A Huckleberry Valentine

Chapter 1: Love is in the Air

One beautiful February morning, Huckleberry Hound was roller skating through the city of Hill Street Neighborhood, wearing a red bow tie with pink hearts all over it, and a nice hat with a pink band with red hearts. As he skated through the town, he thought about the one lady who he fell head over heels for: Clementine Darling, a beautiful pink hound that looked almost exactly like him. The two hounds met while Huck was taking a trip around the world. But today, he was going to the department store to get her a gift for Valentine's Day.

Huck had always loved Valentine's Day. It was such a wonderful holiday, full of love, friendship, happiness, all the things that made life so grand. It was a perfect day to show how much he loved and appreciated his friends, and especially Clementine, whom he loved so dearly. Thinking about her beautiful eyes, gorgeous smile and sweet voice always made his heart feel so light and happy. He really wanted to do something special for her since it was such a special day for love.

"I hope Clementine loves what I'm gonna get her for Valentine's Day!" he told himself. "Besides, it's her favorite holiday! It's one-a my favorite holidays too, fer' that matter!"

Huck skated through town singing a merry song, all about love and romance.

"L is for the way you look at me

O is for the only one I see

V is very, very extraordinary

E is even more than anyone that you adore can

Love is all that I can give to you

Love is more than just a game for two

Two in love can make it

Take my heart and please don't break it

Love was made for me and you!"

Huck smiled gleefully as he skated on and soon reached the department store.

"Well, here I am!" he said with a grin as he entered the store. "Now, first things first. I'll start by getting her the hat."

Huck skated right to the hat section and started looking at some pretty looking hats. He took a look at one that was made of dark blue velvet, with a pretty dark green bow tied around it, but it seemed too plain. He then admired a few more hats, including berets, fedoras and even fur-lined caps. He even found a hat that had silly-looking googly eyes attached to it that hung down from two long wires! Huck chuckled, thinking that while he might like to wear such a hat, it didn't seem like something Clementine would like very much.

"Hmm, I jus' dunno which one I should choose," he said to himself.

He soon came across a very cute little aquamarine-colored hat with a little white feather attached to the band that wrapped all around it.

"Say now, that looks like a real cute lil' hat!" he exclaimed. "I think this one's the one for her! Besides, aquamarine is her favorite color!" He removed the hat from the rack and placed it in his shopping basket. "Hmm, I wonder what else Clementine would like?"

He then moved onto the jewelry section where Huck browsed through different accessories, from earrings to bracelets to rings.

"I love jewels," he muttered happily. "But I knows that women like em' a whole lot, so's I gotta find somethin' real pretty for Clementine to wear!" That's when he found a beautiful gold necklace hanging on a display nearby. He glanced carefully at the gemstone in the center of the pendant, which was a beautiful imperial-cut aquamarine! "Aha! I think I found just the one to get her!" he beamed.

Huck then moved onto the food department, where there were several large displays of Valentine's Day candy all set up around each aisle. As Huck looked at several brands, he then decided to get a box of heart shaped candies. But just as he was about to grab the box, he heard a familiar voice.