 #1 (permalink) Sat Oct 24, 2009 6:39 am Karl the Collie. |
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As I climbed the stairs to my apartment I could hear the ringing of my phone in the small hall.
Hurriedly placing my parcels on the landing floor, I struggled to find the correct key.
Having finally found it and opened the door, I rushed to the phone.
It was Mrs. Müller, the animal shelter manageress.
"Good morning Bill, I have a problem".
This is always her precursor to my being asked to take care of yet another dog.
"OK, I replied, tell me all about it".
"This is a black and white Collie that was handed in a couple of weeks ago.
The young couple who owned him decided that they hadn't enough time to walk him every day, and didn't like leaving him alone when they were working . I'm sure it will only be a couple of weeks before we find a buyer for him. Please, could you take him?"
"OK, give me an hour to unpack my shopping and to have a cuppa' and I'll be there".
After having done this I set off on the two-mile walk to the kennels.
When I arrived I found Mrs. Müller in a state of agitation.
Seemingly two of her volunteer dog-walkers had failed to appear and she was at her wits-end as to what to do.
I just had to help her.
"Look Elke, just put three of your calmest dogs on their lines and I'll walk them together," I said.
"Oh, that would be such an help," she sighed, so off I set with three dogs on yet another two-mile trek.
The dogs were no trouble at all, and after a couple of rests on convenient benches, to smoke my welcome cigarette, we arrived back at the kennels.
Next came my introduction to Karl the collie.
He is a beautiful black collie with a white blaze on his face and his chest.
He is a big friendly dog, and I took to him immediately, as I do with all dogs.
I leashed him up and we set-off on yet another two mile walk to my apartment.
The weeks turned into a month and Karl was still with me, but I had no objections to him being here.
He was so obedient and calm.
We are like two old guys enjoying our retirement, he sleeping his time away, and me surfing the net from my cushioned bench in the kitchen.
This particular day I decided that we should walk around a local cemetery, so off we went in the early morning sunshine.
Having walked around for a while,we came to the last of the graves where a fairly new bench attracted my aching feet.
I sat and lit my inevitable cigarette, and bacause he was pulling on the line, I let Karl loose to nose around the bench.
Having finished my cigarette I was alarmed to see Karl in the distance, lying on the grass.
I hurried across to him, as two people were tending a grave close to him and I knew they would be angry that a dog was walking free in the cemetery.
As I approached they both turned and smiled.
"Isn't Karl a wonderful dog, so faithful to his master".
I wondered what they were talking about until I realised that Karl was lying alongside a recent grave.
Seeing my puzzled expression the man explained that this was the grave of Herr Schmidt, and Karl had been his dog for several years.
The back of my neck prickled with alarm.
I gently placed the lead around Karl's neck, and he reluctantly allowed me to walk him away from the grave.
Now we visit the grave of Herr Schmidt at least three times a week, and Karl seems to appeciate this.
He is calm and settled with me and I think Mrs.Müller will be happy when I tell her that I will buy him.
Kitos.
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 Kitosdad
Language Coach
Joined: 04 Mar 2009
Posts: 13417
Location: ESSEN, Germany, (but English.)
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