<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:14pt"><DIV><FONT face="Century Gothic, sans-serif"><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size=3>Morse and I went out for a walk last week, and I had totally forgotten that the day earlier he had smelled something icky in the hedge. So I was pleased when we started out with a quick trot, and I naively thought it was just his eagerness to be out. But no. Too late I realised his mission and he was in the hedge making 'ugg ugg' noises as he tried to swallow the ickiness whole before I could stop him. So I forced his mouth open and there was a long stream of gooey flesh with fur on. Dead rabbit. Pulled it from the back of his throat and threw it away. He was still frantic though so I let him find the next two pieces and went through the same routine. So it's all in the bin, I am covered in rabbit
stuff and we set off again. This time we get to the Green. Again he becomes frantic and is swinging round, trying to find whatever it is that he can smell. I then see what he wants and it's not too bad (a piece of saveloy floating in the pond) and to just keep the peace I allow him to gobble it. We continue walking, he seems calm and I let him off the leash. Big mistake. He goes charging back to the pond and throws himself into the shallow bit. He is now up to his tummy is black stinky water, wading through, nose high in the air. Is it more saveloy? Bread? He pulls something out of the water and then backs up slowly. A big, sodden, rotting dead bird is in his mouth. The smell is indescribable. I tell him to drop it but this of course falls on very wet and deaf ears. I try to prize his jaws open and they are jammed shut with slimy water and bird gunk oozing out of his jaws onto my hands. As I try to force his jaws he starts backing
up into the water to escape me, and I edge into the mud and water. I don’t have boots on either. I try again and the jaws are slammed shut and he is not budging. Nothing for it but to tap his nose and shout. This time he relents a little with the jaws, enough for me to get a few fingers in and start pulling until the bird is out. I finally fling the bird back into the water, my hands, coat and shoes are covered in dead slime and Morse is sulking. I pull on the lead to move him away. Flat basset. This time my patience has just snapped and he gets frogmarched all the way home. Well, to the end of the road anyway, where I relent, hug him and tell him I am sorry. He glowers, and sulks for a full 24 hours.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">*sigh*</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Becky (I try, but I cannot stay cross), Morse (that bird was delicious) and Pumbaa ATB (disgusting)</FONT></DIV>
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