Chapter 3

The next morning, Hans had got up and get himself ready and got down to the kitchen to see if Donny was around.

„Donny?" Called Hans entering into the kitchen to grab himself a glass of water from the water tap, then heard claws hitting on the wooden floor as the dog came along and got into the kitchen. „There you are," Greeted Hans watching Donny stop in the middle of the kitchen and look at the adult.

„Good morning, human!" Spoke the dog making Hans widen his eyes in shock from hearing the dog talk.

„D…..did you just speak?" Questioned Hans looking down at the dog, which barked. „How…...were you already able to talk before?"

„I don't know. I just woke up and I…..just could speak. I always wished I could understand humans, but I assumed it wouldn't happen, because of mother nature,"

„This is kind of odd. I'm…..I'm surely making this all up. I must have been those mushrooms I ate yesterday with the rice, that must have been poisoned and now I'm here hearing a dog talking,"

„This is the weirdest thing I have ever heard. Do all humans say this kind of things?"

„Heh, well I don't really have a big knowledge of other humans. To be honest I don't have any close relationship with anyone. I had with my parents, but they're not here anymore,"

„They're gone?" Asked Donny making Hans nod, then see Donny drop his ears down.

„I'm sorry," Apologized the dog.

„It's the circle of life. I mean…..you probably or you still have your parents around, right?"

„I don't know, as cubs, we gotta leave about 4 months later after our mother gave birth. Many of us find a new home, who's lucky gets the chance to find a very loving family or a regular one. My owner there he was mean towards me,"

„Yes, I saw. You don't need to break your head about it. I'll help you find a place to live. There sure is someone out there, that would love to adopt a dog like you. You look adorable, mostly for kids"

„And you think this will work?" Questioned the dog tilting his head making Hans nod. „Can't I stay with you instead?"

„Why?"

„We already know each other. We're friends. I don't want to leave my friend back,"

„That's really great Donny, but I think you would be better of with another family. I spend a big part of the day at the field and I won't really have a lot of time for you, afterward. Other families at least would have one or two persons around you could be with," Explained Hans making Donny look down understanding the message of the human.

„Alright human," Commented Donny, then Hans smiled a little and held his hand out.

„You can call me Hans," Mentioned Hans making Donny wag his tail then lick Hans' hand, which made him chuckle. „You were meant to shake the paw," Spoke Hans, then Donny lifted his paw up to shake it in the air making Hans laugh. „Okay, we can practice that,"


Two hours later Hans took Donny into the village, then waited for potential clients to buy from Hans' farm. Donny sat beside the stand, where Hans had presented a couple of boxes with the vegetables he had harvested from his field.

„How many vegetables do you have to sell until we're done here?" Questioned Donny making Hans shrug his shoulders.

„Selling all of them would be a good thing, but since my parents aren't into the business, other farmers were around as well, so my chances of selling everything got low,"

„Haven't you got another idea on getting more attention, than the other farmers?" Questioned the dog making Hans shake his head.

„Besides yelling my lung out of calling people?" Questioned Hans.

„Yes,"

„No," Responded Hans. „I don't even think anyone even was interested in coming here,"
„They just walk by," Commented Donny walking to the middle of the street to see the people pass by. „We sell vegetables! Fresh from the fields!" Barked Donny watching the people pass by and one woman carrying a bag above her shoulder looked down at Donny, then looked at him curious.

„Did you speak?" Questioned the woman making the dog wag the tail. „Do it again,"

„Do what again?"

„Speak. Say anything,"

„I'm already saying something," Spoke Donny. „I don't understand you," Commented Donny making the woman giggle.

„You're amazing. Who's your owner,"

„It's the human named Hans," Commented Donny walking back to the stand, followed by the woman.

„Oh, I haven't seen you in a while. I thought you weren't around anymore,"

„There has been a lot of work at the farm lately. I'm all on my own now,"

„You shouldn't be working yourself to death in that large fields all alone. You could reduce it a little and just have around half or even less. You still would make enough vegetables for sale and for yourself as well. You probably don't even need a lot for your own,"

„I had reduced it a little while ago. I might think about reducing it again, but I don't want to lose the chance to keep selling my vegetables while the others are around as well. I need to be able to make it through life as well,"
„And you probably need to take care of your farm animals and your funny dog here," Commented the woman. „What breed is he actually?" Asked the woman making Hans curious, cause he wasn't sure about it.

„Oh, to be honest, I don't know it," Responded Hans looking down at the dog. „Are you some sort of shepherd?" Questioned Hans.

„No. I'm not a shepherd. I'm a Husky," Corrected the duo-colored dog.

„I wasn't expecting you would know your own breed as a dog," Commented Hans watching Donny pant.

„I think I'm supposed to know, what my heritage is,"

„So, if you're a husky, that means you're…..you're meant to be a sled dog? Or you're able to move along in really cold weather,"

„I believe so. I haven't been in snow yet or anywhere else,"

„Maybe this is why you didn't do well at guarding your previous owner's chickens,"

„I was guarding them. He never said I had to attack foxes in order to protect them or anything,"

„That's what guarding is for. You guard something and make sure nothing harms them. That's why you didn't do well,"

„Oh so…...I was doing it wrong actually by…..letting the fox in?"

„Yes…...I believed it was by mistake,"

„I don't understand fox. I thought they wanted me to play along with their kits,"

„They have probably tricked you. Foxes are known to be cunning," Pointed the woman out making Hans nod.

„Reminds me of a book I used to read as a child…...The main character was a fox, that used to trick people into doing things for his own benefit,"

„I think I may have that one at home," Spoke the woman. „If you excuse me, I need to head back and prepare the dinner. My in-laws are coming to visit,"

„Okay, have a nice day," Wished Hans watching the woman wave and move along while she carried the bag with her bought vegetables.

„She's a nice human," Commented Donny. „Are you friends?" Questioned Donny making Hans tilt his head.

„I just sold her once or twice something from here. It's been a while I have seen her,"

„You've got so many people that could be your friend. It would make your life even better," Spoke Donny. „Friendships are one of the greatest gifts there is,"

„You've only like 5 months old and I feel like you're telling me something my mother would say in her forties," Admitted Hans.

„I don't know. We dogs are born with a good nose for friendships…..Oh I remember my mom once telling me, that we dogs are meant to be human's best friends due to our loyalty towards them,"

„Yes, that's true," Spoke Hans, then noticed at one stand a man laugh which was a farmer from another place, which was selling milk products and attended a young man along with one guard. „Hmm that guy must be causing trouble…." Commented Hans, then watched the two leave and walk along the road passing by Hans' stand.

„We've got Vegetables! The very best in the area," Barked Donny earning the looks of the guard, while Oscar the young man from the bar moved on.

„Hey Oscar, did you see? A speaking dog," Commented the guard making Oscar laugh.

„There are no talking dogs," Mentioned Oscar, then the guard shrugged his shoulder and followed Oscar. Donny looked at Hans bewildered watching the redhead shrug his shoulders, then Donny ran beside the two and stopped in front of them, standing on his hind legs.

„Hey, you're missing your chance at my human's stand," Warned Donny, then dropped on his back, then got up again after recovering from his unwell done equilibrium.

„That dog is really talking?" Marveled Oscar surprised making the guard nod.

„Well, after that odd encounter with the wizard, I'm not even surprised," Admitted the guard making Oscar roll his eyes.

„But magic had already existed….At least I used to hear it from other people and now we met that one man at the bar,"

„Exactly,"

„What can a dog like you do, besides speaking?" Questioned Oscar interesting, then Donny looked at Hans which shrugged his shoulders.

„I've got no clue. I found him in the forest,"

„So the dog hasn't got an owner?" Questioned Oscar.

„The human Hans told me he would help me find a new home, cause he can't afford to take care of me because of his time,"

„Oh really? That's sad. I wish I could help you, but as you see I've got things to do as well,"

„No problem," Spoke Hans watching Donny wag his tail at Oscar, which moved the dog aside, which observed the duo go away.

„Where exactly? I could help," Offered Donny making Oscar shake his head.

„I'm going into a library and I don't think dogs are allowed in there," Mentioned Oscar moving along making Donny move his ears back after listening to the answer.

„Why can't dogs enter into a library?" Asked Donny walking towards Hans, which shrugged his shoulders.

„I don't know it exactly to be honest," Responded Hans. „I wouldn't listen to him. I don't know exactly what he is, I know he is a cousin of a Prince from another castle nearby. The last time I saw him was months ago at a bar he was talking with two guards about a certain Princesse and I think she's now engaged or about to get engaged with another man. I didn't quite get all the info,"

„Okay and is he kind of acting like this because of that?"

„Eventually. I mean, he could as well be sad, that he couldn't get the chance to marry into royalty and become the first future king in line,"

„Who would be first then?"

„I don't know exactly. I know for example, if he has 3 older brothers, the oldest one is entitled on the throne, unless something happens to him or he gives up his throne it goes down to the second one, and so on. His chances to become a king in his own kingdom were very low, so if he still wishes to be a king he would need to marry a princess, which is closer to it. Which was this case here,"

„And now he's looking for another one, right?" Questioned Donny making Hans shrug his shoulders.

„Maybe the library has information about other kingdoms. Not everyone is aware of all the existing kingdoms. He could also go there for other motives. He stated he was busy, maybe he's up to anything like a business or something,"

„Okay," Commented Donny. „You sound quite smart about this Prince to King rule. You knew a lot of Princes or Princesses?"

„More than you think," Spoke Hans neutral, remembering his older brothers suddenly, which used to make his time a hell. „They weren't quite decent people in my mind,"

„Well that sounds terrible," Confessed Donny making Hans nod, then Donny walked along the road looking for potential guests to lure at their stand.