We took the dogs over the fields this morning. It’s a nice walk, with the footpath running through four fields before reaching the road back into the village, where we can complete the circuit.
This morning, the Pirate, in his old man way, trotted away across the middle of the second field, not following the footpath, just, well, investigating. He likes investigating.
The Princess kept up with us (because Princesses don’t do the investigating thing) and so I found myself standing with her at the stile to the next field, waiting for the Pirate to decide to join us, while OH went ahead to push aside brambles and scout for danger and that kind of thing. You know how men are.
The Pirate was having a great time just messing around. He seemed to find it a lot of fun running to and fro and doing a bit of dancing on the spot. And then he did a little spin and his head went up and he looked around for us. I thought perhaps he’d just noticed that he’d been left behind. But no, it wasn’t that at all.
The Pirate came trotting purposefully back to us, and the Princess and I both noticed something at the same time. She went running off to meet him.
‘Whatcha got there, Pirate?’
‘Outta my way, Prinfeff! I’fe CAUGHT fumfing!’
‘But what is it? It makes you smell funny!’
‘Prefent for the Monkeyf!! Coming fru!’
And he pushed past her and trotted right up to me and stood there blinking contentedly in the sunlight, with something black and slimy clamped between his few remaining teeth.
The little sweetheart had brought me half a decomposing rabbit.
I think he may already have been having second thoughts about keeping his prize and bringing it home, though, because he very happily gave it up in return for a small piece of cheese.
I didn’t have to touch it or anything! Ah .. the ‘Drop it!’ command. Such a joy!
And bless him, he seemed to think he’d got a pretty good bargain too! But sometimes I think he worries about us.
After all - who in their right mind wouldn’t want a piece of decomposing rabbit?
