Lauren stared at the leprechaun, at his thick, strong arms, thick, strong legs and menacing glare.
“Where is the talking dog?”
Lauren looked around the yard, seeing that Coco was hidden.
“I don’t have a dog.”
“Yes, you do. I was watching from the clouds. Where is he?” Big Boy walked around the yard, looking at places where Coco could be hiding. He picked up a heavy pot plant with his strong arms then placed it back. He looked behind a bush and found Jeanie.
“Aaarrhh!” she screamed. “What are you? Lauren. I didn’t think you had any friends? And look, this one is shorter than you.”
“I’m Big Boy,” he said and flexed his muscles. Jeanie was terrified but at the same time fascinated with this small man with big muscles. He moved slowly around the yard looking under things and behind things. Lauren was beginning to panic because she did not know where Coco was hiding.
“What are you looking for?” Jeanie asked.
“The dog,” Big Boy said gruffly.
“But Lauren’s in. Not you. Really, don’t you know how to play?” Jeanie stuck out her chin and put her hands on her hips.
Big Boy peered behind the garden shed then stood tall and pushed out his chest. Lauren was sure he had found Coco. She was bursting with panic. Big Boy was squaring up his shoulders and looked about to do something. Lauren was about to scream out to Coco when suddenly her father called out from the back door.
“Guys, we’re off to Grandma’s.”
Big boy stopped, leapt behind a bush and dropped his head out of sight. Lauren thought quickly and called out.
“Can Coco come? Please?” Not taking her eyes off where Big Boy was hiding.
“No way. Last time he licked all of Grandma’s cup cakes. That dog’s a menace.” Lauren’s Dad called back, shaking his finger.
“Oh, please? I’ll keep him on the lead?” Lauren watched for any movement of Big Boy toward the garden shed. After a long pause her Dad called out.
“All right. And when he licks the cakes, we’ll both be in trouble.”
Lauren yelled out Thanks to her Dad.
“Coco! Quick. In the car!” Lauren heard a rustle from behind the garden shed. Coco ran as fast as lightening and then jumped over the bush Big Boy was hiding behind. Coco ran around the side of the house to the driveway so fast that Lauren only caught a glimpse of his tail disappearing behind the house.
“Sorry, Jeanie. Game’s over,” Lauren said and ran off after Coco.
Jeanie stood and watched as Lauren disappeared behind the house too. She walked over to Big Boy who was still squatting silently behind the bush.
“Do you want to play offices in the tree house?” she asked.
--
Lauren opened the car door and Coco leapt in. He stood in the middle of the back seat panting heavily and watching the back yard for any sign of Big Boy.
“What a crazy dog!” Mom laughed. Lauren hugged him and then did her own seat belt up. Her Dad buckled Coco in and they all headed off to Grandmas.
Lauren and Coco whispered to each other in the back of the car while it weaved, slowed and accelerated through traffic.
“What are we going to do when we get back home?” Lauren asked, looking very concerned.
“I don’t know,” Coco said them covered his mouth with his paw. He looked to see if Lauren’s Mom or Dad heard but neither seemed to notice.
“We’ll have to think of something before we get back,” Lauren said and Coco nodded. But all the way there they could not think of a single thing. As the family arrived at Grandma’s Lauren had come up with was a headache.
Lauren’s Grandma lived in a large weatherboard house that was painted white and surrounded by large shady trees. Lauren loved it because there were so many places to hide and play. The hall and lounge room had loads of old photographs and books to look at and Grandma would often tell stories of the old days.
Everyone kissed Grandma hello and quickly sat at the old oak dining table.
“You sit there,” she said. “I’ll just go to the kitchen. I think you’re going to like this.” Grandma disappeared into the kitchen but then returned carrying a tray of homemade cup cakes. They were all different colours – some were pink, some light blue and some were green. Lauren licked her lips and so did Coco.
“I want a blue one,” she said gleefully.
“Alright then.” Grandma held the tray down for Lauren to take one. Just then Coco jumped up from under Lauren’s chair and grabbed a green one. Grandma screamed.
“Ah!” and dropped the tray. All of the cupcakes bounced onto the floor and rolled around. Coco touched each one with his nose, sniffing to find the sweetest one. Then he gently grabbed one in his mouth and ran into the back yard.
“That DOG!” she screamed. “He’s done it AGAIN!” She stomped into the kitchen while Lauren’s Dad picked up the cupcakes and put them back onto the serving tray. Grandma came back in pulling the vacuum cleaner, sucking up the crumbs from the floor.
“Why did you bring that silly dog! Don’t you feed it? I should tie a beetroot around its neck,” Grandma turned off the cleaner and stomped back into the kitchen and while her back was turned Dad took two of the cakes and started eating one.
Grandma busied herself in the kitchen, talking to herself about the waste of time cooking and how bad Coco was. She didn’t notice Coco trotting back into the dining room licking his lips. He laid back under the table.
“You can’t eat that,” Lauren’s Mom scolded Dad, who took a big bite out of a licked cup cake.
“They taste OK to me,” Dad said, and passed one to Coco under the table.
“Thanks,” Coco said, then covered his mouth and looked from side to side. Dad looked under the table frowning, then to Lauren.
“Did Coco just say ‘thanks’?” he asked.
“Don’t be silly, Dad,” she laughed, then pulled a funny face at Coco.
“Dad?’ Lauren asked. “What did Grandma mean about a beetroot?” Lauren’s Dad smiled and rolled his eyes.
“Oh, your Grandma, she loves those old children’s stories,” her Dad said, while taking another big bite of cup cake.
“What do you mean?”
“Well,” he said, still eating. “In one children’s story, I think it was the Magical Toothbrush, little magical creatures lost their magic when they touched beetroot. The red mark it left took away their magic. Anyway, it’s just nonsense. There’s no such thing as magic.” Her Dad picked up another cup cake.
“You’re eating too much cup cake,” Mom roused on Dad, who just smiled cheekily. Lauren threw a glance at Coco lying on the floor under the table. He saw a grin spread across her face.