I had been playing at the base of the maple tree with my back to our house, building something – I don’t remember what – from twigs and branches. Snapples rested her head on her forepaws next to me, watching me, her curiosity visible in her pinched brow and restless eyes, following my movements as I snapped a twig or wrestled with an unruly branch.
The next moment her ears straightened as she lifted her head and a low moan escaped from deep within her throat as she glared at something behind me. The hair on her back shot up stiff and spiky, bristling. I was slow to react, but not Snapples. She moved in a blur past me. By the time I turned she had already seized the snake in her jaws, rippling and shaking it as the snake coiled itself around her neck and front legs, it’s scaly body writhing and contracting. But Snapples didn’t let go. It seemed to only fuel her frenzied attack.
I saw blood streaming from her left eye then.
Bullies and Soggy Soup Bones by Woelf Dietrich is an enjoyable little story that speaks of personal esteem and courage. It is about bullying, but honestly, what I enjoyed the most was the relationship between the boy and the dog, a relation that sounded authentic and ripe of meaningful experiences. It’s also what really moved me of this story.
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And the good thing is that that the kid leanrs from that bravery. It’s a nice story.
Amy
Posted
October 15, 2015 at
22:25
Oh my god, seriously, “great quote” doesn’t cut it. There’s so much emotion pent up in this one passage… seriously, how lucky is that person? First, to have avoided the snake, second, to have such a loving and loyal dog. I love how the fierce protectiveness of Snapples comes through, it’s really touching. Reading the passage made me well-up a bit actually. I really hope the dog survives for its loyalty and that the eye wound doesn’t cost it its life :'(
Amy x
The relation between the kid and the dog is really touching. That’s the part I liked the most about the story.
Another thing I liked is that the kid learns from his dog’s loyalty and becomes more of an adult.
8 Comments
Anabel
Oh no – that’s got me worried. I hope the dog’s ok…..
jazzfeathers
Don’t worry, Anabel, the dog will be fine. This is a sweet story of friendship between a kid and a dog 🙂
Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies
Wow! That’s a great passage. I love books and stories about the bond between kids and their dogs.
jazzfeathers
I like all story about bonds between humans and animals in general. I think we have a lot to learn from our ‘cousines’ 😉
Alex Hurst
That’s a great excerpt. Dogs can really be fearless when they need to be, and this author definitely captured that bravery. 🙂
jazzfeathers
And the good thing is that that the kid leanrs from that bravery. It’s a nice story.
Amy
Oh my god, seriously, “great quote” doesn’t cut it. There’s so much emotion pent up in this one passage… seriously, how lucky is that person? First, to have avoided the snake, second, to have such a loving and loyal dog. I love how the fierce protectiveness of Snapples comes through, it’s really touching. Reading the passage made me well-up a bit actually. I really hope the dog survives for its loyalty and that the eye wound doesn’t cost it its life :'(
Amy x
jazzfeathers
The relation between the kid and the dog is really touching. That’s the part I liked the most about the story.
Another thing I liked is that the kid learns from his dog’s loyalty and becomes more of an adult.