Shaley (P. O. W. )

Alex tacked a sale sign on the bulletin board. His Airedale bitch, Galen had whelped nine pale pups, according to the calendar six weeks earlier. Four female, five male. The pups father was a Malemute from a neighboring farm.

They were hale, hearty and full of mischief. One male weighed nine pounds on the scales. All had big brown eyes that watched you balefully when scolded. Like yesterday when their romping had knocked over grandma's Chippendale vase on the table in the foyer. It was just aleatory Alex had caught the vase before it could smash on the floor.

The runt of the litter an alert spunky gal, liked tugging his pant legs. Alex and his sister Geena wished they could keep her. Alex tried keeping an ambivalence attitude toward the pups or he would not have the heart to let them go and go they must. They could not afford to feed them much longer.

Walking home Alex crossed a vale and saw Geena picking pink azalea's growing near the stream in the meadow. Grandpa was pulling the haybaler behind the tractor to bale hay. He used to have a pair of Clydesdale horses, but caved into modern equipment when Tamale the mare died leaving Valent, retired to pasture and rides for small children.

Alex went to help grandpa with the haying. That evening, grandma said there were seven calls for the pups. One fellow wanted two. All had homes but the runt . Grandpa said he better make the bills of sale for the new owners. After five days. Grandpa said to offer the last pup for free.

Geena looked disappointed and Alex swallowed a lump in his throat. They thought if no one bought her they could keep her. Alex tacked up a new ad. After two weeks Geena appealed to Grandpa who said, "If no one wants her after two more weeks we'll keep her." Alex and Geena squealed in delight.

One hot afternoon the kids were sipping Ginger-ale on the porch. A man asked if they still had the pup. Geena sadly laid down her paint palette propped on her knees while painting a picture. "Alex", grandma said, "bring the puppy here." Alex went to fetch the little female. His morale was full of disappointment. He found her sleeping under the roses in the shade. He picked out some thorns impaled in her soft fur.

The man examined her eyes, teeth and feet. Turning her belly up he exclaimed. "I thought this was a male!" Grandma frowned at Alex who protested the ad read female. The man pulled the ad out of his pocket. Part of the ad had been torn off making the ad read male rather than female.

"No! I need a male." the man said, thanking them. Geena and Alex's relieved laughter pealed through the air. Grandpa said, "I guess we got us a little girl, what you going to name her?" Geena said "Shaley, because her fur is the color of shale rocks down by the creek" Everyone liked the name and Shaley had a home with two happy children.