The Adventures of Zelda: A Pug Tale

Chapter 4: Zelda and the Skate Park

The sun is shining, the flowers are blooming, and a light breeze is blowing–it is a perfect spring day. The whole family is going for a walk. I can’t hold back my excitement. 

“Zelda, stay,” Nate says. I ignore his plea, sprinting back and forth between Lucy and the door until he tackles me. He slips on my harness and opens the front door. I scamper out the door to Ben in the front yard. Nate hands my leash to him, and we take the lead.

After a few weeks of walks, I know my favorite route in the neighborhood. The route is a big loop packed with tall squirrel trees, barking dogs, and a school. Ben and I head in this direction. Lucy follows us on her wheels while Nate and Hannah lag behind. I chase a squirrel up a tree, bark at three dogs, and sniff more bushes than I can count before we reach the school.

“Do you want to go to the park?” Hannah asks in front of the school.

“Yes!” Lucy shouts. “Can I go to the playground?” I am not sure what the park is, but if Lucy wants to go, I’m all for it.

“Sure, dear,” Hannah says.

“Can I take Zelda along the path while you are on the playground?” Ben asks.

“Sure, just stay within our sight,” Nate says. Lucy, Nate, and Hannah walk away.

Ben leads me on an unknown sidewalk in the opposite direction. We walk behind the school to a fenced area. Inside, a few people hit yellow balls into a net. As we walk past, I bark a hello. The sidewalk leads us past another fenced section that is different from the last.

I stop in front of the fence, fascinated by the scene. Inside the fence are ramps and towers of different sizes with people riding up and down the ramps on boards with tiny wheels. The people stay on the smaller ramps, except for one brave guy. He tries the tallest ramp, but he ends up sliding down it on his butt.

My curly tail wags from one side to the other in excitement. I want to go in the fence and run around the ramps! I bet I could make it up the highest one. 

I trot around the fence, looking for a way inside. On the opposite side, I see a young man leave. I pull Ben that way and see a gate into the fence. When we are within four pugs’ length of the gate, I lunge forward.

“No, Zelda, this way!” Ben says. He pulls me to a path away from the play area. I lunge again, desperate to get in the fence, but Ben isn’t letting me go.

“Not today, Zelda. Another day we can go into the skate park,” he says. “I don’t think Mom would approve of you in the skate park.” I let my tail droop and follow him. 

Within minutes, I forget about my skate park disappointment. The magic cure is the beautiful weather, active squirrels, and the long walk. We circle the path and regroup with Nate, Hannah, and Lucy for the walk home. When we return home, I am exhausted. I drink a bowl of water and collapse on the cool kitchen floor.

The next day, the beautiful weather disappears. A gloomy, gray sky takes over, and raindrops fall throughout the day. Nate and I wait inside for a break from the rain.

When the rain slows to a drizzle, we venture outside. Nate leads us on a short loop, so we aren’t far from home if the rain returns. When we reach the school, the rain stops. I pull Nate across the street to the path in the back.

“Where are we going Zelda?” he asks. I lead him to the door of the skate park, and I scratch at the fence.

“Do you want to go in the skate park?” I scratch again.

“Okay Zelda, we can go in,” Nate says.

Nate opens the door, and we walk inside. I start to run, but Nate pulls me back.