The Surprise Birthday Surprises ~ a story written for two of my great-grandchildren, Claira and Creed

 THE SURPRISE BIRTHDAY SURPRISES

            “Catch that rooster!” Urgency rang loud and clear. It was time for all of the animals to go to bed, but Captain Spaulding ran amuck in the barnyard like he did every single night. If the rooster wasn’t important, these moments would be laughable. But he had a job to do as the head rooster in the henhouse, so he could not be left out of the chicken coop at night.

            “Claira, you stay there, and I’ll run toward Captain and maybe we can catch him that way!” Gammy shouted to her granddaughter.

            Claira answered, “Alright!” Claira really did not want to catch the rooster, especially since he had long hooked spurs on the ends of both his legs. She knew roosters were not very nice sometimes and those spurs hurt when they gouged human skin. Chickens and roosters squawked and flapped their wings, which scared her.

            As Gammy ran toward the beautiful green, red, black, and yellow feathered rooster, Claira stood with her arms outstretched hoping she looked fierce enough that the rooster did not try any shenanigans. Just to make sure, she bared her teeth, and a frown puckered her face and she pumped her arms up and down in a menacing way.

            Captain Spaulding ran faster toward Claira while Gammy was running up behind him, waving her arms and shooing at him. Just when Claira thought the rooster was going to win this game of running amuck, Gammy swooped in and caught him up in her arms. The plaid flannel shirt she wore protected her arms from the rooster’s spurs.

            “Not this time, Captain!” Gammy announced as Claira did a cheer right there in the yard.

            “You did it, Gammy! I knew you’d catch that crazy chicken!” A big grin replaced the frown that had spread across her sweet face and her eyes twinkled.

            Claira followed her grandmother to the henhouse as Captain Spaulding squawked and tried to flap his wings in a getaway attempt. But he was not getting loose again tonight. Tonight, he would be put up with the rest of the flock of chickens for a good night’s rest.

            Just as the henhouse door was shut and fastened tight, cars honking on the highway blared a warning.

            Claira looked down the hill and saw several cars stopped on the highway allowing the gaggle of geese and guineas to cross safely, but the fowl took their time, stopping to peck at the pavement looking for a late-night supper.

            “Oh no, Gammy, look!” Claira shouted, pointing toward the bottom of the hill where the wayward fowl were causing a big ruckus.

            “Let’s go!” Gammy shouted and headed down the hill.

            Just as Gammy and Claira arrived at the highway, the last of the fat speckled guineas and cute white geese waddled safely across the road. The stopped cars sped down the highway and out of view.

            As they approached Claira and Gammy, their screeching grew louder as they sounded the alarm that someone new was with their owner.                                                                                 

            Gammy laughed. “They know you’re with me and they don’t like it! Let’s shoo them on up to the barnyard, Claira!” Gammy again waved her arms and shouted.

            Claira followed Gammy up the hill and ran ahead holding the big aluminum gate open so the foul could go inside. She listened to the honking white geese with fat yellow legs, feet, and beaks. They were her favorites; she didn’t care for the guineas as they cackled, called, and caused an uproar over basically nothing. The ducks were more serene in their barnyard banter.

                Gammy joined Claira and closed the gate behind them.

            “Those guineas hurt my ears with all their clucking!” Claira announced, looking at her grandma and covering her ears.

            Gammy laughed. “That’s why when I’m alone I wear my earbuds to help close out all their squawking!”

            “Good idea!” Claira gave her a thumbs up. “Now what are we going to do?”

            “Let’s wake up Creed so he can join us while we do the dogs' chores.”

            “I can do that!” Claira shouted and headed inside the house to get her brother.

            Creed was already awake and was watching the spectacle from the window.

            “Creed, it’s time to do the dog chores,” Claira said, her eyes flashing with wonder.

            “Last one outside is a rotten potato!” Creed called behind him as he ran to the back door.

Claira was right behind him. They found their Gammy in the building where the kennels for the Dachshunds were kept.

            “Okay, Creed, choose your chore: water the dogs or feed the dogs?”

            “Water!” Creed announced with a big smile across his face.

            “I get to feed!” Claira shouted, clapping her hands.

            The two kids began to do their jobs, while Gammy shooed the dogs into other pens so she could clean the kennels they just left.

            “Gammy, what kind of dogs are they again?” Creed asked as he let the water from the hose fill the dogs’ stainless-steel bowls.

            “Dachshunds,” Gammy said. She used a broom and a pan with a long handle on it to sweep the dog kennels free of muck.

            “And,” Creed went on, putting his finger in the air, “why are they so special? Tell me again.”

                Gammy smiled, proud of her little grandson for wanting to know more information about the dogs that she loved to raise and sell.

            “Well, they make good pets for people and families. Kids get along with them well.”

            Claira interrupted, “And for kids like us!”

            Gammy went on, “They are also called wiener dogs and sausage dogs. Most people love them. And they come from Germany. In that country, they are called badger dogs because they like to hunt badgers and rabbits. They rank high by the American Kennel Club as popular dogs.” Gammy was almost finished cleaning the kennels. “That’s why I raise and sell them.”

            Claira finished putting dog food into the bowls and went over to the runs where the dogs were outside in the evening air. 

            Creed finished the watering and joined his sister. “My favorite is the red one with the fluffy ears.”

            “And mine is the black ones with brown on them,” Claira joined in the conversation.

            Gammy stood beside them looking at the few puppies remaining. “I like them all.”

            Claira looked up at her grandma. “Then why do you sell them? Why don’t you keep them here with you and Grandpa Mike?”

            Gammy laughed again. She loved her grandchildren and enjoyed them staying with her. “Well, what would happen if I kept every single puppy?”

            The two children thought for a moment. Their eyes grew round, and they both answered at the same time, “You’d have hundreds of them!”

            “Well, that’s about right, way too many to keep inside this building and allow them plenty of room to move around and the runs to let them go outside when they want to.”

            “Plus, you’d have to buy hundreds of bags of dog food!” Creed announced, his face serious as he looked at his grandma.

            “Wait a minute,” Claira said, looking around the kennel. “Where’s Little Man?”

            They looked around for the little brown and white Dachshund. He was missing. Among the other seven puppies, there were two gone.

            “Oh no,” Gammy said, rolling her eyes. “We’ve got to find him and his sister! It’s getting dark in the next fifteen minutes and they cannot be left outside the building.”

            “Will they die?” Claira asked.

            “That’s possible. Or a roaming animal might eat them.”

            Both children gasped, then groaned.

            Down the hill from the dog kennel was a small bluff. The drop-off was extreme, and nothing could ever survive a fall from it. This part of the property was a wild landscape with caves and holes. Some of it had already been cleared.

            As Gammy and the two children neared the drop-off, they heard whimpering. “There! I heard it, it’s the puppies!” Creed shouted, pointing down three feet to a little ledge.

            They saw the two pups, brother and sister, Little Man and Little Bit huddled together.

            “I’m too big to fit through the fence,” Gammy said.

            “I can do it, Gammy!” Creed spoke up.

            She thought for a moment before she answered. There was no one back at the house to help and darkness was closing in on them now. They had to try to rescue the puppies or risk them staying where they were until they could get someone else to help.

            “I’ll help, too,” Claira said.

            “I guess we can try, but kids, please be careful where you step and don’t fall off the ledge!” Gammy gave in.

            She helped Creed squeeze through the fence rails and hung on to his legs for a few moments until he got his footing. Claira went through, too, and stayed close to the fence.

            Claira said softly to her brother, “I’m here waiting, Creed. When you get a puppy, you can hand it to me, and I’ll give it to Gammy.”

            Creed nodded his blonde head and stretched his arm out. The puppies were crying out louder now that their people were near them.

            Creed reached for Little Man, but the puppy jerked his leg away from his hand. “Little Man don’t be afraid,” Creed whispered to the pup. “I’m here to save you.”

            The girl puppy moved closer, so Creed was able to grab her belly and lift her off the ledge. “I’ve got Little Bit!”

            “Hand her to me.” Claira reached for the spotted puppy. When Claira had a good hold on her, she transferred Little Bit to Gammy.

            “Good deal!” Gammy said, snuggling the pup to her chest. “Now Creed, do be careful!”

            Creed spoke softly to Little Man who was now yapping. He reached for the pup’s hind leg, but chat and rocks fell loose from the hillside, sliding away.

            Claira shouted at her brother. “Creed! No!”

            Creed stopped and gained his breath, then reached down farther, grabbed the pup’s back legs, and pulled him into his hands. “Got Little Man!” He handed the pup to his sister and waited for Claira to go through the fence, then he crawled through and stood next to Gammy. 

            “You did it!” Gammy shouted. “You saved the Dachshunds!”

            Creed beamed. “I thought I was going to fall that one time. But I held on!”

            Darkness enveloped them. It was time to get the puppies back where they belonged and get into the house for dinner.

            After dinner, Gammy read books to the children and showed them some of the papers she had to keep on the dogs she raised. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s something that I love. I wish I could keep all the dogs, but I share them with other people by selling them. That makes everyone happy; I get to love them when they’re born and then sell them to people who adopt a sweet puppy to love and raise as their own family.”

            “Maybe we can adopt a puppy someday,” Claira said. She yawned and stretched her arms wide. “I’m sleepy after all the chores we did today.”

            “I wish I could sleep with the puppies,” Creed told Gammy.

            “I have a thought,” Gammy answered. “I’ll let Dozer come in and sleep with you. Would you like that?”

            Creed’s eyes grew round, and he jumped up and down. “Yes, yes!”

            “The puppies are still too young and have to be with their mothers, but Dozer and Flower Girl are old enough to sleep inside with you both.”

            That night the children snuggled up with their furry friends beside them in their beds. Gammy said good night and closed the bedroom door, leaving the night light glowing softly in the room.

            The next day when the children’s mother came to pick them up, they chattered about what had taken place on the farm with the chickens, roosters, guineas, ducks, and puppies. Creed’s chest puffed out a bit when he told how he had saved the two puppies from falling off the rock ledge or being eaten by nighttime predators.

            Their mother was happy to hear about their fun. “I know you love visiting Gammy!”

            Claira spoke up, “Mom, Creed and I want to adopt two of Gammy’s puppies. She can tell you all about them, how much they cost, and how to take care of them. You know, their shots and health requirements.”

            “Yes! Please, Mom! Let’s tell Dad!” Creed agreed with his sister.

            “Well,” Mother said, smiling and looking at Gammy. “It just happens that we have a big surprise for you.”

            The children grew quiet, waiting for her to go on. Smiles played about their mouths and they wiggled and giggled. They loved surprises.

            “Creed, for your birthday, Daddy said that you may pick out one of Gammy’s puppies.”

            “But it’s not my birthday,” Creed said, frowning. 

            “And I want one too!” Claira stuck out her bottom lip and wrapped her arms around her tummy, pouting.

            “Let me explain, please. Creed, the puppies aren’t ready to go yet, but when your birthday gets here, they will be. Choose one now and it will be yours.”

            Mother turned to Claira. “And your birthday is in December and Gammy will have puppies born and ready to be adopted just in time for your birthday!”

 Both children shouted hooray and danced around, clapping and giggling.

            “You know Flower Girl who spent the night with you last night, Claira? Well, she is going to have puppies and they will be ready to go by your birthday.”

            “Flower Girl’s going to have puppies? Yay!” A big smile drew Claira’s mouth up.  

            Creed thought for a moment. “I know which puppy I want. I want Little Man! I saved him last night just in time to be my doggie!” 

            Claira and Creed knew that birthday puppies were the best, especially when they came from their Gammy who gave them extra love and attention.

                                                                        THE END