The continuing adventures of Woolly & Greebo.....

The Horsey Sea Dog

 (More info about Horsey and the Horsey Seals can be found here....)

The two Siberian Huskies watched the scenery whizz past outside.    Wooluf turned his attention to a moth on the back window and quickly regretted eating it.  It stuck to his tongue and tasted worse than Greebo’s earwax.

  Greebo stuck his head right out the side window.  He briefly enjoyed the feeling of his tongue flapping around in the breeze as he opened his mouth.  It felt really funny…

  Andy reached the end of the track and deliberately splashed the Landrover through a deep puddle in the car park – well, it was a 4x4 after all.  With a very tired sounding clatter, the engine wheezed to a stop.  The ratchety clicking of the handbrake signalled to the boys that it was time to get out.

 “Right you pair,” Andy began, in the hope that they might actually behave themselves, “No mucking about today, I mean it, or there’ll be big trouble.  And leave those bunnies alone, alright?”

  “What did he say mate?” asked Greebo.

  “Something about Rabbits, I think.  Brilliant!!”

  He attached their leads and they exploded out the back of the Landrover. 

  Away the three went, winding their way along the twisty turny tracks towards the beach.  After a short climb, they found themselves at the top of a large dune.

  Andy used the brief rest to enjoy the view over the flat Norfolk landscape and the glistening bluey-green expanse of the North Sea.  The bank of wind turbines at Yarmouth spun lazily in the breeze in the distance.  Strange how they never quite managed to all work at the same time though…

  The sound of a digger could be heard out towards Winterton Ness – probably fixing the sea defences again.  Andy smiled to himself as he imagined a 21^st century King Canute at the controls of a JCB.  A helicopter swept from right to left, clawing it’s way into the sky heading far out into the North Sea.  Now that’s the way to travel…

  He did another sweep from horizon to horizon along the dunes.  No-one, not a soul, as far as the eye could see.

  Andy repeated his stern warning to the two Huskies and, after the pair had dutifully obliged him with a ‘sit’, off came the leads.

Click – Wooluf was away.  He was off like a missile.

  Then Greebo – Click.  He too took off crazily at a speed more befitting a Greyhound.  Andy watched them fondly as they cavorted together, both prancing excitedly through the bracken.  After a few minutes he called them and the Huskies diligently made their way back to him.

  “Come on,” he beckoned, “that’s it, good boys.”

  Then – disaster.  A young Rabbit bolted from the bracken and fled up the sandy track. In a flash both Huskies turned and tore after it at top speed.

  Almost immediately, Andy felt his heart sink.  He had a premonition of yet another three hour search followed by a call from some Police station twenty miles away.

"Nah, be alright mate," said Greebo....

  “Wool-leeee, Greeee-bo,” Andy shouted desperately as he began sprinting after them, “come on!”

  Wooluf and Greebo were in full flight after the Rabbit but Wooluf heard Andy’s voice and eased up slightly.

  “What’s up mate?” asked Greebo, his tongue lolling crazily from side to side as he charged along the path.

  “It’s Andy.  He’s calling.  We’ll be in big trouble.”

  “Nah, be alright mate.  Let’s chase that Rabbit...”

  “Wooluf…  Greebo…” came another faint shout from behind them.

  Wooluf slowed again into a trot.

  “I think Andy is calling us.  We really should stop.”

  “But what about the Rabbit mate?”

  “Oh dear… Er,  well, we, er, could go back in a bit I suppose.”

  “Yeah…  Let’s go then.  Waaaahhhh…….”

  Andy watched the pair vanish towards the horizon, feeling very stupid.

                                                                                                      *****

  What a great adventure the Huskies were having!  They flopped down in the bracken, panting heavily.  As usual, the Rabbit had evaded them.

  “I’m hot,” gasped Wooluf.

  “Me too,” said Greebo.  “Fancy a swim in the sea?”

  Wooluf shuddered at the thought.  Urrrgghh.  Water.

  “Er, I’ll, erm, just come with you for a paddle, but don’t splash me.”

  They jumped up and climbed the line of dunes behind them.  At the top, they saw the beach and sea spreading out beneath them.  Both stood nobly for a moment, their fur ruffling and their eyes squinting against the cool sea breeze.

  Wooluf opened his blue eyes wide and did an abrupt double take.  Something moving… on the beach.  Something big.  Pooh, something smelly too.

  “What’s that?” he asked, pointing towards it with his wet nose.  “Some sort of Dog?”

  They edged cautiously down the dune towards the beach and the huge wobbling object.  As they got closer, they saw what looked like a shiny fat dog, but with no legs.  Hold on, it had got legs but very short sort of stubby ones.  It could hardly touch the ground with them.  It began to make a strange honking noise.  This was a BIG animal.  Okay, so it had got no legs but it certainly had big enough teeth.

  The Sea Dog was suddenly aware that he wasn’t alone.  Why couldn’t he sunbathe in peace these days?  He became increasingly grumpy and turned around, expecting to find yet more horrible humans taking photos of him.  The sight of two of the furriest Land Seals he’d ever seen made him honk loudly in surprise.

  Both Huskies jumped about two metres in the air and they fled for their lives.  They bombed up the dune, back over the other side and dived into a hidey hole in the bracken.  After a minute or so, Wooluf poked his head up for a look.

  “He’s gone,” he whispered. 

  Eventually, their curiosity got the better of them and they quietly climbed the dune for another look down onto the beach.  With mixed feelings, they saw that the Sea Dog had gone.  Wooluf was sooo relieved.  His relief was short lived.

  “There’s he is!” barked Greebo, “look, in the sea.”

  Both Huskies saw a smooth head poke out of the water.  It’s shiny eyes cast an anxious glance onto the beach.  It dived again but resurfaced just metres from the beach seconds later.  It had another careful look around before making its way back towards the sand.  Once out of the water, it wobbled awkwardly up the beach before coming to rest some distance from the water’s edge on the dry sand.  He rolled on his back and began sunbathing once again. 

 Greebo took off down the dune, laughing his head off.

  “WAAHHH… Come on Woooolleeeee…..”

  The Sea Dog heard the commotion before Greebo had even taken his first few steps.  He wriggled half-heartedly back into the sea.  By the time the Huskies had landed on the beach, the Sea Dog was several metres out in the waves.

  The Sea Dog had a quick look over his shoulder at the two approaching Land Seals and gave a sneer.  Then he took one deep breath and slipped away under the water.

  “Ooow,” gasped Wooluf breathlessly, “he’s gone.”

  “Not if I can help it mate…” Greebo replied.  He added an extra spurt of speed and ploughed into the sea.

  Wooluf splashed as far as his elbows and stopped dead.  He stood tentatively for a moment and watched the big waves.  The sea was sooo wet and scary…

  Undaunted, Greebo launched himself into a breaking wave, splashing water all over his brother.  Wooluf recoiled from the sea instantly.  Urghh, now he’d got horrid water on his face…  Urgh, urgh….

  The Sea Dog watched Greebo paddling towards him with interest.  Lots of puffing, panting and splashing but he wasn’t going very fast through the water.  Considering he hadn’t got any flippers, he thought, it was amazing he could swim at all.  He let Greebo close within a couple of metres then bobbed underwater out of sight.  Seconds later, he popped up again about ten metres away.  Greebo immediately changed direction and carried on relentlessly.

  Wooluf was watching from the beach, becoming increasingly worried.

  “Don’t go out too far Greeb…”

  “I’ll be alright mate…  gasp….”

  The Sea Dog was getting a little concerned for his hairy adversary too.

  “He’s right,” the Sea Dog began in his strange honking voice, “You’ll be in trouble if you come right out here…”

“Trouble?  Gasp...  I’m not scared of you fish breath… splutter…  You haven’t even got any legs for a start….  gasp…”

  Greebo looked back at the beach and was alarmed to see how far away it was.  He was equally alarmed to himself drifting rapidly along the beach away from Wooluf.

  “The tide is taking you out,” the Sea Dog explained smugly.

  “Gasp… The what?”  Greebo had nearly had enough and was exhausted.  He decided to turn around and swim back towards Wooluf.  He now found himself swimming forwards but still heading backwards.  He suddenly became frightened.

  “The tide is running at about four knots, you idiot,” the Sea Dog barked.

  “Gasp… gasp…  Give us a hand mate… ohhhh…  You can swim better than me… Please help…  What’s a knot anyway….”

  “You must be joking,” the Sea Dog barked, “Look, just head for the beach.”

  Greebo turned towards the beach and paddled for his life, still very confused to find himself heading sideways.

  Wooluf was frantically squeaking encouragement.

  “Swim Greebo, please swim, swim faster….”

  Greebo began swallowing big lungfuls of water and started to cough violently.

  “I’ve had it mate… cough…  I can’t do it… gasp…   ohhh…”

  Just as he felt himself sinking, he was aware of a powerful prod at his backside.  He then began skimming over the water at tremendous speed.  He held his paws out ahead of him and felt them surfing on the surface, the water squirting between his toes and fanning out in jets over his head.  Wow, he was flying, this was great…

  Thump.

  Greebo hit the beach with enough force to cartwheel him end over end and he landed in a soggy pile of fur on the pebbles.  He lay on his back for a second, disorientated, confused, breathless and coughing.  Seconds later, Wooluf arrived and greeted him hysterically.

  “I’ve never seen a Dog swim that fast before Greeb.  You were great!”

 

"You Idiot!" honked the Sea Dog

  Greebo was totally bewildered.

  “Er, dunno mate…  I, er…”

  The Sea Dog bobbed up again a couple of metres away from the beach.

  “You idiot,” he honked, “that’s the last time I ever do that.  And I’ve got hair up my nose now...”  He sneezed loudly.

  Greebo grinned his big grin.

  “Oh, oh, thanks mate, thanks…”

  The Sea Dog turned to go but Wooluf stopped him with a bark.

  “’Scuse me, but can all Sea Dogs swim that fast?”

  “Of course,” the Sea Dog replied proudly.

  ‘Cor’, thought Wooluf and Greebo, ‘that must be great’.

  “What about you Land Seals?” asked the Sea Dog, “Can you all run that fast?”

  “Yes,” barked Wooluf and Greebo in unison.

  ‘Blimey,’ thought the Sea Dog as he flipped off back under the water, ‘that must be fantastic…’

  The Huskies stood mesmerised on the beach for while, wondering if their slippery new friend would reappear.  He didn’t.

  Wooluf found himself wondering what it would be like to have no legs.  He wondered how Sea Dogs managed to scratch themselves…  Or pee up trees….

  Then a terrible noise came from the dune above.

  “You horrible pair!” came Andy’s voice, “Now you’re in BIG trouble…”

  It was the Voice of Doom that normally made them dive for cover under the kitchen table.

  They watched Andy make his way down the dune towards them.  He looked hot, sweaty and very angry.  He had huge fronds of bracken stuck to his clothing and he appeared to be limping.  As he got closer they could see he was covered in cuts and bruises.

  Wooluf walked over slowly and rolled on his back at Andy’s feet for a tummy rub.

  “It was Greebo,” he began humbly, “he made me do it.”

  Andy suddenly didn’t seem so angry anymore as he gave Wooluf a pat and stroke.

  Greebo trotted over and inspected Andy’s dishevelled appearance.  He sniffed at a load of Rabbit poo squashed into the knees of his jeans.

  “Nah, you don’t want to waste your time chasing Rabbits mate,” he began, “Sea Dogs are much more fun.”