Dog Days of Summer {{open}}

[Basil]

Basil did observe that Little John placed his arm in such a way to shield the mouse from further falls. Though he mentally appreciated the bear's gesture, Basil was now holding on quite securely to the rope and in no further danger of tumbling overboard.

In fact, in spite of his near-drowning, Basil was now thoroughly enjoying the ride. It was really rather thrilling to be tossed up one slope and down the other, always spinning round in unpredictable directions. Add to that the refreshing spray that continually washed over a chap and the amusing sight of waterfalls dropping onto one's companions without warning, and the whole effect was one of jolly good fun.

It was, however, too bad for Toby. Fortunately for the hound, the ride was soon over, though all too quickly, according to his master.

"I say, that was a ripping-good sail! I should like to have another go at it." One glance at his pet changed Basil's tune. "Perhaps not. Come along, Toby, old lad. Let's find you a quiet spot to dry off in."

<<Feel free to continue enjoying the water park, even though this particular ride is over>>

[Wart]

By the time the boat bumped against the pier, Wart was sorry the cruise was ending. He returned to dry land breathless but exhilarated. "If sailing is this much fun, I'll have to think about spending more time with the Royal Navy," he said to himself.

But that was for another time; right now, there was no King of England, only a small boy called Wart. And he was eager for more.

His first thought was to go back and board another boat, but then his eyes rested on some high slopes in the distance from which happy screams emanated as bathers slid down--without any boats at all!

That looked exciting! Wart took off running towards the nearest, not thinking to see if anyone was tagging along.

[Charlotte]

For once, it seemed, Lottie was all screamed out. When the boat bounced up against the dock at last, the southern belle crawled out onto the wooden pier. The ride had taken its toll; her blonde ringlets fell like wet rope, clinging all around her mascara-streaked face, a face rendered a sickly pale shade both by her recent terror and by the washing away of most of her make-up.

If Big Daddy were here, he'd have somebody's job for this. But Lottie couldn't figure out who to complain to. Instead she just made her way to a chaise and collapsed on it in a mock faint. She really did want to lie down, but fainting? No, her constitution was much too robust for that, more's the pity.

[Penny]

Penny was listening to what Patch had to say about comparing the truck ride and boat ride, in which the boat ride was a lot tame than the truck and she replied saying “ yeah of course that was scary but I’m hoping not to fall out of the boat, don’t you remember mum grabbing someone who was so close to being killed?”

Penny than said to Little John and Patch “ hey at least this ride is better than the Swiss family treehouse place, remember that?”

Penny was listening to Little John about his work and lunch and she said “ oh that would be nice, I would love to serve you sometime Little John.”

Penny saw the ride was getting to the end and she said to Pepper, Patch and Little John. “ hang on tight. It’s about to get Woah!!!”

[Pepper]

Pepper heard Penny and Patch talk about the truck ride and this boat ride and comparing them and she said to both of them “ somehow in a way, I kinda enjoyed that ride, it was exhilarating and challenging.”

Pepper heard Patch talk about pushing Lucky into the soot and she said to him “ hey you’re the reason why we survived Cruella, if you didn’t push Lucky in the soot, dad wouldn’t have gotten the idea to get us all dirty, so thank you Patch.”

Pepper looked forward at the ride and she saw the ride was about get fast and furious and she held on to the boat as well as she could.

Pepper heard Little John talk about buying lunch and she said “ thanks Little John, I wish there was a way I could repay you.”

[Patch]

“Oh, I remember, all right,” Patch said to Penny as he jumped out of the boat after the ride was over. “That’s why I’m saying that this boat ride is a lot tamer than that truck ride we had.”

He stepped a few feet away from the rest of the group for a moment and shook himself dry, making sure that this action wasn’t bothering anyone there. He then returned to the group and looked over to Pepper to respond to her.

“Well, I never thought that pushing Lucky into the fireplace would give Dad the idea to become Labradors in order to get to the truck,” he said, taking what Pepper just said into consideration. “Well, since you put it that way, maybe I shouldn’t feel that bad about having pushed Lucky in the fireplace. I wouldn’t have done that, though, if he hadn’t blown soot in my face when we were playing there.”

As he was ready to leave the ride with his sisters and Little John, he wondered where the rest of the group would be going and what they would be doing.

“I really enjoyed this ride. Maybe we can go on again, even if it’s less of us going on.”

Watching the rest of the group, Patch could tell that Toby and Charlotte wouldn’t want to go on this ride again.

[Little John]

“You don’t have to,” Little John said to Pepper as he helped her and Penny out of the boat after the ride was over. “I’m just happy to be of help to those in need, even you guys.”

The large bear was now ready to head back to the wave pool where he and Patch just were before.

“Let’s go back to that pool for a bit,” he said to the three young spotted canines as he started walking back to the wave pool. “I just need to go get some of my money so I can buy us something to eat, and I’ll find us the nearest food place for us to buy food from.”

As he made his way back to the wave pool, he thought about what Penny just said about the place called Swiss Family Treehouse.

“Oh, I remember goin’ in that treehouse with the two of you,” he said, looking down at Penny and Patch for a moment. “There was no ride. There was no Swiss family. Just rooms with no way of getting in them. That made me wonder how there could be a home like that for any family. And just as we got out of there, that’s when we first met Mowgli.”

As soon as Little John made it back to the wave pool, he opened his drawstring backpack, grabbed his wallet, and grabbed a few twenty-dollar bills from it.

“I think this should be enough for lunch for the four of us,” he said as he placed the wallet back in his backpack and closed his backpack. “Now, let’s see what they have out here.”

[Penny]

Penny heard what Little John had to say about the Swiss treehouse and she said to him “ yeah, it felt like a pretty boring museum and I usually log museum especially if they have interested things in them.”

Penny heard Patch talk about going on the ride again and she wouldn’t mind going on again but it’s up to the others. “ hey Patch I don’t mind going on again, that ride was a lot of fun and exciting but it just depends on what the others do. “

Penny heard that Little John was buying lunch for everyone and she was getting hungry and she said to him “ thanks for buying lunch, maybe I could go for some calamari and fries or chips as I call them. What food do you like Little John?”

[Pepper]

Pepper heard Patch talk about Lucky and the soot incident in their lives and she said to him “ well you and or Lucky are heroes somewhat.”

Pepper then heard Penny and Little John talk about this Swiss Treehouse and she was confused as she had no idea what they were talking about and she asked Penny, Little John or Patch “ hey what is this Swiss Treehouse thing that you speak of.”

Pepper then heard Patch want to go on the ride again and she said “ yeah sure I don’t mind.”

She asked Little John “ do you want to go on the ride one last time before lunch ?”

Pepper was hoping for lunch to eat something spicy and she said to Little John “ thanks for buying lunch, I’m hoping for anything spicy.”

[Patch]

“Yeah, we looked at three rooms in that treehouse for about ten minutes, hoping that we would see members of the Swiss family there,” Patch said as he reached the spot where he and Little John were before they went on that boat ride, and he looked over to Penny to respond to her. “Swiss Family Treehouse. It’s an attraction that looks like a treehouse where a Swiss family lives, but all that happens there is that the park guests walk up and down the steps and look at all the rooms there that are closed off with nets, so nobody can get in those rooms or reach for anything in them.”

As Patch waited for Little John to get out some money for lunch, he took this time to respond to Penny and Pepper on a couple of things.

“More like unintentional helpers,” he said regarding what more was said about the situation in which the three Dalmatian pups and their family and eventual step-siblings went on a truck ride to get away from Cruella and make it back to London. “If there’s anyone who really deserved to be called a hero that time, it’s Dad. Lucky and I may have given that idea to him, but it was Dad who did most of the work.”

He then looked around, seeing that those whom he, his sisters, and Little John were on the boat ride with were going their separate ways and doing their things.

“Looks like it’s gonna be just the four of us for the time being,” he said, “even if we’re to go on that boat ride again.”

[Little John]

“We’re gonna go have lunch, now,” Little John said to Pepper as he picked up his bag and carried it over his left shoulder and held the money he would use to buy lunch with in his right hand, and he turned to Penny. “I’ll take whatever food they have to offer, though I like some vegetable stew the most. Of course, that was pretty much all I could do when I was livin’ with Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest, but I’ve gotten used to it, just like I have gotten used to fish and chips since after I started workin’ at the fish shop.”

Speaking of fish shops, Little John spotted a food place in the area that sold fish, just like the Yorkshire County Fish Shop, the food place where the bear worked at. This place was called Typhoon Tilly’s.

“Hey, let’s have lunch over there,” he said to Patch, Penny, and Pepper as he faced the direction of Typhoon Tilly’s. “That place has fish and chips, just like the place I work at.”

He then started heading to the food place and waited there for the three young Dalmatians when he reached it.

[Andrina]

The group seemed spit between who wanted to go again and those who were done. The other blonde in the chair was most definitely done...

Andrina herself was all for finding another adventure, be it here for elsewhere, "Well, I'm gonna go see what other kinds of rides this place has", she said, glancing across at some of the options she could see even from here. Her eyes landed on the slide like ride Wart had also spotted, and she pondered that one, but decided maybe she would see what else she could find on her way there!

Rubbing her hands she trotted off along at a still brisk pace. For a girl who made a habit of riding dolphins (when they let her) it would take a lot more before she was tired.

[Spot]

As they exited the ride, Spot shook himself once more and for the final time, presumably, unless the group ended up going on any other water rides. The wild boy was up for anything, but now that he had found Patch, Pepper, Penny and their guardian Little John, he was much more interested in what the puppies and bear were doing and so listened as they discussed the puppies prior ride in a truck and whether or not to have another ride or lunch!

Spot was up for either! Though he knew inviting himself to lunch could be tricky, that could be considered rude if you did it wrong. Of course so was stealing food, but that was a different kind of rude that Spot was ok with. These puppies were his friends and adopted in siblings.

This didn't mean Spot was shy though, he rushed over to sit beside Pepper and yipped. "Fish? Can I come for Fish?"

[Penny]

Penny nodded at Little John and she said to Patch “ maybe we can go on the ride after lunch and we digest. Can we do that Little John ?”

Penny saw Spot coming over and she said to Pepper “ look your friend is back.” She then said to Spot sticking her paw out for a hand shake “ It’s good to see you again Spot.”

Penny said to Little John “can I see the menu please?”

She then said to him “ thanks again for buying lunch for us. We owe you heaps.”

Penny smirked at Patch and said to him with pride in her heart “ yeah he is a hero, I’ve said it before and I say it again, no dog is better than dad.”

[Pepper]

Pepper was talking to Penny and Patch when she heard Penny mention about Spot and she turned to see Spot and gave him a hug and she said “ oh I’m so excited to see you again Spot. Everything is good now. I have my family, a father figure in Little John and my good friend Spot. What more could I ask for.”

She heard Penny say the we could on the ride after lunch and she acknowledged and followed Little John, Penny, Patch and Spot to where ever they would have lunch.

Pepper asked Little John “how long have you been working in the fish n chips shop for?”

Pepper heard Penny’s quote at what she said to Patch about dad and she said “ he is.”

[Patch]

Patch went to the food place called Typhoon Tilly’s with Penny, Pepper, and Little John for lunch, nodding at Pepper in response to her response to him about Pongo, their father, along the way. When the group got there, the male Dalmatian pup saw that the food place was a shack-like outdoor restaurant, which showed that it was a lot like the fish shop that Little John worked at, except the two food places had different themes.

The young spotted canine quickly turned around to see Spot join the group.

“Hello, Spot!” he said excitedly, his tail wagging at the joy of more of those he and his sisters knew joining them. “How nice of you to join us for lunch.”

Having seen Spot just join the group for lunch, though, Patch couldn’t help but wonder whom the woman that boy was with earlier was, so he decided to ask him about it.

“So, Spot,” he began, “who was that lady you were with when we saw you at that ride earlier?”

[Little John]

Little John stopped at Typhoon Tilly’s close enough to see the menu on an overhead board there.

“The menu is up there,” he said to Penny, pointing at the overhead menu board. “Would you like me to give you a boost so you can see it?”

Before the bear could get a chance to help Penny get a better view of the menu, he heard that a human boy called Spot, someone whom Penny, Patch, and Pepper knew, just came over to join the group for lunch.

“Hello, there, Spot,” he said as he saw the boy have a seat by Pepper at one of the tables. “So, you’re a friend of Pepper’s, eh? And you know Patch and Penny, too? Well, then, you are welcome to join us and have some fish for lunch with us.”

The former outlaw went on to respond to Pepper before he could check what was on the menu.

“I’ve been working at that shop since the day I came to the park, and that was, I believe, several months ago.”

[Spot]

Spot grinned as Penny shook his hand, and of course shook back. It was still a very fun custom he had picked up off of the other humans around this place. No sooner had he released Penny's paw then he was squished into a hug by Pepper. He hugged back, touching his forehead to hers as had been the custom among the wilder humans he grew up around in showing affection.

The puppies' talk soon turned to their father, and Spot listened in insterest. Luckily he didn't have to feel left out, he could recall both his biological father and his later adopted one to compare against, and again if the puppies' father showed up he might look after Spot also, as they had said.

"Oh, what kind of brave things did he do?", Spot asked the puppies in barks*.

Little John gave him the go-ahead to join them and that was good enough for Spot! He quickly climbed up on a chair and glanced at the menu the bear indicated. Thankfully it had helpful pictures since he still couldn't read. "Ooh that!", he pointed to a picture of some battered fish on a plate with fries. It seemed a safe choice, he could tell, even in picture form.

“who was that lady you were with when we saw you at that ride earlier?”

Spot tilted his head as he tried to think, oh the girl he had just left! "I didn't get a name"[/b], he told Patch, "But she was in that dusty place too and is real nice. She can even turn part into a fish!".

The boy knew of this secret of Andrina's that she wasn't trying to guard exactly but still few did and of them Spot could only tell so many, mostly animals, so it was still a sort of safe secret.

(*So Spot communicates by barking, which the puppies pick up, but I'm not sure about Little John since the anthropomorphic animals count almost as human I think in terms of animal speak, which is a real shame given the gossip he knows though the puppies can tell about Andrina if it comes up)

[Basil]

<<Just to clarify: Little John is, for all intents and purposes, a man, not an animal, as are all the anthropomorphic animals on this site (Panchito, Nick, DW, etc). None of them can understand what barking dogs are saying. Even Goofy, who is a dog, would not understand, if he were here.

Carry on.>>

[Pepper]

Pepper heard what Spot had to say about her father and she said to him “ oh he saved our lives. He would do anything for us. For instance Penny, Patch and myself were kidnapped if you want to call it that and we were taking to Cruella’s place who is a woman who turns animal skin in to a fashion accessory. The three of us were going to become another item if it wasn’t for my parents who traveled all over England to get us.”

Pepper then turned her attention to Little John and the menu at the fish n chips shops and she said “ how much money did you get paid.” She then said “ I’ll get some fish n chip, my friend. “

[Penny]

Penny heard what Spot said about her father and thanked him for shaking hands. She also heard Pepper said about her Father to Spot and she said to Pepper “ yeah, you’re right Pepper from what you said about dad. “ she then turned to Spot “ Well I am a huge daddy’s girl. I love my father. I wish I could take you to meet him one day. He will give you confidence in yourself and he is also very welcoming.”

Penny turned to Patch and Spot and she said to him “ hey do you like seafood and if so what seafood do you like ?”

Penny looked at the menu and she saw calamari and chips and said to Little John “ there it’s on the menu Little John can I please have this one?”

Penny said to Patch, Pepper, Spot and Little John “ do you know I have a seafood diet?”

[Patch]

Patch looked at Spot, Penny, and Pepper in surprise when the subject of the pups’ father, Pongo, and what their father did to save them and all the other Dalmatian pups from being made into fur coats by the crazy woman called Cruella DeVil was brought up. He decided to step in and speak his piece on the matter.

“There were more of us there than Penny, Pepper, and me,” he said to Spot. “There were our other twelve siblings, and there were a lot more who were bought from pet shops by the Baduns, Jasper and Horace, two men who brought us all to Cruella’s place, where they were gonna pop us off and skin us. Fortunately, our dad came and rescued us all, and so did our mother. We can’t forget that she was there, too.”

Even though none of the Dalmatians got killed for their fur back at Cruella’s place, having been stolen and about to get made a coat out of really disturbed Patch, and it still did to this day. He was just as disturbed when he heard Spot explain that the woman he just asked him about could turn partly into a fish, as interesting as it sounded, since the group was about to have lunch at a place where fish was sold for food, just like the food place where Little John worked at.

Patch then looked up at the overhead menu board to see what he would like to have for lunch.

“I like seafood,” he said to Penny, still looking up at the menu. “I eat fish from the fish shop that Little John works at for dinner, like three or four nights a week, I think.”

He then found something on the menu that he would like for lunch.

“I’ll go for the shrimp basket,” he said, and he saw that his choice of lunch included a choice of apple slices or French fries for the side, “and I’d like to have apple slices with it.”

[Little John]

Hearing the boy called Spot bark something to the three young Dalmatians, Little John couldn’t get anything he was saying to them. However, with how Pepper, Penny, and Patch responded to Spot (which wasn’t by barking like how the boy just communicated with the young Dalmatians), he could tell that all the young ones with him were talking about how the pups and their siblings and eventual step-siblings were about to get killed for their fur by Cruella, but saved by their parents. After having heard about what Cruella was like when he was with Penny, Patch, and Mowgli at Adventureland the other day, he never thought that he would hear any more mention of her, that was, until now; he felt very disturbed and uncomfortable whenever he heard any mention of this woman after having been told all about the nature of her.

“Um, I think we should order, now,” he said to the others in the group, trying to change the subject as quickly as possible, and he looked over to Spot and saw what he was pointing at on the menu. “That’s the battered fish basket. You want that?”

The bear listened to the Dalmatian pups’ choices of food, as well.

“All right,” he said, nodding, and he went into his bag and his wallet to get out an extra twenty-dollar bill from there. “I’ll get you guys all that, and I’ll get for myself a shrimp and fish combo basket with French fries…I thought those are chips, but oh, well…and I’ll get for all of us bottled water.”

Little John then started heading to the counter with eighty dollars in twenties in his hand.

“Oh, I get paid hundreds a week,” he responded to Pepper before he reached the counter. “Sometimes over a thousand.”

[Penny]

Penny was so happy to hear Patch say those good words about her mum and she was thinking of all the things her mother has done for her, Patch, Pepper and all her family and she said to Patch “ absolutely, how can anyone forget what mum did and will continue to do for us. You know Patch as much as I look up to dad and call him the best dog ever, I try my best to be just like mother.” She had a tear in her eye.

Penny saw Little John then pay for the food and she said to him “ thank you so much once again for paying for us. Seriously you have to one day come and visit me at my farm and I want to serve you.”

[Pepper]

When Pepper listening to Patch and Penny talk about her family, her mother and her father and siblings she was wondering how they were and wondered if anyone else had arrived at the park. She then heard Penny and Patch talk specifically about their mother and when she heard it, she agreed with both Patch and Penny “ yeah you guys are right, we would have survived without mother.” She then spoke about her family to them “ I remember all of them. I remember us sitting together, watching Thunderbolt, Patch being Patch.“ she said to them.

She then turned to Little John and she said to him “ $1000, seriously, you’ll be a millionaire shortly. But you deserve it you work hard. Actually this may sound weird but this next time you go to work and I come with and help out?”