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 The first few days of summer vacation were hard on
Billy. He was there, at his appointed post – that being the school
crossing – at the right time of morning, but look as he may, he
couldn’t find any kids.
He couldn’t find Martin, either. The perennial crossing guard, with
his vest, sign and whistle, was home for the summer. So were the
kids. School was out.
Billy, being the official town dog since Sally passed away on Doc’s
porch, decided on the fourth day of no kids that he might as well do
something else.
He cruised on down to the Rest of Your Life retirement home and got
ear rumples from all the residents there. That’s a good way to start
summer vacation. Then he dropped over to the Gates of Heaven Chinese
Restaurant, and Delbert Chin gave him some scraps out the back door.
On his way to the Mule Barn truck stop at the edge of town, Billy
came across Dud Campbell, walking slowly and being very quiet. Dud
rubbed Billy’s ears, then sat on a low wall. Billy rested his chin
on Dud’s leg and looked up at his face in admiration. [to top of second
column] |
“Why is it,” Dud asked this big
brown dog, “that you always know the right thing to do to help
people? I think it’s a gift and you have it.”
Billy wagged his tail slowly and kept looking up into Dud’s face.
“You just keep going on, don’t you,” Dud said, “no matter what else
happens.”
Dud sighed and stood up. “I guess there’s a lesson there for all of
us, Billy. Thank you.”
Billy continued on toward whatever lunch scraps might be available
at the back door to the Mule Barn. Smelled like chicken fried steak
from here. Chicken fried steak is good. Any scraps usually has some
French fries with it, too. And gravy.
Ear rumples, Chinese breakfast, helping a friend, and then cream
gravy? Nothing wrong with being the town dog.
[Text from file received from
Slim Randles]
Ol' Jimmy Dollar
is Slim Randles' first children's book. The book is for kids
K-3rd grades and is even better when parents read it with children.
Ol' Jimmy Dollar makes for sweet dreams and if you have a dog
even better. Available now on Amazon.
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