LOVEY LONGEARS AND THE STRIP OF BACON

By
Liz Kollar

Lovey Longears was being a perfect lady. She sat demurely beside her best friend, Laura, her dark expressive eyes watching every move.

Laura was eating her breakfast of eggs and bacon, and Lovey loved bacon. If she added a pleading look to her soulful eyes, maybe Laura would see how irresistible she was. Normally, Lovey would be chasing bees and butterflies in the backyard and the little frog that lived in the pond. But, this morning, Laura was home from college and that bacon on her plate looked so delicious that Lovey’s usual calm demeanor was rapidly disappearing.

Lovey wanted that bacon. Her mouth began to drool and her tongue began to drip. Her tail thumped on the floor. Thump! Thump! Thump! It wagged wildly back and forth. "Please, please, Laura, remember me? I’m your own wonderful, beautiful, hungry puppy. See how much I love you? Please, please give me some of your bacon."

Lovey Longears was a Basset Hound, a georgous, black, and brown, and white, lady Basset with ears so long that she often stepped on them and tripped herself when she bounded happily around the yard. Lovey was an amazing dog and she knew it. She was intelligent even if she hadn’t gone to school like Laura and she was smart enough to know that the delicious smelling bacon on Laura’s plate belonged to her. She’d earned it. She’d waggled her tail and made goo-goo eyes at Laura; she’d licked her face and even whimpered a bit to let Laura know she was there, waiting, starving to death, wasting away.

Laura sighed. It was great to be home from school and she’d missed her Lovey Longears. She heard her eager cries, saw her sad face, and couldn’t stand it another moment. "Okay, Lovey girl. Here, you can have my bacon."

Lovey sighed in relief. She sniffed the delicious tidbit in Laura’s hand and took a tiny bite. Then, grabbing it with her teeth, she gobbled the whole strip of bacon down. Her tail thumped triumphantly. Ummm! She thought. That bacon was good. But more than that, she knew Laura loved her even more than she loved her crisp, crunchy, delicious bacon.

Laura smiled and scratched Lovey behind her long ears. Lovey was happy now and went out in the yard to play with the butterflies and the little frog that lived in the pond. She was so glad Laura was home from school. Maybe she would help her chase the frog later and, just maybe, there would be another strip of bacon for breakfast tomorrow.

©2003 Liz Kollar