Furwaggle Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Watch your step.

It’s the start of something new in this wonderful fictitious dreamland called Furwaggle. For the first time there is unhappiness in the air by the general population. A posting on the barn door that said a new program would start at once got everyone grumbling. From now on one and all will be put on a diet and the imperial grand wizard of the beautification counsel of Furwaggle had signed it. There will be only two helpings a meal and just one dessert. There also would be only three meals a day. The imperial order also suggested mild exercise if there was time available. There was much vocal complaining by all, but the loudest was Fluffy. His howling could be heard echoing off of the mountains and his tears could have watered all the fields of Furwaggle. Even Wiggles was irritated by the thought of being deprived of his late night snack of grain. But instead of being grouchy Wiggles decided to take the high road and not display his usual surly manner. Also he thought he would try to cheer up Fluffy, anything to stop that racket and weeping, it hurt his sensitive ears. He walked over and put his wing on Fluffy’s shoulder and said, “Now, now Fluffy, there will still be plenty to eat three times a day and…” But before he could say more Fluffy interrupted with, “yes but what will I do between dinner in the evening and breakfast the next morning. I will starve and waste away. I’ll just be pelt and bones, nothing but a furry shadow of my former self”. Now that’s an idea thought Wiggles But no, Fluffy was his friend and besides who else could he get to guide him on walks around Furwaggle. Then all of a sudden Wiggles got an idea, he would use food to get Fluffy’s mind off of food. On most anyone else this would not apply but on Fluffy this was just the kind of logic that was sure to work. “Fluffy old buddy”, started in Wiggles, “how about us going over to the potato patch and see if there are any ripe ones.” And just as Wiggles had hoped Fluffy perked up and with a sniff said, “Do you think there could even be some that are cooked?” “That boy sure thinks ahead, muddled but still on the same track”, thought Wiggles. The two started off in the general direction of the Furwaggle’s potato patch, with Fluffy running ahead a few yards then turning and running back to Wiggles. He would do this over and over as they made their way along the path thru the fields and orchards. They came to a place where the path descended down a gentle slope and stopped at the edge of a small stream, posing a problem for both Fluffy and Wiggles. Wiggles didn’t care much for water, except to drink and the occasional bath, and today not being Saturday he wasn’t going near the flowing water. Now, Fluffy on the other hand loved water. Like Wiggles he would drink it and look at it but no way was he going into it. Unlike Wiggles he couldn’t swim plus he didn’t like getting any water on him, bath, rain, or other wise. Today he was having a ball, he would run up to the edge of the stream, bark a few times and then back away, all the time waggling his tail and wiggling all over. After the third such tour Wiggles nervously asked, “What is going on Fluffy? Is there another one eared green widget? I tell you right now that I’m not going to rub noses with it if there is.” Between barks Fluffy answered back, “No there isn’t any green things, I’m a looking for swimmers.” Fluffy thought that swimmers were the most graceful things in the world. So elegant, so smooth in their movements, he always thought that if he could only hold his breath long enough he could be just as pleasing to the eye as those swimmers. Fluffy then begin running up and down the stream bank, and Wiggles just sat down to rest. He had enough of that mild exercise for a while, besides that his feet hurt. Abruptly Fluffy came to a halt; there in the distant he had spotted something. With a little whimper he started off to check out what it was. After a few minutes he again came to a halt. Yep, there was a row of rocks going all the way across the stream. “I can get across this water hazard by leaping from rock to rock and never even risk getting a hair wet”, thought Fluffy. With a wag of his tail he took a leap of faith and landed on the first rock. It was a little slippery but all is well that lands well and Fluffy then took his second jump. “This is a piece of cake”, thought Fluffy, and he continued on across the stream. Then as he safely landed on the last rock there came a booming voice, “Hey watch where you’re stepping”. With a yelp, a shocked Fluffy made an unscheduled flight and landed splat on the mudded bank of the stream. After pulling his head out of the mud and spitting out more of the same, he cried out, “Who was that”? “I am Sylvester Snapper, and you just stepped on me”, came the reply. With a shake of his head to get some mud out of his ear, Fluffy said with a shakily voice, “Ok Sylvester, where are you?” “If you would look where you’re going you would see that I’m down here big foot”, boomed back Sylvester. Fluffy now realized that it wasn’t a rock talking to him and with a shake to remove some more mud he said in an apologetic voice. “I’m sorry, I thought you were a rock”. With a snap Sylvester shot back, “Well I’m not a rock, and its no wonder you didn’t see me with all that mud in you’re eyes, you could have squashed me”. Fluffy climbed up the bank a little to get out of the sticky goop he had landed in and said, “I said that I’m sorry, and by the way just what are you doing down there?” Sylvester was getting tired of all this jabber and wanted to get back to his bottom fishing, so he snapped an abrupt reply to Fluffy,” With this new diet program I’m hungry and I’m trying to get me a snack. Now go away you’re scaring all the goodies away”. With that Sylvester took a deep breath and stuck his head under the water. Fluffy could tell when he wasn’t wanted, he had a second sense in this matters, and so he climbed on up the top of the bank. Suddenly, Sylvester’s head popped up and yelled to Fluffy, “You know that you got mud behind your ear”. And with that he slipped back under the water. “Humph”, thought Fluffy as he went back along the bank looking for Wiggles. After a few minutes Fluffy spotted Wiggles sitting on the other bank and called out to him, “Wiggles, oh Wiggles, its me Fluffy”. Wiggles looked around and even with his glasses he could only make out a faint shadowy outline of Fluffy on the other bank. He called back, “Fluffy is that you? How do I get on the other side?” With a smart-alecky replay Fluffy yelled back, “You are on the other side”. Wiggles tried to ignore Fluffy’s sassy remark and said, “Fluffy quit fooling around, what have you been up to”. Fluffy took a deep breath and rattled off, “I jumped on some rocks, stepped on Sylvester’s back, got mud in my eye and found you”. This worried Wiggles, what really concerned him was that he understood all of Fluffy long-winded rambling. Just then, off in the distance came the ringing of the supper bell. This set Fluffy off and he began to shout, “It’s dinner time, it’s dinner time, and I’m stuck on this side of the water. Oh what to do, what to do.” Even at this distance Fluffy’s howling made Wiggles ears ring. To be sure and get Fluffy’s attention Wiggles yelled, “Why don’t you just cross the bridge and we can go eat?” “Bridge, bridge” whimpered Fluffy as he spun around looking all over. And sure enough just a few feet away was a bridge across the stream. With a yelp Fluffy took off on a dead run over the bridge and was at Wiggles side in a flash. “Ok can we go eat now?”, asked Fluffy. With that the two friends started back to the barnyard for their dinner.
My tiny mind likes the motto, “Don’t tread on me”. Continued… (maybe) ----------------------------------------------------------

Here is a simple little teaser for you:
Maze

Furwaggle Chapter 4

Chapter 4
From the mouth of babes.

There are many places to live that are peaceful and pleasant, with few worries and conflicts. Among them is the beautiful fictitious land called Furwaggle. But even in this loveable land from time to time not everything is peaches and cream. There was the time when Sam Smell didn’t have very many close friends. It could have been due to his black and white paint job but mostly it was due to his strong odor. Also there were problems with Goldie Swimmer. He had a very poor memory and could not remember if he was to be in the water or above it. Maybe this is how flying fish got started?
But now all is well in dreamland and we find our two long time friends Fluffy and Wiggles out by the split rail fence. This fence wasn’t there to keep anything in or to keep anything out, it was just there. Wiggles was majestically perched on a top rail soaking in the evening sun and Fluffy was busily digging in the ground below. Wiggles asked Fluffy “what are you doing down there?”. Fluffy stopped his digging, cocked his head to one side to get some dirt out of his ear and replied, “I’m digging me a hole.”. “Yes, I know that”, snapped Wiggles, “but why all this hard-working mess?”. After a sneeze or two to get some more dirt out of his nose Fluffy said, “I trying to find a bone that I buried out here some where last week.”. “Well be sure to fill them in after you’re finished. I don’t want to be falling into any potholes and break something important.”, warned Wiggles. “I can’t fill them in cause then I won’t know where I already dug”, answered back Fluffy.
Wiggles may have very bad eyesight but his hearing was far above average. On the eye scale his hearing was 20, 20 and then some. He could hear the breeze in the trees, the babble in the brook and the marching of little feet. “Is that you Annie and your little family?, asked Wiggles. From far down on the ground came a squeaky little reply, “Sure is”. “and what is you a doing high up that there post?”. Wiggles always liked the way Annie expressed her self and that southern way of saying just what she felt. “Well Annie I’m letting the sun warm up my feathers and getting a tan on my old body. What is it you are up to?” asked Wiggles. “We is a been forging for some goodies out by that there picnic area, and we got ourselves a pretty good load too.” replied Annie. “Are you going to eat all that stuff you’re carrying?” asked Wiggles. Annie’s squeaky little voice dropped to a mere whisper when she said, “no we is a going to store it up for the coming winter”. Wiggles fluffed up his feathers and turned a little to let the sun work on another area, then he whispered back to Annie, “but Annie there is always plenty of food at the chuck house and the winters are the same as spring, summer and fall here in Furwaggle. There is no need to store up food.” Annie shot back, “you can never be sure, with the way taxes are and with global warming we could be in a pickle of a mess and….”. Wiggles couldn’t take it any more, he interrupted with, “Come on Annie, not here in the land of plenty”. With that Annie turned and with her little brood started back on the trail to the hill but as a finial word said, “just remember I told you so.”.
All of a sudden Fluffy let out a bark, “I found it, I found it…. It’s big and round, bright and shinny…. and I found it”. With a chuckle Wiggles said, “sounds like a headlight from a 1948 Buick to me.”. He then jumps down from his perch and called to Fluffy, “come on it’s getting late, lets go home.”. As the sun slowly sinks behind the mountains our two friends began to walk back to the barn. Wiggles with his waddle and Fluffy with a dejected look, but he just has to add, “You know Annie might just be right, you can never have enough food.”.
My tiny mind also thinks that Annie just might be right.
Continued… (maybe)
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Here is a simple little teaser for you:

Maze

Furwaggle Chapter 3

Chapter 3
A ruckus among us.

This morning as always a warm gentle breeze caress the fictitious land called Furwaggle. The sun was sparkling bright but was not so dazzling that our two friends Fluffy and Wiggles needed sunglasses. Both were just about recovered from their previous days unexpected mishaps. Fluffy still would sneeze from time to time and Wiggles tail feathers were marked due to the encounter with something green.
There was something new, Fluffy wasn't complaining about food. By his good fortune he had sat next to Billy at breakfast. Billy’s favorite meal was canned food. He didn't care if it was canned meat, canned fruit, canned what ever. As long as it was in a tin can. Like most from the hill country he didn't care much for what was inside because he only ate the cans. That means that Fluffy got all the leftovers from the inside of the cans, so for once he got his fill for a little while. The bad news was that Billy only came down off of the mountain about once every six months for a coat trim, so it would be awhile before Fluffy could stuff himself again.
So this morning’s after meal walk was a peaceful one, Wiggles was guided by Fluffy’s occasional sneeze and burp while he quietly rubbed his contented bloated belly. Just as they reached the tree line there came a high pitch screech followed by a loud yell. “What in tarnation was that” cracked Wiggles. Fluffy didn't answer; he was too busy covering his ears with his front paws while trying to bury his head into the sand. He did utter a few muffled sounds but they were mostly just whines. Again there was a high pitch screech but this time a yellow ball came rolling right up in front of Wiggles and stopped. Then it let out a loud yell, “The sky is falling, the sky is falling”. Fluffy’s whines got even louder in spite of a mouth full of sand and Wiggles glasses frosted over and his eyes crossed. Then just as the siren like screech was starting up again, Wiggles began to stomp his feet just as fast as his hefty frame would allow. This stopped the screech but the little yellow ball yelled, “Watch it there big fellow, you just about stepped on me.” Wiggles yelled back, “I would if I could see you, just what is the reason for all this racket?”. The yellow ball puffed it self up and answered, “The sky is falling, and I must tell everyone.”. Wiggles hissed back, “and just why do you think that the sky is falling little red hen?”. “I am not a little red hen, my name is C. Chicken, and the sky is falling because a piece of it hit me on the head”, responded the yellow ball. “all right little C. where were you when this so called sky fell on you?” inquired Wiggles. “My name isn't little C., my family calls me Charley and my friends call me Chuck, but you should call me C. Little. And if you must know I was sitting under that big Oak tree when I was struck by a piece of sky.”, cameback C. Little. By this time Fluffy had pulled his head out of the sand and had started to run in a tight little circle chasing his tail, while yapping “don't let the sky fall on me, don't let it get me.”. That was about all Wiggles could take. He bellowed out, “Stop it Fluffy, nothing is going to fall on you, and you C. Little you got a good pair of lungs for someone so small and you've got a tiny brain to go along with it. The sky’s not falling you just got hit in the head with an falling acorn is all, so stop all this commotion and concentrate on growing up.” Fluffy then chimed in with, “and that screeching makes my teeth hurt too”. With that C. Little started to quietly walk away, a little dejected but just as he topped a little hill he shouted back “any one with sensitive teeth, big ears and such big feet as you two shouldn't pick on someone as little as me….”. All Wiggles could do was snigger but Fluffy said, “and they Walk among us.”
“All in all it wasn't such a bad day, I think it’s about time we called a halt to all this fun and games before something weird happens”. Wiggles chuckled. Not to be out done Fluffy added, “but I still have sand in my teeth,”. As the two of them started back toward home, Fluffy, began his complaining again and wondered out loud if just maybe Billy would come back for a second helping.
My tiny mind thinks that if you're going to make a commotion be sure that you know what it is you are shouting about.
Continued… (maybe)
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Here is a simple little teaser for you:
Five Letter Sudoku

Furwaggle Chapter 2

Chapter 2
Impatient Lesson.

In the fictitious land called Furwaggle the sun always comes up shining even when it rains. This morning was no exception.
The sun shone magnificently over the mountains at the east end of the valley. We find our two friends Fluffy and Wiggles greeting a new day.
“I don’t think we should take our morning walk today. My leg is still a little stiff”, said Wiggles to Fluffy. The memory of yesterdays adventure was still fresh in his mind and a kink was still in his leg. “I agree”, replied Fluffy. “I’m not going any where until I finish eating. Haven’t got a good breakfast since the cook started using that new cookbook”, Fluffy complained. “COOKING FOR HIKING, now what kind of a book is that. It just isn’t civilized.” Wiggles just shook his head. He could always count on two things in the morning. A beautiful sunrise and a complaint by Fluffy. “Food, food, is that all you can think about ?” asked Wiggles as he limped over to where his friend was eating. “You could try to make something yourself. Then it would be cooked just the way you like it”. “You know that I am sensitive and singe easy, besides I’m a eater not a cooker”, snorted Fluffy. With that he went back to eating his breakfast. Between mouth fulls he asked, “where you been”, gulp, “aren’t you going to eat ?”, gulp. “I have had my two coffee beans already, and that’s my limit for the morning”, said Wiggles. Then with a smile he added, “You know you're supposed to chew every now and then.” The implication went right over Fluffy’s head. He was insensitive to sarcasm.
Wiggles then said something that got Fluffy’s full attention. “I went over and checked the mail”. Fluffy jerked his head up with a snap and sputtered. “is the mail in, huh, huh ?”. “Yes, fluffy, the mail is here. The mail pigeon made an early run this morning”, replied Wiggles. “The mail’s in, the mail’s in” yelped Fluffy, as he started to run around in a small circle like he was trying to catch his tail. “Did I get any, did I, huh, huh ?”. Wiggles was amused at Fluffy’s excitement and curiosity about if he had received mail. “I got to go see, got to go see.” Yelled Fluffy, as he took off at a full run in the direction of the mailboxes. In all the excitement he had forgotten all about food. Fluffy was rather spoiled, young, and defiantly impatient. He was also Wiggles best friend.
The mailboxes were over a little rise and at the bottom of the hill near the road. Fluffy was at a full gallop as he started down the slope straight for the mailboxes. As he neared his goal he tried to stop. Now, there was still a little dew on the grassy slope and it was very slippery. This Fluffy found out too late. The more he tried to stop the more he slid. With a bang and a yelp, Fluffy went right into the mailbox, head first. Wiggles had started off following Fluffy at a slow pace. His leg still was sore and his eyesight was still bad, so he just limped along after him. By the time he reached the crest of the little hill he could hear Fluffy but still couldn’t see him. What he did was hear a muffled whine. That was enough to tell Wiggles that Fluffy was in trouble again. That boy had an insatiable appetite for food and trouble, thought Wiggles.
When Wiggles finally got to where the sounds were coming, he was dumbfounded. Then his expression turned into awe as he figured out the predicament that Fluffy had gotten himself into. There was Fluffy, stuck head first up to his shoulders into the mouth of a mailbox. His feet were kicking in the air and muffled cry’s were coming from inside the box. “Woo is me, I’m stuck and I can’t get out”. Wiggles hobbled around very slowly and methodically viewing the latest predicament of his friend. “Would you like to have me help you ?”, Wiggles asked, his voice low and soothing. He was trying to calm his friend and at the same time not breakout laughing. “Oh yes, please, please, help me.”, sobbed Fluffy. “If you don’t get me out I will be stuck in here forever”, whimpered Fluffy. “Don’t be silly”, snapped Wiggles. “You just got a little something stuck on your head, that’s all”. “But it’s dark and scary in here.”, whined Fluffy. Fluffy’s legs squirmed snakelike in the air like he was trying to walk. Wiggles realized if he didn’t do something soon he would do some serious damage to the mailbox and probably to himself too. But just how was he going to help him out of this dilemma. It was hard to believe that Fluffy could get stuck so tight in that box but then again he did have a way of doing the most unusual things. “Listen to me, stop all that trashing about. You’re not helping any with your legs failings wildly in the air like that. I got to think and you're distracting me.”, barked Wiggles. His mind raced over all the different things he could do to try and free his friend. That’s when he spotted a big stick laying on the ground at his feet. It was a good thing it was so close, other wise Wiggles wouldn’t have seen it. He lifted the stick up and clenched his fist around it. Then he took a practice swing in the air. “Yep, that ought to do it”, said Wiggles with a smile. He then gleefully whacked the side of the mailbox. There was a big boom, just like he had hit a drum.
“Aaaayyiieeee!, Fluffy screamed as the sound ripped through his head. “That hurt…”. “Easy, boy”, Wiggles soothed. “Relax, it was just a bad idea.” Apologized Wiggles. Fluffy trusted him and heeded his advice. Even if he couldn’t hear him. His head was hurting and his ears didn’t feel too good either. He took a deep breath, exhaling it noisily and then be began whimpering again, that was followed by a little sneeze. “What’s the matter now ?”, asked Wiggles. “What did you say, AHCHOO…?”, sneezed Fluffy again. “Can’t hear you my ears are still ringing.”, Fluffy sputtered. “I SAID WHAT’S WRONG NOW ?” YELLED Wiggles. “AHCHOO…, it’s dusty in here and… AHCHOO…, its making me sneeze…”, sniffed Fluffy. “Well, don’t go and get panic on me”, cautioned Wiggles. “What ?”, coughed Fluffy. “NEVER MIND”, yelled Wiggles. He was just about to give the mailbox another whack with the stick, but then another idea popped into his head. Remembering about Fluffy’s allergies, Wiggles started to walk around looking down at the ground. “You still there Wiggles ?”, Fluffy called out. “Yes, I’m here”, Wiggles called back as he continued on his search. “What ?”, called Fluffy. “NEVER MIND, YOU JUST STAY RIGHT THERE, I’LL BE BACK IN A MINUTE !”, Wiggles called back. “Sure, like I was going somewhere”, snapped Fluffy. Then he added another sneeze. After a few more minutes Wiggles found what he was looking for. A big patch of ragweed. “This will do just find”, mused Wiggles as he bent over and grabed up two big hands full. When he straighten up and looked around he couldn’t see Fluffy, the mailbox or anything. With his bad eyesight he couldn’t see much of anything if he wasn’t almost standing on top of it. Then he yelled out, “FLUFFY, WHERE ARE YOU ?”. He could then hear the muted responds of his friend. “I’m right where you left me, and I’m still stuck in this mailbox”, replied Fluffy. With Fluffy’s grumbling as a guide Wiggles found his way back to Fluffy and the mailbox. “Get a good whiff of this”, said Wiggles as he poked the ragweed around Fluffy. “Ohhh, nooo !”, Fluffy wailed as his lips began to drool and his eyes rolled with tears. “What is that I smell ? AHCHOO ?…”. “You didn’t… AHCHOO…, AHCHOO…”, the rest of what Fluffy was trying to say was lost in a hail of coughs and sneezes. By then, Wiggles had stuffed all the open space between Fluffy and the sides of the mailbox full of ragweed. Yelping frantically, between all that coughing and sneezing, “I’m going to die !”, howled Fluffy. “When is you gonna, AHCHOO…, stop fooling around and, AHCHOO…, get me out of here ?” he moaned. Faster and faster his sneezes came, like a steam engine racing to the exploding point. His coughing and sneezing became more furious. His body quaking uncontrollable, he was now in a uproarious sneezing fit. Wiggles was waiting for that one magnificent all-powerful sneeze. “There she blows”, yelled Wiggles. He grabbed the outstretched legs of his trapped friend and gave a frantic tug just as Fluffy erupted in a fiery blasting sneeze. “AGHHHH !, OHHHH !, AGGGHHHHOO !”. Under the tremendous pressure of the extraordinary sneeze, and the pulling of Wiggles, Fluffy popped out of the mailbox with a WHOOSH… He landed about four feet away with a resounding thump. Fluffy snorted out of his nose and in a frenzy state jumped up, looked around and then fell with exhaustion to the ground. As he breathed, ragged noisy rumbles came from his mouth. “Fluffy, are you all right”, cried Wiggles. His legs weren’t too steady either, so he too plopped down beside the puffing Fluffy. Fluffy just sat there with a mindlessly embarrassed look on his face. “I’m going to rest awhile” was all he said. He closed his eyes for a second, his head was still stuffed and spinning senselessly !
For a while the two friends just sat there on the ground and said nothing. The silence was only broken by a cough or sneeze every now and then from Fluffy. Finally Wiggles spoke, “Now, that is what I call an earth-shattering experience”. Then, Fluffy shaking his head whispered, “I’m so embarrassed, how will I ever face anyone again ?”. “Don’t be embarrassed”, Wiggles said quickly. “it could have happen to anyone. And besides, I’m not going to tell…” “Are you teasing me ?”, sputtered Fluffy. “I wouldn’t tease you about something like that.”, said Wiggles as he reached over and patted Fluffy on the head. This was most reassuring to Fluffy, the only thing he liked better than a pat on the head was to be scratched behind his ear. His tail was wagging furiously.
With that, Wiggles got up on his feet and said, “Think its time we went home.”. While he was helping Fluffy get up on his wobbly legs, he noticed that Fluffy was clutching something. “What’s that ?”, asked Wiggles pointing to a rumpled piece of paper. “That’s my mail”, replied Fluffy with a final sneeze. “It’s an advertisement for insurance”. With a grin Wiggles said, “You know old buddy, maybe you just might look into that”.
The two them started back toward home. Fluffy, began his complaining again and Wiggles limped along side, nodding his head in that agreeing gesture. Tomorrow just has to be a more peaceful day.
My tiny mind sees the moral of this tale as haste makes waste and sometimes gets you stuck where you don’t want to be…
Continued… (maybe)
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Here is a simple little teaser for you.
Sudoku 5 Character Punctuation