For the Friday Fictioneers. Join in! It’s fun.
PHOTO PROMPT © J Hardy Carroll
I always wanted to play on the grass beyond the railings. But they never let. I remember when legs were short and I looked through. Asked, “Please?” They said, “No!”
I watch from outside, kids running and playing ball. I want to join, run, play, but if I call out they shout, “Be quiet!”
Muscles in legs twitch with wanting to run. Now I’s big, I can look over the top. Wonder if I could scramble over without hurting. But I tied up too tight. Collar tugs hard. They play. I watch. Wait. Legs twitch.
Jane Dougherty Writes 
I loved the childlike voice. Thou packed a lot in a small space. 👏👏👏
Ta 🙂
It’s a dog’s life
Poor sods.
Oh I can just feel him straining at his leash and dying to join the fun ….
There are always dogs tied up around the children’s playground down on the quai. Some outing.
Poor pups …. I don’t honestly know why people have them if they can’t be bothered to take them where they can run and play ….
Most parks don’t tolerate dogs. I don’t tolerate cyclists but nobody listens to me.
The issue is that most people don’t want to pick up after their dogs and so the dogs are branded as dirty. My solution to this is very simple. Provide the bags and bins so there is no excuse and then if you are caught you get punished. Not fined but asked to pick up poo for a weekend (not of your choosing). If you repeat the offense you get to do two weekends etc etc. I think that would do the trick. As for cyclists – don’t get me started. Just don’t 😤
Picking up other people’s dog’s poo! I don’t know what it is about the idea, but it is revolting. There are crotty bags almost everywhere and dog owners (in general) make use of the service. The shit you see with a handful of tissue stuck in it is not dog poo and its previous owner did not think it necessary to dispose of it. THAT makes me cross. And cyclists should have their spokes sawn off.
Here they do not make use of the bags and it is a horrible hazard. Hence my revolting idea. The fact that it revolts would surely position it as a deterrent? Incidentally, the problem is even greater out in the sticks – I’ll be interested to see how you fair when you are installed in the country. As for bikes …. just shoot the coves.
By ‘here’ which do you mean? You have so many! I’d love to see the Police Municipale being forced to seek out and destroy dog shit offenders. I take a supply of crotty bags with me and dutifully scour the field and the tiny road for offending morsels. Which is a bit daft given the number of half-eaten animal corpses we keep finding lying around.
In Britain they did start to enforce it some years ago and it worked to a great extent. IN this instance ‘here’ is Grenoble where the streets are strewn with the stuff despite there being nice areas for dogs to go in, bags and bins provided. I carry my own bags and pick up in town and country much to the bewilderment of many of the locals. I know the problem is replicated across France and I do believe that if there was an effective deterrent it would cease. I have scraped too much caca off too many shoes both mine and those of children to have any tolerance with dog owners who leave it lie. As an aside to your quip about me having so many here’s … a little over sensitive I may be but I assure you my greatest wish is to be settled in a home any bluddy where instead of starting to root and being torn up over and over again. Everyone wants a gnome of their own they say well I would love one.
The French have a problem with toilet training. They’re very hit or miss about it, their own of their four-legged friends’. I find it extremely irritating when people refuse to pick up their dog’s dirt because 1) there are no sacs left in the distributor 2) it’s on the grass so it’s ecological 3) it’s on the road not the pavement. Lazy, flawed logic and dirty. I know you’d love a gnome of your own and I hope you’ll get it very soon 🙂
Agree on every point … I remember viewing a house (we almost bought it and then discovered it had a category A gas problem which translated to risk of explosion!) and The Bean who is half the size of a wild rabbit banged one out on the lawn. I nipped to the car for a bag and picked it up … the owner was bewildered and assured me it is just nature to which I replied, indeed it is but not nature that I would wish on the bottom of my shoe or on his for that matter. Their logic is entirely flawed and frankly disgusting. Apart from that I am very happy in France. Apart from that and cyclists, that is wink 😉 Thank you for the fortifying words about finding a place. I just need my husband to settle down and stop spinning round the planet …. he assures me it is on the horizon.
Maybe if you settle, he’s find that spinning round the planet loses its charm and he’ll come back to roost. We’ve never done any spinning so this is a purely theoretical suggestion.
I have to return to the US later in the year to finish refurbishing the house there and get it sold, then the hunt will really be on. I’m just very impatient. He will retire Christmas 2018 and whether I am roasted before that or not will depend on what we find once we have the cash to buy (previously we would have mortgaged but I am very glad we didn’t with hindsight). I had a gorgeous place through in the Tarn et Garonne today though and it set me to dreaming. I need to press reset and remind myself that I am very fortunate to have what I do have. Just off to don my hair shirt and eat gruel … that usually does the trick 😂
Given the way French house sales grind along you could always start looking now 🙂 Tarn et Garonne, that’s a spit away from us. Cheap too. Would suit the hair shirt 🙂
We were always wed to Cantal or at a push the wider Auvergne but prices are silly and often nice old houses have no land at all. We want to do foolish things like grow some vines and keep a couple of sheep so I can make horrible sweaters and woolly hats which I will give smilingly to my grandchildren (so far not even planned) who will love me because I am odd and make unsuitable food for them and let them swear. They will want to wear these ghastly creations because children always want to wear what their parents hate. This will be a sweet revenge on my ungrateful daughters and I will laugh heartily to myself and come and share stories with you a spit away!
You know why the lovely old houses have no land? Because the owner has kept the land to build a bungalow on, selling off the draughty old unwanted place to idiotic foreigners. So you end up with no land of your own and a godawful garden full of leylandias and ugly exotic shrubs. And a barbeque, a swimming pool, a quad bike track and noisy pool parties. Get a place near us and we’ll share our acreage with you 🙂
Oh don’t get me started on the ghastly party foreigners! In Cantal they actually have a law that says the neighbouring farmer can snaffle the land and get Departmental help to do so – clearly they would be mad not to, so they all have even more land than they had before but the same amount of cattle and a huge problem with rat-taupiers digging the buggery out of the idle land. The place we have just been sent has 14 hectares and is near Caylus – I rather like it but I’m very happy to share yours too (and I don’t do pool parties)
They offer all agricultural land to the farmer’s syndicat first and they have first refusal. We didn’t have enough for anyone to be interested in (2 hectares) and some of it is wetland. 14 hectares is massive! We’re already getting ansty about the maintenance of our bit without livestock to keep it under control. But you obviously have affinities with sheep.
It’s that little dollop of welshness and the fact that they don’t answer back 😉
They’re nice enough critters, but you have to deal with all that wool!
My cousin was a Jillaroo in Oz …. She can give me tips on shaving them and I rather fancy being s latterday wool merchant with a string of donkeys loaded with paniers of wool ….
Rather you than me. Sounds like bloody hard work! And sheep’s wool is filthy stuff. I visited a woollen mill when I was a kid and the shoddy was disgusting.
Oh I have all sorts of flights of fancy …. I’d go mad without them. Or maybe they are the madness. Flip sides of the same coin, I imagine.
Sane is boring 🙂
Dull and as it turned out impossible for me to sustain
Pleased to hear it.
Reblogged this on O LADO ESCURO DA LUA.
Thank you!
Paw guy, that’s some ruff treatment.
Ouch! Why do shaggy dog stories inspire puns?
Sorry, Jane. Couldn’t help the terrier-able pun. Great storytelling as always though.
Dear Jane,
I hope this is from a dog’s point of view. I’d hate to think this is a child tied up. Well done. Five paws up as my cousin would say.
Shalom,
Rochelle
I think the social services would have something to say about a child being tied to park railings! Thank you 🙂
A dog’s view? Or an unfortunate child? Great voice here.
Thanks J. Round here we don’t put collars on kids, not yet anyway. No doubt some politician will see it as a panacea for juvenile delinquency one day 🙂
Poor puppy! Well told, Jane!
xx Rowena
Thanks Rowena 🙂
Wuff wuff. Wuff wuff, an advocate at last. Thank heavens for Jane
Some wuffs have a ruff time 🙂
Great dog’s eye perspective! I like how you used the language. I can see the dog straining just as far as possible to the end of the leash, front paws up on the fence, wanting to join in the fun. Of course, a dog wouldn’t understand that not all parks are leash-free zones. I hope the dog’s humans take him or her home to a nice big yard where they can take the leash off.
Thanks Joy. I’ll try to imagine it that way. I was thinking of the city parks where the kids from apartment blocks play. The dog has ‘a walk’ on a lead but nowhere to run and no garden to play in. Some city dogs don’t have much of a life.
I always feel sad for those dogs stuck in a city like that. Dogs need space to run and play. 😦
We’ve created a lot of unnatural situations, haven’t we?
Indeed. If there’s no place for the dogs to run around, it’s probably not a great situation for the people, either!
Nope. All cooped up together with no let up. Enough to drive anyone crazy.
Poor pup and he could add so much to their games!
You’d think so, wouldn’t you?
Clever piece, nicely done.
Thank you 🙂
i’m feeling memories of pain!
It’s not the vehicle, we reside in
it’s the lov
within the centering soul!
lov chris
Life is full of hardship. Hang onto the love in the centre 🙂
Nasty, sadistic parents. Poor kid.
Oh dear. I didn’t want to upset anyone, James. It’s a dog not a child! I thought the mention of a collar would give it away.
I was thinking shirt collar and that they had a rope around his neck. Pretty naughty not to let the dog run around, but at least it’s not a felony.
That’s because you were expecting the worst, and because I left it ambiguous. I’m not sure how long you could leave a kid strapped to park railings without the police intervening. I’d like to think not long.
Your tale brought to mind one of my favorite stories ever, “The Decapitated Chicken”. The terrible image, the broken language, the soul-tearing end. We can’t help but twitch with the narrator.
That is a story I don’t know. But what a title! I wouldn’t want my poor hound to get decapitated, bored out of his brain maybe…
The story can be found online, it’s by Horacio Quiroga. It’s not pretty. In fact, it’s terrifying–what reminded me of the tale is the innocence of the narrator. If you ever get a chance to read it, you’ll see why. Again, it’s not pretty… at all.
I’ll see if I can find it 🙂
Got it. I’ll read it after supper. Need a strong stomach…
You can see them sometimes at our local park, straining on the leash, dying to join in playing with the kids. Nicely told Jane
Thanks Lynn. Some never get to run about. Not surprising they end up aggressive.
The poor things just aren’t designed for city living, are they? Mind you, neither are we really! 🙂
Nothing is. Except cars.
Very, very true
Poor sad dog. That leg twitching really jolted my memory – they do that, don’t they? Well done!
They’re full of nerves. Thanks Sandra 🙂
Poor pooch. But your post certainly raised a storm about disposal measures or lack thereof. 🙂
It’s a very important question. If even human beings can’t be persuaded to use modern plumbing, it’s not surprising that they don’t give two hoots where their dog does it 🙂
The ole switcheroo! You got me…
Dogs is people too. Nicer usually.
The language really captures the dog’s perspective. Great story!
Thank you!
What a sad little doggy tale.
Often dogs don’t have very fun lives.
Reminds me of my first dog. You had to be careful to whisper the word walk if she heard it, because then she’d want to go, right now. And walk often equaled run to her. I hope this pupper gets a chance to run all he wants in a big wide field. That was one of Faye’s greatest joys.
If I say ‘walk’ to Finbar he curls up in a ball and makes himself weigh several tons. On the other hand, if I whisper ‘Dentastik’ he licks his lips, grabs my arm in his jaws and drags me to the pantry door. Most dogs, I agree, love to be able to run about 🙂
Sweet little puppy. He wants what he wants. 🙂
Maybe only dogs should be put in charge of other dogs.
That’s an interesting thought. 😉
They’d make a better job of being in charge of people too IMHO.
Here in the US it is National Puppy Day today. We have a holiday for everything here. As for me I am looking forward to April 30th, which is ‘National Honesty Day’. 😉 not many folks celebrate this one these days 😜
They’ll maybe cancel it this year. Or change it to Alternative Truth Day.
I would not be surprised if they did! 🙁
Poor puppy.
People can be senseless sometimes, even children.
My heart was breaking when I thought it was a child denied the ability to play for some unknown reason. It shattered when I learned it was a poor dog, who would never get to play with the kids. Nicely done.
Thank you! I left it purposely ambiguous. All things need respect and freedom.
Poor pup. I’m not a fan of tied up dogs. I like the choice of pov and the diction. 🙂
Thank you Sascha 🙂 There are times when dogs ought to be on leads, but when they are never allowed their freedom it’s tantamount to slavery;
I agree. Unfortunately here we have a lot of people who think chaining a dog to a tree or clothesline for hours on end is a good thing. 😦
It used to be normal in the countryside for dogs to be permanently chained up. It’s rare to see that now, but too many people in town give their kids a puppy and treat it like a soft toy, to be dragged around and kept somewhere safe while they play, until they’re ready to drag it home again.
I love the POV.. and as a matter of fact I have tried it myself in a short story that will be part of a collection we are going to publish.
Putting yourself in the head of another person is difficult. A dog is a step beyond 🙂
Now I’s big,–can’t get this…what do you want to say…
I was trying to simplify the grammar since if a dog was able to express itself, the language would be pretty rudimentary.
okay…I got it…
By the way I had also posted one this morn…have a look…
Will do.
Wonderful translation in point of view Jane.
Thank you! It’s a salutary experience to try and see things from someone else’s point of view, even when the someone else is a dog 🙂
Woof! Brilliantly written. After all, dogs don’t get lessons in spoken English!
Click to read my story
Thanks Keith 🙂 They’d probably speak it as well as many of us.
Well done, Jane. You led us down one road to an unexpected conclusion. Great read.
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
You put together such a vivid character in a short space. I had to read it twice – once with the surprise of the developing pup and once knowing where you were going. Loved it!
Thank you, Stephanie! That’s the beauty of these micro prompts. They pare the story down to the bare bones.
may be he will have his day, someday
http://obliqview.blogspot.in/2017/03/the-inheritance-thats-house-where-your.html
I’d like to think so.
Nice take. Poor little guy.
Thank you!
I loved this. At first I thought it was people being cruel to another and really enjoyed the sudden reveal it was a dog talking
It was purposely ambiguous. I’m pleased it worked!