This is a short story based on stories my father told me when I was a little girl about a dachshund named George that we once had. The baby girl was me. My father loved telling the story of George because very few people understand how such a little girl could remember a dog she had for a short time. And because I was a baby, people thought the teddy bear should have comforted me, but it did not. Somehow, I know the dog was gone forever.
This story has a sad ending.
The Baby and Her Best Friend
The baby loved her dog. He was soft and black, just like a teddy bear. She kissed him and he kissed her back. The dog guarded his baby with great care. Sleeping with the baby every night. They were the best of friends.
During the day, he never went far from his baby human. If she napped, he slept under her crib. He would protect his baby until the bitter end. The dog guarded her crib with care. Making sure only those who loved her dared to come near. He chased everyone else away. No one was allowed near the crib as the bay slept. Only when she woke up would he let someone come close enough to check on his friend. Making sure he was the first one to kiss her as she woke. The baby and the dog were the best of friends.
The only thing the little black dog loved more than his baby human was going hunting wither her dad, his first best friend. One day, the dog went hunting and did not return. A wild animal had killed the little dog. There was nothing his human could do to protect him. He took the body home and burred him in the backyard.
But what about the baby? She would know her doggie buddy was gone. There would be no way to explain to her what had happened. She just would not understand. He bought her a teddy bear with the same fur. But the little girl knew it wasn’t her friend. She cried all night and all day for weeks on end. She was lost without her little doggie friend.
Writing Through the Soul 