Chapter Ten
A Walk in the Park
Rick had finally decided the puppies were ready to be given away. They were weaned and potty-trained and in about a week they would be old enough to leave their mother. Rick told Alex that in a week they would give the puppies away so he had a week to spend with them.
The morning his father told him that, he decided he wanted to take the puppies to the park. However, the only had one leash and that was for Seti so he and his mother packed all the dogs up in the car -despite Rick's protests- and headed to the pet shop to buy leashes and collars.
Though they were giving the puppies away, Evelyn thought they should all have collars with nametags, like their mother. So, they bough seven matching leashes and seven tags that would go on seven collars. Each of the tags was labeled with the puppies name; Evelyn paid for the collars, leashes and tags and they headed outside to hand them out. Evelyn slipped the tags on the rings on the collars. "Bobbi." Evelyn said and handed Alex the collar to slip around the dog's neck.
Alex did so; Bobbi yipped and tried to look at what was around her neck. Evelyn did the same for each of the dogs; Nibbler, Hieroglyph, Tiger, Julia, Caramel and Powdered Sugar. Within no time all the dogs were on their leashes -including Seti- and were headed to the park.
As the two humans and eight dogs walked down the sidewalks nearer to the park, people around stared and laughed. Seti was in the lead followed by her bouncing, yipping puppies; the dogs seemed to be walking the humans. Once they were in the park, Evelyn and Alex choose and bench and sat down; they took the dogs leashes and tied them to the metal "feet" of the bench. Alex unleashed some of the puppies and began to play with them, rolling around in the lush green grass, while Evelyn brushed up on her knowledge of Ancient Egypt. Alex had unhooked Julia, Tiger, Bobbi and Powdered Sugar; the other puppies pulled on their leashes and whined. Alex unleashed the other puppies and Seti as well; he took out a toy that they had purchased from the pet shop and began to play with the puppies. Tiger and Nibbler wrestled around while Julia and Bobbi played tug-o-war with a lose twig. Powdered Sugar and Hieroglyph played with Alex and the new toy; Caramel wrestled around with her mother.
After around thirty minutes, Tiger got tried of wrestling with Nibbler and began to wonder away from his family, no one -not even the dogs- seemed to notice Tiger's sudden absence.
About an hour or so after Tiger had wondered away, Evelyn decided that it was time to return home. Alex, who was tired from wrestling around with the puppies for over an hour, didn't complain. He grabbed all the puppies' leashes and began snapping them on their collars. That was when Evelyn and Alex noticed the disappearance of Tiger.
Horror stricken, the young boy ran up to his mother. "Mum! Tiger's gone!" Alex cried.
Evelyn carefully counted the puppies over and over again; there were only six of them. Alex was right; Tiger was not with his brothers and sisters. "Don't panic Alex, we'll find him." Evelyn soothed her son, though she was trying hard not to panic herself.
Evelyn, Alex and their dogs searched all over the park for over an hour but there was no sign of Tiger anywhere. No one had seen the little puppy and no one could offer them any help.
As the sun was being to sink in the sky, Evelyn and Alex finally gave up their fruitless search for Tiger. Alex was silent the whole way home; Evelyn didn't try to make conversation with her son, she didn't know what to say.
When they got home, everyone piled out of the car; Rick was at the door to greet them. He quickly rushed over to his wife. "Are you alright?" Rick asked, worried.
Evelyn was clearly surprised. "What's wrong? Of course we're all right. Rick, what's wrong?" Evelyn asked.
Rick followed Evelyn, Alex and the dogs into the manor. "Well, Tiger came home without you so I thought something might have happened." Rick explained.
True to Rick's words, Tiger was sitting -on the couch- perfectly fine. Alex smiled and rushed over to where the puppy sat; he gathered the puppy in his arms.
Laughing, Evelyn explained the "loss" of Tiger and their worry over the little puppy. But, none of the O'Connells had any reason to worry anymore. All their "fears" had quickly vanished and all three of them were soon playing with the dogs like nothing had happened.
A Walk in the Park
Rick had finally decided the puppies were ready to be given away. They were weaned and potty-trained and in about a week they would be old enough to leave their mother. Rick told Alex that in a week they would give the puppies away so he had a week to spend with them.
The morning his father told him that, he decided he wanted to take the puppies to the park. However, the only had one leash and that was for Seti so he and his mother packed all the dogs up in the car -despite Rick's protests- and headed to the pet shop to buy leashes and collars.
Though they were giving the puppies away, Evelyn thought they should all have collars with nametags, like their mother. So, they bough seven matching leashes and seven tags that would go on seven collars. Each of the tags was labeled with the puppies name; Evelyn paid for the collars, leashes and tags and they headed outside to hand them out. Evelyn slipped the tags on the rings on the collars. "Bobbi." Evelyn said and handed Alex the collar to slip around the dog's neck.
Alex did so; Bobbi yipped and tried to look at what was around her neck. Evelyn did the same for each of the dogs; Nibbler, Hieroglyph, Tiger, Julia, Caramel and Powdered Sugar. Within no time all the dogs were on their leashes -including Seti- and were headed to the park.
As the two humans and eight dogs walked down the sidewalks nearer to the park, people around stared and laughed. Seti was in the lead followed by her bouncing, yipping puppies; the dogs seemed to be walking the humans. Once they were in the park, Evelyn and Alex choose and bench and sat down; they took the dogs leashes and tied them to the metal "feet" of the bench. Alex unleashed some of the puppies and began to play with them, rolling around in the lush green grass, while Evelyn brushed up on her knowledge of Ancient Egypt. Alex had unhooked Julia, Tiger, Bobbi and Powdered Sugar; the other puppies pulled on their leashes and whined. Alex unleashed the other puppies and Seti as well; he took out a toy that they had purchased from the pet shop and began to play with the puppies. Tiger and Nibbler wrestled around while Julia and Bobbi played tug-o-war with a lose twig. Powdered Sugar and Hieroglyph played with Alex and the new toy; Caramel wrestled around with her mother.
After around thirty minutes, Tiger got tried of wrestling with Nibbler and began to wonder away from his family, no one -not even the dogs- seemed to notice Tiger's sudden absence.
About an hour or so after Tiger had wondered away, Evelyn decided that it was time to return home. Alex, who was tired from wrestling around with the puppies for over an hour, didn't complain. He grabbed all the puppies' leashes and began snapping them on their collars. That was when Evelyn and Alex noticed the disappearance of Tiger.
Horror stricken, the young boy ran up to his mother. "Mum! Tiger's gone!" Alex cried.
Evelyn carefully counted the puppies over and over again; there were only six of them. Alex was right; Tiger was not with his brothers and sisters. "Don't panic Alex, we'll find him." Evelyn soothed her son, though she was trying hard not to panic herself.
Evelyn, Alex and their dogs searched all over the park for over an hour but there was no sign of Tiger anywhere. No one had seen the little puppy and no one could offer them any help.
As the sun was being to sink in the sky, Evelyn and Alex finally gave up their fruitless search for Tiger. Alex was silent the whole way home; Evelyn didn't try to make conversation with her son, she didn't know what to say.
When they got home, everyone piled out of the car; Rick was at the door to greet them. He quickly rushed over to his wife. "Are you alright?" Rick asked, worried.
Evelyn was clearly surprised. "What's wrong? Of course we're all right. Rick, what's wrong?" Evelyn asked.
Rick followed Evelyn, Alex and the dogs into the manor. "Well, Tiger came home without you so I thought something might have happened." Rick explained.
True to Rick's words, Tiger was sitting -on the couch- perfectly fine. Alex smiled and rushed over to where the puppy sat; he gathered the puppy in his arms.
Laughing, Evelyn explained the "loss" of Tiger and their worry over the little puppy. But, none of the O'Connells had any reason to worry anymore. All their "fears" had quickly vanished and all three of them were soon playing with the dogs like nothing had happened.