A fairytale in progress
Eric is born one side of a mountain and his princess lives on the other and an awful lot of things happen before they meet. Introducing Scruffy – a pint sized dog with a huge personality and an ability to cause mayhem.
SCRUFF DOG
Eric was most indignant at being sent to school. He knew all the names of his father’s tools and what they were for, he also recognised all of the trees in the forest. He couldn’t see the point of going anywhere other than with his father and beloved dog.
The teachers viewed Eric with much the same loathing that he bore them. They knew he would be trouble and he was. But the really, REALLY big trouble started after Eric’s thirteenth birthday when he was given a terrier pup. Imagine three shades of coconut doormat jumbled together, black, brown and ginger; with four large feet. Two super bright intelligent eyes, ears that flopped over at the ends. A wide chest with a white stripe and a personality twenty times larger than its body.
Eric called him Scruff Dog but Catastrophe would have been more suitable.
Scruff had several passions: chasing squirrels, fighting any male dog that crossed his path regardless of size and/or ferocity and chasing after female dogs. Usually, he would sit howling outside the school gates waiting for Eric to finish. But one faint whiff of a female and he was gone. Sometimes for days at a time. Travellers would pass through the village and comment
“Saw your Scruffy up by Helmut’s summer cabin yesterday afternoon!”
Eventually, Scruffy would return cold, tired, hungry and filthy and resume his usual duties as if nothing had happened. Scruffy sired so many puppies he became a talking point. Even dogs far taller than him would succumb to his charms. No-one actually knew how, but within the space of six months there wasn’t a female dog in a three-mile radius who hadn’t sired a litter of his puppies.
Eric found his dog’s behaviour embarrassing and was continually apologising to irate villagers on a count of his dog’s outrageous behaviour. On top of this, Scruffy seemed to have a knack of upsetting Eric’s mother. There were days when Eric dreaded going home for fear of what would be waiting for him. Eric couldn’t wait until he turned 14 and could become an apprentice lumberjack up in the mountains. Away from the villagers, away from his annoying younger siblings and his nagging mother
Then one April morning events happened that accelerated Eric’s departure. It was a sunny, blustery day. Eric’s mother had washing flapping on the line. It was Saturday and Eric was planning to meet his friends. But his Mum intercepted him before he could sneak away. So, Eric and scruffy were walking into the village to buy milk and bacon.
Scruffy was trotting happily at Eric’s heels when suddenly a stout squirrel hopped across the road in front. It stopped and stood on its hind legs to observe scruffy. It decided, somewhat foolishly, that he wasn’t a threat. So, the squirrel made an angry chirping noise, flicked its tale and carried on its way.
The untidy bundle at Eric’s ankles exploded into a riot of noise and forward motion. A strange yapping howl, like a battle cry, came forth from Scruffy’s soul. He hurtled after the squirrel and Eric groaned. “Not again!”
Erika Lightbear 