Lemon Fetch And Limping Dogs
There was a citrus tree in our back yard, dripping with lemons. There was a small fluffy dog in our house, bursting with energy. The small fluffy dog had two stuffed toys which his owners were quite clear were for indoor play only. We played vigorous games of indoor fetch with the small fluffy dog, pretending to throw the toy while he raced up and down the hallway searching for it. Lacking traction on the bamboo floor, he struggled with rapid take-off, sudden changes of direction, and heavy braking. We exploited this weakness for our own amusement. Deprived of his toys while outdoors the small fluffy dog circled our chairs like a shark at feeding time, desperately bringing his indoor toys outdoors in the hope of playtime. One day, tired of confiscating his indoor toys, I picked up a lemon from the collection on the table, and threw it to him. "Play with that," I said. And he did. He played his own game of fetch, tapping the lemon with his nose, rolling it with his paws, a