The Watching: Corgi Christmas Miracles

Chapter One

           The Royal Family and all their animals and helpers had moved to a new Castle many miles away from their old home.  It had been a monumental task, and the decision to move took months and months to make.  But finally all agreed that they need a roomier Castle.  Although it was hard to leave familiar territory, everyone was excited about the possibilities that waited in a new place. 

The Royal Footmen and Maids had been busy for weeks and weeks, packing, discarding, running a yard sale and keeping track of everything, along with all their regular duties.  The Emperor and Lady-in-Waiting paid bills, directed the move, and of course, pitched in to help where ever help was needed.  Finally the big day came, and pups were placed safely into small playpens in the large yard while the moving van was loaded.  Then a long procession of vehicles, some with Castle Folk in them, some with food and supplies, some with animals, began the long two day trek to the new Castle to the south.

After several months of confusion and unpacking, all were settled in, a daily routine had been established, and things were mostly back to normal.  The animals and people looked forward to the longer Summer, earlier Spring, and beautiful Fall in their new home.  No one minded the lack of snow in the new place except for the youngest ones, who had heard about that mysterious cold white substance but had never seen it.  However, they were happy with four new ponds to play in and frogs and turtles to terrorize.

One summer day, the Castle received a phone call.  Could the Royal family help with a special project?  Of course they could!  And so it came to pass that the Emperor and the Lady-in-Waiting stood by the side of the road near the old store. They looked down the road, waiting for a bus to arrive bearing a special surprise for all who lived at the Castle.  Soon, the bus appeared around a curve and the excitement built, because the special surprise that was coming was an Only.

Only puppies were the only pup in a litter, whether they had been born as a true Only or had lost their siblings.  As a result, they were much more work than other puppies because they did not understand that they were not the center of the Universe. Some people sent them to the Castle, where they could interact with as many corgis and other animals as possible.  This produced a well-rounded puppy who was not spoiled and who had learned how to get along with others.

In a few moments, a kind lady got off the bus and gently handed the Lady-in-Waiting a wrapped bundle of flannel. She also gave the Emperor a small box that contained a blankie, some puppy toys, and a small chew bone. After the royal couple reassured her that all would be taken care of, she got back on the bus and waved through the window as it pulled away.

Carefully, the Lady-in-Waiting unwrapped the bundle and found an odd combination inside, a young corgi puppy and a sock filled with rice and tied off at the end with a piece of red yarn.  She laughed and showed the Emperor the “sibling.”  The Lady-in-Waiting knew that this had been given to the pup to give the impression of another puppy nearby, calming the Only.

The puppy had an unusual marking on his head, and they wondered whether it had any significance or were just random ripples in his fur.  The Lady-in-Waiting ruffled the marking and then kissed the little Only.  “Let’s get you something to eat!” she said, and they walked back up to the Castle.

Chapter Two

Over the next few weeks, everyone was kept busy with the Only, who had been named Theodore.  Not too long after Theodore arrived, another Only they named Julius came to stay at the Castle.  Julius was younger than Theodore and seemed very confused and afraid.  He had been found wandering near a busy highway and had been taken in by well meaning people.  He probably had had a family, they thought, it was just that no one knew who they were, despite many flyers being put up and many phone calls made. 

Julius was a Cardigan corgi, much like a Pembroke corgi but longer and with one blue eye and one brown eye, a blue merle coat, and a wonderful fox-like tail.  He cried a lot and didn’t like to be alone. Julius constantly called out “Boy!  Boy!” which everyone took to mean that he had had a child somewhere.  It broke everyone’s heart to see him so lost, but everyone worked hard to distract him from his thoughts, and in a few weeks he was only heard to say “Boy!  Boy!” in his sleep.

It was natural to put the two Onlies together so they could learn from each other and have to get along. They had no other siblings, except, of course, the little rice bag that Theodore called “Bubba.”  Soon the two little pups were seen everywhere, Theodore busily sniffing around and Julius constantly asking questions and wagging his flag of a tail. 

But as they grew a bit older, Theodore decided that he did not need a little brother tagging along so much.  He would hide from Julius and laugh into his paw while the younger pup frantically searched for him.  Theodore decided to play tricks on the younger dog, so he would put rocks under his bed at night, knowing that Julius wasn’t mature enough to be able to know there was a reason why his bed was so uncomfortable. 

One day when Julius was drinking from the pond, Theodore sneaked up behind him and pushed him into the water.  Theodore ran for the woods so that Julius could not see who had done such a mean thing to him.  But someone was watching.  A red winged blackbird flew down from where she had been enjoying the breeze in a big tree.  She perched just above Theodore, eyed him carefully, and made a few chirping sounds to get his attention.  Theodore cocked his head and looked up.  The bird very carefully thought about the word she needed to say to him—it had to be perfect and language did not come easily to birds.  But finally she sensed he was getting bored and about to wander off, so with great effort, she said to him, “Mean.  Mean.”  She looked at him again and then flew away.

Theodore was shocked.  Did she really mean to say that he was a mean dog?  No, she couldn’t have!  He helped when he was asked to, and he put his dime in the old tin can when St. Frank, patron Saint of all the animals, came by on Sunday mornings to talk to the corgis and other Castle animals about being better creatures.  He even helped the Elder corgis around the yard.  How could she say he was mean?  But then he heard Julius down by the pond. Julius was crying out for his Boy again, and something in the bigger pup’s heart melted.  Yes, it was true.  He was mean.  Not mean to all, but mean to a younger and less capable animal.  He hung his head.  He would not stay; he just could not face anyone.  He looked down to see that Julius was safe and out of the pond, and then he turned and started to walk through the woods.

Theodore made his way through the woods for several miles, climbed some hills, and followed a deer trace.  Eventually he came to a small cave.  Some animals had apparently lived there before, but it looked snug and warm, so he scratched out the leavings and took mouthfuls of grass and covered the floor with them.  He found a small stream further back in the woods that was clean to drink from.  Theodore felt he had the whole situation well in hand, or in “paw.” 

That evening, everyone in the Castle was very upset.  They had discovered that Theodore was missing, but all Julius could say was that he had gone down to the pond to look for Theodore and something pushed him in, or maybe he slipped.  He couldn’t really remember because he had been so upset at finding himself in the water.  The Emperor sent out the Royal Footmen to search, along with the Border Collie Patrol, but no one found a trace of the young Only.

After two weeks, they sadly decided they had to give up the search, although some of the animals still kept looking for Theodore.  Julius reverted to saying “Boy!” much more again, and most evenings he had to be rocked to sleep.  The summer passed on and everyone had a sad heart.  The Castle had never lost a corgi before and everyone felt responsible.  The Royal Footmen blamed themselves, saying they should have kept a better eye on a youngster.  The Emperor said he should have taken Theodore on his ride to town that day and then he would not have been lost.  The Lady-In-Waiting said that she should have scheduled his bath for that day and kept him in the yard so he couldn’t escape.  The Royal Chef said that Theodore had been pestering him to make cookies, and that he should have taken him into the kitchen to show the little pup how to make them.  But now he was gone, maybe forever, and everyone felt very badly about the loss of the young Only pup.

Chapter Three

Meanwhile, far back in the woods, Theodore was lonely, but worse, he was hungry.  He was very, very hungry, and there is nothing worse than a hungry corgi! He had found some berries, which were good.  He had also found some nuts. They were hard to crack and you couldn’t get all the hard parts out, but he ate them anyhow.  He even found a Twinkie wrapper that a hiker had thrown away and licked it clean before eating it too.  Once or twice, he sneaked down to the hill overlooking the Castle to see if he could find something edible, but there was nothing.

Then one day he decided to search deeper into the cave where he had been staying.  It was almost as though something was calling him, calling him to come deeper into the cave.  It got darker and darker as he went farther back. But then, strangely, a light shone on something near the back wall of the cave.  He could not see where the light came from—it seemed to come from nowhere. After sniffing a bit, he looked at the object with the light on it, which looked like a large flask or bottle of some kind.  Theodore’s little brow furrowed in thought, wrinkling the unusual marking on his head.

He sniffed the flask.  Maybe it had something to drink in it?  Then he carefully pulled out the top and looked at it. To his amazement, something like a mist came out of the flask.  He took a step back and prepared to flee, but he was also very curious.  In a few moments, the mist shifted, touched the ground, and took shape.  Of all the things in the world, it sure looked like a squirrel to him!

Now fortunately for this squirrel, Theodore was not much of a hunter.  So he just looked on curiously as the little animal brushed itself off and then stretched.

“Hi,” it said.  “What’s your name?”

Theodore introduced himself and learned that the squirrel’s name was He Ping.  He had never heard that name before, so he had to say it several times before he got it right.  Theodore didn’t want to be rude, but he was curious.  “What kind of a name is that?” he wondered.  The squirrel explained that the name was Chinese and meant “peace.”  Then Theodore asked the squirrel, “How did you get in that bottle?”

“Is that your first wish?” replied He Ping.  Theodore had no idea what he meant, so He Ping explained that he was a genie who had been trapped in the bottle, and anyone who freed him would get three wishes granted.  “You need to choose wisely” he cautioned.

The first thing Theodore thought of was how to make things right with Julius.  But, instead, he said “I am so very hungry, so I wish for some food.”  The squirrel looked thoughtful, then waved one little paw in a magic sign in the air.  In a moment, a pretty bowl filled with wonderful, hot stew appeared before Theodore.  He could hardly believe it and actually remembered to thank He Ping for the food before he ate it.  Oh, it was so flavorful and filling!  He licked up every bit. When he was finished and sat down, the bowl faded and was gone. 

“The bowl is like the food,” explained the squirrel.  “It does not last.”  Theodore had no idea what that meant.  Then He Ping said “What is your second wish?”

Theodore thought again about how he picked on the younger puppy, tormenting and teasing him.  But then he made another selfish choice.  “I would like a new toy, one with a bell in it, one that I can chew on and play keep-away with.”  And, in just a flash, a brand new blue toy with a bell in it was in front of him. 

Oh, Theodore had never seen such a wonderful toy!  He snatched it and danced around with it, tossed it in the air, and played for a few minutes with it.  But then it just didn’t seem like that much fun.  There was no one to play with, no one to try and take it from him, no one to lie down and chew on one end while he chewed on the other.  He looked at the toy sadly.

“What is your third wish?” the squirrel inquired. Well, Theodore knew just what he wanted.  He wanted to go home.  But he also didn’t want to face Julius and the others and admit that he had been wrong.  So he said, “I would like another toy, one that is good for a young puppy to play with, one that he will love very much.”

Now the squirrel, who had figured out what was going on, said “That is a better wish,” and a fuzzy toy appeared.  It was red, white, and blue and so bright that it could never be lost in the grass. It even had a loud squeaker.  “What will you do with it?” asked He Ping.  At this question, Theodore was very sad, and still knew that all he wanted was to go home. Sensing this, the squirrel said “You have used up your three wishes.  I know you want to go home, so maybe we can make a trade.”

 Chapter Four

Now Theodore had nothing to trade except the two toys.  The squirrel knew this, but he had no use for the two toys. Maybe, though, he could get a refund on them at the Genie Store.  So he said “I will send you home if you trade that magical mark on your forehead to me along with the two toys.”

The squirrel did not tell Theodore that the strange marking had great Power.  The squirrel was not even sure to what extent that Power went, but he knew he wanted it, and this silly puppy didn’t even know that he had such Power.

Theodore thought that was a pretty good trade.  He didn’t know what his mark meant, and he never even thought about it until someone commented on it.  So he agreed. The toys disappeared, he felt a tingling in the middle of his forehead, and the mark was suddenly gone too—but it appeared on the squirrel’s forehead. 

Theodore felt disoriented for a few moments. Time stopped, and then it reversed.  Suddenly, he was back at the edge of the pool, where he had been weeks before, watching Julius taking a drink.  He still really wanted to push the puppy in again, but then it occurred to him that he had been returned to an earlier time when he could make amends by choosing to act in a better way.  He didn’t understand how this had happened, but he was relieved, because he did not know how he would have apologized to the little pup or the Castle in general for running away and causing such pain to everyone. The squirrel genie’s magic had totally erased what had happened over the past few weeks.

He called out to Julius, “Hey, kid, want to climb the hill with me?”  The puppy turned to look at him, tail waving, and said “Yes!” and they happily raced up the hill together.

Soon, Theodore and Julius were seen everywhere together.  They began to depend on each other, tell each other secrets, and play together all the time.  One afternoon they would play corgi games, the next day they would climb the hill or go splashing in the pond.  Theodore taught the little pup how to swim so that if he fell into the pond he would be okay. Most of the time, Theodore would even let Julius win at their games. Their friendship grew and deepened.

One of their favorite things was to climb the big hill overlooking the Castle and look out at the big world.  With their short little legs, it took them nearly an hour the first time they tried it, and they found there was no water at the top of the big hill when they got there. So the Emperor arranged to have someone take a bucket of water up the hill for whoever needed it each day, which made the boys happy.

Theodore stopped thinking about what a pest the little pup was, with his never-ending questions and silly ways, and finally he quit thinking about how he had treated Julius in the past.  And Julius became secure enough that he stopped calling for his Boy.

A few animals commented that the mysterious mark was missing from Theodore’s head.  They asked if he had outgrown it, and Theodore always answered that he guessed he had. So after a while, no one said anything more about it.

Chapter Five

Fall arrived, with glorious and beautiful leaves to dash through and apples, which Julius thought were the best thing he had ever had.  He liked them even better than dog cookies, but after a few stomach aches, he had to be limited to half an apple a day. 

Soon it was time for St. Frank to come and teach Watching lessons to the youngsters who were First Watchers.  The Watching was a wonderful celebration of Life that took place each December, and First Watchers were the young animals who would be at least six months old on the day of the Watching.  This year, at the new Castle, the celebration would be somewhat different. There was a new and bigger Watching field, and Grandfather Oak from the previous Castle had been carefully transplanted into the new field, where he could have a wonderful view of everything that was to happen. Grandfather Oak’s spirit had passed into an acorn the year before so he could be born as a new sapling, move to the new Castle, and be a First Watcher. He had to attend St. Frank’s classes, so they were held once a week at the Watching field.  It was a bit more work for everyone, but they were excited that Grandfather would get to be a First Watcher. Of course, Julius and Theodore would be First Watchers too.

St. Frank told the youngsters that absolute silence was to be kept, no giggling, pushing, nipping, or whining that one had to go to the bathroom. That had to be taken care of before everyone settled in to Watch.  No eating, chewing on a bone, or roughhousing were to be tolerated.  No one asked what the punishment would be for such behavior; they just all knew that it had to be this way.  First Watchers always got new collars with star tags with a small jewel and their names were on the tags. These collars were only worn to the First Watching, never again. Some of the bigger animals would get a large ribbon, and the horses would get a new halter.  The tiniest of animals, such as mice or birds, would get a beautiful ribbon and a jewel carefully glued onto it so it would not be too heavy for them to wear.

All during the month of December, plans were made for the holiday season.  Secrets had to be kept, such as who was making a gift for whom.  Theodore chose Julius’ name from the special Sharing Box, and he had one of the Royal Seamstresses help him make a red, white, and blue fuzzy toy with three squeakers in it.  He wanted it to be just like the toy that the genie squirrel had taken in the trade.  It really looked pretty good, he thought, as she helped him wrap it in a piece of tissue paper and put Julius’ name on it.  In turn, Julius got Theodore’s name and found a piece of plastic pipe that had screw-on ends. He asked the Lady-in-Waiting for some jingle bells to put inside and he had the Emperor help him dye it blue and glue the ends on so the bells would not fall out. Then they drilled some holes so that the bells could be heard.  Both humans marveled at the cleverness of the toy and asked Julius where he had ever come up with this idea.  Julius waved his flag of a tail and, in the manner of millions of puppies before him, said “I dunno” and dashed off to play.

One of the preparations for the Watching was for the animals to decorate the trees outside around the Castle.  This year, there were new trees that no one was familiar with. Taking care of them involved a lot of planning through the summer, and the Emperor and his staff had worked hard at pruning some trees, moving others, and bringing in new ones from the local nursery so that the trees were distributed carefully about the Castle Yard in a pleasing manner.

Princess Cheveu and her friend, Esmerelda the flamingo, decorated the Princess tree.  It was always done in pinks and white and featured a lot of ornaments made from Royal Chickens who had white feathers.  It was feminine and ever so pretty.  All the young girl corgis helped with this tree.  Esmerelda wasn’t really a flamingo—he was a turkey who had been saved by Princess Cheveu one Thanksgiving.  To fool the Emperor, he dressed in pink and everyone acknowledged him as a flamingo.  It had saved him from being invited to dinner in a most unappealing way.  The Emperor wasn’t fooled, but he was most amused at how long this had been going on.  Princess Cheveu had become best friends with the “flamingo” and they were always seen together and always busy on some charity act or project.

The Lady-in-Waiting over saw the decorating of the Woodland Friends tree, and the Royal Chef baked special cookies that nearly all the wild animals could enjoy—the deer, the raccoons, the birds, and even an opossum or two.  The mice were not forgotten either, and strands of popcorn were put up.  There was suet in every flavor and color and shape that one could imagine.  Bowls were placed at the bottom of the tree with all kinds of delicious things that would refreshed all winter: oats and corn and cereal, and now and then some eggs.  The wild animals at the new Castle would appreciate this very much.

This year, the First Watchers decided to form their own committee to do a tree together.  They looked carefully at photos of previous trees and then Princess Buttercup, the adult fluffy corgi who oversaw the youngsters, had an idea.  They raided the Emperor’s office while he was out and took a pile of neon-colored paper from the printer to Buttercup’s bedroom.  When the day came for decorating, not only did the First Watchers’ tree have circles made into chains in bright colors but it included all kinds of lovely origami shapes.  It was the brightest tree that anyone could ever remember.  Many of the shapes had been folded and refolded many times and were a little grubby, but they looked just perfect anyhow.

The Elders’ tree had a Remembering theme, and all of the Elders dug around in their possessions for old toys, an ear of a bunny here, a ragged skin of a favorite toy there, a ball that had seen better days but still smelled of memories long past.  They decorated these with small bits of ribbon and bells and carefully tied them on the tree with a photo of each Elder in younger days.  The Lady-In-Waiting would never say it out loud, but the Elders knew this was her very favorite tree where she could see imagine her old friends in friskier days.  She sat on the ground by the tree and remembered along with them—when the bunny toy was purchased, how wonderful the ball had been, and how much they had enjoyed playing with their special toys.

 Chapter Six

Finally, finally, after so many weeks of waiting, it was the day of the Watching!  The morning arrived, cool but sunny.  It would be different to have so little snow for the celebration.  No one had to bundle up quite as snugly, and the old dogs were able to ride on tops of the blankets in the wagons that were pulled by the horses Jacques and Misty and by Blanco, Princess Cheveu’s little white burro.  Some Elders would even be able to walk a little way before being lifted back up into the wagon.

The horses stamped their feet in anticipation as Watching finery was woven into their manes and tails.  Jacques had a tiny bell tied on with a ribbon by the youngest Watcher, Julius.  Julius thought Jacques looked very fine and told him that with his little bark and his flag of a tail waving.  Everyone had on a pretty scarf, a bow, or some other bit of decoration to celebrate this most important Holiday.

Soon, everyone was lined up for the walk to the field.  It was not quite as far to the new field as the old Watching Field had been from the previous Castle, but it was still a good trek. The First Watchers lined up after showing everyone their special Watching collars. St. Frank snapped his fingers, and to everyone’s delight, a large grey wolf came out of the woods and joined them.  The First Watchers were fascinated by Brother Wolf. In spite of his working so hard to be a good big brother to Julius, Theodore had to roll his eyes.  Julius wanted to know where Brother Wolf lived, what he ate, did he like the color blue, did he like donuts?  Theodore figured he would enjoy the walk because his little brother would be pestering someone else for a change.

Then the procession began.  Bells jingled, and someone broke into a song.  The Elders were pleased with the warm, sunny weather and had a good time talking about their own First Watching. Some of them would not be here next year, but they would enjoy this Watching, especially seeing great great grandchildren attend their first one.

Late in the afternoon, they all arrived at the field.  The First Watchers were given blankets and shown where they be sitting up at the front,.  No one wanted them to miss anything.  Everyone was warned not to chew on Grandfather Oak.  He had a lovely ribbon wrapped around his skinny little sapling trunk that said “First Watcher,” with silver bells on it.  Later, as he grew and got a hole in his trunk from where a branch had fallen, he would have a place to keep his ribbon. But it would go home to the Castle to be kept safe until that time came.

Jasper, the mockingbird, called to his children to come and sit with Grandfather Oak.  Grandfather reached out his branches to embrace each small bird and allowed them to take turns sitting in his willowy but strong young branches. They chattered as the branches waved back and forth.  Grandfather Oak was having some fun with the young birds, and everyone smiled to see the ancient spirit having so much fun.  His dearest friend, the tri-colored corgi Twice, sat nearby to be sure that only one little bird at a time sat in the branches so that they would not break.

Many of the Castle Onlies banded together with Theodore and Julius.  There was a white guinea bird, and a young skunk who had been lost in the woods and found by the Emperor sat nearby and made small churring sounds that everyone took to be a song of the season.  There was a squirrel or two, a young filly who had lost her mother, and several other dogs and cats who were Onlies in one way or other.

Seeing the activity, some wild animals came out of the woods—a buck deer with his family, a batch of silly squirrels and chipmunks, and a few turtles.  They were all soothed by St. Frank that no harm would come to them, and places were found under the trees so they would feel safe and could escape if they felt threatened.  They watched the group of animals from the Castle with large, liquid eyes.

The Elders were settled in, and the corgis with wheels were helped out of their carts and made comfortable on the soft straw that had been scattered about the day before.  St. Frank wandered through the crowd of Elders and wheelcorgis and touched everyone, taking pain from them and giving them the gift of clear sight and hearing for the night so that they would be able to see and hear everything that the Watching would bring to them. 

Everyone visited the woods and had a drink or a small snack, knowing that there would be a feast when they returned to the Castle the next morning.  Then the darkness fell.  Quiet talking began and some of the animals slept.

 Chapter Seven

In the darkest part of the night, there gradually came a feeling of electricity in the air. Not strong, just a feeling, but it woke up the sleeping animals, and the ones that were awake looked around.  A little flash of green light appeared in the sky, much as heat lightning looks.  Then sparkles emerged along the edges of the sky, like a picture frame, and something wondrous happened—the woods all around were suddenly twinkling.  The animals all looked about, trying to understand, and then someone said under her breath “Fireflies!  These are fireflies!” A riffle of quiet sound moved through the group as the word was passed along. 

The fireflies came out of the trees and began a dance above the animals’ heads.  Some of them flew in formation, making lines, and others were out of formation, flashing crazily in rhythm.  It was the most wonderful thing any of the animals had ever seen.  Some fireflies flashed red, some yellow, some green and there were blue ones, too, that even St. Frank had never seen.  The show went on for some time and then the fireflies suddenly stopped, but the twinkling picture frame remained.

Then they saw Them, the figures whom the animals all loved to see each year.  There was a Man, and a Lady and then, of course, the Baby.  The Baby looked a little different this year, many thought, a little older, more like a toddler than a tiny baby human.  The older animals shifted a little.  What did this mean?  The Baby had always been very young in the other Watchings.  They watched carefully, sure that something unusual was going to occur. 

The Family was sitting outside a stable and the Baby was playing with a wooden ball that the Man had made for Him.  He would roll it, and coo, and the Man would roll it back to him.  The animals were all transfixed by the comforting scene, and the horses were always so happy to know that the Big Event had happened in a stable, exactly like what they lived in.  It made them feel so special! The scene reminded everyone of fathers and mothers and babies of all species all over the world, loving and playing with each other.  It conveyed a simple message, but then the simplest messages are often the strongest ones.

A group of fireflies flew upwards, flashing and dashing and formed a big star just over the Baby, and out of the woods came a Border Collie, followed shyly by a couple of shepherds.  One of them held a baby lamb, and a dozen white sheep followed them, trusting their people in this strange situation.  The shepherds knelt in front of the Baby, and He petted the lamb and gurgled His pleasure at feeling the soft coat. The lamb was quiet and seemed to enjoy the petting.

From the other side of the field came men riding on the tall, long-legged beasts called camels.  Although the First Watchers had been told all about camels—that they were big animals, that they didn’t need to drink when they were on a journey because they had their own water in their humps, that they only had two toes instead of four, and, best of all, that they could spit (which usually put the whole Watching class into a fit of giggles)—still there was nothing like seeing one of these magnificent beasts in person.  And here were three of them!  A few soft “oh!”s were heard from the First Watchers’ section.  The men had the camels lie down and then they got off and gave the Baby three boxes.  The First Watchers knew that the boxes contained some things that were valuable and others that smelled good, in the same way that maybe bologna or braunschweiger do to a corgi.  The Baby busied Himself with trying to open the boxes, while the men and the Man and the Lady spoke quietly together.

Chapter Eight

Suddenly music began to come down from the heavens.  The animals all looked up to see a scene that was faint at first, then in a minute or two became more clear and strong.  The song became louder and sweeter, too. It was sung by animals and people together, a special song never heard before. The song told of the love of each other, of the beauty of nature, and of the Baby who was so important to everyone.  It brought tears to the Elders’ eyes, as some realized they would be in that choir next year, singing a similar song, for the singers were the ones that leave us, yet are never really gone. 

Maggie looked up and saw Corky sitting in Dan’s lap.  How happy it made her to know that they had found each other again!  Next to them sat Michael, who waved down to MacGregor watching below.   It brought much comfort to MacGregor to see his friend looking so well.  Robbie sat with Digory and Emma and barked down to Spencer and Milton. 

And there was Ellie Mae!  Ellie Mae had been blind and now she could see. It was a wonderful miracle to see her looking so happy.  In the midst of a large pack of greyhounds was a young woman named Edie.  She was young and glowing, smiling and waving at everyone.  The corgis all knew how much she had helped so many rescues and everyone waved back at her. Fashion and Sunny, the horses, were there and they whinnied down to the Castle horses, who were delighted to see their friends looking so healthy and shiny. 

In the very center was Paris Lynn.  She was jet black with a pretty white skunk stripe on her face, and had on her bandana and was yapping greetings to everyone below, echoed by Flash, another enthusiastic barker.  Her daughter, Little Paris, was with her and looked exactly like Paris.  Nearly all the Watchers had some fashion or another from this most famous corgi, and they all waved when they spotted her. Next to Paris Lynn was Mandy, a corgi who lived longer than most any other corgi, and who knew how to sing along with a guitar and have a fun time at a picnic.  Mandy was singing away, as usual.

A whole group of corgis was sitting together—the former wheelcorgis Zorro and Olwen and Puffer and Arthur and Sinbad and Morgen and Sally and Pickett and Rocky and Petey and Rosie and Libby and Buster and Mila and Benny.  And brave, brave Merlin, who had been an inspiration to all corgis everywhere when he wheeled about in his cart as if nothing at all was wrong.  All had been courageous in their carts, but they were so relieved to be able to run and to even fly now.  It brought smiles of happiness to the wheelcorgis below, as they realized they, too, would be better one day.

A special person, Lorrie, and her dad were there.  Her dad had left early because of a tornado and Lorrie had gone to join him because she just couldn’t live without her Daddy.  Both were happy and had Cardigan corgis in their laps! Another person loved by all the Cardis, Beth, was sitting next to Lorrie, surrounded by the many rescue corgis she had helped through the years.

Honeybee looked up and saw Deebo and was so glad that he was ok. She couldn’t wait to get home to tell Shelly about seeing him!  Colleen sat nearby with Jemma on her lap. They had been hiking together when a terrible accident occurred and suddenly they crossed the Bridge together.  They felt fine, and were now hiking the loveliest trails in the Universe together.

Ellie was sitting next to a pizza box and there was a well-loved fetching stick sitting on top of the box.  She barked greetings to her loved ones and said “I can have pizza anytime I want it up here!” much to the delight of the Elders who were sitting on the ground below her.  Ellie had been well known in agility circles, as had Penni, who sat next to her.  Penni had been a service dog in training but had decided she liked agility better, too, and being a therapy dog who always made people feel better.  Penni’s coat shone so bright that the Watchers commented she was like another star in the Heavens.  But the two girls’ most important title was Champion of a Heart, and that is the best that any animal can aspire to achieve. 

Dixie sat next to Dylan and looked anxiously over the crowd below.  There they were!  Tenby and Wendy!  She motioned to Dylan to look down and both aroo’ed approval at the choice of the newest puppy to take over the duties of watching over and loving Marty.  Rusty was nearby, and he looked wonderful, his bright eyes sparkling at the Event that was so important to all the animals.  His brother Flash watched from below. Although Flash was blind, St. Frank had let him be able to see his beloved brother this one last time.  Flash danced in place a little bit because he was so excited to know that one day he would be whole again, too.  Poco and Honey sat with Rusty, and called out “Give everyone our love!”

Finally, everyone saw two humans, Steve and Ken.  Ken had been called first, and Steve had followed just a short time behind. They were best friends and they had some of their corgis with them. Many Watchers recognized Boyer and Dutchess.  Dusty peered up at them with eyes that could see clearly tonight, and he gently and softly arroo’ed a greeting to his friends. Steve and Ken waved back down, and Tribble wagged his tail in joy to see how happy and young they all looked again.

 Chapter Nine

After a while, the animals and people in the choir began to fade away.  Although the Watchers felt the loss, they also were full of joy at having seen their loved ones and knowing that the Departed were all right, happy and healthy again.  A rustle could be heard as more than a few muzzles were wiped on the blankets and straw.

But soon everyone’s attention was drawn back to the stable.  There was Julius, right down in the middle of everything, wagging his flag of a tail and being his usual silly self.  Theodore was horrified.  Julius had been right next to him, but he had been so transfixed by the wonderful events that he had never even seen Julius go. He was responsible for the puppy and here Julius was, wrecking the Watching! But Theodore was frozen, helpless to do anything.

The Baby seemed to be listening to everything the young corgi was trying to tell Him.  Then, off to the side, Theodore noticed a light, much like the faint light that he had seen in the cave when he found the squirrel’s bottle.  He and the others strained to see.  There was a child in the light!  What did this mean?  Suddenly, Julius whirled around, called “Boy!  Boy!” and began to run toward the child as fast as he could. Then Theodore knew.  He just knew in his heart what was happening.  This was Julius’ Boy, the one whom Julius loved so much and from whom he had been parted.  And this Boy was on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge.

Julius suddenly stopped.  His tail was held high, then it drooped, as he looked back over his shoulder for his friend.  Theodore met his eyes.  He didn’t know what to say.  He wanted to tell Julius to not go, but he knew how much the pup loved his Boy.  Slowly, hardly believing he was doing it, he gave a nod, and under his breath he said “Go, Julius, go to your Boy!” 

And Julius did just that.  The pup flung himself into the child’s arms, and they laughed and rolled together.  It made everyone smile, but what did it all mean?  The puppy’s tail wagged faster than anyone had ever seen it wag before.  It was a joyous reunion, and many of the Elders wiped away a tear or two, remembering when they were young and had Boys or Girls to play with.  All the animals were glad that the Boy and the pup were so happy together again.

After a short time the light, the young Boy, and the little blue merle Cardigan puppy faded away.  This confused many of the animals. Where had the Boy and Julius gone?  They looked around for some guidance.

St. Frank quickly stepped in to comfort and reassure the Watchers. He explained that the child had crossed over the Bridge a few months before. The Boy had had a bond with Julius that could never be broken, ever, just as everyone there had a bond with another animal or human that would last for eternity. That Love would never go away.  The puppy had lived for the Boy and when the Boy was gone, Julius’ heart was gone, too.  Julius had kept asking everyone he knew where the Boy was, and the only one who had the answer was the Baby. St. Frank explained that this knowledge was part of the love that the Baby had for all of us, and that sometimes He just wanted a person or an animal back sooner than those on Earth felt was long enough.  But the Baby knew that the Boy and Julius belonged together forever, and it was made so.

Then St. Frank motioned to Theodore.  “Come, please, Theodore.”  Now Theodore was able to move and he walked slowly across the field through the dark to St. Frank.  “The Baby wants to pet you” was all St Frank said, and motioned down the hill.

Theodore’s heart was breaking.  He had come to love Julius as a brother and as a friend, and he had hoped to spend many years together with the pup.  He walked up to the Baby, who stood on unsteady legs, and the Baby laid His Hand on Theodore’s back to maintain His balance.  Theodore felt Peace and Comfort go through his body.  His heart suddenly felt full again, and the hole that he had felt after Julius left was gone.  He closed his eyes to the rest of the world and just stood there with the Baby.  He wasn’t sure how long it had been, but then he felt himself being picked up. St. Frank scratched the youngster’s ears.  Theodore looked around and saw that everyone in the Watching Field was packing up to go.

“What happened?” he asked St. Frank.  St. Frank rubbed Theodore’s neck and said “Your marking is back on your head.  Did you feel the Baby touch you there?”

Theodore didn’t know what he felt. It seemed like it had been an instant, and it seemed like it had been forever.  “No,” he said simply.

“The Baby gave you back your special mark.  It is the Chinese mark for Peace.  You will have Peace all your days, Theodore, and will have a special gift for bringing it to others.  Maybe you could walk with the Elders on the way home.  I’m sure they could draw on your gift and be helped by it. And Theodore?  I have something special for you.” 

At this, St. Frank took out a grubby package containing the blue toy that Julius had made for him.  Theodore knew it was Julius’ gift to him because he could smell Julius’ scent on the wrinkled paper and on the toy.  Theodore would treasure this special gift his whole life.

And so Theodore walked all the way back to the Castle with the Elders, and everyone who was near him felt a soft and velvet feeling of comfort when they talked to him or even just walked near to him.  For all his days, he would bring Peace to those around him.

If you loved this story, you can buy the book with the original artwork by talented corgi artists at http://www.corgiaid.org/watching/2011/
along with the other two Watching books.

Please feel free to leave comments if you would like to!


May you all have a lovely Christmas with your families and your animals!