Black, the Christmas Dog

By Emma Pearson

March 29, 2024

22 December 2021

I cannot find the picture that Julia drew for this piece of work. It was beautiful. A black dog called Black, with Christmas Tinsel tied around his neck. WordPress puts up its own picture, apparently.

Once upon a time there was a dog called Black.  Black was as black as night.  Black lived in a family.  Every day, Black would wake up, stretch, shake his body, wipe his eyes with his paws and start his day.  Everyone was greeted cheerfully as they came down the stairs, with Black swishing his tail like mad.  He loved to be scratched and tickled and often lay on his back, with his paws stretched out, looking a little like a chicken ready to be tied up before going in the oven! 

Black loved his life.  He got to go on walks twice a day – at least!  He also had a garden to play in.  There was just one little problem with his life.  When he went on his walks, he sometimes came across a dog called Pic who was quite nasty to him.  Pic would growl at Black, and sometimes even bite his tail!  Black was very scared, and the bites hurt him a lot.  Black was generally a happy dog and all dogs liked him except for this one.  He couldn’t understand and wanted to make friends with Pic but Pic didn’t seem to understand.

On Christmas day, Black woke up early and did his usual stretching, shaking and cleaning.  He was really happy because there were even more people to tickle and scratch him!  He also got some presents.  Funnily, it wasn’t the presents that interested him most, but the wrapping paper.  He also liked the Christmas tree and spent time tugging at the tinsel.  When it was time to go on a walk, Black went to the Christmas tree and tugged again at the tinsel.  Some of it fell away from the tree – along with some of the ornaments – which he ignored, of course!  He wrapped the tinsel around himself and went off on his walk. 

When Black saw Pic, for once Pic stopped in his tracks.  He didn’t come close, he didn’t try to bite him – he even started to walk away backwards.  What was this strange, glittery dog coming towards him?  Black called out to Pic and said “don’t be afraid!  I would like us to be friends.  I don’t like it when you bite my tail.  If you stop biting me, I will give you some of my tinsel”.  Pic agreed, and took some of the tinsel by biting the tinsel off.  Black even gave him a little more.  “Now we can be like twins, or best friends”, said Black. 

Black and Pic walked back to Black’s house together, said Merry Christmas to each other, and went their separate ways, looking forward to the special dinner they would get that day. 

Julia Kemp

22 December 2012
nine years ago today
when she was eight years old

About Emma Pearson

1 thought on “Black, the Christmas Dog

  1. Thats such a wonderful, vivid, kind and hopeful piece of writing to read Em. How lovely of you to share it with us. Hope you shared lovely memories of Julia and Mike andChristmases past over the holiday. X

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