32 years after their Rescue Rangers series ended, Chip has rebuilt his life as an insurance salesman and no longer has contact with the team. Especially not Dale! So when he receives a call from Monterey Jack, his quiet tidy life changes. He finds h...
Our names are Chip and Dale. And while many might think it has to do with those short-dressed dancers, it originally comes from a pun on famed furniture maker Thomas Chippendale. For chipmunks that live in tree trunks, the pun was perfect. And I can tell you that when Dale and I met, we had no idea what adventures lay ahead.
I still vividly remember the day I met Dale. It was the middle of my third grade, in 1982, and the day had started as usual. My mother dropped me off at school like she does every morning and I immediately rushed off to my classroom. I didn't have many friends at the time and I preferred not to be run over at the bell. So I stayed there, reading my lessons until the others arrived and settled in. I was expecting an ordinary day... when our teacher, Miss Clarabelle, used her bell to get our attention.
« We have a new student today. » she announced, catching the attention of little Chip who was starting to jot down today's date. « Everyone, say hello to Dale. »
« Hello everyone! Nice to meet you! » a small voice greets, which immediately intrigues the attention of the little chipmunk with chocolate brown fur dressed in a blue and white striped polo shirt.
He then leans over to see a small chipmunk like himself with lighter fur than him, with a bright red nose and wearing a white and green t-shirt with a red baseball cap which he has taken off to greet everyone. Except that nobody answers his greeting, looking at him with more or less indifference, which doesn't really surprise Chip. The other boy, Dale, is visibly starting to feel a little nervous at the silence. He started to think quickly as he slowly backed away...then he looked behind him with a smile. He put his cap back on, ducked down, intriguing Chip, and when he turned around...
« AH! MY EYE! IT'S IN MY EYE!! » he yells as he turns around, holding a pencil as if he's somehow stuck it in his right eye, causing the other kids to scream and the frightened teacher to slowly backs away, covering her eyes, before accidentally falling out of the window.
Everyone was scared...except Chip who laughed. Certainly, the joke was clumsy because it was poorly prepared but there was something. Except that of course, when Dale confessed that it was a joke to calm everyone down...
« Ew! You're weird! » one of the human girls gets annoyed, resting her head on her fist.
Chip looked at her before looking at the new kid who lowered his head, saddened that the others didn't want to be his friend.
I immediately understood that Dale was like me. That he needed a friend but he wouldn't get easily.
**********
At lunchtime, I found Dale sitting by himself at the table where I sat every day. The other kids glared at him and sneered at him. Having experienced this myself, I knew what I had to do.
« Hey! » Chip greets as he approaches, catching Dale's sad gaze. « Mind if I sit? » he asks, pointing to the empty seat.
Dale frowned, intrigued that someone would agree to be near him, but let the other chipmunk settle in with his metal Knight Rider lunchbox.
« That pencil thing you did was hilarious! It was excellent comic timing! » Chip congratulates before opening his lunchbox to take out his lunch.
« Really? » Dale wonders before turning sad again. « I kind of wish I hadn't done it... »
« No way, man! The biggest risk is not taking any risk at all! » Chip assures, catching the newbie's look again. « You just didn't set up the joke right. I can help you if you want. »
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
