One day, a long time ago down in Mississippi, a dog walked into town. He was a floppy-eared fellow, with a big, wet nose and sad, brown eyes, and just about the sleekest coat -- tan and black and white -- you ever saw. He just walked into town, all alone, and began to wander around. People in the town began commenting.
"Cute dog," they said. "Ought to have a home."
Everyone wanted that dog. Finally, one cool spring evening, a bunch of townsfolk gathered in a field of flowers by the river, and the mayor said, "We'll have to decide where old Henry is going to live." You see, they all agreed that the dog's name must be Henry because he looked like a Henry. And truth be told, that was his name.
So everyone looked at the mayor. "How do we decide where he'll live?" Allison asked. She loved that big, brown-eyed Henry.
"Well," the mayor drawled, "we'll have a contest, and we'll call this contest Calling the Dog." Everyone turned to him and listened closely. This sounded like a very wise plan.
"Here's how it goes," the mayor said. "First, we'll build a fire." They didn't really need a fire, but it made them feel cozy and close to each other, and it was getting a bit chilly as the sun set. "Now we'll sit around this fire," the mayor said, "and we'll tell each other lies. Whoever tells the biggest, grandest, greatest, most fabulous lie will get to live with Henry here."
Henry was nearby, ears cocked, listening too. He loved stories. This seemed a great plan.
"Let's begin," the mayor said. "You first, Allison."
Allison clapped her hands together, straightened her hair, blushed a little bit and looked at everyone. "I can fly," she said. "My nanny taught me how to fly when I was just a little girl, but she told me I could never tell a soul. I would lose my gift if I told, but see, I'd rather be earthbound and live with Henry than fly with the birds."
"Just a minute," Brian interrupted. "That's a fine lie, Ally, but I'll tell you all something. You're not the only one who knows how to fly. I've seen lots of people flying around. If you go down to the valley there" -- and he pointed across the river -- "you'll see a whole town of flying folks and flying animals. I've been there myself, and I can take you there ..."
But before Brian could finish, Sarah jumped up. "People just don't fly," she said, placing her hands on her hips, "but angels fly. I know that for a fact, because I'm an angel, and we fly. But I'll tell you this: I can't fly when people are near because when I spread my wings, and some person catches me at it, he just shrivels up and burns away, so I don't want to harm anyone." She tossed her long, blond hair as if to hide those wings.
"Just one minute there," Gregory interrupted. "If you're going to lie, you have to show me, so I'll show you. Just watch." And he stood up and raced to the river and jumped right in. A minute later he came up all wet and messy.
"There," he said proudly as he walked, dripping, back to the fire. "That's proof. I can breathe underwater. I have lungs, and I have gills, too," he said. "If you don't believe me, you just come on in the water with me."
Now no one wanted to go swimming because the air was too chilly, and so they sat and waited for someone else to speak.
"I'm waiting for a glorious lie," the mayor said. And Henry sat right up and barked in agreement. He hadn't heard a lie worth a dog. The mayor looked all around, and he called on each person, and every person told a story. One said he could travel in time; one said she had elves in her attic; another said he knew how to speak dog, and to prove it, he walked to Henry's side and barked and barked, but Henry just lay there, listening.
They told lies all night long. At last, as the sun began to rise, the mayor looked around the group and saw little Jill sitting quietly, not saying much. It was her turn for a story, so the mayor said, "Jill, did you want to tell a story, sweetie?"
Jill blushed and shook her head and looked down at her lap. Then she looked shyly at Henry. She loved that dog, but she shook her head once again. "Sorry, Mr. Mayor. I love that Henry there. He's the sweetest thing I ever saw, but truth to tell, I've never told a lie in my life."
And the minute she said that, Henry leaped up and ran to little Jill and put his head right in her lap.
"You win!" the mayor said. And everyone clapped because they knew that Jilly had won, fair and square.
The second book collection of wonderful tales from "Tell Me a Story" is available for $14.95, plus $2 for postage and handling. Send your orders to "The Spectacular Gift," in care of Andrews McMeel Publishing, P.O. Box 419242, Kansas City, Mo. 64141; or call (800) 642-6480. Be sure to indicate your newspaper's name on your order. Allow three to four weeks for delivery.
"Cute dog," they said. "Ought to have a home."
Everyone wanted that dog. Finally, one cool spring evening, a bunch of townsfolk gathered in a field of flowers by the river, and the mayor said, "We'll have to decide where old Henry is going to live." You see, they all agreed that the dog's name must be Henry because he looked like a Henry. And truth be told, that was his name.
So everyone looked at the mayor. "How do we decide where he'll live?" Allison asked. She loved that big, brown-eyed Henry.
"Well," the mayor drawled, "we'll have a contest, and we'll call this contest Calling the Dog." Everyone turned to him and listened closely. This sounded like a very wise plan.
"Here's how it goes," the mayor said. "First, we'll build a fire." They didn't really need a fire, but it made them feel cozy and close to each other, and it was getting a bit chilly as the sun set. "Now we'll sit around this fire," the mayor said, "and we'll tell each other lies. Whoever tells the biggest, grandest, greatest, most fabulous lie will get to live with Henry here."
Henry was nearby, ears cocked, listening too. He loved stories. This seemed a great plan.
"Let's begin," the mayor said. "You first, Allison."
Allison clapped her hands together, straightened her hair, blushed a little bit and looked at everyone. "I can fly," she said. "My nanny taught me how to fly when I was just a little girl, but she told me I could never tell a soul. I would lose my gift if I told, but see, I'd rather be earthbound and live with Henry than fly with the birds."
"Just a minute," Brian interrupted. "That's a fine lie, Ally, but I'll tell you all something. You're not the only one who knows how to fly. I've seen lots of people flying around. If you go down to the valley there" -- and he pointed across the river -- "you'll see a whole town of flying folks and flying animals. I've been there myself, and I can take you there ..."
But before Brian could finish, Sarah jumped up. "People just don't fly," she said, placing her hands on her hips, "but angels fly. I know that for a fact, because I'm an angel, and we fly. But I'll tell you this: I can't fly when people are near because when I spread my wings, and some person catches me at it, he just shrivels up and burns away, so I don't want to harm anyone." She tossed her long, blond hair as if to hide those wings.
"Just one minute there," Gregory interrupted. "If you're going to lie, you have to show me, so I'll show you. Just watch." And he stood up and raced to the river and jumped right in. A minute later he came up all wet and messy.
"There," he said proudly as he walked, dripping, back to the fire. "That's proof. I can breathe underwater. I have lungs, and I have gills, too," he said. "If you don't believe me, you just come on in the water with me."
Now no one wanted to go swimming because the air was too chilly, and so they sat and waited for someone else to speak.
"I'm waiting for a glorious lie," the mayor said. And Henry sat right up and barked in agreement. He hadn't heard a lie worth a dog. The mayor looked all around, and he called on each person, and every person told a story. One said he could travel in time; one said she had elves in her attic; another said he knew how to speak dog, and to prove it, he walked to Henry's side and barked and barked, but Henry just lay there, listening.
They told lies all night long. At last, as the sun began to rise, the mayor looked around the group and saw little Jill sitting quietly, not saying much. It was her turn for a story, so the mayor said, "Jill, did you want to tell a story, sweetie?"
Jill blushed and shook her head and looked down at her lap. Then she looked shyly at Henry. She loved that dog, but she shook her head once again. "Sorry, Mr. Mayor. I love that Henry there. He's the sweetest thing I ever saw, but truth to tell, I've never told a lie in my life."
And the minute she said that, Henry leaped up and ran to little Jill and put his head right in her lap.
"You win!" the mayor said. And everyone clapped because they knew that Jilly had won, fair and square.
The second book collection of wonderful tales from "Tell Me a Story" is available for $14.95, plus $2 for postage and handling. Send your orders to "The Spectacular Gift," in care of Andrews McMeel Publishing, P.O. Box 419242, Kansas City, Mo. 64141; or call (800) 642-6480. Be sure to indicate your newspaper's name on your order. Allow three to four weeks for delivery.
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