Hi all! (if any of you are left.)
Sorry, I have been super busy finishing a novel I have spent 12-14 years writing (Sci-Fi noir), and another YA novel (about a boy who’s only super power is he loves to read). Both are insanely relevant to today’s climate (if anybody knows any publishers!?). Now, it is time to lock back into kids stories. These things have a flow, one leading to another. Hopefully, that, in turn, will lead to a story good enough for MacMillan to take up as the second of our two book deal.
I hope all is well for you in this crazy ol’ world!
Now, Bark, Bark, Bark!
Matt x
Bark, Bark, Bark!
Rose was a poodle cross of some sort, though that didn’t matter much. She was small and fluffy and her family loved her very, very much.
The little girl also called her Darkstar, because Rose had black hair, with a white, spot on her chest, like a star. Rosie Darkstar.
Rose was funny and cute and cheeky and extremely loyal. If anyone went to the toilet fore even a minute, when they got out, Rose would jump around, super excited, as if she hadn’t seen them for days!
Rose only had one problem, a very big one; she loved to bark.
Rose wanted to bark at passing cars, and birds, but most of all, at people!
She would bark at tall people most. Tall and skinny, tall and round, any nationality, super tall, medium tall… Anyone bigger that the little girl, really.
Yap, yap, yap! Woof! Bark, Bark!
Dad and Mum would tell her to relax, that the people visiting were friends. Rose never took chances.
Grrr… Bark! Yap! Bark!
“Don’t you try and hurt Mum or Dad of the little girl!” she would shout, in dog talk.
Even if people were far away, minding their own business, Rose was going to be sure.
Yap! Yapyapyap!
“Who are you!? Don’t you come near my family!”
It drove everybody nuts.
Dad believed dogs should be a part of the family. He took Rose with them everywhere. To the footy, to the beach, even to work in the forest.
Rose was a great bush dog! So loyal, never straying, never chasing the native animals!
Usually, it was just Dad and her, but as soon as other forest workers appeared.
Yap, bark, bark!
“This is MY forest!”
Later, Rose would always want a pat.
“Did you see that!? I scared them off for you, Dad!”
“That was my boss, he doesn’t want me to take you to work now,” Dad would fret.
Dad had to sneak her into work after that. He would hide her under the blanket, and whisper; “Just be quiet, please, for one minute…”
But as they passed the boss….
Woof, woof, woof! Yap, yap!
Rose also loved barking when playing with the little girl, of course!
Any running game, any fun with the sprinklers, or on the trampoline. If the little girl could laugh and squeal and shout and have fun making noise, why couldn’t Rose!
Ruff! Ruff! Ruff! Ruff, ruff, ruff!
“This is so fun! Come on! Yeah!”
At night, she’d bark at the kangaroos, which made it hard for the family to sleep.
“Think of the neighbours, up all night,” Dad would say.
Nup.
Grrruf! Grrruf! Grrruf!
“You’d better stay away, Mr Kangaroo! I’m guarding this house!”
Having her in the car was just nuts!
BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK…!
Rose refused to see the problem. It wasn’t fair. Keeping them safe Was! Her! Job!
The last straw happened, no surprise, down at the beach, when Rose barked at a big lady who tried to pat her because she was so cute!
“Look at you, you gorgeous little-“
Bark, bark, bark, yap, yap, yap, bark! Rose went off!
“Don’t you try and sneak up on me!”
But Rose didn’t realise the lady was holding a TWO WEEK OLD child!
The mother panicked. It was an awful mess.
After that, Dad invented… The Quiet Corner!
Every time Rose barked at home, she would have to sit and be still, and have no fun.
Poor Rose.
The vet said; “Dogs are pack animals. They are born with seven brothers and sisters, and live their lives in large groups. It sees itself as one of your pack.”
That made the family feel super guilty every time Rose was chained to the Quiet Corner.
“What else can we do?” Dad stressed.
Treats never worked.
Training never worked.
Compliments never w-
Bark, bark, bark!
“That man might have been a killer! I scared him for you! Let’s have fun!”
They couldn’t take Rose anywhere, even though they LOVED taking her places.
Eventually, Rose was taken to less and less places. Sitting alone in the back yard, she got the message. It broke her little dog heart when she realised she wasn’t allowed to bark.
It wasn’t fair!
When Rose finally stopped barking at everything, the family started taking her to the beach again, and down to town. They loved her very much.
And she loved them.
But Rose was sad inside, and frustrated beyond belief.
As the little girl grew, Rose became less scared of tall people. The little girl became a tall teenager herself. There weren’t many people bigger than her for Rose to bark at.
Their friendship was lovely. But Rose still, and always, wanted to bark.
The years passed, and Rose got old, and eventually died.
It was an extremely sad day for the family.
The girl cried and cried as Rosie let out one more, small, soft little “Ruff”… and passed.
Rosie’s eyes closed, and then she felt herself rising through a tunnel, towards a bright white light!
“Ohh…” she thought. “What’s this?”
Then, she was in front of some Pearly Gates, where there was a big man, with a flowing grey beard, and a name-tag that said Peter. He looked at Rose… He checked his list…
He opened his mouth, and said…
“Bark, bark, bark!!”
“Hu?” thought Rose.
“Bark, bark, bark, bark, woof, woof, bark, woof!” said the man, with a smile, as the gates opened, and Rose went in.
Rose was so incredibly happy! She jumped and bounced around the clouds;
BARK, BARK, BARK, WOOF, GROOF, GROOF!
And people would stop and see her and smile and wave, and call; “Bark, bark, woof, woof, woof!” back! And the angles would play their harps, and smile as Rose passed… and howl barking songs!
A-woooo! A-hoooo…! Bark, bark…! A-woooo!
And Rose would bark with them and run around and jump about and howl and bark more, happily waiting for her family to make their way there, in their own good time, after leading full lives, so they might hug each other, and give her belly rubs, and the grown up little girl might shout “Rosie!” with joy, and Dad open his mouth to speak and go;
“Bark, bark, bark! Woof, woof!”
And gladly let Rosie Darkstart bark to defend them from all the other people and angels in the place.
The End.
365 kids books in 365 days 