Joining The Dots
It was another ordinary day on Dearly Farm. All across the farmyard, there were Dalmatian pups at play, except for one.
Dipstick was staring across the farmyard, with an even more vacant look in his eyes then usual, and a broad, vapid grin on his face.
"What's with you?" asked Mooch. "You've been sittin' there starin' for the last twenty minutes! Just what is it that's so fascinating?"
"Her." Dipstick cooed, pointing towards the chow tower.
Sitting by the tower was the latest addition to the farm, a young Dalmatian named Dottie. Roger and Anita had found her, lost in the countryside, with no tags or collar, and decided to take her in, something that Dipstick was eternally grateful to them for.
"Oh, the new girl." smirked Mooch, comprehension dawning on his face.
"Pretty, ain't she? sighed Dipstick in a dreamy voice.
"Why you tellin' me that, 'Stick?" asked Mooch. "Why don't you go over there and tell her that?"
"Naw, I can't." moaned Dipstick.
"Can't what?" enquired the voice of a nearby pup.
"Hey, Lucky, what's up?" Mooch called out pleasantly.
"Not much." Lucky replied apprehensively. He still wasn't sure about the new 'nice' Mooch, but for Cadpig's sake, he was willing to make the effort to be friends with him. "Anyway, what exactly is it that Dipstick can't do?"
"Talk to the new pup." Mooch said.
"Oh, you mean Dottie?" asked Lucky.
"Yeah, he thinks she's pretty." Mooch stated matter-of-factedly.
"Not just pretty." Dipstick butted in. "She's also funny, and smart, and really, really nice, and did I mention pretty?"
"Yeah, you did." smirked Lucky. "So why don't you just go over there and talk to her?"
"I can't!" moaned Dipstick.
"Sure you can." said Lucky, reassuredly.
"No, I mean, I really can't!" wailed Dipstick. "Whenever I try, my tongue gets all tied up, and I can't say anything!"
"Maybe I can help you with that." said Lucky
"You can?" asked Dipstick.
"Count me in, too." said Mooch.
"Aw, thanks guys!" Dipstick said joyfully, pulling the two into a grateful hug.
Heading inside the barn, the three pups then got to work, discussing what Dipstick could do to woo Dottie.
"You could try poetry." offered Mooch. "My Cadpookums always loves it when I read her some poetry."
"And, failing that," countered Lucky, "You could always try the age-old tactic of playing it cool. That's what Two-Tone likes best about yours truly."
"Well, okay, if you think it'll work..." muttered Dipstick uncertainly.
"Think what'll work?" enquired Pongo, who had just entered the barn.
"Hi, dad." said Lucky. "We're just working on ways Dipstick can impress Dottie."
"Trust me, son." said Pongo to Dipstick, "The best way to impress a girl is to just be yourself."
"But, as myself, I'm an idiot." said Dipstick. "I'm dumb, I'm a klutz, I got a bad memory, I'm dumb, I'm a klutz, I've got a bad memory..."
"So, you don't want Dottie to like you for who you are, but for who you pretend to be?" Pongo asked skeptically. "Trust me when I say that isn't going to work."
"Couldn't hurt to try." said Mooch.
One furious brainstorming session later, and it was time to put the plan into action. A coin toss had decreed that Dipstick would try Mooch's strategy first, and, with poetry notes hidden in his collar, Dipstick approached the girl of his dreams, as Lucky and Mooch watched from behind a barrel.
"Oh, hi, Dipstick!" said Dottie cheerfully. "How's it going?"
"Um, ah..." said Dipstick, seemingly adjusting his collar, but actually taking a peek at the notes. "'Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?'"
"Excuse me?" asked Dottie.
"'Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, and summer's lease hath all too short a date...'" Dipstick continued.
"What are you talking about?" asked a bemused Dottie.
"I... don't know." Dipstick admitted sheepishly.
"Oh, he's totally blowin' it!" moaned Mooch.
Just then, the bell for lunch rang.
"Ooh, lunch!" said Dottie. "Guess I'll see you later, Dipstick."
"Saved by the bell." said Lucky. "Next time, we do things my way."
Not long after grabbing some lunch themselves, the three pups put Lucky's plan into action. Dipstick was decked out in a puppy-sized leather jacket, shades, and a bandana wrapped around his head. Lucky had given him a crash-course in how to talk 'cool', but cool was not how Dipstick felt, as he walked up to Dottie once more.
Dipstick cleared his throat, getting Dottie's attention.
"Oh, hi." said Dottie, less enthuesiastically then before.
Dipstick snuck a peek over at the bush where Lucky and Mooch were hiding, and, spurred on by Lucky's whispered "Say it!", opened his mouth, and said "How's it going, sweet thang?"
"It's going... good." replied Dottie.
"Yeah, yeah, you lookin' so bad!" Dipstick.
"'Bad'?" Dottie repeated indignately. "Are you calling me ugly?!"
"No!" said Dipstick, faltering slightly. "I'm just saying how phat I think you are."
"Fat?!" seeved Dottie. "How dare you! I'm not going to stay here and be insulted!"
And with that, Dottie turned tail and strode off.
"Dottie, wait!" yelled Dipstick, running after her.
"Well, that didn't work." said Mooch dejectedly, as he and Lucky climbed out of the bush.
Dipstick finally caught up with Dottie behind the barn, and saw, to his deepest regret, that she was crying.
"Dottie?" Dipstick said quietly.
"Go away." sniffed Dottie. "I don't want to speak to you ever again."
"I'm sorry I said those things, Dottie." said Dipstick. "You see, Lucky and Mooch were helping me to talk to you, and I guess I said something the wrong way."
"Why would you need help to talk to me?" enquired Dottie suspicously.
"Because, er...." said Dipstick, deciding it was now or never, "Because I like you. I really like you. That's how come I was never able to talk around you."
"Well, you're talking to me now, aren't you?" asked Dottie.
"Hey, yeah!" realised Dipstick. "I am, aren't I?"
"So, that's why you were acting weird all day?" inquired Dottie. "you were just trying to impress me?"
"Yeah." Dipstick admitted.
"Well, you really didn't have to go to all that trouble." she said.
"Why not?" he asked.
"Because I already liked you." she admitted.
"You did?" he asked.
"Yeah", she said, snuggling up close to him. "You're sweet, and cute, and I'm really flattered that you went to all that trouble for me"
"Aw, gee..." Dipstick blushed.
"So, you know a place around here where two pups can watch the sunset together?" said Dottie slyly.
"You bet!" Dipstick chuckled.
As they rounded the barn, the two met up with Lucky and Mooch.
"Dipstick?" asked Mooch. "How did you..."
"I was myself!" said Dipstick jubilantly.
"Can't stop and chat guys," said Dottie. "We're gonna go watch the sunset!"
And with that, the two young lovers walked off.
"Well, whaddaya know?" said Mooch.
"Yeah." agreed Lucky. "I guess dad was right after all."
Pongo, who had been listening to the conversation on his way to the barn, slyly muttered "He always is", as he passed by.
The End
(101 Dalmatians and all related characters are the property of Dodie Smith and the Disney company)