Why The Chihuahua Lives In The House --a...

Long ago when time was young, the dog lived in the mountains. His name was Chihuahua. He had a thick fur coat, all shaggy and brown. Chihuahua was small but his fuzzy coat made him appear twice as big as he was. Chihuahua was cute and sassy too.

One day he decided he would go down to the desert to see who lived there. Aha, a tortoise lived there under a cactus. And there was a village of prairie dogs, who had many holes which they scooted into when danger came. There were a few coyotes, who lived in the caves at the edge of the canyon.

He came to the desert and called loudly. "I'm here now. Come out here and talk to me."

Tortoise poked his head out of his shell and said "It's very hot out there. I'm keeping cool in here."

Prairie dogs peered out of their holes. "No, we're staying out of the beating sun. It's much better in our holes."

A few coyotes slipped out of their cave and looked over at Chihuahua, all fuzzy and brown. They laughed and went back into their cave, shaking their heads and saying " That dog is loco."

Chihuahua called again. "Come out, come out! I'm going to come and live down here with you. I can see that you're afraid to live out here in the desert. That must be why you're all hiding. You're not enjoying the lovely sun, though it is a bit hot!"

"That's why we hide. It's too hot to be out there. The only times we come out is in the cool morning and the cool evening." they all called back.

"Well, you could live out here in the sun, if you took off your coats or shell" Chihuahua panted. "I'm actually going to take off my coat. Then I'll be just right out here in the sun"

"Never should you do that," whispered Tortoise. "There will be the night's revenge."

"Oh Chihuahua, stop, stop, stop," the prairie dogs chorused in unison. "There will be the night's revenge."

Every coyote howled over to Chihuahua, "You're going to be very sorry if you take off your coat. There will be the night's revenge."

But alas, Chihuahua took off his coat right then and threw it away. He stayed cool all the rest of the day. "Look at me, I'm very cool. There's even a little shade by this cactus."

The coyotes, Tortoise, and the prairie dogs came out in the cool of the evening. They gathered around Chihuahua, as he lay there enjoying the cool of the evening. When dark came, his company all returned to their holes, caves and shell. Chihuahua shivered a bit.

By midnight Chihuahua's teeth were chattering. Even when the moon came over the canyon side, it gave no warmth, only a little light, but he could not see any of the animals. "They all are staying warm." he cried. "Why did I throw away my coat. I can't stay here at night. I need to find somewhere to go in the night."

He barely made it through the night. The coyotes, the prairie dogs and Tortoise visited him at dawn as the earth warmed to the rising sun. Chihuahua was stiff with the cold he had endured. They scolded him for his arrogant act. They told him that there was an old trader who came across the desert every few days and he would be here today.

Tortoise had a suggestion. "Why don't you ask the old man if you can come with him. He lives in a cabin at the edge of the desert."

Chihuahua waited until the trader man approached. He put on his cutest airs. He trotted with sassiness behind the man. Old trader man bent down and scooped up Chihuahua, and put him in his mule pack. Chihuahua went home with Old Trader Man. He knew he would forever be cold in the night. He knew he had been a very foolish dog, and he knew he was going to stay in a house from now on. He knew what night's revenge was.