Once Upon a Time: True Stories of an Aspiring Writer

Childhood Writings: Story of Pinkie the Poodle

My dog-loving phase took on many forms: playing with the dog figures at preschool, collecting stuffed dogs and teaching them a camp-like class, and more. I especially took a liking to pink poodles. Naturally I had to write a story about one at some point. This is the story I wrote for school.

Pinkie sat on her royal dog bed. She was daydreaming about going to the beauty parlor. However, her owner would not let her go. "It's too expensive," she said much too often.

Her owner came into the room. Pinkie thought her owner would give her a lecture on not going to the beauty parlor, but she didn't. Instead, she said, "Pinkie, it's time for you to go to obedience class." Pinkie did not want to go to obedience class. She had heard bad things about it. Her friend Laura said, "If you do not do the tricks right you do not get treats." Her other friend, Princess, said, "I got in trouble three times and I got in BIG trouble. My punishment? I was grounded for three weeks. I bet you don't know how long that is in dog years." Pinkie was now really scared.

And the obedience training place, Pinkie saw a dog. Not just any dog. It was a Shih Tzu. Pinkie soon found out the Shih Tzu's name was Angel. Pinkie took a deep breath and introduced herself. Angel did want to be her friend!

When Pinkie watched Angel jump through a hoop, she was perfect. When Pinkie tried it, she fell flat on her face. When Pinkie's owner came to pick her up, Angel was allowed to go with her. When they got there, Pinkie showed Angel her most prized possessions, such as her show ribbons. Even though they were only 4th and 5th place ribbons, Angel still loved them.

"Ooh, I love your bed!" said Angel when she sat in it.

Then Pinkie remembered something. It was her beauty parlor problem. She told Angel. So Angel said, "Be the best you can be and as a reward, your owner will take you to the beauty parlor."

But it didn't work, because the next night when Pinkie was about to go to bed, her owner said, "Pinkie, I know why you are doing this.I can't take you to the beauty parlor because it is too expensive. Remember?"

The next day, Pinkie waited until her owner had to run an errand to telephone Angel. (She knew how from obedience class.) She told Angel it did not work, and Angel told her about her next plan. "Get interested in your owner's makeup. When she is tired of you getting into it, she will take you to the beauty parlor." Pinkie said that did not work because the beauty parlor was too expensive. "Oh, well. I wish you luck." When Pinkie's owner came back, she had a job babysitting. She came back with $100 to use for the beauty parlor.

Pinkie was SO happy to got to go to the beauty parlor. When Pinkie got home, she telephoned Angel to tell her the good news!