“A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down.” Robert Benchley (humorist and actor, Broadway Melody of 1938)

Update October 2016: Sadly, Nushka passed away a few weeks ago. She will be missed by everyone who loved her. 

Nushka

24 comments:

  1. I've never heard of doggles before! Love the koala connection at the the end, but it sounds like you should definitely get another dog.

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    1. I think you could be right Jo! Thanks for coming over. Barbara

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  2. This is a great dog story, mostly because it is real. So will the parents get another dog? Does the boy, now a man, still turn around three times before lying down? Thanks for sharing this with us this morning, Barbara.

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    1. Thanks for making me laugh Alex. Perhaps I should ask Steve if he does the whole turning around three times thing!

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  3. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. Loved the pix, loved the story! We're cat people ourselves and among us have had rather a number of them, but none at the moment. Some day when we get too old to travel (?), maybe we'll get another one. Or perhaps a parakeet? I used to have several of those - but not at the same time with the cats!

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    1. You just made my evening, thank you so much! I love cats too and birds come to that, although I’ve never had a parakeet. Terry (my husband) has a love-hate relationship with cats. They love him, but he can’t stand to be around them. I don’t know why that is although his mum is just the same so maybe that has something to do with it.
      Thanks again for your lovely comment, Barbara.

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  4. Barbara, What a beauty and the story is very heart warming too. I knew a boy who fell in love with a puppy at a fairground but that is another story. Your tale is delightful and beautifully written and a joy to read, thank you for the pleasure I got from doing just that. John

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    1. Aww thank you John, I really appreciate your sweet words. I hope you might share that story one day!

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  5. All your dogs were lovely and remember them all fondly. I know just how you feel about having another, oh so tempting! Trouble is we have all got used to our "freedom" and animals do curtail that a little. Love the photos, a lovely true tale (or tail!!) xx

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    1. Hi Sue, I had forgotten how big Kelly was. He dwarfs me in that photo, but he still wanted to sleep upside down on my lap! He was a funny dog with a mind of his own. We still miss them all and would like another one, but you are right in what you say. I’m glad you enjoyed my little tail ;) xxx

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  6. This is a simply delightful post. You have crafted the stories of the dogs so well and the pictures add so much to them.

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    1. Thank you so much, I had fun with this post and that always makes it easier.

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  7. Great fun post. I love your doggie pics. We are also softies and have had a succession of beloved dogs.

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    1. Thank you Liz, there is nothing better than to love and be loved by a dog, I miss that.

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  8. Absolutely the sweetest story.

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    1. It might not be a story for everyone (probably far too sweet for some), but I enjoyed putting it together. Thank you for your very kind comment. Barbara

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    1. Thank you, I really appreciate your comment.

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  10. Wonder story that made tears come to my eyes remembering all the pups in my life!

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    1. To be perfectly honest I had tears in my eyes while I was writing it, but I’m sorry it made you sad. I can’t believe that so many memories can be stored in so few photos. Thanks so much for your visit, Barbara.

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  11. Brilliant story with a nice twist at the end too. Many of our family photos are dated by the pet in the picture. I suspect we may tell more family animal stories about cats, dogs, birds, etc. than we do of childhood, school, or work. As cuddly as koalas may look, I don't think they make good lap warmers. And I doubt they will fetch the newspaper.

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    1. Thanks Mike, I appreciate your kind comment. Thanks also for making me laugh.

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    1. Thank you Titania, I appreciate that. Barbara

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I really appreciate your comment. Thank you!
Barbara x

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