Lady and the Punk

5: New Collar

Darling was opening a box for Sam. Inside was her azure collar– the same color as her hair streak –and attached to it was a shiny golden license.

DARLING: Hope it fits.

Darling fit Sam's new collar on the Cavalier almost perfectly.

DARLING: My, but it does look nice. So grown up. Won't your friends be surprised?

My friends!, Sam thought. Exactly. Sam ran to the neighbors' dogs.

First, Sam went to the Gurdle house to see Zach, a border terrier. Zach was quickly hiding a bone in his backyard. He made sure no one was watching.

ZACH:

Four steps ahead then turn to the left

And right to the place where I marked it

With a dandy little bone that I'll bury for my own

In the dandy little bank in the backyard

Zach dug up the hole he kept his bones, and added his new bone to the collection.

ZACH: Gosh, it looks beautiful.

SAM: Zach! Oh Zach!

Zach jumped over his treasured bones, burying them with his paws while Sam wasn't looking.

SAM: Hello Zach.

ZACH: Oh, oh, it's you S'mira.

SAM: Notice anything... different?

ZACH: Uh... you had a bath?

SAM: No, not that.

ZACH: You had your hair brushed?

SAM: Nuh-uh. Guess again.

ZACH: Well, then how would I kno–

Sam showed her new collar and license to Zach in full view.

ZACH: Why. S'mira. A dandy new collar.

SAM: Do you like it?

ZACH: Yeah. It must be very expensive. Have you shown it to Liam and Rusty yet?

SAM: Not yet.

ZACH: We better go at once. You know how sensitive they are 'bout these things.

Sam and Zach then walked to the Hunnicutt house to see Liam, a Cairn terrier. Liam was given the name Colleen O'Shaughnessey by the breeders; his humans called him Liam McGinnis or just Liam.

He had just finished his pudding breakfast, and now was basking in the sun.

LIAM: Wha- oh. (yawn) Good morning.

Liam's eyes opened wide when he saw Sam's new collar.

LIAM: Miss Sam! New collar and license, I see.

SAM: Yes, that's why we're here.

LIAM: I 'member getting my collar. My mamaw got the best one in the store. She drove all the way from her farm. Did I talk about my mamaw's farm? It's got chickens and goats and pigs...

Liam notices that Zach and Sam seemed confused.

LIAM: Oh. I musta got too carried away.

SAM: We're going to show my collar to Rusty!

LIAM: Great! Let's ride!

Zach, Liam and Sam walked to Rusty's house.

Rusty, a bloodhound, was snoring and whimpering in a dream. He was diagnosed with nasal congestion, which was why he had no sense of smell. But all the dogs knew was that he couldn't smell.

SAM: He's dreaming.

ZACH: Yeah. Dreaming of those bygone days when he saw his granddad trackin' criminals through the swamps.

LIAM: That was before...

SAM: Before what?

ZACH: It's time you knew the truth, S'mira. It shouldn't happen to any dog but, uh... Rusty lost his sense of smell.

SAM: No...!

ZACH: Yeah.

LIAM: But we must never say that we know. It would break his poor heart.

Rusty was sniffing in his dream and smelling for a criminal... which happened to be a little striped moth caterpillar. He abruptly opened his eyes and saw his friends.

RUSTY: Uh, which way did he go? Which way did he go?

ZACH: "Go"?

RUSTY: Yeah, big fella. About six foot two. No, uh, three. Wore a striped suit. No collar.

The moth caterpillar seemed to be proud with Rusty's description.

Then Rusty saw something new on Sam's neck.

RUSTY: Why, Sam Madam! You have a collar.

SAM: Mhm. And a license!

RUSTY: My, how time does fly!

ZACH: Yeah, it seems only yesterday she was cuttin' her teeth on Jim Dear's slippers, and now there she is, a full-grown Sam Sharp.

Sam saw her reflection in Rusty's water bowl, and smiled at her shiny license.

RUSTY: Wearing the greatest honor a human can bestow.

LIAM: The badge of faith and respectability.

RUSTY: That's right Sam Madam. As my grandpappy Ol' Reliable used to say... I don't recollect if I've ever mentioned Ol' Reliable before.

LIAM: Yeah, you have, Rusty.

RUSTY: Oh. Yeah.

Then Sam heard Jim Dear humming, which meant he was coming home.

SAM: It's Jim Dear. Please excuse me.

Sam ran to her front porch to greet Jim Dear.

JIM DEAR: Hello there Sam. Come on. Beat you home. Oh, you win again.

Jim Dear then gave Sam a treat, which she balanced on her nose.

JIM DEAR: Steady now. Steady.

He then noticed Sam's license.

JIM DEAR: Well, what have we here? Oh, big girl now, eh?

Jim Dear opened the door.

JIM DEAR: Alright. Oh, you first.