It was a strange day yesterday. I found the little girl’s house quite easily and fortunately as it was a nice day I didn’t have to wait too long before she came outside. I coughed a little woof to get her attention and did my best to look cute. I say with my tail wagging, a bit like a brush moving the leaves on the ground behind me, and put my head on one side with my eyes opened really wide so that she could see how appealing they were. You always have a moment in situations like that where you worry that she might be one of those girls that doesn’t like dogs. However I was in luck and she thought I was very ‘sweet’. Sweet I ask you, what kind of description is that for a boy? Anyway I went with it, growling would not have helped my cause. Once we had got acquainted I quietly asked if she could spare a few minutes to talk to me. She said yes immediately which removed any other fears I had about her running in saying she had found a talking dog. So I told her the story of mole’s ring and how hedgehog was trying to put things right and I asked if there was any way she could help. So she thought for a while and said if I would just wait for a minute and then she ran inside. I wasn’t sure what to do so I paced up and down a bit and peed on the odd lamp post and tree to stop me looking suspicious. She came back with a little package wrapped in a handkerchief. “Please” she said “give this to hedgehog, there is something in it for him too.” Then we said our good byes and I trotted off, carrying the little package carefully in my mouth as I went.
I thought about trying the pool out when I got home, but I’m not really sure about it yet. There are some steps down but they seem a bit slippery. I have asked my mistress if there is anything that she can get to help me and she has suggested I should have some water-wings, whatever they are. She says they are things that have air in so that they float and I would put them on my legs. I’m just trying to imagine whether that means I will in effect be standing out of the water or whether my legs will be splayed out in all directions, floating, whilst my body sags in an odd direction in the middle. I am led to believe that dogs can normally swim, but it is one of those confidence things, you don’t know until you try and the thought of trying is a bit daunting.