A Dog Tale

On Sunday, Paul and I were out walking our dogs in the neighborhood, when a little white dog appeared. Molly, ever the Warrior Princess, started snapping and growling like she wanted to eat the stranger and the little stranger came right back with equal fervor, despite the fact that she was smaller than Molly. I separated the combatants before they got into it and the little dog ran off, right into the street. Luckily, no cars were coming. I tried to catch her, but she led me on a merry chase that ended at the doors of the local Catholic church. We danced around the porch and I managed to get a look at her tags--no name, only current a current license. She kept going back to the door. Thinking that the church would at least be safer than the street, I opened the door and in she scooted. When I realized, in horror, that the last service was still in progress, I ran off, feeling like a teenage prankster.

I rejoined Paul to tell him what I'd done and we saw a man leaving the church with the dog. Then I recognized the dog as one who usually barked at us from the corner house. I'd never seen her whole body, just her head and front paws, as she tried desperately to get out and chase us. The owner caught up with us, holding the dog at his side like a football. "There I was, standing in the church aisle, waiting to take communion and here comes my dog!"

I told him what had happened but now I wish I hadn't. What a great mystery that would have been.