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Our Dog Won’t Eat
By Josephine Henley-Einion
My Mammy had to go away for a few days. Grandma came a long way to stay with us. "Be a good boy for Grandma, Rhys," said Mammy when she kissed me goodbye. "Be a good girl for Grandma, Megan," said Mammy to our dog.
"Right," said Grandma, after we’d waved at Mammy through the window. "What shall we play?"
"Tigers," I said. I growled and she was supposed to run away. But she just sat there.
"I don’t like tigers," said Grandma. "What about a nice jigsaw?" So I got my jigsaws out and Grandma helped me.
"Can I have a drink, Grandma?" I asked.
"What’s the magic word?" asked Grandma.
I didn’t know what the magic word was. I thought hard. "Abracadabra?" I asked.
Grandma laughed. "It’s supposed to be ‘please’, Rhys," she said. But she gave me the drink anyway.
Megan walked in and stood on my jigsaw. She looked at Grandma.
"Shoo! Get away!" said Grandma.
Megan stepped off my jigsaw and knocked my drink over.
"Naughty dog!" said Grandma, getting a cloth. "Go and lie down."
Megan whined and lay on her blanket with her paws over her face.
"Megan wants to go for a walk," I said.
"Oh," said Grandma and she got Megan’s lead.
I put my coat on and my wellies. Grandma couldn’t find my hat so I wore one of Mammy’s. It went over my eyes.
We walked in the park. I played the tiger game and chased Megan. Megan chased some birds. When we came home Megan whined again.
"What does she want now?" asked Grandma.
"She’s hungry," I said. I was hungry too.
"Where does Mammy keep the dog food?" asked Grandma, looking in the kitchen cupboards.
"Megan doesn’t eat dog food," I said. "She eats sausages and mincemeat."
"Don’t be silly," said Grandma. "Dogs don’t eat human food." Grandma got my coat again and we went to the shop. She bought three tins of dog food. "That should be enough," she said.
When we got home, Grandma opened a tin for Megan. She used my special fork to put the dog food into Megan’s dish. Megan sniffed her dish and then went to lie down under the table.
"Oh, well," said Grandma and she read me a story.
It was dinner time. "What do you want for dinner, Rhys?" asked Grandma.
"Erm," I thought. "Chicken nuggets and chips and beans and mashed potato and carrots and gravy and fish fingers and spaghetti."
Grandma went and cooked my dinner. Megan whined when I sat down to eat it. She was still hungry. There was a lot of food on my plate, more than Mammy usually puts there. "Eat it up like a good boy," Grandma said.
I tried to eat it up but I didn’t have my special fork. It had Megan’s dog food on it. I wanted to give Megan one of my chicken nuggets under the table but Grandma had taken her out to the hall.
"I’ve finished," I said.
"No you haven’t," said Grandma. "There’s a lot left on your plate."
"Megan can have it," I said.
"No she can’t," said Grandma. "You eat it."
I ate some more but then I was really full. Grandma sighed and took the plate into the kitchen. Megan followed her. Grandma put my dinner in the bin. Megan looked at the bin. "Shoo!" said Grandma. Megan went to lie down under the table with her paws over her face.
I played lots of games and Grandma read her book. Then it was time for bed. Megan was still under the table. Her bowl was still full of dog food.
The next day I had to go to school. Grandma got me dressed. Megan stood in front of the door. "What does she want?" asked Grandma.
"She wants to come to school with us," I said. Grandma got Megan’s lead. On the way to school I heard Megan’s tummy rumbling. "Megan’s hungry," I said.
"She should have eaten her breakfast then," said Grandma.
Grandma came to pick me up after school. "Where’s Megan?" I asked.
"She didn’t want to come," said Grandma.
When we got home Megan was under the table and the dog food was still in her bowl. It was starting to smell. I sat under the table with her.
"What are you doing under there, Rhys?" asked Grandma.
"Megan’s not happy," I said. "She doesn’t eat dog food."
Grandma sighed. She picked up the bowl and put the dog food in the bin. "Maybe she didn’t like the flavour," she said and opened another tin. Megan lifted her head up when Grandma put the bowl down. But she didn’t get up.
"Leave her to sulk, then," said Grandma. "I’ve bought you a new jigsaw, look."
I made my jigsaw. I had sandwiches for my tea. Grandma read her book. Megan whined a bit more.
Next day it was school again. Megan barked at the post lady. Grandma hit her with a rolled-up newspaper. Megan ran to lie down under the table. She didn’t come to school with me.
When Grandma came to pick me up after school, I asked, "Did Megan eat anything today?"
"No," said Grandma. "The dog won’t eat, I don’t know what to do with her."
"There are sausages in the freezer."
"Don’t be silly, Rhys," Grandma said. "I’ll try a different kind of dog food." We went to the shop and Grandma bought some expensive dog food.
Grandma put it in Megan’s bowl. Megan sniffed it. Megan licked it. Then Megan went and lay down on her blanket with her paws over her face.
"Mammy’s coming home tonight," said Grandma. "Shall we paint a picture for her?" I painted a picture of Megan under the table.
"Mammy, Mammy, Mammy!" I ran to the door when I saw Mammy walking up the path.
"Hello, cariad," said Mammy. "Did you have a nice time with Grandma?"
"Yes," I said. "I painted a picture, look."
"Oh," said Mammy. "Is that Megan?"
Megan came out from under the table. She said, "Ow-ow-ow-bow-wow."
"I’ll put the kettle on," said Grandma and went into the kitchen.
"What on earth is that in Megan’s bowl?" whispered Mammy.
"It’s dog food," I said. "Megan thinks it’s yucky."
"I don’t blame her," said Mammy. When Grandma came back in, Mammy gave her a present. It was a new book. Then she gave me a present. It was a tiger mask.
"Grr!" I said.
"Grr!" said Mammy.
Grandma had her cup of tea and read her book. "I hope Rhys and Megan haven’t been too much trouble," said Mammy.
"No dear, we’ve had fun," said Grandma. "But the dog won’t eat anything."
"She’s probably missed me," said Mammy. Megan tried to sit on Mammy’s lap. Mammy pushed her off. "Do you know, I’m a bit peckish. I think I might have some sausages for supper."
"You want sausages at this time of night!" said Grandma.
"We often have sausages for supper, don’t we Rhys," said Mammy. "Would you like one?"
"Yes please, Mammy," I said. I followed Mammy into the kitchen. Megan followed me.
"Get away, you two," said Mammy. "They won’t be ready for at least half an hour."
Megan went to lie down on her blanket. I played tigers with Mammy. Megan’s tummy rumbled louder than my growling. When the sausages were cooked, Mammy got them out of the oven and chopped them up on a plate. Then we went back to play tigers again.
"Aren’t you going to eat the sausages?" asked Grandma.
"We like them cold, don’t we Rhys?"
"Yes, Mammy," I said.
We ate one cold sausage each and then Mammy put the rest into Megan’s bowl. She ate them up in three mouthfuls.
"Well!" said Grandma.