A Silly Poodle Story
by Mr.e
It started with a harmless gift, from a mother to a son. It was a poodle.
No, not a real live canine specimen.
This was an injection molded figurine and certainly interesting looking. Ceramic
or some similar material was used in an attempt to inculcate this decorative
piece with a life-like semblance.
A Hummel figure this was not.
It was unfortunate that this obviously not hand crafted item sported a sizable
and suspicious lump on it’s upper left lip. This startling discovery
left the distinct impression of some kind of tumor. It did little to produce
warm fuzzy feelings in those who took a closer look. Actually, this discovery
induced a sudden urge to put the figurine down, permanently.
And then there were those who wanted to have a bit of fun with ‘the poodle’
and it was not long before things began to get interesting.
A friend (henceforth to be known as Party B) seizes upon a clever idea and
absconds with the poodle figurine. It is not missed. The poodle then makes
a startling return in the form of a birthday gift. What a coincidence! The
son is astounded and a bit stunned. Just imagine, the person who gifted him
with the poodle had chosen exactly the same figure he received from his mother
so long ago.
Time passes and again the poodle disappears from the top of the television
set. Party B, who initiated this chain of events, places the hideous creature
between the tissue sheets of a Kleenex box, wraps the box in gaily colored
paper and offers it up as one of many Christmas gifts to the son.
Unfortunately the gift is misplaced and only opened many months after the
holiday season. The real significance of this gift only comes to light after
much time and many runny noses have come and gone.
"Aha!" exclaims the Son. Now the game is joined.
Time passes and thoughts of the poodle fade. The next time the poodle surfaces
it is cunningly entombed in a beautiful birthday cake, hand delivered to the
Party B, who started the game. The look of sudden recognition, priceless,
the cake knife coming to a bone-jarring stop as it hits the hard and textured
surface of the poodle figurine. Touché!
Something of a more memorable delivery is now called for and Party B is feverishly
planning the next move. Auspiciously the means for an astounding blind-side
strike presents itself and the figure is spirited off to a foreign land from
where it will be shipped to the unsuspecting son.
Almost unable to contain the excitement and expectation of an imminent call
from the son, reporting the successful delivery, Party B waits on pins and
needles. Nothing. More time goes by. Months go by, still nothing. Calls are
made to that foreign country and Party B confirms that everything that was
planned was executed as planned.
Still no response from the son.
Party B pretty much gives up on ever hearing about that particular poodle
delivery when a bouquet of flowers arrives one day. A beautiful bunch of flowers
too. Then the shocker: deep in the mass of stems, two identical poodles lurk.
Tit for tat.
He’d been had. Yes, his clever foreign plot had failed to make the impact
he’d hoped for and he never even heard the rebound winding up to whack
him with this double whammy.
A few months later, the same two poodles were cunningly planted in the son’s
back garden, now firmly attached to two garden gnomes by two custom made leashes.
They’ve never shown up here again.
It’s safe to say that the game has ended … or has it? …