Writing from an Animal’s Perspective:

Hump Day Improvisation will return next week. Today is a blog-fest, writing from an animal’s perspective, hosted by Dayana at Writing from the Wrogan. Stop by and read the other entries.

I’ve considered this for awhile. Which animal should I choose? Lions and tigers and bears oh my. See if you can guess before I tell you.

The dry grass scratched my under belly as I followed Sam. I could learn from her. She is such a wonderful huntress. Our young played together not far away. Barney sat and watched, his tongue lolling in the summer heat.

Sam crouched low in the grass. I did the same and ended up plopping down ungracefully.

Sam inched forward. She lifted right side legs, front and rear, at the same time. Then the left side, getting closer…closer to her prey. She pounced, grabbed the delicious treat, a grasshopper. With head held high and a live grasshopper dangling from her mouth, she pranced back to her young and presented them with the delicacy.

My turn. I stood. I lifted my right leg and then…my rear leg trembled, but it wouldn’t obey my command. I finally managed to get both short legs off the ground and immediately fell on my side. Embarrassed, I righted myself. I tried again, with the same result. A grasshopper teased me nearby. My young deserved this treat as much as Sam’s.

My stocky legs were not made for sneaking up on prey, yet I would give a valiant effort. I jumped on the grasshopper. He hopped away without a scratch. I ran. The grasshopper went airborne and landed on a weed. I tried again without any luck.

The German Sheppard who lived two doors down ran up to our chain link fence with fierce intent and barked at us. Sam acted immediately. She ran toward the dog and sprang over the fence. Claws outstretched, she landed on his back. He yelped and ran with Sam chasing after him. I forgot the grasshopper and ran to Sam’s defense and the defense of our young. Barney joined me. We barked at the neighbor dog and ran on our short Dachshund legs along the fence.

Sam returned, checked her kittens and then my pups. She caught another grasshopper and presented it to my young. Thank you brave Sam, my friend.

This is a true story. It was hilarious to watch a short Dachshund trying to imitate a stealthy cat. Samantha was my brother’s cat. Barney was the family dog and the heroine of the story, Heidi, was my sister’s dog. May they all hunt grasshoppers together in the great beyond.

I hope I didn’t make any glaring mistakes. I like to run any story by my critique group. But the bug I have prevented me from attending. Sigh…you can tell me if it is awful or half-way good.