The Runaway Adventures

Chapter 1:The Show Biz

In an old New England town with fences around every tree, there was a quiet contented feel of small town life. Children were frolicking with hoops and running outside, couples were embracing each other while rocking on their porch swings, and the weather was just right for a nice stroll outside. With an end-of-summer breeze in the air everybody could feel that autumn was coming over the town. For many, this meant picking apples and raking leaves and enjoying life. But for the Brown family, which was famous for owning seven dogs at once, life was a completely different story.

The Brown family consisted of Jim Dear and Darling, their son Junior, and their seven dogs. The household was in a frenetic atmosphere because Jim Dear and Darling were planning on participating in a dog show that was open to all dogs. They decided to put their three young triplet dogs, Annette, Danielle, and Colette, into the show to compete. The three girls were all young cocker spaniels, but each had a slightly different appearance. Annette had short ears and a blue collar, Colette had long ears and a red collar, and Danielle had ears that had relatively unkempt fur and a white collar. The girls, who always loved attention and being fussed over, loved the prospect of competing in a dog show. They were regularly talking in the kitchen, usually with great excitement in their voices.

Every day, Annette, Danielle, and Colette practiced for the show. The sisters practiced dazzling poses designed to impress the judges and they also played with makeup and tried out bows and hats. Few dogs ever did these things, but the sisters had a strong fashion sense and loved dressing up. All the time, they posed for Jim Dear and Darling's camera, hoping that their friends would see their unbelievably adorable photos. As everyone in the house knew, the dog show would be starting the very next day. Not surprisingly, Annette, Danielle, and Colette were the first ones to wake up; as they have been for every day in the past week, since they were so happy with all the attention and time preparing for the show.

"Oh, excellent!" Annette giggled loudly as she saw that Jim Dear and Darling crossed another date off on the calendar. "I can't wait for the show! All that glory and glamour will be ours!"

"Me too!" Danielle loudly laughed. "We're gonna have so much fun!"

"Oh, why, this is going to be wonderful when we wear those adorable ribbons!" Colette squealed.

The sisters spent a few hours giggling happily, anticipating the show, and eating the food that Jim Dear and Darling left out for them. But then they stopped and turned abruptly as the kitchen door creaked open and Lady, their mother, stepped onto the kitchen floor. She looked like her daughters, and had feathery, tan fur that was very beautiful. She also had silky long brown ears and deep dark brown eyes, and was known as the prettiest dog in town.

"Girls, it's your bath time," she told them gently, yet at the same time, she could not disguise a note of exhaustion in her voice. Her daughters cheered exuberantly and rushed into the bathroom where Jim Dear was setting up a warm tub of water, filled with bubbles brimming to the top. As the girls giggled with joy, Lady yawned and felt her eyes droop. While she felt happy to be a mother and loved her children, the responsibility of taking care of her boisterous puppies made her exhausted.

Deciding that she needed a rest and that her daughters wouldn't be needing her at the moment, Lady, still yawning, sauntered into the living room, and placed her head on one of the pillows and closed her eyes.

"How are ya doing, Pidge?" came a voice next to her. Lady opened her eyes a little bit and saw her husband, Tramp, sleeping lazily on a couple of pillows. Tramp was a grey, scruffy dog, and he was once the top street dog around town. She was not too surprised that she could detect a hint of boredom in his voice and pose. He still wasn't entirely used to being a housedog.