It was in 1982 that I heard this story from my friend; I'll call her Esther, and the story is about her dog - Cesar - a big, black and beautiful Labrador. And this story is as she told me.

Saturday and Esther, her sons and her dog were at home in Canberra when a friend rang to ask if she pop around for a visit - she also asked if she could bring her little dog, Dino, with her. Now Dino was a Chihuahua, just a tiny little thing really.

Esther advised against the proposed visit including Dino; saying that she just didn't know how Cesar would re-act. Come by yourself, she said - better leave Dino at home.

Well the upshot was that the friend arrived at Esther's with her dog. She said to Esther that it should be quite ok - after all both animals were dogs - shouldn't be a problem.

They got chatting and time passed. It got to late afternoon and it was time for Ester's friend to return home. Unfortunately Dino was nowhere to be seen. They searched everywhere for Dino, looked high and low but he was gone. It appeared that he couldn't get out anywhere; the house site was fenced in brick. The gates were closed. So small maybe he had got stuck somewhere - the place was ransacked as they all looked for this little dog - but to no avail.

Up shot - Dino's mother went home minus her dog and most distraught.

Esther continued to fret about the missing dog until she spied Cesar sitting quietly by the fire licking his chops.

Obviously he was a well fed dog that day.

Oops.

copyright a.a.gallagher 1982