Julou Dogs' Merry Christmas

Three weeks before Christmas, Mama Judy put up the Christmas tree in a corner of the living room. This was not a new tradition and Ginger, Chip, Caesar and Tsin'tia had all seen the Christmas tree in its corner in years before. Even the cat, Jethro, was used to seeing the tree in that corner for three weeks (or sometimes more if Mama Judy wasn't in the mood to take it down.)

This year almost everything was the same as the years before, but now there was a new ornament on the tree that blinked lights and played music. Ginger was very fascinated with this ornament. She would stand by the tree and look at it and wait for it to play music but it never would until Mama Judy or Daddy Lou came over and touched it. Then it would play for a little while and blink its lights.

One day after the tree had been up about a week, Mom & Dad went out and were gone for what seemed like hours and hours. Ginger was very good for a long time, Chip was sleeping and Caesar and Tsin'tia were waiting in their crates for their people to return.

Ginger stood up to stretch, pushing her front legs out low to the floor and putting her tail way up in the air. Just as she was about to circle and lie down again, her eye caught the new ornament hanging silently on the tree. Ginger suddenly wanted it to play music and flash lights. But Mama Judy was not there to touch it and make it play. Ginger really, really wanted to watch it and hear the tune.

Ginger looked at the ornament and reached out with her nose to gently nudge it. Nothing happened. She pushed it a little harder with her nose, but it still wouldn't play music or light up.

Ginger could not understand why the ornament would not play for her. She bonked the ornament from the bottom with her nose, and pretty hard, too, but it would not blink for her or play the music. She was starting to get annoyed with the stubborn thing.

Ginger tried to bonk the ornament again, but this time her nose got caught under a small string of lights. Ginger stood still for a minute, then moved her head up & down. She shook her head slowly at first and then when she didn't get free from the lights, faster and more frantically.

Moving her head up and down and then shaking it and backing up, Ginger attempted to back away from the tree. She was horrified when the whole tree followed her as she moved backwards. Ginger was very frightened! "YIPE!" she screamed.

Just as the whole tree came crashing down on her and ornaments flew everywhere, Mama Judy stepped into the living room and saw Ginger lying under the tree looking very scared! Daddy Lou came in and looked at the mess and frowned. He started to look very unhappy.

Ginger knew she was in trouble because the tree was a big mess and she was somewhere she should not be instead of lying on her bed on the floor or on the couch or in the chair. She crouched down and tried to be VERY still. She blinked her large, dark brown eyes as innocently as she could manage.

Suddenly Mama Judy began to laugh and said, "I bet she wanted that new ornament to play music! She always watches it while it is playing."

Daddy Lou looked at Ginger and started to laugh, too. "Poor Ginger," he said, "Did you get yourself in trouble?"

Mama Judy & Daddy Lou lifted the tree off of Ginger and gently untangled her from the light strand. In just a little while the tree was back up with the lights and ornaments back on it, even the musical one that Ginger liked so much.

Mama Judy said, "I'm putting this one up higher on the tree, Ginger, so you won't get in trouble with it again."

Ginger looked way up to where her favorite ornament was hanging high up on the tree. Mama Judy turned the ornament on and it began to play a Christmas tune and the lights flashed just like before. Ginger laid down again, but not too close to the tree. She looked at Mama Judy as if to say, "Don't worry, Mom, I will not ever touch the tree again!"

The End

(c) Judy Ward, revised Nov 2016