The Watching, 2009, A Corgi Christmas Tale

The Watching: A Corgi Christmas Tale

By Millie J. Williams

Copyright, 2009


DEDICATION



This book is dedicated to Lola, a rescue corgi who was the inspiration for this story. May all corgis in rescue find their way to health, happiness, and love in a forever home, and may CorgiAid always be able to help those corgis in rescue who need us.


CHAPTER 1


The quiet tapping at the door sounded urgent. After a short time, a Royal Maid crept into the Royal Bedchamber. Quickly approaching the bed, she touched the Lady-In-Waiting on the shoulder.


“Lady, Lady, are you awake?” she whispered. “There is an emergency, and we don’t know what to do…”


The Lady-in-Waiting sat up and rubbed her eyes. When she saw how distressed the Royal Maid was, she put on her bathrobe and slippers, the pink bunny ones that a corgi puppy had given her on her birthday. The two humans crept out of the bedroom quietly, so as not to disturb the Emperor.


As they hurried down the hall, the Royal Maid explained. A foundling had been left at the door to the Castle, with a note tied to its collar. One of the Royal Footmen had discovered it just minutes before. Not knowing what else to do, the Footman had brought it to the kitchen, and the Royal Chef had given it a bowl of food.


“Is it a boy or a girl?” the Lady-in-Waiting wondered.


“I am not sure, but it’s red and white,” said the Royal Maid.


In just a couple of minutes, they were at the kitchen, the center of much of the Castle’s activities. Sitting at the table was the Royal Chef with a big bowl of what looked like macaroni and cheese in front of him. He also had on a bathrobe and blue bunny slippers. The Lady-In-Waiting smiled, for most of the staff in the Castle had bunny slippers of some color or another, given as gifts from favored corgi pups. Her glance drifted, and she saw the small red corgi on the floor, gulping down warm macaroni and cheese. She took a chair and waited for the pup to finish eating. The little corgi had a rather large nip out of its right ear. She wondered how that had happened.


When the corgi was through eating, she called it gently to her and picked it up. It was filthy, but she didn’t hesitate to put it in her lap, where a quick glance confirmed that it was a girl. The Lady-in-Waiting ruffled the corgi’s ears.


“What is your name?” she asked, as the Royal Chef handed over the note, which she quickly read.


“Lola,” burped the corgi, full of macaroni and cheese.


The note said that Lola had been bought as a farm dog to help herd sheep, cattle, and sometimes ducks. However, there had been a problem, because Lola was afraid of farm animals. The note stated that she was being given up to rescue, as the owners did not want a useless farm dog anymore.


Since it was early daylight, and Mr. Andre, the Castle’s hairdresser, was still in bed, the Lady-in-Waiting wasted no time and went right to the kitchen sink where she promptly gave Lola a good scrub. The Footman and the Maid scurried about in their bunny slippers, gathering towels, soap, and other things required for a bath. Soon, Lola was squeaky clean, and the Footman was instructed to take her out for a walk and warned to not let her roll.


“I want her dry for when the Emperor comes down for his breakfast,” the Lady-in-Waiting cautioned. It was always good to present a clean Foundling to him when one came in to the Castle for fostering.


She watched the Royal Footman attach a leash and take Lola out. There was much work to do, yes, much work this day. Lola would need a new collar, she would need introductions to everyone at the Castle, and she would certainly need to learn some manners. So the Lady-in-Waiting went back upstairs to begin preparations.


CHAPTER 2


Over the next few days, Lola was introduced around to all the humans and animals at the Castle, and her lessons began in earnest. She was taught how to be a polite corgi, to say “please” and “thank you” and “I’m sorry.” She was given a tour so that she knew where everything was and was shown where she would sleep. The only problem was the farmyard. As the note had specified, Lola was afraid of farm animals—not merely afraid, but terrified. The Lady-in-Waiting had to take her away from the barnyard when Lola began to tear around in a circle, desperate to get away from the animals she did not understand.


So the Lady-in-Waiting decided that lessons in farm animals might help Lola. First, Lola was shown pictures of the animals. She seemed happy enough with those and even licked a few of them. Then she was shown some animal videos and shows on TV. These made Lola very restless, but so long as a human was there with her, and the human’s arms were tightly wrapped around her for safety, Lola coped rather well. Next, large stuffed toys, sheep and ducks and cows, were brought in. Now Lola didn’t mind these at all and played rather nicely with them. But when the toys were rubbed on a similar live animal in the barnyard to help her get used to the scent, she sat in the furthest part of the room, turned her head away, and closed her eyes. She did not like the scent and refused to play with the toys anymore. She would not even look at them—she believed if she could not see them, then they could not see her.


After all the ideas that the Lady-in-Waiting and others had come up with were tried, the Emperor decided on something new. Announcing that he had a special place for Lola to stay, he clipped her new purple leash to her new purple collar and led her out to the barn. This was not what Lola wanted at all, and she struggled and tried to get away. But the Emperor firmly put her in a box stall in the barn that contained her food bowl, her water bowl, a soft and comfortable bed, and quite a large number of toys and bones.


Lola was very anxious. She kept looking around for farm animals but didn’t see any. She sniffed the air suspiciously. Yes, there was some kind of animal near, but to Lola, all farm animals smelled similar. She curled up and lay down on her bed, putting her head under the blanket. Maybe if she could not see the animal, it could not see her. She heard the Emperor leave, and it was very quiet for a time.


But then she heard some strange noises. There were rustlings and stompings in the straw in the next stall. Lola peeked out from under the blanket just in time to see a large grey monster stick its head over the side wall of her box stall!


Of course, it was not a monster, but a very small pony. He was dappled grey, and quite handsome, with a long flowing mane and tail. The pony and Lola looked at each other and shrieked, one in corgi language and one in pony language, for the pony was as afraid of Lola as she was of him. One barked furiously, and the other whinnied and kicked his stall. Soon they were both exhausted and just stood there, panting and looking out of the corners of their eyes at each other.


Finally, Lola spoke.


“You are a horse!” said Lola. “I am not afraid of horses!” She thought if she said that the pony would leave her alone.


The pony shook his mane. “I am not a horse. I am a pony!” He stamped his little hooves to show that he could trample a corgi if he needed to.


Lola remembered the lessons she had from the Lady-in-Waiting. Maybe, she thought, it would be better to be nice to the pony until she could find a way to escape.


“My name is Lola,” she began, but the pony stamped his feet some more to keep Lola away from the wall that separated them from each other.


“What a silly name,” the pony whinnied. “I have never heard a sillier one!”


Lola put her ruff up.


“And so what is your name?” she asked, rather belligerently.


“Sebastian,” he snorted and stamped his feet again. At this point, Lola had had enough and decided to get back under her blanket.


And that was all the conversation they had that day, as both were afraid of each other.


The next day, the Royal Chef gave each animal extra treats with their breakfasts. And after such a big meal, they could not help but sleep. Later in the day though, Sebastian attempted some conversation. He was bored, and the only one he had to talk to was that silly corgi in the next box stall.


“I do not like dogs!” he stated and stomped his little hooves again for emphasis.


“I think horses are dumb!” retorted Lola.


That was the end of the conversation for the day. And all that night, Sebastian kicked the side of the stall to wake up Lola, just to be mean. Lola would wait a while, and then she would begin to bark to keep Sebastian awake. By the next morning, both were very tired, so they ate their breakfasts without a word and slept most of the morning.

CHAPTER 3


The stand-off between Lola and Sebastian continued, so one day the Lady-in-Waiting brought out some treats and smiled at both animals.


“I trust this is going well?” the gentle Lady asked them. Both animals looked sulky and didn’t answer. The Lady-in-Waiting gave both of them the treats and then told them that if they tried to get along, they could go outside on the following day. Lola and Sebastian wanted to go outside very badly, but they did not want to be near each other. However, the appeal of going out was stronger than the niggling taunting that they had been inflicting on each other, so that night, for the first time, both slept rather peacefully and woke refreshed.


When the Lady-in-Waiting arrived the next day, she took them out into a small corral, just big enough to race around and stretch in. But the two animals retreated to opposite sides of the corral and stayed there. Shrugging, the Lady-in-Waiting left, but she posted a crow to watch and to come and get her if there was any trouble between them.


After a while, Lola casually wandered over and peeked into the open doorway into Sebastian’s stall. When he was looking out over the field, she dashed in and then out again, quick as could be. But she didn’t realize that ponies have eyes on the sides of their heads and can see behind them, too.


Lola eventually was tired and curled up to take a nap. Sebastian tiptoed over to her stall, looked inside, checked again to be sure she was asleep, and then tiptoed in and out again, resuming his place looking out over the fields and swishing his luxuriant tail.


When the animals were returned to their stalls for the night, both were shocked. Lola had scattered hay all over the floor of Sebastian’s stall, dumped his water, dug a hole, and buried his evening carrots. And Lola was stunned to see that Sebastian had done much the same to her stall. He had dumped her water on her bed, too, and tramped her treat container. All the treats were ruined. Sebastian kicked the stall again that night, and Lola barked whenever she heard him breathing softly, knowing he was asleep.


The next day when the Lady-in-Waiting came to check on them, she was upset over the mess and their poor manners. She told them they were to be punished. They had to stay outside together in the corral unless it rained. The doors to the stalls would be closed. They would have to share a water bucket. No soft beds, no treats. If food was ruined by bad behavior, too bad—that was all the food they would get for that day. She was very firm, but inside she was laughing. With all her experience with animals, she figured that any interaction between them was a good step forward.


Over the next few weeks, the two little animals mostly ignored each other but did occasionally speak to the other one. One day, Lola admitted that, for a farm animal, Sebastian had a lovely mane and tail. Another day, the sun bounced off of Lola’s copper-penny coat, and it sparkled. Sebastian cautiously offered a compliment, and Lola actually graciously accepted it and thanked him. The bits of resentment and fear between the animals gradually began to break down, and they were finally allowed to have their own separate sleeping areas again.


One day, it was quite hot, and the only shade was in one little corner of the pen. Sebastian was standing there, but Lola wanted to be in the cool area, too. She paced up and down, panting, very worried that Sebastian would hurt her. But the pony saw she was hot and took pity. He lay down so she would not be afraid of his tiny, but very strong, hooves. Lola crept over and lay next to his side—the one without feet sticking out. And an amazing thing happened: they drew comfort from one another and both took a nap. Later, they retreated to the opposite ends of the corral, but both were moving around more now.


On another day, they told each other their stories.


Lola had been bought as a farm dog, but came to her new home at much too young an age. A rooster had pecked her in the head on her first day. The cows and horses were so big that they frightened her. Lola had become obsessed with staying out of the way of the animals, and no one was kind to her. The sheep butted her. The horse had swept his long tail in the air and sent the puppy scurrying away. The pigs threw mud at her. A cat had nipped her ear, which was how it had come to be ripped. And so she learned not to like farm animals.


Sebastian had been born in a traveling circus. From the time he was a tiny foal, he was trained. He was never allowed to be a baby—he was expected to learn tricks just as the other ponies did. Although he had been good at the tricks he learned, he didn’t like them much, because the trainer was too quick with his whip and sometimes the young pony got confused. He learned to be stubborn and did not do his part in the act. And the dogs in the act were mean to him, growling at him if he didn’t perform as expected. So Sebastian was taken to an auction, where luckily the Emperor found him and brought him home to the Castle.


The short-legged red dog and the dappled pony looked at each other in sympathy. Each thought their life had been especially hard until they had heard the other one’s story.


Finally Lola spoke. “I am sorry it was so scary for you with those dogs in the circus act. I am not like that, and I don’t think most dogs are that way. Things will be better for you soon.”


Sebastian was surprised at Lola’s reaction. He thought for a while, then said, “Many farm animals are not as smart as horses and dogs, and feel like they are not as important. I think the farm animals where you used to live were testing you to see if they could push you around. I think being here at the Castle is much better for you and for me.”


So a truce was called. It was a little shaky at first, as Lola was fascinated with that long tail of Sebastian’s, and she did want so to chase him to see it flow out behind him. And Sebastian had to be very careful not to step on Lola when he was walking, having come close to doing so a time or two.


CHAPTER 4


Meanwhile, back in the Castle, a litter of puppies had been born. There were six little pups: four of them were black and two of them would grow up to be red corgis. One of the black puppies was named Goer after a famous horse, because when the pups would wake up, they would toddle about, but Goer would GO! She would race about in circles as fast as her little fat corgi legs could take her. She was constantly in trouble, from falling down the stairs to teetering on the edge of the porch. It was all the worse because she was so tiny compared to the other ones. The Lady-in-Waiting finally assigned her to a different corgi each hour, both to play with and for the older corgi to keep an eye on her.


Goer enjoyed going to the barnyards to visit with the farm animals, and Lola especially liked to play with her while Sebastian looked on. Although he was still leery of other dogs, this one didn’t seem too bad, and she was awfully cute. He held very still as she zipped in and out of his pony legs. It was hard, but he received a lot of praise from everyone for holding so still.


And then came the day that the neighbor’s bull got loose and came onto the Castle grounds.


It was a bright fall day, the leaves were a riot of color in the trees, and the air was as crisp as an apple. By now, Sebastian and Lola were getting along just fine and had become good friends. They were polite to each other and well-mannered. They could even run together in the field and enjoy themselves. A few of the older animals were let out with them so they could all interact: a goat named Rosebud, a bunny named Blue, and, of course, Blanco, the white burro. The Lady-in-Waiting was most pleased. She had also taken Lola and Sebastian on outings to meet the other dogs and farm animals that lived at the Castle. Although some nervousness lingered, she taught them to ask how an animal had come to live at the Castle, finding that there were commonalities in all the stories. This made both Lola and Sebastian feel part of a whole, instead of a tiny bit of nothing.


On this day, the Lady-in-Waiting had returned them to their corral and had just left when Sebastian pricked his ears at something he saw moving around. It was the neighbor’s bull, a nasty-tempered animal with whom none of the Castle animals had anything to do. His name was Brutus, and he was very mean. He liked to chase animals just to see them flee in terror. Both Sebastian and Lola had been told how mean he was and instructed that if he got loose, which he seemed to do now and then, they should find a safe place and wait until the neighbor came and got him. Brutus had not hurt anyone—yet—but he seemed to enjoy getting out of his pen and looking for animals to terrorize.


Lola and Sebastian turned to go into the barn, which they felt was safer than the corral, when they heard something else—a bright, piping, little corgi bark. It was the kind of bark puppies make when they have cornered a cricket, a caterpillar, or a small frog. It was joyous and nonstop. They froze.


“That’s Goer!” exclaimed Lola, and together they turned to see something they never wanted to see: a tiny corgi puppy, who had given the slip to its minder, oblivious to the hurricane of a giant bull who was searching for the source of the happy sound so it could be extinguished. Without thinking, but acting as one, Lola and Sebastian sprang into action.


Lola began barking furiously. “Hey, Brutus! Your momma was a Holstein cow! She was scared of everything!” Lola yelled. At the same time, Sebastian whirled around and began kicking the gate out of the corral for all he was worth. In just a few blows, there was enough room for both to squeeze out. In a flash, Sebastian began to taunt the bull towards him, dancing just out of reach as the bull slashed with his horns and stamped his feet. No one had known that Sebastian’s great grandfather fought bulls in the bull ring in Spain. As Sebastian worked from the instinct deep within him, frustrating and angering the bull more, yet dancing out of the way, Lola ran and snatched up the corgi pup. She raced towards the Castle, where an uproar was already taking place, as everyone frantically searched for the missing puppy.


The Emperor took Goer from Lola and handed her to the Lady-in-Waiting, who checked her over for injuries, and then followed Lola to the barnyard. But there was nothing to be found, for Sebastian had lured Brutus back to the property line, and his owner had come and taken the bull home again. Sebastian was standing with nostrils flared, neck arched and tail extended, stomping his tiny feet and hurling insults in the form of excited whinnies as the bull and his owner left.


Everyone at the Castle was grateful and delighted that the two animals who had hated each other on sight, based only on their mistaken preconceptions, had united and not only saved a puppy’s life, but had become close friends. Even better, Lola had forgotten her fear of farm animals in her efforts to save Goer. In fact, the Lady-in-Waiting told Lola that she had made so much progress that she could join the other corgis that lived in the Castle. But Lola said that she wanted to remain in the barn with her new friend, Sebastian, at least for a while.

CHAPTER 5


One day in the fall, the Lady-in-Waiting told Sebastian and Lola about a very special occasion called the Watching, which was coming up very soon. She explained what a joyous yet solemn event it was. Both animals listened with rapt attention. They had never heard the story before and were eager to participate. The Lady-in-Waiting explained that many animals would be there, farm animals as well as lots and lots of dogs and some wild creatures. Although Sebastian and Lola had worked hard to get over their differences and fears, there could be no disruption during the trip to the Watching, nor the Watching itself, so they were given the choice to come or to stay home. Both chose to go.


But this had given Lola an idea, which she secretly told Sebastian. He thought about it for a while and then agreed. They could do this, he thought, and better still, they could do it together. It would be their present to everyone.


Fall gradually turned to winter, and finally it was almost time for the most wonderful part of the year for all the animals. The Watching was coming! The Watching was coming!


The celebration always took place toward the end of December, in a field a few miles from the Castle. This year it was quite cold but not bitter, and the roads were dry and safe. The wagons and carts that would bring many of the animals to the gathering place were given new coats of bright paint by the Castle Footmen.


St. Frank, patron saint of the animals everywhere, had given Watching Lessons to the First Watchers during the month of December. It was a solemn time, and the animals were expected to remain totally silent for most of the Watching. An occasional “ooh” or “ahh” was permitted, and often, towards the end, some spontaneous conversation was allowed. First Watchers were those pups or other animals over the age of six months who had never attended a Watching, including Lola and Sebastian, who were quite excited about the whole idea. First Watchers received a new collar with a shiny tag with a star engraved on it and a small diamond. Sebastian would get a new halter to put his tag on. Most animals only wore this special collar for their First Watching, and then the collars were put away in a safe place.


Goer and her sisters and brother were much too young to go and so would be left behind in the care of the humans at the Castle. The only humans allowed to go along were St. Frank, St. Val, St. Nick, and St. John. St. Val was the patron saint of Love, and all the corgis and other animals tried hard to follow his simple message to treat each other kindly and to love each other. St. Nick was beloved by animals and children alike, for his generosity of spirit during this season. This St. John was a new saint, recently called from his Earthly life to a Heavenly one. He was still searching for his way to help others, and he had requested to come along and assist with the Watching this year.


The trees on the Castle grounds were always decorated festively for the Watching, and this year they were spectacular. Everyone had pored over magazines and looked for ideas for months and months. The Puppy Tree was small and loaded with tiny puppy toys and much glitter. The Puppy Tree was always a little lopsided, and if one were to brush against it, one might come away somewhat sticky. Princess Cheveu, who was a lovely tri-color fluffy corgi, was busy with the younger girl corgis. Their Princess Tree had peacock feathers and gold balls and white fluffy snow on it. Her dear friend, Esmerelda, a turkey who had decided to become a flamingo, had come up with a pink-themed tree; everything on the tree was pink—flamingos, roses, pink lights, pink tinsel.


The elder corgis had decided on a photograph theme and busily worked decoupaging photos of those who lived at the Castle and close friends to pieces of wood that the Footmen provided. Then they decorated these with bits of tinsel, acorns, and whatever they pleased. The Footmen graciously helped the arthritic elders by placing the photos just so on the colored backgrounds, and everyone agreed that the photo tree was the best one of the year. The Lady-in-Waiting worked hard on the Woodland Friends tree, placing wonderful edibles in the branches, fresh hay beneath it, and nuts and dried fruit mixed into in the hay to provide a surprise for those who searched it. This tree was kept supplied with food all through the winter for the wild animals who lived near the Castle.

CHAPTER 6


At last, the big day arrived. The Watching always took place in the wee hours of the morning of December 25th,so travel to the event always began in the early afternoon of the day before.


There was much bustle and busy-ness as the humans loaded the wagons and carts with snacks, water, and other necessities, such as warm blankets to lie on for the Watching. Princess Cheveu braided the tails and manes of the horses, adding holly and tinsel and, now and then, a beautiful feather. Blanco, the white burro, who was Princess Cheveu’s personal mount, was followed by Jacques, the bay-colored Friesian, and the three Appaloosas, Misty, Magnolia, and Chrissie. Various goats pulled small wagons, each with an elder corgi or smaller animals who would find it difficult to keep up on such a long journey. Older birds and squirrels sat on Jacques’ broad and very warm back, and each horse pulled a bigger wagon, filled with supplies such as blankets, food, and water buckets.


The highest point on the biggest wagon always contained the eldest corgi. This year it was Hayley, who was 14 years old and in fairly good shape, except she was unable to walk several miles, nor could she hear anymore. She barked songs whenever she saw the others singing, but no one minded that she barked the wrong ones. Finally everyone gave up and just sang whatever song she was barking.


Then it was time, and the caravan of animals began the long procession to the field. Leather creaked, and bells jingled; puppies laughed and barked and were warned to stay close by and not dash into the woods and get dirty. Everyone looked so festive, and all had on a bit of holly, or a collar of tinsel, or even a pretty plaid coat. They all wanted to look their best on this very special day.


A light meal had been offered before they left, and snacks were available along the way. A big breakfast buffet would be prepared on the following morning when they returned. The trip to the field would take several hours, as many of the animals needed a rest stop several times along the way. Elders and youngsters tired easily and needed a short nap, and all welcomed a drink of water and a snack while they rested.


The youngest puppies were stunned when a large grey wolf appeared in the woods and began to walk next to St. Frank. This was Brother Wolf, St. Frank’s dearest friend. Each year, Brother Wolf asked the youngsters if they would help him find the way to the Watching, and would they please sit near him and help him understand the ceremony? Of course, he knew the way, but the young First Watchers were very happy to be singled out for attention. They danced with delight, barked, and stayed very close to Brother Wolf—which was the intention. St. Nick walked with St. Val, who always had the most interesting things in his pockets, such as peppermints and stickers of foxes and little bits of paper folded into origami cranes and buffalo nickels. He gave these things out liberally to anyone who walked nearby, so everyone came away with something from St. Val. He was a very loving saint.


No one knew too much about the new St. John. He had been called early by The Boss, and although he missed his old life a little bit, he was allowed to peek in now and then to see how his family was doing. Marching next to him but unseen by anyone but the Saints was Lasca, a frisky little Japanese Chin. Lasca had left this Earth shortly before St. John had, and the little Chin had been on hand to greet St. John as he had crossed over to his new life. He was healthy and happy again and thrilled to be reunited with John, whom he loved very much. St. John was along for an orientation, as next year he would have more duties. He carried a clipboard, and every now and then checked off some chore that had been accomplished.


It took several hours to get to the Watching field, which was clear of snow this year. Several improvements had been made. Along the sides of the field were some three-sided shelters in case of snow or rain. A small water pump had been added so that water did not have to be hauled in, and a special area was roped off for the corgis on wheels, who could not walk anymore. St. John directed the corgis on wheels, helping them get out of their carts and comfortable on thick, warm blankets.


In the center of the field was the spot for the First Watchers, and on the other side was an area, protected by low spruce trees, for the elders. As the elders were helped to their spots, St. Frank touched each of them carefully, giving them a pain-free night so they could concentrate on this most special of all holidays. They were also given the Gift of Clear Sight and of Good Hearing. Some elders had turned in applications for jobs on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge that St. Frank and The Boss might offer in the coming year. They knew this could well be the last Watching for them on the Earth, but they were eager to participate from the other side next year.


Wild animals, hesitant about attending, stood in the dark of the nearby woods. They had not been told what the Watching was all about, but knew in their hearts that they needed to come. St. John beckoned to these animals to come closer and join the rest of the group. Squirrels raced from tree to tree, trying to find the perfect branch to sit on. Skunks politely stayed a good distance away. A magnificent stag silently watched it all, and then drew close to Brother Wolf and the First Watchers. A family of raccoons churred softly, kneading their hands together. St. John passed out peanuts and bits of bread, which all the wild animals really seemed to appreciate as a treat. There were a lot of birds, especially crows, who particularly liked being near the Castle.


As everyone settled down, having had a drink and a warm blanket to lie on, and in some cases to pull over themselves, silence reigned. A sneeze was heard now and then, or a cough, or a corgi scratching itself. Each animal thought about what the Watching meant to them and wondered what would happen this year.

CHAPTER 7


And then, all the questions were answered. A little glimmer appeared in the sky, streaking downward and then curving back upward. It crossed itself and then zipped along the horizon. A few of the First Watchers stood up and then remembered to sit down again. It was beginning! As everyone watched the glimmer, suddenly the sky became so bright with color that the animals could see the whiskers on the animal next to them. It had never happened so fast before, and it surprised many of them. Zig-zags of light wove in and out, making the colors dance in the eyes of all who watched. One or two of the First Watchers were a bit afraid but soon settled down when they realized that they were not going to be hurt.


After a while, the colors slowly faded, and there was a silent strain as everyone adjusted their eyes to see. Everyone gazed at the valley just below the Watching field. Then they saw them! The Man and the Lady and the Baby! They were misty figures at first, but everyone knew who they were. In a few minutes, they became very clear and everyone could see them. The Family was in front of a small barn, and this year the Baby was sleeping quietly, which caused several of the older animals to issue a soft “shhhhh…” to the others around them. The animals were happy that the Baby had been born in a manger in a barn. That was a good place to be born, and many of them had entered this life exactly the same way.


Soon the Baby gave a little kick and then turned and stretched and the Lady picked Him up. She gave Him a smile and a little hug and then tenderly held Him close to her. Everyone could tell how much she loved Him. The Man beamed and held his hands out, and the Lady placed the Baby in his arms, where he, too, lovingly snuggled the Child. A group of shepherds with a border collie approached, with several sheep. They gave the Lady a little lamb that was white as a cloud.


Then the animals noticed some strange creatures coming in from the other side of the field. They looked carefully. Yes, it was those odd-looking creatures that fascinated them every year. These were the camels, and St. Frank smiled as he saw the puzzled looks when it was noticed that some camels had one hump and some had two. He wondered if The Boss had been behind that bit of a surprise. That would puzzle the corgis and others for many days to come. The men riding the camels got off, bowed, and gave the Lady some presents.


But suddenly a disruption occurred! The elder corgis looked about for St. Frank to explain the unplanned event to them. A grey pony with a red corgi riding on its back trotted across the field. The Lady and the Man looked at each other in surprise, and then smiled, and the Baby smiled, too. For it was Sebastian, ridden by Lola. Sebastian and Lola greeted the Family, and then Sebastian began to lope slowly around in a circle. As he did, Lola stood on her back paws on his back and then turned around several times. She made a mighty leap off Sebastian and then back on again, much to the delight of the special Family. Lola and Sebastian performed several more tricks, then a short dance routine, turning in synchrony. Finally, they stopped in front of the Family and Sebastian bowed deeply. Lola leapt off and gave a little bow, too. The Baby gurgled and laughed, which touched everyone. They knew He had been very pleased with this gift.

CHAPTER 8


Panting a bit from the exertion, Lola and Sebastian stood by quietly, and at last the long-awaited song began. It came from above, yet all around them. Every year it was a new song, different, yet somehow the same as the year before. It was beautiful and soft. Everyone’s eyes drifted upward, and there they saw the choir in the air above the scene in the field. Oh, how many animals and humans there were! It was all the ones who had left this Earth for a place in the sky. Everyone sought out and strained to see old friends, family members, beloved elders—humans, too. And they were there, every single one of them. The corgis were relieved as they picked out each creature or human that they loved. All were young again, all were bright and happy. There were dogs and cats and horses and squirrels and a few beavers. There was a camel and a zebra. Everywhere one looked, there was someone they knew. The choir waved and called out personal messages, which, miraculously, could be heard clearly by each Watcher for whom the message was intended, yet not by the creature next to them.


Kasper and Nebi the cat looked anxiously through the huge crowd of animals and people who were singing above them. “Look!” whispered Kasper. “She’s up there!” And sure enough, there was Bronwyn, a brindle cardigan beauty. The two animals were very excited as they waved and blew kisses to Bronwyn, who waved back to them.

Tyler was being held by a pretty young woman who was called Jo. She also had Diva in her lap, a sweet little Havanese. Diva had been confused when she arrived, but had been taken over by Jo, to comfort and love her until she was reunited with those she loved on Earth.

There was Jawoo, with Einstein and Guido racing around and barking at her, causing the corgis on wheels to wipe away a tear or two. They were so happy to see their friends running again. Jerome, who had followed Guido to the Bridge, was now restored to health and looked very dignified. Vera sat with both of the boys, helping them through their first Watching on the other side of Life. Lurch, the kitty who lived with Guido and Jerome, looked on in disgust. You couldn’t take those boys anywhere without their causing a ruckus! With a fierce meow, he brought them in line so the song could continue.

A handsome young man named Joseph sat with several animals about him, a corgi named Normie in his lap, and Felix, Beethoven, Rusty, and Mozart sitting close to him. They all waved madly down to Shirley the Fluff and Bunsen. “Tell Mom her Dad is here and ok!” they called down to the Earthly group. Another young man sat nearby. His name was Marty and he was surrounded by pets who had gone ahead of him. There was Baron, Indy, and Angel, who were German Shepherds, and of course, Dunkin the corgi, who wiggled and squirmed and made Marty laugh. The Divine Miss Emily sat with Tigger and smiled down at Skeezix. Nearby sat Aunt Jeff, Hurricane Hugo, Mr. Monty, and the cat clan: Foonman, Brewster, Einsam, Loretta Lynn, Skeeter, Max, and Grampy Spook. Emily disappeared for just a moment, then was quickly back and continued to sing. And elsewhere on Earth, a heartbroken Melissa thought for sure she felt a soft kiss on her nose. Tim sat nearby and hugged a big German Shepherd called Boris and they both sang the beautiful song together.

Brandy, who had been so ill before leaving, now had a glow on her face that was bright as the sun. She sat in Betsy’s lap, a human who had been called too soon. Betsy stroked Brandy’s lovely fur and waved at everyone below. Jordan, Axel, Tramp, and Jake stayed close by Betsy, who everyone agreed was the best rescuer of corgis anywhere. She had so much love for all animals, and they had picked her out to stay with until they were joined by their Earthly families.

A beautiful standard poodle named Chelsea had on a shiny new tag that said “The Boss’s Special Dog,” because she had been a service and therapy dog and had given so much of her life to helping others. Her eyes glowed with happiness, as she was now allowed to roam the halls of senior homes to give gentle licks to those who were leaving and to help them cross. It was good to have a friend for one’s crossing. Even in her new life, she had purpose and happiness. Sam helped her in this job, as he had always wanted to do this. He felt so good now, helping people and animals cross over safely and happily. Rosie and Flynn, below, were very proud of Sam and his work.

St. John, who had been sitting quietly on the ground with his animals who were still on Earth—Fargo the German shepherd, Tink, Cisco, Peeves, and the cats, Mac and Meggie—watched Lasca take his place back among the Heavenly Crowd. St. John pointed out the ones who had left, Ke-ko, Kody, Kewpie, and the cats, Humperdunk and beautiful Gracie. It was an odd thing, he thought, to be able to come and go as he did, but St. John had the benefit of seeing either group of animals whenever he wanted to. All the earthbound animals were happy to see the ones in the sky,and to sit in St. John’s lap again for a few minutes. They missed him so very much and would travel home to tell Marilee that they had seen him again.

Grom and Wallis looked up to see their human Grandpa sitting there. He was young again, and so happy. He held in his lap Beckett and Botch, two corgis who had left very close together, breaking two families’ hearts. Slasher was there, too, and all three dogs barked their greetings to those below who were watching. Berny, who was Ruth’s father, waved down to Woody and Thumper who barely recognized him. It was only his scent, which drifted down on the breeze, that alerted them to his presence. How he smiled down at them! They could hardly contain their tears.


The spectacle continued for quite some time, allowing each Watcher time to look carefully to see restored friends and family, time to reassure themselves that the ones in the choir were happy and glad to be where they were. It was a huge comfort to everyone to see so many friends who had left this year, and to know that they were well and whole again.


Eventually, the choir faded, as did the song. One or two First Watchers called out “Don’t go, please don’t go,” but the images had disappeared. The animals would never forget the song this year, for it had touched so many hearts. Many tears were shed at seeing those who had been lost, but it was good to know that they lived on in another place.


As the sky began to grow lighter, St. Frank addressed all the animals, saying that Lola and Sebastian had worked very hard to overcome their fears and that fears were what kept anyone from believing in themselves and what was to come. Lola and Sebastian walked slowly up from the field to stand quietly behind St. Frank, and then St. Frank blessed them all, wished them a Good Watching, and dismissed them to return to their homes. Angels quietly came from the woods to assist in tucking in elders so that they would remain warm on the ride home. The Saints did a head count to be sure that everyone was in line and would follow the wagons safely home to the Castle. Other animals got up and stretched and said it was the best Watching ever. The wild animals quietly dispersed into the woods, as silently as they had come.


As the caravan left the field, someone began to sing a song and then others joined in. It was soft, as everyone was tired, but a good many of the animals managed to sing most of the way home. Lola and Sebastian brought up the rear together, having overcome their trials and hard times and become good friends. And St. Frank, St. Nick, St. Val, and St. John smiled to themselves as they saw another Watching miracle taking place in their little charges’ lives.


May you all have a blessed Christmas Season!

Millie

REMEMBRANCES (Please see the following post for some lovely photos! You will have to go to the bottom of the page and click on "Older Posts" to see them.)


In Memory of All the Special Friends Who Went to the Bridge This Year


Bronwyn * Kramer, Forrest, and TC * Goldie * Obie * Jawoo * Zeus * Guido and Jerome * Ginger * Brodie * Noah * Normie * Marty * Dunkin * The Divine Miss Emily * Tim * Harley * Mali * Chester Luis * Lil' Handsome * Dink * Calvin * Spock and Jessica * Deion * Angie * Slasher * Nicky * Jake * Tucker * Henry Willie * Yogi * Rizzo * Buzz * Lewis * Bucky * Buddy * Brandy * Betsy * Tramp and Jake * Einstein * Axel * Jordan * Chelsea * Sam * Artie * Chloe * Misty * Zen * Cruiser * Simon * Cody * Sabrina * Miss Daisy * Emma * Dewi * Dunnie Bunnie * Diva * Wylie * Kacy * Breezy * Beckett * Botch * Berny * Lurch * Max * Bayley * Kelsey * Jacob and Abigail * Shalla * Ranger * Quinn * Tryst * Kobie * Corey


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