Charlie, Chester And
The Amazing Chuckles
(In The Case Of The Purloined Poodle )
Brian Briscoe
Copyright 2011 Brian Briscoe
One
The greyhound pup longingly gazed at Charlie with that sad melting-eye look that only puppies do best. It padded after him as Charlie moved along the metal fence of the kennel looking at the other potential dogs up for adoption. The Greyhound Adoption Agency finds loving homes for old racing greyhounds and puppies that are considered not suitable for racing. Charlie Parker had come with his mother Alice to choose a pup for his eleventh birthday.
As Charlie reached the end of the fence he turned around to see the same little pup, sitting up with its tail wagging, still watching him. The pup was a brindle dog, mainly brown or tawny in colour with splashes of dark across its snout and hindquarters. Its little tail flashed excitedly back and forth madly like a fan.
What attracted Charlie to this pup, apart from its interesting colour, was that it didn’t bark. It seemed to know that Charlie didn’t want a yappy dog. Charlie wanted a mate. A dog that he and his best friend Chester could play with. A dog that could chase them when they race their mountain bikes at the B.M.X. park and a dog to fetch the ball when Charlie hit a six and out. What he wanted most was a canine friend, and he had an inkling that this little feller wanted him too. His mind was made up.
“ Can I have this pup mum?” he said to Alice, who was chatting with the agency’s director Mr Johnstone.
“ Your choice Charlie. He looks friendly enough. What do you think Mr Johnstone?” she asked, as the director walked over to the kennel gate.
“ Great choice. I was hoping you’d take him. He’s beautiful. Calm and quiet.” He opened the gate to the kennel. The pup, as if knowing what to do, trotted up to him and obediently plopped at his feet. “ And, as you can see very smart. Good boy. Come along and meet your new owners.” He slipped a lead over the pup’s head and led him out of the kennel.
The pup trotted right up to Charlie and sat itself down at his feet as if he’d always been Charlie’s. Alice was amazed and beamed at Mr Johnstone. Charlie knelt down and gave the pup a loving hug. It responded with a sloppy lick right across Charlie’s face.
“ He certainly likes you. A perfect choice,” laughed Mr Johnstone. “ Come along to the office and I’ll give you his papers and inoculation details. He’s had all his shots. In fact he’s got an amazing pedigree you know. He’s by the champion sire Chuckling out of Amanda Bale, but he’s the runt of the litter so no one wanted him.”
Charlie stopped dead in his tracks, “You’re kiddin’ me. Did you say Chuckling?”
“ Yes. Why young fella? Is it important? What might you call him?” he asked, turning to Charlie as he opened his office door.
Charlie didn’t hesitate, “ Well there’s only one name if he’s by Chuckling.”
He smiled at his mum and burst into laughter, “ They call me Charlie Chuckles at school Mr Johnstone. So I’ve just got to call him Chuckles. That’s just so cool. Hey what do ya reckon Chuckles?” Charlie rubbed the newly named Chuckles’ ears and scratched his back. Chuckles jumped up and rubbed his snout into Charlie’s face as if to say thank you.
Alice smiled and Mr Johnstone laughed at Charlie, “ Chuckles it is then. What a funny name for a quiet little chap like you.”
Chuckles stood and looked up at Charlie with its sad brown eyes and wagged its tail.
Charlie laughed, “ Come on Chuckles let’s go!” And from that day on Charlie and Chuckles became the best of friends.
Two
Charlie had prepared the coolest kennel for Chuckles. He had already built it, with the help of his mum’s partner Tom. It was out in the backyard not too far from the veranda. It was shaped like a little farmhouse with overhanging eaves and a large entrance. It had a doggy door, which could be closed in case it rained, and Chuckles could come in and out as he pleased. Inside he’d built a platform which was strung with canvas and atop this he put a number of old jumpers of his and a small pillow. This formed a soft sleeping area off the ground. Water was in a bowl outside under the eaves. A first class kennel indeed!
Charlie liked to do things, and the preparation of the kennel and sleeping platform for his dog had kept him incredibly busy.
Chuckles loved his kennel as if he knew it had been built for him. When he first saw it he slowly sniffed around and then smartly pushed his snout up against the doggy door and wiggled inside. Charlie stuck his head through and was greeted with the sloppiest, wettest lick.
“ Well he certainly likes his kennel Charlie,” commented Tom, as Charlie wiped his face with his shirtsleeve.
“ Come on Chuckles I’ll show you inside,” called Charlie, as he led his pup up onto the veranda and through the back door. As he got to the entrance Charlie called, “Sit Chuckles.” And Chuckles did exactly as asked plopping down obediently. “ Good dog!” praised Charlie, and he slipped him a doggy biscuit from his pocket. Just one.
Alice patted Chuckles lovingly, “ What a good dog!” she praised. “Well done Charlie. Just as Mr Johnstone explained. Right from the start, teach Chuckles what you want him to do and reward him when he does it correctly. I like the look of Chuckles he’s a bright dog.
“ In boy,” called Charlie, as he led Chuckles into the house for the first time.
Tom took Alice’s hand and the two followed their new family pet into their home.
That night Alice and Tom let Charlie set up the two - person tent in the backyard, so that he could sleep in the tent to be close to Chuckles’ kennel. Alice insisted that Chuckles sleep inside his kennel and not in the tent, which he finally did after waking Charlie five times during the night. But Charlie didn’t mind. He was so happy.
Three
Charlie and his mate Chester were the exact opposites of one another. Charlie was small, solid with red hair and freckles, the perfect soccer striker, or cricket wicky. Chester was incredibly tall and skinny with a mop of black curly hair, the perfect basketball shooter. They had just clicked as friends when Chester first came to Charlie’s school.
Charlie was born and bred in Angle Vale, Adelaide. Chester Mugisha was a Sudanese refugee from Darfur, who recently had become an Australian citizen in a ceremony with his family, which Charlie, Alice and Tom had attended.
After the citizenship ceremony they all went to Charlie’s place for a big Aussie barbecue. Charlie just loved it when he and Chester’s family got together. It was so much fun.
Chester and Chuckles quickly became friends, and with Charlie the threesome was inseparable. Before leaving for school with Charlie, Chester would greet Chuckles, saying in his funny drawling accent, “ Hey Chuckles. Pleased to see me today?” And Chuckles would wag his tail and greet Chester playfully circling his long legs.
After school Charlie, Chester and Chuckles would get up to all kinds of fun. They’d race Chuckles on their mountain bikes. Play ‘Chuckles in the Middle’ with a soccer ball. But most of all they played fetch the cricket ball in the park. Sometimes the threesome would mosey over to Chester’s vegetable block to help out. The boys had made a little cart and harness for Chuckles in which they would load up and transport eggplant that Chester’s family grew. Chuckles loved pulling the cart up to the packing shed to the delight of the whole Mugisha family.
********
It didn’t take long for Chuckles to begin to grow. In six months he was quite large and boy could he run. This proved to be very useful
for Charlie and Chester one hot summer’s afternoon.
The two friends had picked up Chuckles after school and were biking up to Chester’s place when a bunch of year sevens began to chase them. Spike, Casey and Kurt hassled lots of kids at school, especially the year sixes. Chester and Charlie pedalled as quickly as they could up the street and through the park where they thought they could lose the terrible trio. They hid behind some bushes. Chuckles thought it was a game and excitedly sat between the two friends his tail wagging furiously. Chester held it to keep it still.
Spike, a thick lump of a lad noticed a wheel sticking out from under the bushes. He slung his bike to a wheelie stop, put a finger up to his lips and motioned to Kurt and Casey to be quiet.
“ Looks like we’ve lost ‘em guys. Better luck next time,” he loudly called out to his friends, as he quietly leaned into the bushes.
“ Gotcha you weasel,” he said, as he grabbed Charlie by the arm and pulled him out from the undergrowth.
“ Oh leave me alone Spike what have I ever done to you?”
“ Shut up carrot top. Where’s ya bean pole mate?”
“ Oh I don’t know.”
“ Yeah sure,” said Kurt, reaching into the greenery grabbing Chester.
“ Hey what’s goin’ on here?” cried Chester, as Kurt pushed him into Charlie.
The two friends fell on top of one another and the pack of three thugs laughed. Suddenly, from out of the bushes exploded Chuckles, growling, yelping, yapping, and even barking. A whirl of fur leapt at Spike before he realised Chuckles was even there.
“ What!” yelled Spike, as Chuckles clasped onto his hoodie. “ Help! Help! It’s a giant rat!”
“ Go for it Chuckles!” yelled Charlie, helping Chester up off the ground.
“ Let’s get the other two before they run off!” cried Chester.
Kurt and Casey quickly summed up the situation. Spike was wrestling with Chuckles and Chester was tearing down on them his eyes as big as bowling bowls, arms and legs flailing everywhere.
“ Let’s get out of here!” the two yelled in unison.
Well, that was the cue for Chuckles. He immediately dropped Spike and ran after Chester and Charlie who were chasing the other two. A mountain bike being pedalled by two year sevens is no match for a greyhound out of Chuckling!
Chuckles caught up to them in no time. He chased after them with all four legs stretching out in perfectly timed paces. Then he stopped dead in his tracks as Casey and Kurt flew headlong into the St Mark’s Lane stormwater catchment dam in a flurry of arms, legs, helmets, spokes, wheels and frames.
“ Way to go Chuckles!” cheered Charlie, as the two bullies splodged out of the muddy dam looking like creatures from a swamp. In the distance Chester saw the ringleader Spike pedalling for dear life heading the other way.
The two friends laughed until their heads fell off. Chuckles’ tail wagged like never before and Spike and his mates didn’t bother the threesome ever again.
Four
Chuckles kept growing, and growing. Mr Johnstone couldn’t believe his eyes when Charlie brought Chuckles to the Greyhound Adoption Agency for a visit. He admired Chuckles’ fine coat and excellent condition. He even commented to a group of greyhound trainers that Chuckles was no longer a runt and would probably make a good racing dog.
But Charlie wasn’t interested in racing Chuckles. He just loved him, that’s all. The trainers and breeders at the agency who were dropping off dogs noticed how fit and strong Chuckles looked.
On the way home Charlie didn’t notice a rusty old, beat-up black transit van that passed him on a number of occasions. He also didn’t notice the two men inside who were peering with interest at Chuckles. Charlie reached his house. The van parked further up the street out of Charlie’s view.
********
Scar killed the engine and pulled the hand break. He was called Scar for obvious reasons and his face was a face that only a mother could love. Dave his offsider sat quietly playing games on his mobile phone as Scar unwrapped a piece of chewing gum and slurped it into his bulbous mouth.
Scar spoke first,“ Hey Dave what good luck. A son of the champion greyhound Chuckling just fell out of the sky.”
Dave looked up from his game, replying in a squeaky high pitched voice,“ Yeah Scar, a son of Chuckling just fell out of the sky.”
“ I just said that.”
“ What?”
“ A son of Chuckling just fell out of the sky!”
“ Did it? Where?”
Scar looked at Dave and shook his head, “ Over there ya nong! That place. The kid just took it inside. Didn’t ya see it?”
“ See what?”
“ The dog! Look, forget it. Get back to ya game, ya wally.”
Scar turned the key in the ignition and drove off with his mind already ticking over with nasty thoughts of what he might do next.
Five
Chuckles was a very intelligent dog and Charlie taught him really cool tricks. He taught him all the usual tricks that one teaches dogs like sitting, rolling over, begging, coming when asked, fetching things and lots of other simple acts. But some of the commands Charlie taught Chuckles were amazing, particularly, ‘Poo. One, two!’
Alice’s partner Tom insisted that Charlie teach Chuckles to poo in the one spot in the garden. The spot chosen was next to the back fence well away from the house. Each morning and night Charlie would take Chuckles to the poo spot and wait until Chuckles did his business. At first Chuckles thought this a bit strange and would stare forlornly at Charlie, but eventually he became used to it. Charlie began training Chuckles to poo on his command! Charlie would take Chuckles to the poo spot and say, “ Poo. One, two!” and incredibly Chuckles would poo!
Tom thought it was a fantastic trick and insisted Charlie show friends whenever friends came over, much to the annoyance of Charlie’s mum, but Chuckles enjoyed the attention and never failed to impress, or produce.
But it was with Chester that Charlie taught Chuckles some really speckie tricks. The boys would take Chuckles to Chester’s vegetable block. Chester’s father had learnt how to teach dogs ‘silent commands’ in Africa, and it was these special commands that Charlie and Chester concentrated on the most.
Chester would hold Chuckles and, on Charlie’s command of ‘Come Chuckles!’ Chuckles would run like the wind toward Charlie. Charlie would then call out ‘Stop!’ and raise his hand palm facing outward. If Chuckles stopped and sat, Charlie would praise and reward him. Eventually, after many attempts Chuckles was stopping dead still and sitting on command like the dog on the tucker box.
Next came the tricky bit. On release and chase Charlie would try and stop Chuckles with only a hand signal. At first Chuckles thought that Charlie was being a bit foolish and couldn’t work out why he wasn’t being rewarded but it didn’t take this smart pooch too long to work out that the hand signal to stop was as good as the voice signal.
In a couple of weeks Charlie and Chester had Chuckles doing incredible things using hand signals alone. Chester’s father was so impressed he even used Chuckles to round up his goats. Chuckles could stop, turn and go, run in a zig - zag, and lay down flat all on hand signals only. The boys even set up an obstacle course which Chuckles just loved doing! Chuckles certainly showed everyone what a special dog he was.
During the annual school fete Charlie and Chester set up a special dog show called ‘Charlie, Chester and the Amazing Chuckles’. It proved to be the most popular show of the fete and raised so much money for the school that the Principal, Mr Whisker awarded them a special award.
The local newspaper wrote an article about, ‘The Amazing Chuckles’. Everyone in the district just loved Chuckles and Charlie was elevated to hero status for quite a while. His mum and Tom were very proud of their boy.
However what they all didn’t realise was that a certain black transit van had been parked very close to the school during the fete and that Scar, for the first time ever, had purchased the loca
l newspaper. His mind had certainly been ticking over.
Six
One day, Charlie and Chuckles met old Mr Bentwhistle, who lived opposite the park. He was the proud owner of a pure breed French poodle called Fiffi. Every afternoon, at around five thirty Mr Bentwhistle took Fiffi for a walk. Fiffi was one of those poodles that look like a poodle should look, giraffe-like neck with a fluffy collar of hair, a small body and a short toilet brush tail. Fiffi would regally high-step in front of Mr Bentwhistle, and the two would stop and chat with all and sundry on their afternoon walks.
It just so happened that Charlie and Chuckles were generally returning home about this time and would often come across Fiffi and Mr Bentwhistle. Chuckles was attracted to Fiffi. Charlie couldn’t understand why, but the fact was, that whenever Chuckles saw Fiffi he went all silly. He would pull away from Charlie’s grip and whine and howl like a wolf no matter how hard Charlie did his best to hold onto him.
He noticed Mr Bentwhistle when he stopped for a short time in the park to let Chuckles do what dogs do.
“ Oh no,” he said, out loud. “ It’s Fiffi! Chuckles come!”
But it was too late. Chuckles had already seen Fiffi, and was running as fast as he could, which as we know is really fast as dogs go, towards Mr Bentwhistle’s beloved Fiffi.
Charlie ran after Chuckles shouting loudly, “ Stop, heel, come, stop Chuckles please!” But all to no avail. Chuckles bowled right over to Fiffi and stopped dead in front of the stunned poodle and began to howl like a wolf.
“ Howwwwl, howwwl,” cried Chuckles.
“ Howwwwl!”
“ Chuckles certainly likes Fiffi, Charlie,” said Mr Bentwhistle, leaning on his walking stick. “ Come on Fiffi, Give Chuckles a nuzzle. You know he likes it.”
Fiffi enjoyed Chuckles’ attention. She began to prance and high-step about whimpering and snuggling her snout with Chuckles’ snout.
Charlie knew that they liked each other but this was the first time he’d seen such affection and he burst out laughing.