…many years ago, a young girl looked out of her window at the nasty, noisy traffic hurtling down the street.
And she looked at the sink full of dishes, still unwashed.
And she looked at the newspaper column, still unfinished.
And she said to herself: “What I need is an afternoon in the park.”
And with that, she collected her sketchbook and pencils, put on her rather pretty ‘men-will-notice’ straw hat and set off for the park.
At The Round Pond some old men were sailing toy yachts.(This is what old men do in the park.Sometimes.) Nannies were pushing prams. (This is what nannies do in the park.)
The young girl sat on the grass beneath a big tree and began to sketch the old men.(No, a policeman did not come along and arrest her .)
The young girl was intent on shading her sketch and did not notice she had company. Until she felt something moist and hairy on her neck.
A BIG dog was looking over her shoulder. A VERY BIG dog.
The young girl was not afraid, but she inched slowly and carefully away from the VERY BIG dog. Inch by slow inch, around the trunk of the tree.
Inch by slow inch, until __ she felt something moist and hairy on her neck!
And the first moist and hairy VERY BIG dog was still in view!
The young girl was still not afraid, but she sure was hoping the two VERY BIG dogs were not hungry. The old men sailing toy yachts and the nannies seemed very far away…
Suddenly, the young girl heard: “Tara! Seamus!” and the two VERY BIG dogs loped away towards the man who had called them.
Of course, in true fairy story tradition, I’d like to say that the man with the dogs had, indeed, noticed the young girl’s pretty hat and that the dogs were his cunning ruse to make the girl’s acquaintance. And that they all lived happily everafter.
But I can’t tell such a wicked fib!
The dog owner was very nice. So was his wife. And his kids. But it was those Irish Wolfhounds that won me. Shaggy, grey beasts, just like these. I
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