off the bench.
"Let him smell you first, Lily," the father said cautiously. "You don't want to scare him."
The child held out her hand, and Gabriel sniffed the pink skin of her palm. Fragments of scents clung toher flesh: Soap that smelled like bubble gum; cheese crackers; sugary fruit juice; her mother's perfume. Gently, he lapped the child's hand.
Lily squealed with delight and began to pat his head. "You're a good dog, aren't you," she cooed, "andyour ears are so soft."
Gabriel already knew that, but it didn't prevent him from enjoying the child's attentions, until he caughtthe delicious aroma of food. He lifted his snout and pulled in the olfactory delights as he watched Lily'smother place a hot dog on the table where the child had been sitting.
"C'mon, Lily. Let the doggie go back to his family and you eat your lunch."
Lily patted his head again and leaned in very close. "Good-bye, doggie," she said, kissing his nose as hisstomach gurgled loudly. "Was that your belly?" She giggled.
Gabriel looked deeply into her eyes. "Yes," he answered with a short, grumbling bark.
She couldn't understand him as Aaron did, but still, she seemed to grasp his answer—as if he weresomehow able to touch her mind.
"Are you hungry?" she asked.
Gabriel could not lie to the child and barked affirmatively while he used his mind to tell her that he wouldlove a bite of her lunch.
The child suddenly turned and walked toward the picnic table. She snatched up her hot dog, tore off ahunk—bread and all—and brought it back to Gabriel.
"I don't know if you should do that, honey," her father cautioned.
Lily presented the food to the Lab, and he gently plucked it from her hand, swallowing it in one gulp.
Thank you, Lily, he thought, looking into her eyes.
"You're welcome," she responded with a pretty smile.
Lily's father walked over, carrying his own sandwich in one hand. "Okay," he said, trying to steer thechild back toward the table. "I think the doggie's had enough. Say good-bye now."
Gabriel stared intently at the man. "Before I go," he directed his thoughts toward Lily's father, "can 1have a bite of your sandwich?"
Without a moment's hesitation, the man tore off a piece of his hamburger and tossed it to the Lab.
Gabriel was satisfied. The painful pangs of his empty belly had been temporarily assuaged with the helpof Lily and her parents—it had been awfully generous of them to share their lunch—and he was headingback to join Aaron, exploring as he went.
The tinkling of a chain was the first thing to capture his attention, and then he became aware of her scent.
Gabriel stopped at the beginning of an overgrown path that led to a small area designated for children. He noticed some swings, a tiny slide, and a wooden playhouse shaped like a train. Again came the jangleof a chain, and from behind the playhouse appeared another dog, her nose pressed to the sand as shefollowed a scent that had caught her fancy.
Gabriel's tail began to wag furiously as he padded down the path and barked a friendly greeting. Howgood is this? he thought. A full belly and now somebody to play with.
The female flinched, startled by his approach. Her tail wagged cautiously. She, too, was a yellow
Labrador retriever and she wore a pretty, red bandanna around her neck, as well as the chain.
He moved closer. "I'm Gabriel."
The female continued to stare, and he noticed that the hackles of fur at the back of her neck had begunto rise.
"Don't be afraid,"he said soothingly. "1 just want to play." He lay down on the ground to show her that
he meant no harm. "What's your name?"
The female moved slowly toward him, sniffing at the air, searching for signs of a threat. How odd,thought
Gabriel. Maybe her family doesn't let herplay with other dogs. "I'm Gabriel," he said again.
"Tobie,"she replied, hackles still raised.
"Hello, Tobie. Do you want to chase me?"heasked pleasantly, rising to all fours.
Tobie sniffed at
"Let him smell you first, Lily," the father said cautiously. "You don't want to scare him."
The child held out her hand, and Gabriel sniffed the pink skin of her palm. Fragments of scents clung toher flesh: Soap that smelled like bubble gum; cheese crackers; sugary fruit juice; her mother's perfume. Gently, he lapped the child's hand.
Lily squealed with delight and began to pat his head. "You're a good dog, aren't you," she cooed, "andyour ears are so soft."
Gabriel already knew that, but it didn't prevent him from enjoying the child's attentions, until he caughtthe delicious aroma of food. He lifted his snout and pulled in the olfactory delights as he watched Lily'smother place a hot dog on the table where the child had been sitting.
"C'mon, Lily. Let the doggie go back to his family and you eat your lunch."
Lily patted his head again and leaned in very close. "Good-bye, doggie," she said, kissing his nose as hisstomach gurgled loudly. "Was that your belly?" She giggled.
Gabriel looked deeply into her eyes. "Yes," he answered with a short, grumbling bark.
She couldn't understand him as Aaron did, but still, she seemed to grasp his answer—as if he weresomehow able to touch her mind.
"Are you hungry?" she asked.
Gabriel could not lie to the child and barked affirmatively while he used his mind to tell her that he wouldlove a bite of her lunch.
The child suddenly turned and walked toward the picnic table. She snatched up her hot dog, tore off ahunk—bread and all—and brought it back to Gabriel.
"I don't know if you should do that, honey," her father cautioned.
Lily presented the food to the Lab, and he gently plucked it from her hand, swallowing it in one gulp.
Thank you, Lily, he thought, looking into her eyes.
"You're welcome," she responded with a pretty smile.
Lily's father walked over, carrying his own sandwich in one hand. "Okay," he said, trying to steer thechild back toward the table. "I think the doggie's had enough. Say good-bye now."
Gabriel stared intently at the man. "Before I go," he directed his thoughts toward Lily's father, "can 1have a bite of your sandwich?"
Without a moment's hesitation, the man tore off a piece of his hamburger and tossed it to the Lab.
Gabriel was satisfied. The painful pangs of his empty belly had been temporarily assuaged with the helpof Lily and her parents—it had been awfully generous of them to share their lunch—and he was headingback to join Aaron, exploring as he went.
The tinkling of a chain was the first thing to capture his attention, and then he became aware of her scent.
Gabriel stopped at the beginning of an overgrown path that led to a small area designated for children. He noticed some swings, a tiny slide, and a wooden playhouse shaped like a train. Again came the jangleof a chain, and from behind the playhouse appeared another dog, her nose pressed to the sand as shefollowed a scent that had caught her fancy.
Gabriel's tail began to wag furiously as he padded down the path and barked a friendly greeting. Howgood is this? he thought. A full belly and now somebody to play with.
The female flinched, startled by his approach. Her tail wagged cautiously. She, too, was a yellow
Labrador retriever and she wore a pretty, red bandanna around her neck, as well as the chain.
He moved closer. "I'm Gabriel."
The female continued to stare, and he noticed that the hackles of fur at the back of her neck had begunto rise.
"Don't be afraid,"he said soothingly. "1 just want to play." He lay down on the ground to show her that
he meant no harm. "What's your name?"
The female moved slowly toward him, sniffing at the air, searching for signs of a threat. How odd,thought
Gabriel. Maybe her family doesn't let herplay with other dogs. "I'm Gabriel," he said again.
"Tobie,"she replied, hackles still raised.
"Hello, Tobie. Do you want to chase me?"heasked pleasantly, rising to all fours.
Tobie sniffed at
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