Tanya K. Vester © 2011
Billy was full of energy! It was a sunny, warm and beautiful day and he was to go shopping for birthday gifts. This afternoon his friends the Poodle triplets – Patrick, Perry and Pat – would host a big birthday party. Billy bounced out of bed and cheerfully strolled to the bathroom. Today, he was going to look like a very handsome dog indeed! “Being a sausage dog isn’t an easy life!” Billy joked, as he brushed his long hair. He had to bend riiiggghhht around to reach the back of his body. “Pooh!” Billy puffed exhausted.
He then wandered to the kitchen to prepare his favourite meal – minced meat pie with gravy (well, it was a special day after all!) After breakfast Billy felt so full that he had to crawl out of the kitchen on all fours. Oh dear! Billy put on a suit and his four favourite shoes, then tied together his long ears. He admired himself in the mirror approvingly and walked out of his kennel. “I wonder what birthday gifts I should buy for Patrick, Parry and Pat,” Billy wondered. “Patrick is sporty, Perry enjoys canine cooking and Pat loves poodle fashion…”
Billy arrived at the shopping arcade. He was in awe of all the fashionable ladies and gentlemen walking about with their glitzy shoes and handbags. Some of these handbags even had little dogs in them! (well, dogs that looked like ugly cats…) Billy wondered to himself why these little handbag dogs weren’t allowed to walk themselves! Suddenly a tall and elegant lady approached Billy. “Come enter our shop! We have many nice things for you to buy!” she shouted. Billy admired the shiny shop window and the beautiful dog fashion.
All of a sudden, he was whisked into the shop by a gang of ferocious shop assistants. “Mister, try out this wonderful four-legged suit!” a lady with bright red lips and yellow hair called out. Everything was flying about as Billy was encouraged to try on one thing after another. Nose paint, ear-ties, sport shoes (made for extra-long sausage dog feet), tail decorations, hair-shining gel… things Billy had never even dreamed of! The assistant even put a special dog collar made of dogolate (dog’s chocolate) around his neck. Billy felt like he was in wonderland. “What an incredibly handsome dog I am!” he cried as he looked at himself in the mirror. With all these new clothes and accessories he would be sure to impress even his fashionable poodle friends.
Many hours later Billy found his way to the door. “How much does everything cost?” he asked the assistant. “Hmm let’s see…” the assistant said as she counted together all the things Billy had chosen. “It costs a total of ninety nine dollars” she replied. Billy gulped. He had only brought one hundred dollars with him! However, he did not want to return his new things, so he handed over the money. Soon afterward, Billy toddled out of the store with his tail tucked between his legs. He may have looked like a very rich dog, but he only had a dollar left in his pocket to buy three birthday gifts for his friends! He couldn’t possibly come to the party with no gifts at all!
As he came to the end of the arcade, he saw a bone shop. “Perfect” he thought, “I’ll just buy them a bone”. He walked into the shop and bought a nice big bone. Billy strolled through town and soon arrived at the kennel of his poodle friends. “Will they even recognize me?” he wondered as he peered at his reflection in the window. He admired himself once more before he knocked on the door.
Knock knock!!
Pat answered the door. “Billy, it’s you! Come in!” she screeched as she motioned him to enter the poodle kennel. Patrick and Perry bounced towards Billy in excitement and they all embraced him. He felt warmly welcomed. “Happy birthday, my dearest friends!” Billy hollered. His friends were so happy to see him. “Billy, you look great! You are dressed so fashionably today!” his friends cried out admiringly. Billy smiled proudly as he strode into their home.
Billy suddenly felt ashamed at having bought only a bone for their birthday. While for himself, he had bought nothing but the most expensive things! How could he have been so selfish, he thought. But then he had an idea…
First, he took off his new sport shoes. “Patrick, I found the perfect sport shoes for you. You have only such old and worn shoes!” he cried as he handed the shoes to Patrick. Patrick’s eyes lit up in excitement. Then he untied the collar he had bought in the fancy shop not long ago. “And Perry, I know how much you love food. For your birthday I have a dog collar made of dogolate for you!” he shouted. “Oh, it’s lovely!” Perry gushed. “Lastly, Pat. I can’t help but admire myself in the mirror when I wear this suit. But I think it would look much better on you!” Billy exclaimed as he took off his new suit. Pat bounced up and down in joy as he received his gift.
Billy gave away all of his new and expensive things to the poodles. Although Billy looked a little scruffy and unfashionable again like usual (especially in the presence of the poodles!), he felt so happy to have such kind friends like Patrick, Perry and Pat. It wasn’t expensive clothes that made him happy. Rather, it was the excited looks on the faces of his friends as they received their birthday gifts.
That day, Billy and his friends had a great time at the birthday party. Billy returned home in the evening and quietly sneaked back into his kennel. As he untied his ear-ties, removed his nose paint and brushed his long hair, he noticed something sticking out of his bag. It was the bone! “A gift for myself!” he laughed. Billy jumped to the bone and waddled with it to bed. With the bone still in his mouth, he soon drifted into a deep and sound slumber…