Bedtime Story (17/5/2017)

As this story is going live on our family dog's 5th birthday, I could hardly write about anything else, could I?!

You can also listen to this story as a podcast.

A Day In The Life of Rusty

It started as a normal morning.  Rusty the Labradoodle stretched his legs, yawned and opened his sleepy eyes.  He blinked at the sun, streaming in through the patio doors.  Yes, it was going to be a bright, warm day; perfect for lazing in the garden.

Rusty could hear footsteps on the stairs and he scrambled out of his bed, with his tail wagging wildly.  He grabbed the cushion from his bed and held it in his mouth, ready to offer as a gift to whoever opened the door, just as he did every morning.

But today was no ordinary day.  Today, Rusty's family seemed even more happy than usual to see him!  He seemed to receive even more cuddles and even more fuss.  He could have sworn there was more breakfast in his bowl than there usually was, too.  What on Earth was going on?!

Rusty's morning walk seemed longer than it normally was - what a treat!  But why?!

And on his return to the house, there was a present for him to open.  Rusty liked few things more than shredding the wrapping paper from a present.  He tore off the paper and was thrilled to find a new chew toy, inside.  But why was he getting presents?!  He wracked his brain, trying to work out what was going on.  

It couldn't be Christmas, because the extra members of the family weren't there, and the people in the house weren't opening presents, too.  But why else would he be getting so many treats?!

Rusty just didn't have a clue, so he went out into the garden to lie in the sun, whilst he tried to figure out what was going on.  Maybe he was just being rewarded for being such a good dog?!  Hmm, but yesterday when he tried to eat Mum's gardening gloves, she'd told him off, so... Maybe it wasn't that.

Then again, he was a good dog.  After all, he always barked at any birds that landed in the garden.  Or any cats he spied, nearby.  And he was certain that meant he must be a very good guard dog.  Oh, and he was always on standby to catch any food that fell from the kitchen table at lunch and dinner.  That meant he was ensuring there was no waste, surely?!

Yes, Rusty was sure he was just being a good dog.  He trotted back to the house, with a wag of his tail, feeling rather proud of himself.  

But, when he went inside, he suddenly came face to face with his arch enemy.  He couldn't believe it!  Mum was getting out that big, noisy thing that Rusty hated.  The thing that made a big noise and was dragged around the room, sucking dirt from the floor.  He thought he'd heard it called a "hoover," but he couldn't be sure.  Rusty's ears pricked up and he took a few careful steps backwards.  Before long, Mum switched the thing on and WHOOOOOOOOO, it made that big, loud noise that Rusty was so scared of.  He darted back into the garden to hide!

Outside in the grass, Rusty was not happy at all.  The family couldn't think he was a very good dog, after all.  Not if they were prepared to scare him with that noisy thing, when they knew he didn't like it.  After a while, Mum tried to call Rusty into the house, but he wouldn't budge.  He was too fed up to go back inside.  What if the thing that sucked dirt from the floor was still making noise?  And what if it sucked him up?!  Besides, he was sure that nobody thought he was a good dog, anymore.  No, he didn't want to go inside.  He dug his paws into the grass and stared at Mum until she gave up and closed the door, again.

Rusty stayed outside for what felt like hours.  He got tired and wanted his bed.  He got hungry and wanted to check his bowl.  But he couldn't go back inside.  He sighed.  The day had started so well, but now it didn't feel like a special day at all...

Just then, the door opened once more and Mum stood, holding his bowl.  Rusty sniffed.  He could smell meat!  Freshly cooked and looking delicious - it was right there in his bowl!  Gingerly, he took a couple of steps towards the door.

"Come on, you silly thing," Mum said.  "You can't stay outside all day.  Not on your birthday!"

Rusty's eyes widened.  So, that was why it was a special day!  He hurried into the house and wagged his tail with delight, as Mum placed the bowl of delicious food on the mat for him.  He wolfed it down in no time.  "Good boy," Mum told him.  "You're a good dog!"

Rusty was delighted.  He licked his bowl clean and, when he was sure that the noisy thing was safely back in the cupboard, he snuggled down in his cosy bed, to chew on his new toy.  It had been a very exciting day, for this very good dog.

THE END