He pushed his head slowly forward, hesitant to leave his sanctuary under the front porch. He’d been lying in his makeshift shelter since the late hours of the previous afternoon. Light snow had fallen throughout the night and he was cold and stiff, yet eager to be on his way. The large dog that had been chasing him must have found more interesting prey, or perhaps become the victim of a larger predator himself. At any rate, he knew it was time to move on. The sky was beginning to lighten off in the East and the smell of wood smoke was carried on the dawn breeze. The earliest of birds were beginning their chorus, greeting a cold and crisp winter morning. Except for the sounds provided by nature, all was quiet and still.
Inch by inch he emerged from his shelter, squeezing his low-slung body underneath the porch siding, being careful to hug the ground and remain in the shadows. His eyes scanned the far horizon across the farm field, panning from tree line to tree line. Neither seeing nor sensing any danger, he searched the area near the farm house. After a thorough reconnaissance, he decided that it should be safe to emerge. Remaining vigilant and on high alert for any sounds or sights that might indicate danger, he padded slowly across the dooryard and quickened his step as he set off across the farm field. He was trembling with anxiety and despite sleeping for a few hours, he was beyond tired. He hoped his meager supply of endurance would see him through the entire journey home. His most fervent hope was to see his family again, hear their voices, and feel their tender touch.
24 hours earlier he had been in the front yard of his home, searching through the flower beds for assorted toys or his small animal friends. He occasionally flushed a bird or squirrel and gave chase, laughing as the bird took flight or the squirrel scampered off for the shelter of the nearest tree. He never bored of his adventures in the yard, playing with familiar friends or meeting new acquaintances who might be migrating through his domain. He laughed and ran, rolled and scurried, and totally enjoyed his happy existence in his tranquil domain. His family was always close at hand, either out in the yard with him or just inside the dwelling. In either case, kind words or an affectionate pat were always doled out in abundance. He was quite content with his life.
While rummaging through one of the flower beds yesterday, he had flushed out a bunny. Bunnies were his favorite friends because of their unpredictable maneuvering patterns. They presented much more of a challenge than a squirrel or cat, both of which he could easily outrun but generally chose not to. As he gave chase to the rabbit he wandered dangerously close to the property line at the back of the yard. He knew from experience that coming close to the yard boundaries could make his neck sting. On this particular morning he failed to notice, being too wrapped up in matching the amazing dexterity of his bunny friend. The starts, stops, spins, and hairpin turns of his friend had him in an excited frenzy as he gave chase across the yard. Just as he closed the gap, the bunny bolted out through the back boundary of the yard. At the exact same moment he had managed to press his nose against the flank of the elusive creature and simultaneously felt the unmistakable sting of the boundary fence. Too late he realized that his momentum had carried him out past his familiar surroundings.
He immediately pivoted and looked back at his dwelling. It appeared as it always had, perhaps a bit further away. He trotted back toward the yard but as he neared the boundary he felt the vibration at his neck that signaled an impending sting. He stopped at once. How would he get back in his yard? He walked further down the perimeter and tried again with the same result. Over the course of the next half hour or so, he attempted reentry at several points around the circumference of his yard, each attempt meeting with the same heartbreaking result. He was feeling quite anxious and desperately hoping that a member of his family would venture outdoors and solve his dilemma. Surely they would come out to retrieve him, hug him close and serenade him with tender tones. Thoroughly exhausted, he lay down at the back of the yard just outside the property line and waited. He was hungry, thirsty, cold, and ready to take a nap in his favorite spot under the kitchen table. His eyes were glued to the back door where he knew someone would be coming out to check on him. Whoever came to get him, they would call his name, and run to him, and rub his neck and belly. He loved that best.
He must have dozed off because he was suddenly jolted awake by an overwhelming sense of danger. He popped his head up and made a quick observation of his surroundings. Off to his right, just inside the thick brush, he noticed a large dog crouched low to the ground. He heard a low growl coming from the dog and saw menacing eyes meeting his own. In an instant he was on his feet and facing the intruder. The dog slowly inched forward, growling increasingly louder. He knew that that dog would launch a full-fledged attack at any moment so he prepared himself for a quick retreat. Keeping his eyes locked on the eyes of his attacker, he crept backward and planted his back feet in preparation for a hasty retreat. As the large dog sprang forward, he spun his body, pushed off with his hind feet, and was gone. Being built close to the ground provided an advantage that came in handy at times like these. His agility and incredible turning ability served him well as he ran through the long grass and negotiated the abundant scrub growth. He heard his pursuer growling, barking, and crashing through the field behind him. Beyond the scrub brush he saw an open pasture and a fence at its far end. He would race for the fence and try and squeeze his low frame under it. If luck was with him, the larger animal wouldn’t be able to make it under or over the fence. He could then circle back toward home and safety at his leisure. Racing toward the fence line he tracked back and forth in a zigzag pattern, trying to throw off his enemy, or at least keep a secure distance between them. Breaking into the open pasture he increased his speed and maneuvering. The large dog was closing the gap and even got close enough at one point to nip some hair off of his tail. The fence was growing incrementally closer. Reaching for just a bit more reserve speed, he sprinted for the small opening at the bottom of the fence. As his muscles screamed with an overdose of adrenalin he dove for the gap under the
fence and pushed himself through. The large dog dove right at his heels but only managed to push his large head under the fence before his robust frame impeded any further progress. The large angry pursuer barked and snarled, spittle flying every which way, huge fuming insane eyes locked on his prey.
Casting frequent glances back over his shoulder, exhausted and dejected, he trotted slowly across the open pasture to find his way back home. He noticed a depression in the landscape in the distance and as he neared it he found a small creek that ran diagonally across the pasture. He decided to follow the creek bank and perhaps circle back toward his yard at some point. Remaining vigilant for any sounds that might indicate a return of his nemesis, he trotted along the creek and watched the birds, bunnies, and other friends scavenging for food or just out playing. In some spots the snow had collected in small drifts but he plowed right through them, occasionally getting snow on his nose and tummy. Playing in the snow was one of his favorite things so it wasn’t so bad. He traveled in this way for some time, occasionally checking his internal map for the best route to get back to his family.
He stopped and came to attention immediately. His tail stood straight out in a horizontal line behind him and his ears were high and alert, turning this way and that. A distant sound had cued his innate sense of danger awareness. He waited and listened, stock still, only his ears turning like twin satellite dishes. There it was again, the unmistakable angry bark of the larger dog that had been chasing him. He quickly ducked down into the recessed creek bed, crossed the water while thoroughly wetting his fur, and climbed up to the top of the opposite bank. When he reached the top he set off in the same direction he’d been going, only now he was running at full speed once again. If he could put enough space between himself and the angry dog giving chase, he would find solace in his warm cozy home.
The sound of barking grew more distinct as his hunter gained ground on him. His fur was covered with icicles from his trip through the creek bed and running through and across the countless snow drifts. He was totally exhausted and knew that soon he would be at the mercy of the larger animal if he didn’t find some kind of shelter. If only he could find his home, his house, his familiar yard. He scanned the horizon and raced on, frantic for a spot to rest and hide. Off to his left, on the far side of the creek, he heard the barking grow even louder. As much as he hated to do so, because it meant making his search for home even more difficult, he turned away from the creek bed and ran across the farm field away from his enemy. Panting heavily, he ran on toward the stand of trees in the near distance, hoping that he would find a thicket to bury himself in, providing safety and a few moments rest. The barking behind him grew more frantic and angry. The larger dog had discovered his new evasive action and was furious.
Nearing the thicket of trees, he observed a white farm house with three outbuildings nestled on the opposite side. With any luck they would provide a place to hide from his adversary. He kicked it into high gear and headed toward the house. The timing was perfect, sounds of irate barking were much nearer than a moment before. As he rounded the nearest outbuilding he saw that the house was fronted by a porch that ran the full length of the structure. He spied a small gap between the porch siding and the ground. He reached the porch and tried desperately to crawl under but even his low stature couldn’t quite fit. He quickly began digging, frantic to squeeze through before the large dog was upon him. Luckily he didn’t require much additional leeway and after clawing out some additional clearance he slipped under the porch just as the hysterical beast was upon him. He crawled quickly under the porch as far as he could reach and turned around to face the sounds of the large dog growling, barking, and snarling up a storm. He lay shivering and whining as he listening to angry howls and the sound of digging as the beast attempted to get at him. After an agonizing period in which he whined and shook uncontrollably, fearing that he was going to meet his end, a door opened on the house above and a human voice yelled out. Thankfully the larger dog was chased off. Exhausted from the intense physical stress that only utter terror can bring, he tried to relax and get comfortable. He figured that he would wait a bit and then attempt to find his way home. Hopefully the large dog would be gone by then. Eventually his breathing returned to normal and although he continued to shiver from the cold, complete exhaustion overtook him and he drifted off to sleep. He dreamt of his home, his friends, and his family.
