The Tales of Huckleberry Hound: Season 4

2. Huck's Cousin Dusty

As the sun shone over Hill Street Neighborhood, blossoms started opening their petals on the cherry trees, the flowers swayed in the breeze and birds were singing merrily. In the city park, Huckleberry Hound was sprawled out on the grass in his usual favorite spot where he loved to gaze at the clouds. He had his arms folded over his belly and his head nestled down just beneath the shade of the old oak tree he always loved to sit beneath. He had been thinking about how many friends he has made over the span of almost three years.

When he first arrived in Hill Street Neighborhood, he met Mr. Jinks, Pixie, Dixie, Yogi Bear, and Boo-Boo. But after almost a year, Yogi and Boo-Boo moved back to Jellystone Park when he'd been made the star of his own show. But despite Yogi having moved out of the neighborhood, he was still just a drive away for Huck to visit, and he'd also made a brand new best friend in Snagglepuss, as well as becoming good friends with Hokey Wolf and Ding-a-Ling, who had taken up residence in the old house Yogi and Boo-Boo had once shared (and had taken their slot on Huck's show as new co-stars). But despite all of this, Huck hasn't aged at all. You see, he was drawn from pen and ink (and colored by paint), and toons don't age like humans. Therefore, he was still 25 years old despite three years having gone by since he first came to California.

Just a little while later, he stood up, and looked up at the sun. "What a lovely day," he said to himself. Then he did a small yawn when he heard a familiar voice.

"Hey, Huckleberry!"

It was Pixie! There he stood with Dixie, Jinks, Hokey, Ding-a-Ling, and Snag.

"We've got a big day ahead of us!" Snag called. "Lots of things to do, even!"

"Yeah, come on!" Hokey cried.

Huck turned to face his friends. "Coming, fellers!" He ran over to meet up with them, but he was so fast that they all fell into the grass, laughing happily.

"Gee, Huck," Hokey beamed. "What's gotten you so happy?"

"What's there not to be happy about?" Huck chuckled. "It's a beautiful day!"

He got up, and turned to face the cherry trees. "I've always wanted to see blossoms blooming on the cherry trees! But what's even better is that I get to spend time with you guys!"

"Oh, Huck," Snag laughed. "Nothing's better than spending time with you! You're a fantastic friend! Stupendous! Swell, even!"

"If only our cousin Tex were here, he'd love to meet you!" Dixie said. "You two would get along great!"

"Cousin?" Huck smiled. "Shuckins...I have a lot of cousins! Not to mention nieces and nephews and aunts and uncles...I got a real big family!"

"I don't believe you've ever mentioned any cousins of yours before," Hokey said. "Care to tell us about them?"

"Yes, I'm rather curious to know myself!" Snag added.

"Well," Huck said, "I remember visitin' my cousin Wooly in England when I was a teenager. He grew up there since he was just a little baby."

"Neat!" Dixie cried. "I wish I had a cousin from another country."

"There's also my cousin Juniper. She's a vegetarian, and she travels around the country a whole lot to help make folks aware about how we gotta take care of the earth and protect endangered species and what not."

"She must be very active!" Pixie beamed.

"Yeah, and then there's..."

"Huckleberry!!"

Huck was interrupted by a voice calling his name. "Who said that?" he wondered.

"I did!" the voice called out.