This is a story about a little dog named Cricket. Cricket was a small black-and-tan chihuahua and she became part of our family when I was in high school.
At that time my parents owned some farm property, and whenever Dad would get out his work boots to go to the farm, Cricket would run and wait by the back door. She knew where he was going and she wanted to go along. At the farm she could run all over without being on a leash.
The first time there she discovered some chipmunks, or perhaps they discovered her. I'm not sure which way it happened. The chipmunks were playing on a pile of boards which were left over from the little house my dad built. Cricket started chasing the chipmunks. Around and around the board pile she ran. The chipmunks weren't afraid, because when she got near them they would just run down through the middle of the pile and pop up on the other end, chattering loudly at her. This happened repeatedly. It almost seemed that the chipmunks were playing games with her, and she did not tire of chasing them.
In one instance she wasn't right by the board pile, and one of the chipmunks ran from the board pile across a short distance to go under the house. She saw him and immediately started toward him. The chipmunk went under the house, but she was going too fast and couldn't stop. Full speed ahead, she slammed into the house with her head..... thud! It's a wonder she didn't break her neck. But pretty soon the chipmunks were chattering at her again, and again she was chasing after them. We all heaved a big sigh of relief that she had not injured herself and seemed to be okay.
This same day one of the chipmunks, sitting a distance away on the ground, started chattering at her. She started in that direction. But between her and the chipmunk were some shallow pools of water. Each one measured approximately ten feet across and perhaps six inches deep. These pools were almost totally covered in thick green algae. Cricket apparently did not see the water. I could see what was going to happen, and I yelled at her, but she didn't stop. In her determination to catch the chipmunk she ran right into the water and across to the other side. What a sight she was! She was black when she went in and totally green when she came out! In the meantime, the chipmunk ran up an apple tree and sat on a limb chattering at her. I couldn't help laughing. She just looked a mess! It almost seemed like the chipmunk was laughing too. Even so, after cleaning her up, she continued in her chase. She wouldn't quit, nor would the chipmunks. She never did catch one ot the chipmunks because they were too quick for her.
I often thought that this dog should have lived on a farm. She had so much more fun there than home in the city!
© 2006 Arlene Schwartzkopf