Moose (3 page)

“Whooaaa!” Charles hung on tightly as Moose charged down the path. “Ouch! Ow! Ooh!” Charles did not let go of the leash, even when rocks scraped his belly and roots banged his elbows.

“Moose!” yelled Aunt Amanda. “Down!”

Instantly, Moose stopped in his tracks and lay down.

“Wow,” Charles said from where he lay behind Moose. “He really is obedient, isn’t he?”

“Stay,” Aunt Amanda said to Moose. “Stay right there.” Moose gazed up at her and did not move a muscle. Aunt Amanda ran over to help Charles up. “Are you okay?” she asked. “I am so sorry
about that. I guess we have to remember that anything unfamiliar is scary to Moose.”

“I’m fine.” Charles dusted off his knees and rubbed his sore elbows. “That was cool, how fast he lay down when you told him to.”

“That was terrific,” Aunt Amanda agreed. “I wasn’t positive he would obey but I thought it was worth a try. It’s great to have a dog who will do that. I call it an ‘emergency down.’ It could save his life someday, like if he were about to run out into a busy street.”

For the rest of the day, Charles stuck to Moose like glue. He did his best to make sure that nothing scared the huge puppy, but it wasn’t easy. Moose panicked when Aunt Amanda brought out the Frisbee to play catch with the other dogs. He leapt high into the air when a cricket jumped out of the grass near his chin. At nap time, he circled endlessly on the Pooch Porch before he could find
a sleeping spot that felt right to him. And when Tobey found a squeaky toy and started chewing it, Moose nearly hit the ceiling.

By the end of the afternoon, Charles was tired — and frustrated. Moose was such a great dog — but who would have the patience to deal with him if he kept freaking out all the time? It would not be easy to find a forever family for him.

For dinner, Aunt Amanda made mac and cheese out of a box. “Sorry,” she told Charles as they sat down at the kitchen table to eat. “We always end up eating this the first night up here. I’ll make something better tomorrow.”

“Are you kidding?” Charles took a big forkful. “I love this stuff.”

“That’s right.” Aunt Amanda dug into her own serving. “There was a while when you were the Bean’s age when you wouldn’t eat anything else.”

Charles didn’t remember that, but his mother always said it, too, so it must be true. He looked down at Moose, who lay snoozing near his feet. “Camp Bowser is even more fun than I imagined,” he told Aunt Amanda. “I think Moose is having a really good time — at least, when he’s not petrified.”

“I agree,” said Aunt Amanda. “But he needs to learn something, too. That’s why he came along with us this weekend, after all. I’m just still not sure of the best way to help him.”

If Aunt Amanda didn’t know, who did? Charles noticed a wooden holder in the middle of the table, stacked with little red, white, and blue plastic discs. “What are those?” he asked, pointing with his fork.

“Poker chips,” said his aunt. “Uncle James and I have some friends up here who like to come over for a friendly game now and then.”

“You play poker?” Charles asked. He was surprised. He had never pictured his aunt as a poker player. Hmm . . . Maybe she could help him. “So, do you know how to shuffle cards?”

“Sure.” Aunt Amanda nodded. “I’d be happy to teach you. Ready for seconds?” She pushed back her chair to go to the stove. The scraping sound woke Moose, who jumped up and began to pace around, whining and panting.

What was that? What was that noise
?

“Oh, Moose,” said Aunt Amanda. “It’s okay. Take it easy, boy.”

Charles patted the floor near his chair. “Down, Moose,” he said. Moose came right over and lay down. “Why is he panting?” Charles asked. “It’s not hot in here.”

“Sometimes dogs pant when they’re stressed
out,” Aunt Amanda told him. “He’ll settle down soon. I still don’t know how we’re going to help Moose, but I’m sure glad you came along. I can tell that having you nearby all the time helps him feel more secure.”

Charles blushed and ducked his head. He petted Moose some more. Hearing that from Aunt Amanda made him feel good. Maybe he really could help Moose.

After dinner, Charles helped tidy up the kitchen. Then he and his aunt went into the living room and sat on the faded blue rag rug, with the low coffee table between them. Bowser claimed the best spot on the couch, and the other dogs settled in, too. Moose curled up right next to Charles, leaning his big head on Charles’s knee. Soon all of the dogs were snoring in different tones as Aunt Amanda showed Charles how to shuffle cards. It was cozy in the little cabin.

After the lesson, they played war for a long time while the dogs slept peacefully around them. Charles did all the shuffling, just for practice.

By the time he and Moose went to bed, Charles was so sleepy he could hardly keep his eyes open. But after he’d changed into his pajamas, he pulled out
Magic 1-2-3
and read through the directions for a card trick called Count-‘Em-Out. Now that he knew how to shuffle, the rest would be easy.

“It’s okay, Moose,” Charles said sleepily. He opened one eye and saw that it was still dark in his bedroom. “Go back to sleep.” He reached out to touch the big puppy, who was pacing up and down next to Charles’s bed, his collar tags jingling as he walked. “What’s the matter, anyway?”

Moose whimpered and licked Charles’s hand.

I hear something. Something that scares me
.

Charles sat up and patted the bed, wiping the slobber off his hand at the same time. “Come on up here with me,” he told Moose. “Come on, boy. What’s so scary?” Moose jumped up and lay down,
taking over most of the bed and squishing Charles up against the wall. Now that it was quiet in the room again, Charles could hear what was worrying Moose:
pit-pat, pit-a-pat
, the sound of rain on the roof. “That’s just rain,” he told Moose. “That doesn’t mean there will be thunder, too.” He petted the puppy’s big head until Moose gave a long sigh and settled down to sleep.

“The rain on the roof last night scared Moose,” Charles reported when he and the big pup went downstairs to eat breakfast in the morning. It had cleared up by then, and bright sunshine poured through the windows as Aunt Amanda bustled around, frying bacon and putting out food for the dogs. She set Moose’s dish way off to the side so he could eat without worrying about the other dogs.

Aunt Amanda shook her head. “Oh, dear. And the weatherman said there’ll be more rain — and maybe another storm — later on today.” She
put a plate full of scrambled eggs and bacon down in front of Charles. “Here’s what I think,” she said. “You and Moose should get some outdoor exercise now, while it’s sunny. Then you should just spend a quiet day together, staying off to yourselves so that Moose isn’t stressed and fearful. He can’t learn anything when he’s in that state.”

“Sounds good to me,” said Charles around a mouthful of eggs. “How about you, Moose?” Moose ambled over to lick Charles’s face.

Yum! I love eggs and bacon
.

Charles laughed. “Who needs a napkin when you have a Great Dane?” he asked. He was almost getting used to how huge Moose was.

When he’d finished breakfast, Charles called Moose and clipped a leash onto the big dog’s collar.

“I doubt he’ll pull you over again,” said Aunt Amanda. “But if he does take off, just remember this: let go of the leash — and yell ‘down.’ That should stop him in his tracks, and you won’t get dragged along the trail.”

Charles nodded. He wished he’d known about that trick the day before. “Got it,” he said. “Ready, Moose? Let’s go to the stream.”

The enormous puppy walked nicely, prancing along at Charles’s side as they set off toward the stream. The long grass was still wet from the night’s rain, and droplets glistened like diamonds on the new green leaves that covered the trees. It was a beautiful morning, and the air was full of delicious, fresh smells. Charles and Moose both sniffed happily as they walked.

Charles loved to watch Moose move. He had an elegant gait, like a fancy horse that lifts its hooves daintily with every step. Moose seemed a little more confident this morning, too. His head was
up and his ears were perked, listening to the birdsong that surrounded them as they moved through the meadow.

But as they entered the woods and the trail became rocky, Charles noticed that Moose began to walk more cautiously, looking around as he placed one chunky foot after the other. He stuck right to Charles’s side. Suddenly, the big dog stopped in his tracks.

Here! It was here. That slithery, slinky thing was right here
.

“Come on, Moose.” Charles tugged on the leash. But when Moose didn’t want to move, there was no way Charles was strong enough to make him. Moose put his ears back and stared wide-eyed at the ground around his feet. “Oh,” said Charles. “I get it. This is where you saw the snake.” Charles wasn’t sure what to do, but he did not want
to force poor Moose to do something that was scary.

“Okay,” he said, sighing. “Forget the stream. Let’s go back to the cabin.” Moose seemed to like that idea. But halfway through the meadow, he suddenly leapt into the air and came down wild-eyed and snorting. “It’s okay, boy.” Charles stopped and sighed again. “It’s just another cricket.” He led Moose down another trail, hoping that this time they wouldn’t run into anything scary. But Moose was frightened by everything: a bird that flew too close, the neon-green Frisbee that had been left in the grass, and a chipmunk that hopped onto the mossy stone wall and chittered at the big dog.

Charles kept leading Moose down one trail after another, hoping to at least tire the puppy out. They had gone farther from the cabin than he’d meant to go, but Charles was sure he knew the way back. The sun felt blazingly hot out in the
meadow, so Charles strayed deep into some piney woods in search of shade. But by the time he and Moose came back out of the woods, the sun was gone and the sky was gray. Charles shivered. It wasn’t so hot anymore now that the sun had disappeared. He tugged on Moose’s leash. “Come on, boy, let’s head back.”

They’d only gone a few steps before the wind began to blow.

A mountain of dark clouds began to gather overhead.

And a big, fat raindrop smacked Charles’s cheek.

“Uh-oh,” Charles said to himself. He glanced up at the sky again and saw that the mountain of clouds overhead was just as big and just as black as the one he’d seen on the day he first met Moose. He knew what that meant. A thunderstorm. What would happen if Moose panicked while they were out here in the open?

“Okay, Moose.” Charles tugged on the leash and began to walk. “We have to get moving. We have to get back to the cabin.”

But Moose already knew something was up. His ears went back and Charles could see the whites of the big pup’s eyes as he stared straight ahead.

Moose sat down, dug in his front paws, and began to pant.

I’m not going anywhere. I’m too scared. I’m staying right here
.

Charles tugged on the leash. He tugged harder. He leaned back and pulled as hard as he could, putting all his weight into it as if he were in a tug-of-war contest. But that big puppy Moose was like a statue. Charles could not make him budge.

Another raindrop hit Charles’s head, then another and another. This was terrible. They had to get back to the cabin before the storm broke loose. Charles tried to think. What would Aunt Amanda do? He pictured her the day before, when she had first let Moose out of the van. After she’d let him sniff for a while and roll in the grass, she had given him some commands. Moose had obeyed
instantly. He had obeyed when she told him “down” after he saw the snake, too. Moose always obeyed right away — if you knew what to say.

And suddenly, Charles
did
know what to say. He remembered exactly how Aunt Amanda had told Moose what she wanted from him. Would it work again? It was certainly worth a try. Charles stood up straight and spoke in his firmest voice. “Come, Moose.”

Moose stood up and pranced right over to land in a perfect sit, facing Charles. “Wow. Good boy,” Charles said. For a second, he couldn’t believe it had worked—but it really had. Still, it was only a start. Next, he slapped his left thigh. “Heel, Moose,” he said.

Moose jumped up and spun around, landing in another perfect sit close to Charles’s left side. It was amazing how quick and precise he was for such a big dog. Charles smiled. “Good boy, Moose. Let’s go.” He took a step forward, just as he
remembered Aunt Amanda doing, and Moose stepped forward at the exact same instant, sticking to Charles’s side like glue. He looked up at Charles as he stepped along.

Is this what you wanted
?

“Oh, you’re such a good boy,” said Charles. It was like magic, the way Moose forgot all his fears when he had a job to do. Charles walked quickly with Moose at his side, making his way back up the trail toward the cabin. Back through the piney woods they went. Back toward the meadow and the stone wall and the little cozy cabin. Raindrops were falling faster now, and Charles was nearly as soaked as he had been two days before on his bike. Moose hardly seemed to notice the rain, now that he was concentrating on following Charles’s commands.

Then Charles heard a rumble of thunder.

He just barely heard it. It was way far off in the distance. Just a little drumroll to announce the coming storm.

Moose heard it, too. He was still looking up at Charles, but now his ears were back and the whites of his eyes showed again.

What was that
?

“Let’s go, Moose,” Charles said firmly, slapping his thigh again. “Heel.” Moose kept walking as Charles picked up the pace, but Charles could tell that his attention was not what it had been. The big dog’s head kept whipping around as if he thought someone was sneaking up behind him.

The magic wasn’t working anymore. Charles had to think of a new trick. “Moose, Moose, Moose,” he said out loud, hoping to drown out the sound of any more thunder. Then he thought of the way that everyone in his family liked to sing
silly songs to Buddy. They each had their own special song. Mom sang, “
Buddy Buddy Bo-Buddy, banana-fana fo-fuddy, me-mi-mo-muddy, Buddy!
” It was an old song called “The Name Game.” Dad sang another old song called “Wooly Bully” as he tossed Buddy his stuffed sheep. Lizzie crooned sappy songs like “Buddy the Wonder Dog,” and the Bean liked to sing
“Buddy, Buddy, little dog, How I wonder what you are,
” to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” Charles usually sang silly made-up words to whatever tune was in his head, usually stuff about how perfect and cute Buddy was.

“Moose, Moose, you silly goose!
” Charles began to sing at the top of his lungs as he marched along, slapping his thigh.
“Heel by me, you big old Moose!
”

It worked. Moose looked, a little confused, but he moved along at a good clip, prancing at Charles’s side. He even kept up when Charles,
hearing another low rumble, began to run and sing at the same time.
“Moose, Moose, get in the caboose!
” Charles bellowed.
“Don’t you let those cows get loose!
”

They reached the cabin just as the skies opened up and it really started to pour. A clap of thunder sounded overhead as Charles slammed the screen door shut behind them, and a terrified Moose tried to leap into Aunt Amanda’s arms.

“Thank goodness you’re back,” she said. She petted Moose and whispered soothing words until he settled down and began to pace around the kitchen, panting. Another loud clap of thunder made the windows rattle in their frames. Moose scrambled under the table.

“Follow me,” said Aunt Amanda. “Come, Moose.” She led Charles and Moose down the hall to a small room Charles hadn’t seen before. “This is where I do yoga in the mornings sometimes,” she said. “It’s the quietest room in the cabin, once
you close the door. Plus, there are no windows for Moose to jump out of, or outside doors to escape through. Stay in here with Moose, and I’ll bring you some dry clothes.”

Charles nodded. “Okay,” he croaked. His throat was sore from all the singing, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was Moose. How would Charles keep him calm while the storm still raged outside?