I didn’t think there was supposed to be 29 days in February, then someone goes and sneaks in something called a leap year. “What’s special about a leap year?” I asked my mistress. Oh do I wish I hadn’t bothered! I have been told all about the length of time it takes the Sun to go round the Earth, or was it the other way round? I have also had the whole tradition of women being able to ask men to marry them explained to me. So here I am experiencing my first 29th of February. If I’m being quite honest, it feels pretty much the same as any other day.
This week has held a very exciting piece of news. The prospective Sooty has been born. I say prospective as the breeder of the puppy to be known as Sooty still needs to satisfy herself that we are a suitable home for a puppy and my mistress has to be happy with the breeder. I asked if it would help for me to write a letter of recommendation, something along the lines of:
“Dear Mrs Breeder
I have lived with my mistress since I was 10 weeks old. She is mad as a hatter but I love her to bits. She never gets cross with me, loves me lots and does everything I need to take care of me. I promise to do my best to take care of Sooty too. I see this as the opportunity to be a father figure to him and will bring him up in all the ways a male dog needs to know. As I can’t have puppies of my own, I see it as an opportunity to pass on my wisdom to the next generation.
Please can you confirm that he will also want to play with me and that he will like tug and chase games, as these are very important.
Yours sincerely Alfie Dog (Leader of the PDDP)
(I thought that last bit might impress her.)