Day 176: The Missing Cake

The Missing Cake
by
Matt Zurbo

 

Roscoe was a dog detective.
(Dog with BIG nose, detective moustache.)

When somebody  (or thing) did a poo on his lawn, he hopped right on the case!
(Dog sniffing poo in back yard, think balloon has an image of a potato stew in a pot.)

Rich dog,
(Dog sniffing unamused poodle’s bum. Nose right up to it. Think balloon is of box of chocolates.)

poor dog…
(Dog sniffing scruffy dog’s bum. Think balloon is of rotting fish bones.)

baby…
(Dog sniffing baby’s bum. Baby shocked. Think balloon is of bugs.)

nobody was safe!
(Dog pointing as Scottish terrier being carried off by scruff of neck. Tartan vest on.)

Then, one day, a real tough case came Roscoe’s way.
(Mum putting fresh baked cake on outdoor table. Dog sitting under it. Tree beside and above, with very small bird in it.)

(Dog sleeping, cake gone.)

Detective Dog was set up!
(Dog protesting innocence, being dragged to caged kennel. Tree branches above it with small bird.)

Time to prove Roscoe’s innocence!
(Dog, coal miner’s gear, shovelling out from cage.)

Hmmm… Now that’s a strange clue!
(Dog sniffing ground under table/empty plate. Image of a big, fat, hairy monster with kid’s arms and legs, Dad’s head, monster horns and tail, Mum’s hairdo, cat’s ears, dog snout.)

Okay, it wasn’t any of the monsters under the bed.
(Dog sniffing/walking line-up of monsters, half awake, in pjs, one with teddy bear. Dog’s thought balloon for each one. Small kids, box of kittens, a possum…)
Besides, they hate daylight!

Sniff, sniff, sniff…
(Dog sniffing spot more. Now image he is imagining no-longer has monster hair or horns.)

It wasn’t Dad. He was working.
(Dog lifting startled Dad’s arm, sniffing Dad’s armpit. Dog thought balloon of Dad being a stinking garbo.)

Sniff, snort, sniff…
(Dog sniffing spot. Thought balloon no longer has any of Dad in image.)

It wasn’t Freddy or Loopi-Lily. The cake was for them, why would they eat it?
(Dog tilting sympathetic head into kids, sitting on ground having a huge cry!)

Cat thinks it’s funny!
(Dog leaping and barking at cat with wry grin on fence.)
Stupid Cat!

But all the other cats insist it was out playing pool.
(Dog and other cats in a circular cloud of fighting.)

Ha! Typical cat!
(Dog, scruffed, band-aides on, holding up cat by the tail, sniffing bum. Dog thought balloon of cat in long grass at night, with lots of dead little bush animals around it.)
But no cake!

Hmm…
(Dog sniffing spot again. Image now has no monsters, Dad, kids, or cat pieces in it. Just Mum and dog bits.)

Roscoe doesn’t THINK it was him. Maybe he ate it in his sleep?
(Dog, paw on chin, pondering itself as a cake-eating zombie.)

Nope.
(Dog sniffing own bum.)

That only left Mum! Woof, woof, wo-
(Dog, thought balloon image of Mum, is barking at Mum, who is bending over, bum out, hands inside oven.)

OH BOY! ANOTHER CAKE!
(Dog going crazy around Mum, while she holds still hot cake over head.)

(Dog under/in front of table, guarding cake. Small bird in tree.)

(Dog sleeping.)

(Dog startled awake. Cake eaten. Mum and Dad furious. Bird in tree, fat.)

Pfft! Some detective!
(Dog locked up again. Small bird in tree, fat, burping crumbs.)

Wait! What’s that!?
(Circle with dog’s nose in it. ‘Sniff, sniff.’ Circle with bird’s rear end. Small fart coming out. ‘Pfft…’)

THE NEXT MORNING…
(Page with just text.)

Another mystery… The missing bird!
(Same view of dog kennel/cage. Empty, with hole in wire. Dog sitting on branch where bird was, feather or two coming from mouth.)

 

 

The End