Jack & Jill

Jack & Jill

Slowly Jack raised his eyelids from his deep slumber as he tried to penetrate the darkness surrounding him. Standing up he felt the top of his head brush the ceiling as the room he was in moved beneath his feet knocking him back to the ground. He was being tossed from one side of his enclosure to the other as if on some carnival ride. He was inside a small room not much bigger than he, as he was being tossed from wall to wall.
His last thoughts were of a woman running her fingers through the hair on his head as he drifted off to sleep. Now he was trapped inside a small room that was pitching back and forth like a ship on high seas. He could not stand up without falling when suddenly the motion stopped. The ceiling opened up as light flooded in temporarily blinding him. As his eyes adjusted to the light he felt something grasp him around the waist pulling him up into the air.
He was gently placed down, and looking up he saw two big blue eyes staring down at him as he heard a squealing sound. The sound was coming from the creature with the big blue eyes.
Having been jostled around so much in his dark room he could not hold it anymore, and Jack proceeded to empty his bladder all over the ground. The creature said, “Oh Daddy he’s so cute”. The blue-eyed creature squealed again, as her father picked up Jack and transported him outside where he was placed in the grass. Standing there in the grass he listened to the blue-eyed girl asked her father what was his name? Her father said “His name is Jack”, but you can change it if you want? “No” she said “I like the name Jack”.
This was the beginning of a very good life for Jack the little Norwegian Elk Hound. He was a birthday present for Nikki the little girl with the blue eyes. Nikki treated him like a little baby the rest of his life. As they grew up together she dressed him in a tiger outfit for Halloween, and a red hat with white trim for Christmas. She even had a stocking on the mantle with his name on it. While he was sleeping she would cover him with a blanket to keep him warm.
Jack was a little over one year old when he was outside playing with Nikki. Nikki would throw the ball, and Jack chase after it bring it back, and drop it at her feet. She then pretended to throw it over his head, only held on to it. It was then that Jack performed his famous trick of the back flip. As Nikki moved the ball back and forth over his head he watched intently until just the right moment when she moved the ball back and over his head. He jumped up and backward doing a flip taking the ball out of her hand, and landed on his feet. She was stunned at this and tried it again. Every time she would move the ball to a spot up and over his head he would do the flip taking the ball gently out of her hand landing on his feet. This was the only trick he ever did, but she entertained all her friends and family with it.
Jack was 4 years old when the new neighbors moved in. As the movers were taking in the furniture Jack would give them the obligatory bark to let them know he was in charge, when he saw her. As he looked over through the opening in the picket fence he saw the most beautiful Norwegian Elk Hound he had ever seen. She was surrounded by what he saw as a white cloud, actually he only saw the beauty of her face, and everything else was a blur. She looked directly at him then turned and walked away as if he were just a rock sitting on the ground. Awestruck, he chased after her trying to get her attention, but she continued to ignore him and walked back into her house. Dejected, he sat there with his head down as if he had just lost his best friend.
Two days later he was sleeping next to the gate in the fence that separates the neighbor’s yard from his when a beautiful new scent wafted through his nostrils causing him to wake. Looking up he again saw the face of a goddess surrounded by a cloud of white. He jumped to his feet and managed to blurt out “hello”. She turned to walk away when Jack said, “Why wouldn’t you talk to me”? She replied I do not talk to strangers. He said, “My name is Jack”, and I do not want to be a stranger. What is your name? She said “My name is Jill, and I come from a long line of pure Norwegian Elk Hounds”. He said, “I too am a Norwegian Elk Hound”.
My Great Grandfather Maximus used to hunt with Gustav Murdoch a famous hunter from Oddasy Norway. My mother told me my Great Grandfather was a hero there. One day as Maximus moved quietly down the game trail he listened intently, stopping occasionally to sniff at the bushes along the trail. Soon he picked up the scent of an elk, and he heard the rustle ahead in the woods of a large animal. He moved cautiously as the path turned to the right, and then in the cold morning air he saw a giant elk standing there with its cold breath steaming out of its nostrils like a locomotive stopping at the station. Maximus ran up to the Elk and barked at him until the Elk was so enraged, that it charged at Maximus.
Down the path Maximus ran as fast as he could, but the Elk was gaining on him when at the turn in the path the elk came into the sights of Gustav. Just as the Elk came into view Gustav fired his rifle, but it miss-fired. The Elk seeing Gustav forgot about Maximus, and charged at Gustav. Luckily the tree Gustav was behind gave him some protection as the Elk lowered his head trying to ram him, and it only knocked him over into the brush. By this time Maximus came back and biting the leg of the elk barked loudly distracting the elk from Gustav long enough for the hunter to clear his gun and shoot the elk. Yes my Grandfather was brave. Jill said I guess we can be friends then.
As time went on Jill grew fond of Jack and all the crazy things he did, like the first winter snowstorm, where he tried to impress her with his speed, and he slid into a large snow bank when he missed the turn. When he stuck his head out of the snow bank he had snow on his nose that looked like a mustache, and a cone shaped hat that looked like Merlin. Jill laughed, and Jack only grinned. Jill was very impressed when Jack showed her his famous back flip which he used to do all the time to cheer her up, or make her laugh.
Jill’s owner used to open the gate and let them play together. Jack would run all over the yard, and come back to bowl over Jill, and do a back flip all the time the two of them laughing having a great time. In the fall he would jump into the leaves Nikki had raked up into a big pile, and disappear. Jill would run in after Jack and try to find him and both of them would emerge at different places barking and yelling at each other as Nikki laughed at both of them.
The man that owned Jill became very sick one year, and after several months died. His daughter asked Nikki if she new of anyone that would like to have Jill because they live in an apartment where pets are not allowed. Nikki pleaded with her father to keep Jill, so he finally agreed, and Jack was ecstatic. This was the best time of Jack’s life. He was always at Jill’s side as her protector, playmate, and soul mate. They would lie down on the grass in the yard watching the cars in the street, and Jack would rest his paw on the top of Jill’s paw, or he would lay down with his head against her side, and he was always entertaining her with his back flips.
One day there was a big wind that knocked a large branch down onto the fence. Nikki did not know the fence was down, and let Jack and Jill out into the yard. Jack found the fence down, and went out of the yard to explore with Jill right behind him. As Jack scurried across the street Jill stopped to lick ice cream that someone dropped on the asphalt. When Jack looked back and saw Jill eating he bolted back across the street as fast as he could, and with his head down like a bull he head butted Jill on her hip sending her flying onto the sidewalk. Looking back as she flew through the air she saw a car smash into Jack with the wheels running over him.
Jill regained her feet and ran back to Jack, but he was dying. As Jack lay there with Jill next to him he reached out placing his paw on hers, then his breathing stopped, and he was gone. Jill lay next to him until Nikki found them. Nikki was crying uncontrollably as she led Jill back to the house. Nikki’s father went back to retrieve Jacks body, and they buried him in the back of there yard with a small grave marker. Nikki placed a picture of Jack doing his back flip on the wooden marker.
Whenever Nikki could not find Jill she would go to the back of the yard and find Jill lying down next to Jack’s grave. This always brought tears to Nikki’s eyes, and she would talk to Jill about how much she missed him too.
Not long after Jack’s death Nikki found out that Jill was pregnant. Seven weeks after Jack’s demise Jill gave birth to five of the cutest little Elk Hounds. There were four girls, and one male. Nikki immediately claimed the male as her Jack Jr. As time went on the females were given to other families, but Nikki kept Jack Jr.
One year later Nikki was in the yard with Jill and Jack Jr. throwing the ball for Jack Jr. when Nikki held the ball over the head of Jack Jr. He immediately did a back flip taking the ball out of Nikk’s hand and landed on his feet. Tears came to Nikki as she remembered Jack, and Jill looked over also sad about the loss of Jack, but proud of Jack Jr.
Four years later to the day from Jack’s death the gate from the yard to the street blew open from a strong wind, as the rusty latch broke apart. Jill ventured out of the yard with Jack Jr. right behind her. They made there way to the spot where Jack had died, and as Jack Jr sniffed the spot he did a back flip, and lying down he lowered his head. Jill lay down next to him at the spot of Jack’s demise, and she put her head down too. Jack Jr. reached over and placed his paw on Jill’s, burying his head into her side. Jill smiled closing her eyes. As she lay there thinking about Jack Sr. she was startled by Jack Jr.’s bark. She opened her eyes to see Jack run into the street as a big black car came speeding down the street.
Jack, Jr. was racing through the street toward a small child that had stepped into the road from between two parked cars. Jack through his body at the child, and they both fell to the ground safely between the parked cars as the speeding car raced by. The mother screamed as she rushed to the side of her child. When she found her little boy was not hurt she made sure Jack was ok petting him saying “ good dog”, “good dog”, as she held her son tightly against her. Jack went back to Jill, and she explained to Jack how his father had died saving her in the same manner, and that she was very proud of him.
Nikki found Jack, Jr. and Jill, just as all this was taking place. She stood there motionless, frozen with fear as Jack ran in front of the car, thinking Jack was going to die. She too praised Jack with good boy Jack, good boy, as she reached down to stroke his fur giving him a big hug. Nikki then led the two dogs back to the house. She tied her jump rope around the gate until her father could fix it.
When they returned home Jill told Jack Jr. how his father, and grandfather were heroes, and she was proud that he was following in their footsteps. Whenever Jill and Jack would be at the back of the yard, and go past the grave of Jack Sr., Jack Jr. would do a back flip. Jill looked at Jack Jr. thinking how much she missed Jack Senior, but happy knowing she had two heroes to be proud of.
Eventually Jill went on to join Jack Sr. leaving Jack alone. One day while Jack was out in the yard lying in the afternoon sun half asleep he heard a bark in the yard next door. Looking up he saw a beautiful Keeshond as she strutted along the fence. Jack walked up to her and said hello my name is Jack. She said hello my name is Samantha, but you can call me Sammy. Samantha’s owner came over to fence as Nikki came out to see the commotion. The two people talked for a moment, then Nikki opened the gate to let Samantha come into the yard. Jack was beaming with joy at his new companion as his life started to fill with happiness again. From that day on the gate was left open as the two of them chased each other from one yard to the other having fun. Jack and Samantha lived the rest of their lives happy and content with each other’s company.

Robert L. Murdoch

12/01/08