Fluffy and the Terrible T’s
Today is a very special day. Mrs. Wilson is letting her six new pups go to their new homes. There were four males and two females and they were some of the prettiest pups you have ever seen. They were French Poodles.
People came by to take their pups home and Mrs. Wilson had a little pang in her heart as she said goodbye to them. Puppies are so adorable and so much fun to play with. She knew she would miss these pups the most.
The last family to arrive was the Millers. Seth and Sarah were twins and they were getting the last two puppies, a male and a female.
The twins had not seen the puppies before and had no idea they were getting them for their 10th birthday. It was a complete surprise.
Seth ran right up to the male and picked him up and Sarah picked up the female pup. She held her close and told her how beautiful she was and the puppy fell instantly in love with her new owner. Seth’s dog was a rich chocolate brown and he was a short stocky little pup. He named him Hershey and they formed an instant bond. Hershey followed Seth like a shadow.
Sarah named her beautiful puppy Fluffy. She was an Apricot color and was darker around her face and paws, and the color faded from her neck back to her tail so that she was just a hint of light beige.
Mr. Miller picked up Fluffy and looked her over and said, “Well she named you right, little one. You are nothing but fluff!”
Mrs. Miller told the children that they would stop at the pet store and let them choose some things for their pups.
The pet shop was awesome! Seth and Sarah had never been in one before and they didn’t know where to go first. They saw fish and birds, dogs and cats, hamsters and white mice, bunnies and many other animals.
Julie, a friendly young lady, walked over and welcomed them to the pet shop and asked how she could help them.
“We have new puppies,” said Sarah.
“Yeah, and we need things for them,” said Seth.
“I think we will have what you need,” said Julie.
She went over to the dog section as she explained to the Millers about the care of puppies. They chose some puppy food and then let the children choose a bed and some special toys and treats for each pup.
Sarah bought a pink and lavender bed for Fluffy and a pink collar with clear stones and a pink and lavender leash with multi-colored stones.
Seth chose a bright orange collar with little spikes on it and the leash was orange with black stripes. Mr. Miller said Seth must think Hershey was going to grow up to be a Bulldog or a tiger! He bought a bed that was bright orange with black tiger stripes and that made everyone laugh.
The kids got settled in with the pups and set up their beds and toys and fed them and they fell sound asleep.
Puppies grow up very fast and they are so much fun as they run and tumble and explore their world.
Seth and Hershey played rough and Hershey grew to be a very tough little Poodle.
Sarah was very quiet and gentle with Fluffy and she was a very loving and gentle Poodle.
In time the pups were introduced to some of the other dogs and cats in their neighborhood. They met Jacques and Phee Phee, two other Poodles, and Bosco, the Boxer, and Della, the Dalmation. There was Chueaux Chueaux the Chow Chow, Dax, the Dachshund, and Corky, who was a Welsh Corgi, and Sandi, the Cocker Spaniel. The dogs all got along very well.
The cats in the neighborhood got along for the most part. Some were nice and friendly and others were very stuck-up. Felina, was a gray and white Tabby, Emmaleese was a Siamese, Two Shoes was a yellow and white stray, and he had two paws with white markings shaped like shoes.
An old stray showed up at Mr. Edward’s house with a very short tail and Mr. Edward named him “Saw’doff”. He was a very cute and friendly old cat. Hershey and Fluffy liked him the most of all of them.
The most feared cat of all was a big black cat named Hex. He was born on Halloween and he was so black you could not see him in the dark, and he was the meanest cat alive. He had some very bad scars on his face and chunks missing from his ears and one lip, and he walked like he was always in pain. He would just as soon scratch you as to look at you. His favorite pastime is to hide in the Wisteria vine in his front yard, wait on a dog to walk across the yard, and he would attack, jumping onto their backs and he would sink his claws deep into their sides and backs and ride them out of the yard! Oh did he make them howl!
Fluffy and Hershey were very careful to stay away from Hex and a few others who were not so nice, but overall, they loved playing with their wonderful friends.
All of that changed the day the Thompson family moved into the neighborhood. The mom was a big woman. She was 5 ft. 10 ½ inches tall and she weighed 295 lbs. She bellowed when she talked. She had flaming red hair, beady looking green eyes, and a mean streak a mile long.
The dad was meaner than she was and all of the kids in the neighborhood were afraid of him. He had black hair and eyes that looked like coal, and he stood 6 ft. 7 inches tall, weighing 355 lbs. He never smoked it but he always had a big stub of a cigar stuck in the corner of his mouth.
What was scarier than Mr. and Mrs. Thompson were their five horrible boys! I think the whole town lived in fear of that family.
Thomas Thompson was 16 years old and he stood 6 ft. 1 ½ inches tall and weighs about 280 lbs. He should have been a junior in high school but he had failed 3 times and is in the 8th grade and doing poorly. He has jet black hair and eyes.
Tony is 14 years old and is in the 9th grade. He is tall, about 5 ft. 9 inches tall, and he weighs about 145 lbs. He had red hair like his mom and light green eyes.
Teddy is 12 years old and is such a cute kid. He is in the 6th grade and is small and wiry. He has sandy blond hair and blue eyes. He has the sweetest nature and doesn’t seem to belong with that family.
Travis is 8 years old and is so hateful he makes Hex run for cover! The boy is an oaf! He should be in the third grade but he is still in first. His hair is brown and so are his eyes.
Timmy is five years old and had not yet completed even 4 months of Pre-K. He is the worst kid in school! He is nearly 4 ½ ft. tall and he weighs 129 lbs. His hair should be blond, but he is so dirty and his hair is so filthy it looks dark brown. His eyes are a faded baby blue and they sort of bug out of his head, and they look like pools of water. He has allergies and his nose is always running and he uses his arms or his shirt sleeves or both to wipe it instead of using a handkerchief or tissue.
Their mother screams “T’s” when she wants them and they all come running from wherever they may be at the time.
Mrs. Thompson always wanted a girl, so she is nicer to the girls in the neighborhood than to the boys. Luckily, Sarah seems to be the one she sees as the daughter she always wanted but never had, so she protects her from her brood.
You may think that the terrible T’s are bad, but you have not had the pleasure, or the horror, of meeting their pack of Pitbulls! There is Mauler, the oldest and biggest one, Crusher, Jaws, and Morti, short for Mortician, because he kills every dog and cat in sight when he is loose.
When Sarah met Mrs. Thompson and showed her how beautiful and sweet Fluffy is, she immediately demanded that the boys restrain Morti, and told them that if he dared to get loose and harms one animal, she personally will strangle the life out of him and I believe that she would do it. The boys and their dad built a big pen and made sure that Morti could not escape. Inside the pen, Morti is chained.
The Thompson boys and their dogs brought the end of peace and happiness in our neighborhood. The moment they saw a kid, a dog or a cat, the teasing began. They had a nickname for every person or animal they saw.
It began with Seth and Hershey. Seth immediately became “Beth” and Hershey was called Percy, Curtsy, Milky Way, and Mars bar, among other things. They called Seth a sissy because his dog was a poodle. They assured him daily that their dogs ate poodles as a snack.
It was even worse for Sarah. They teased her about everything they could think of. Their favorite name for her was Twigs because she was so tall and thin and they said her legs looked like twigs. When they saw Fluffy, they called her Stuffy, Huffy, Bluffy, Puffy and Wuffy. They would say anything they could think of that would make Sarah sad, and laugh about it. They would walk their dogs on a leash because it is a law, but they would tell the kids that they were going to let the dogs go so they could eat their dogs and they would make the dogs bark viciously at the animals.
Fluffy was terrified of the dogs and the boys. The dogs talked to her in their own language and they made her shake and cry every time she even thought of them. They would tell her what they would do to her and to her brother when they could get loose.
It got so bad that Fluffy shook with fear every time the front door opened. She would cry and cry every time anyone tried to take her outside. Hershey was also afraid but he tried really hard not to show it.
Seth and Sarah found reasons not to go out to play. Their parents didn’t think too much about that, but then their grades began to drop in school and they were having lots of tummy aches and head aches. They were too afraid to say anything to their parents or teachers but their parents and teachers knew that something was wrong.
Sarah’s teacher, Miss Fisher, and Seth’s teacher, Mrs. Price, called for a parent/teacher conference.
Mr. and Mrs. Miller asked Seth and Sarah that night if there was anything wrong or anything they wanted to talk about before they go and talk to their teachers. Fearing that the terrible T’s would follow through with their threats of killing their precious pups, they both said that everything was fine.
It turned out that the twins did not have to tell on the bullies. The kids at school were talking at recess and lunch time and the teachers overheard what they were saying about the terrible T’s. The teachers were appalled at the behavior of these awful boys.
The teachers asked for a faculty meeting with the principal that afternoon and they informed the principal of what was happening.
The principal, Mrs. Phillips, had already had some dealings with the Thompsons and their boys.
The church pastor was called in to the meeting and while waiting for him to arrive, the youth counselor was called. Upon arrival, they were informed of the situation. They were shocked to hear that it was happening again.
The Thompson boys were all so bad and they had bullied children and their pets to no end. Their awful dogs had mauled and killed so many animals wherever they lived, the town councilmen had held town meetings and the family had been forced to move.
All of the parents were called to a special meeting at the school and Mrs. Phillips explained to them how their children were being teased and tormented by the Thompson boys.
Brother Norton opened the meeting with a prayer then the discussion followed as to what course of action to take to resolve this problem. After several hours of frustration and not getting anything settled, Brother Norton suggested that he call a meeting of all of the clergy in the area and pool their thoughts and ideas. The meeting adjourned with many parents and teachers extremely frustrated and irate. Nothing, they thought, was going to be done!
That night parents began to talk with their children about the terrible T’s. Some were so frightened they told their parents that there was no problem. The Miller twins were among them.
Mr. and Mrs. Miller called the children into their den to tell them about the school meeting. Both children were very quiet and would not look at their parents. Mrs. Miller told them about the pastor opening with a prayer and Sarah looked up and sighed with relief.
“What did he ask God?” Sarah asked excitedly.
“I’m not quite sure what you mean,” said Mrs. Miller.
“Well,” said Sarah, “I have been talking to God every day and every night. I ask Him to please just make the terrible T’s go away.”
“But He doesn’t listen!” said Seth. “I ask Him every day to save Fluffy and Hershey from them and their mean dogs!”
Mr. Miller said thoughtfully, “Well, Seth, Sarah, maybe He is listening and He did answer your prayers, because so far they have not harmed your pups.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” said Seth.
“Me either,” said Sarah.
Mr. Miller asked them why they had not come to them to tell them that they were being teased and tormented by these awful boys, and Seth told them that would kill Fluffy and Hershey and they would hurt him and Sarah if they did.
“Why are they so mean, Daddy?” asked Sarah.
“Why do they want to hurt animals and people?” asked Seth. “What has anyone ever done to them?”
“That’s a good question,” said Mrs. Miller.
She told the children that it was time for bed and they all knelt in prayer and asked Our Lord to help them find a way to help the terrible T’s.
Brother Norton made his phone calls to the clergy of the area and they all met the next afternoon. After much discussion they agreed to call the Thompsons and ask them to come to the meeting. Much to their surprise, the Thompsons agreed.
Mr. and Mrs. Thompson looked very nervous and had no idea why they were called to meet with these holy men.
Brother Norton explained why they were asked to attend this meeting. He told them about all the grief their boys were causing in the community.
The Thompsons sat there in stunned silence for a few minutes then Mr. Thompson asked when all of this happened. He said he and his wife had no idea that the boys were doing the things they had been accused of.
“Oh surely you knew,” said Father Braden. “Your dogs have killed so many animals you are under a court order to contain them.”
“And you have to realize that your boys have failed in school, they have been expelled from every school they have attended, and they are punished most of their time at school. Surely you know that they have no friends,” said Pastor Neilsen.
Rev. Bishop added that the boys have never attended any religious classes and they don’t attend any of the churches in the area.
“What’s that got to do with anything?” asked Mrs. Thompson.
“It has everything to do with their character, or the lack there of, Ma’am,” said Brother Jensen. “Everyone, no matter how big, no matter how small, has to have the guidance of The Lord in his or her life. There’s a line between good and bad, and one has to know how to balance so they do not cross over to the bad side. Your boys seem to have gone to the bad side and stayed there!”
“Now its time to get them back on the good side and get The Lord standing beside them,” said Brother Norton. “All we ask is for you to come to church on Sunday. It doesn’t matter which church you attend. God hears us. He watches over us. When we come together to pray and to worship Our Lord on His day there is a special reverence that comes to us. Our lives take a turn for the better. We come together as a community. We learn to give rather than take, to help rather than harm. We want you and your boys to be a part of that.”
“We want to find out how to help them and you,” said Father Braden.
“I think we should test the boys to see where their weak spots are and what their strengths are,” said Rev. Bishop. “We can teach the boys proper manners and social interaction,” said Pastor Neilsen.
“We also need to see about getting those boys a good-natured dog to teach them how a dog is supposed to be treated and to teach them love and tolerance. These Pitbulls only show them anger, aggression and intolerance,” said Brother Jensen.
The clergymen and the Thompsons talked for hours and everyone left there feeling as though there was hope and a peaceful solution to this unpleasantness.
Sarah’s and Seth’s teachers were called by Brother Norton and they in turn phoned the Millers and gave them the news. Seth and Sarah learned that night that the teasing and tormenting would soon come to an end.
Sarah ran right into her room and picked up Fluffy and hugged her and told her that she would be safe from the T’s and their naughty dogs. That night she slept with Fluffy in her arms and she slept better than she had since the Thompsons moved into the neighborhood.
Saturday morning Sarah took Fluffy out in the front yard and Fluffy wasn’t as nervous as usual. Sarah ran and played with her and froze on the spot when she saw Teddy coming towards her. The boys terrified her, but Teddy had never been mean to her or to Seth or the pups.
Fluffy stopped in her tracks and just stared at Teddy and Sarah reached down and picked her up.
Teddy asked if he could sit and talk to her and Sarah nodded yes. They sat under the tree in the front yard.
“I want you to know that my parents had a talk with the local religious guys and they told them that we have been treating everyone pretty bad,” said Teddy. “I wanted to say that I am sorry.”
“You never did anything to hurt me or my brother or our puppies, but your brothers are really mean,” said Sarah. She told him how Fluffy never wants to come out to play anymore because she was so afraid of them and their awful dogs.
He asked if he could pet Fluffy and she said it was okay with her if Fluffy didn’t mind.
Fluffy could tell he meant her no harm and it wasn’t long before she went over to him and let him pick her up. Fluffy stole his heart.
Teddy and Sarah became instant friends that day. He even asked her what church they attend and when she told him he said that he and his family would be there in the morning. Sarah was so pleased and she did her best to tell him all about their church and the wonderful congregation and what to expect.
When Teddy went home nearly two hours later he had the biggest smile on his face and he told Sarah thank you so many times and he actually hugged Fluffy and gave her a kiss on top of her head.
At home Teddy told his parents that he had done some research about the churches and he knew which church they needed to go to and he explained to them what Sarah had told him.
The Thompson family showed up for the service Sunday morning and the Millers were at the door to greet them and welcome them to the service.
It was a little weird to see the terrible T’s all cleaned up and dressed in nice clothes and all of them had gotten hair cuts. They looked out of place, but good.
Everyone was so nice to them and Brother Norton just seemed to know exactly what to say in his sermon to make them want to come back. He and his youth counselor sat with the family after the service and let them know all that was available to them. They stayed for the church social afterwards and they met most of the congregation. They were a bit overwhelmed that everyone accepted them so readily.
I’d love to say that things changed overnight and all was well with the world but it was no fairy tale ending. It took time for the four other boys to learn to behave.
People volunteered to teach them anything and everything they could possibly teach them. When the boys were tested it was discovered that Thomas, Travis and Timmy were all dyslexic. Timmy was also colorblind. The teachers found just the right people to help them and their grades improved greatly. Since Teddy and Tony made good grades already, they also helped their brothers.
Near the end of the school year Mr. Thompson announced that he had found homes for the dogs. He had come to realize that these dogs were not meant to live in a nice neighborhood and he knew what his family would be facing if and when their dogs hurt or killed someone or a pet.
The boys were upset because they did love their dogs, but over the past months they had grown and gained so much knowledge and had actually made some good friends and they learned to care about people, so they knew it was best to give them up. Their parents promised to get them a dog by the beginning of the summer, so that made it a bit easier.
Hershey and Fluffy grew up to be such loveable little dogs. Without the T’s teasing them, they relaxed and once again enjoyed being out in the neighborhood. They had befriended Teddy and Tony, and were beginning to warm up to Thomas. They still steered clear of Travis and Timmy and Hex, but maybe in time things would get better.
By: Kay Olds
For: Ahlanna
Today is a very special day. Mrs. Wilson is letting her six new pups go to their new homes. There were four males and two females and they were some of the prettiest pups you have ever seen. They were French Poodles.
People came by to take their pups home and Mrs. Wilson had a little pang in her heart as she said goodbye to them. Puppies are so adorable and so much fun to play with. She knew she would miss these pups the most.
The last family to arrive was the Millers. Seth and Sarah were twins and they were getting the last two puppies, a male and a female.
The twins had not seen the puppies before and had no idea they were getting them for their 10th birthday. It was a complete surprise.
Seth ran right up to the male and picked him up and Sarah picked up the female pup. She held her close and told her how beautiful she was and the puppy fell instantly in love with her new owner. Seth’s dog was a rich chocolate brown and he was a short stocky little pup. He named him Hershey and they formed an instant bond. Hershey followed Seth like a shadow.
Sarah named her beautiful puppy Fluffy. She was an Apricot color and was darker around her face and paws, and the color faded from her neck back to her tail so that she was just a hint of light beige.
Mr. Miller picked up Fluffy and looked her over and said, “Well she named you right, little one. You are nothing but fluff!”
Mrs. Miller told the children that they would stop at the pet store and let them choose some things for their pups.
The pet shop was awesome! Seth and Sarah had never been in one before and they didn’t know where to go first. They saw fish and birds, dogs and cats, hamsters and white mice, bunnies and many other animals.
Julie, a friendly young lady, walked over and welcomed them to the pet shop and asked how she could help them.
“We have new puppies,” said Sarah.
“Yeah, and we need things for them,” said Seth.
“I think we will have what you need,” said Julie.
She went over to the dog section as she explained to the Millers about the care of puppies. They chose some puppy food and then let the children choose a bed and some special toys and treats for each pup.
Sarah bought a pink and lavender bed for Fluffy and a pink collar with clear stones and a pink and lavender leash with multi-colored stones.
Seth chose a bright orange collar with little spikes on it and the leash was orange with black stripes. Mr. Miller said Seth must think Hershey was going to grow up to be a Bulldog or a tiger! He bought a bed that was bright orange with black tiger stripes and that made everyone laugh.
The kids got settled in with the pups and set up their beds and toys and fed them and they fell sound asleep.
Puppies grow up very fast and they are so much fun as they run and tumble and explore their world.
Seth and Hershey played rough and Hershey grew to be a very tough little Poodle.
Sarah was very quiet and gentle with Fluffy and she was a very loving and gentle Poodle.
In time the pups were introduced to some of the other dogs and cats in their neighborhood. They met Jacques and Phee Phee, two other Poodles, and Bosco, the Boxer, and Della, the Dalmation. There was Chueaux Chueaux the Chow Chow, Dax, the Dachshund, and Corky, who was a Welsh Corgi, and Sandi, the Cocker Spaniel. The dogs all got along very well.
The cats in the neighborhood got along for the most part. Some were nice and friendly and others were very stuck-up. Felina, was a gray and white Tabby, Emmaleese was a Siamese, Two Shoes was a yellow and white stray, and he had two paws with white markings shaped like shoes.
An old stray showed up at Mr. Edward’s house with a very short tail and Mr. Edward named him “Saw’doff”. He was a very cute and friendly old cat. Hershey and Fluffy liked him the most of all of them.
The most feared cat of all was a big black cat named Hex. He was born on Halloween and he was so black you could not see him in the dark, and he was the meanest cat alive. He had some very bad scars on his face and chunks missing from his ears and one lip, and he walked like he was always in pain. He would just as soon scratch you as to look at you. His favorite pastime is to hide in the Wisteria vine in his front yard, wait on a dog to walk across the yard, and he would attack, jumping onto their backs and he would sink his claws deep into their sides and backs and ride them out of the yard! Oh did he make them howl!
Fluffy and Hershey were very careful to stay away from Hex and a few others who were not so nice, but overall, they loved playing with their wonderful friends.
All of that changed the day the Thompson family moved into the neighborhood. The mom was a big woman. She was 5 ft. 10 ½ inches tall and she weighed 295 lbs. She bellowed when she talked. She had flaming red hair, beady looking green eyes, and a mean streak a mile long.
The dad was meaner than she was and all of the kids in the neighborhood were afraid of him. He had black hair and eyes that looked like coal, and he stood 6 ft. 7 inches tall, weighing 355 lbs. He never smoked it but he always had a big stub of a cigar stuck in the corner of his mouth.
What was scarier than Mr. and Mrs. Thompson were their five horrible boys! I think the whole town lived in fear of that family.
Thomas Thompson was 16 years old and he stood 6 ft. 1 ½ inches tall and weighs about 280 lbs. He should have been a junior in high school but he had failed 3 times and is in the 8th grade and doing poorly. He has jet black hair and eyes.
Tony is 14 years old and is in the 9th grade. He is tall, about 5 ft. 9 inches tall, and he weighs about 145 lbs. He had red hair like his mom and light green eyes.
Teddy is 12 years old and is such a cute kid. He is in the 6th grade and is small and wiry. He has sandy blond hair and blue eyes. He has the sweetest nature and doesn’t seem to belong with that family.
Travis is 8 years old and is so hateful he makes Hex run for cover! The boy is an oaf! He should be in the third grade but he is still in first. His hair is brown and so are his eyes.
Timmy is five years old and had not yet completed even 4 months of Pre-K. He is the worst kid in school! He is nearly 4 ½ ft. tall and he weighs 129 lbs. His hair should be blond, but he is so dirty and his hair is so filthy it looks dark brown. His eyes are a faded baby blue and they sort of bug out of his head, and they look like pools of water. He has allergies and his nose is always running and he uses his arms or his shirt sleeves or both to wipe it instead of using a handkerchief or tissue.
Their mother screams “T’s” when she wants them and they all come running from wherever they may be at the time.
Mrs. Thompson always wanted a girl, so she is nicer to the girls in the neighborhood than to the boys. Luckily, Sarah seems to be the one she sees as the daughter she always wanted but never had, so she protects her from her brood.
You may think that the terrible T’s are bad, but you have not had the pleasure, or the horror, of meeting their pack of Pitbulls! There is Mauler, the oldest and biggest one, Crusher, Jaws, and Morti, short for Mortician, because he kills every dog and cat in sight when he is loose.
When Sarah met Mrs. Thompson and showed her how beautiful and sweet Fluffy is, she immediately demanded that the boys restrain Morti, and told them that if he dared to get loose and harms one animal, she personally will strangle the life out of him and I believe that she would do it. The boys and their dad built a big pen and made sure that Morti could not escape. Inside the pen, Morti is chained.
The Thompson boys and their dogs brought the end of peace and happiness in our neighborhood. The moment they saw a kid, a dog or a cat, the teasing began. They had a nickname for every person or animal they saw.
It began with Seth and Hershey. Seth immediately became “Beth” and Hershey was called Percy, Curtsy, Milky Way, and Mars bar, among other things. They called Seth a sissy because his dog was a poodle. They assured him daily that their dogs ate poodles as a snack.
It was even worse for Sarah. They teased her about everything they could think of. Their favorite name for her was Twigs because she was so tall and thin and they said her legs looked like twigs. When they saw Fluffy, they called her Stuffy, Huffy, Bluffy, Puffy and Wuffy. They would say anything they could think of that would make Sarah sad, and laugh about it. They would walk their dogs on a leash because it is a law, but they would tell the kids that they were going to let the dogs go so they could eat their dogs and they would make the dogs bark viciously at the animals.
Fluffy was terrified of the dogs and the boys. The dogs talked to her in their own language and they made her shake and cry every time she even thought of them. They would tell her what they would do to her and to her brother when they could get loose.
It got so bad that Fluffy shook with fear every time the front door opened. She would cry and cry every time anyone tried to take her outside. Hershey was also afraid but he tried really hard not to show it.
Seth and Sarah found reasons not to go out to play. Their parents didn’t think too much about that, but then their grades began to drop in school and they were having lots of tummy aches and head aches. They were too afraid to say anything to their parents or teachers but their parents and teachers knew that something was wrong.
Sarah’s teacher, Miss Fisher, and Seth’s teacher, Mrs. Price, called for a parent/teacher conference.
Mr. and Mrs. Miller asked Seth and Sarah that night if there was anything wrong or anything they wanted to talk about before they go and talk to their teachers. Fearing that the terrible T’s would follow through with their threats of killing their precious pups, they both said that everything was fine.
It turned out that the twins did not have to tell on the bullies. The kids at school were talking at recess and lunch time and the teachers overheard what they were saying about the terrible T’s. The teachers were appalled at the behavior of these awful boys.
The teachers asked for a faculty meeting with the principal that afternoon and they informed the principal of what was happening.
The principal, Mrs. Phillips, had already had some dealings with the Thompsons and their boys.
The church pastor was called in to the meeting and while waiting for him to arrive, the youth counselor was called. Upon arrival, they were informed of the situation. They were shocked to hear that it was happening again.
The Thompson boys were all so bad and they had bullied children and their pets to no end. Their awful dogs had mauled and killed so many animals wherever they lived, the town councilmen had held town meetings and the family had been forced to move.
All of the parents were called to a special meeting at the school and Mrs. Phillips explained to them how their children were being teased and tormented by the Thompson boys.
Brother Norton opened the meeting with a prayer then the discussion followed as to what course of action to take to resolve this problem. After several hours of frustration and not getting anything settled, Brother Norton suggested that he call a meeting of all of the clergy in the area and pool their thoughts and ideas. The meeting adjourned with many parents and teachers extremely frustrated and irate. Nothing, they thought, was going to be done!
That night parents began to talk with their children about the terrible T’s. Some were so frightened they told their parents that there was no problem. The Miller twins were among them.
Mr. and Mrs. Miller called the children into their den to tell them about the school meeting. Both children were very quiet and would not look at their parents. Mrs. Miller told them about the pastor opening with a prayer and Sarah looked up and sighed with relief.
“What did he ask God?” Sarah asked excitedly.
“I’m not quite sure what you mean,” said Mrs. Miller.
“Well,” said Sarah, “I have been talking to God every day and every night. I ask Him to please just make the terrible T’s go away.”
“But He doesn’t listen!” said Seth. “I ask Him every day to save Fluffy and Hershey from them and their mean dogs!”
Mr. Miller said thoughtfully, “Well, Seth, Sarah, maybe He is listening and He did answer your prayers, because so far they have not harmed your pups.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” said Seth.
“Me either,” said Sarah.
Mr. Miller asked them why they had not come to them to tell them that they were being teased and tormented by these awful boys, and Seth told them that would kill Fluffy and Hershey and they would hurt him and Sarah if they did.
“Why are they so mean, Daddy?” asked Sarah.
“Why do they want to hurt animals and people?” asked Seth. “What has anyone ever done to them?”
“That’s a good question,” said Mrs. Miller.
She told the children that it was time for bed and they all knelt in prayer and asked Our Lord to help them find a way to help the terrible T’s.
Brother Norton made his phone calls to the clergy of the area and they all met the next afternoon. After much discussion they agreed to call the Thompsons and ask them to come to the meeting. Much to their surprise, the Thompsons agreed.
Mr. and Mrs. Thompson looked very nervous and had no idea why they were called to meet with these holy men.
Brother Norton explained why they were asked to attend this meeting. He told them about all the grief their boys were causing in the community.
The Thompsons sat there in stunned silence for a few minutes then Mr. Thompson asked when all of this happened. He said he and his wife had no idea that the boys were doing the things they had been accused of.
“Oh surely you knew,” said Father Braden. “Your dogs have killed so many animals you are under a court order to contain them.”
“And you have to realize that your boys have failed in school, they have been expelled from every school they have attended, and they are punished most of their time at school. Surely you know that they have no friends,” said Pastor Neilsen.
Rev. Bishop added that the boys have never attended any religious classes and they don’t attend any of the churches in the area.
“What’s that got to do with anything?” asked Mrs. Thompson.
“It has everything to do with their character, or the lack there of, Ma’am,” said Brother Jensen. “Everyone, no matter how big, no matter how small, has to have the guidance of The Lord in his or her life. There’s a line between good and bad, and one has to know how to balance so they do not cross over to the bad side. Your boys seem to have gone to the bad side and stayed there!”
“Now its time to get them back on the good side and get The Lord standing beside them,” said Brother Norton. “All we ask is for you to come to church on Sunday. It doesn’t matter which church you attend. God hears us. He watches over us. When we come together to pray and to worship Our Lord on His day there is a special reverence that comes to us. Our lives take a turn for the better. We come together as a community. We learn to give rather than take, to help rather than harm. We want you and your boys to be a part of that.”
“We want to find out how to help them and you,” said Father Braden.
“I think we should test the boys to see where their weak spots are and what their strengths are,” said Rev. Bishop. “We can teach the boys proper manners and social interaction,” said Pastor Neilsen.
“We also need to see about getting those boys a good-natured dog to teach them how a dog is supposed to be treated and to teach them love and tolerance. These Pitbulls only show them anger, aggression and intolerance,” said Brother Jensen.
The clergymen and the Thompsons talked for hours and everyone left there feeling as though there was hope and a peaceful solution to this unpleasantness.
Sarah’s and Seth’s teachers were called by Brother Norton and they in turn phoned the Millers and gave them the news. Seth and Sarah learned that night that the teasing and tormenting would soon come to an end.
Sarah ran right into her room and picked up Fluffy and hugged her and told her that she would be safe from the T’s and their naughty dogs. That night she slept with Fluffy in her arms and she slept better than she had since the Thompsons moved into the neighborhood.
Saturday morning Sarah took Fluffy out in the front yard and Fluffy wasn’t as nervous as usual. Sarah ran and played with her and froze on the spot when she saw Teddy coming towards her. The boys terrified her, but Teddy had never been mean to her or to Seth or the pups.
Fluffy stopped in her tracks and just stared at Teddy and Sarah reached down and picked her up.
Teddy asked if he could sit and talk to her and Sarah nodded yes. They sat under the tree in the front yard.
“I want you to know that my parents had a talk with the local religious guys and they told them that we have been treating everyone pretty bad,” said Teddy. “I wanted to say that I am sorry.”
“You never did anything to hurt me or my brother or our puppies, but your brothers are really mean,” said Sarah. She told him how Fluffy never wants to come out to play anymore because she was so afraid of them and their awful dogs.
He asked if he could pet Fluffy and she said it was okay with her if Fluffy didn’t mind.
Fluffy could tell he meant her no harm and it wasn’t long before she went over to him and let him pick her up. Fluffy stole his heart.
Teddy and Sarah became instant friends that day. He even asked her what church they attend and when she told him he said that he and his family would be there in the morning. Sarah was so pleased and she did her best to tell him all about their church and the wonderful congregation and what to expect.
When Teddy went home nearly two hours later he had the biggest smile on his face and he told Sarah thank you so many times and he actually hugged Fluffy and gave her a kiss on top of her head.
At home Teddy told his parents that he had done some research about the churches and he knew which church they needed to go to and he explained to them what Sarah had told him.
The Thompson family showed up for the service Sunday morning and the Millers were at the door to greet them and welcome them to the service.
It was a little weird to see the terrible T’s all cleaned up and dressed in nice clothes and all of them had gotten hair cuts. They looked out of place, but good.
Everyone was so nice to them and Brother Norton just seemed to know exactly what to say in his sermon to make them want to come back. He and his youth counselor sat with the family after the service and let them know all that was available to them. They stayed for the church social afterwards and they met most of the congregation. They were a bit overwhelmed that everyone accepted them so readily.
I’d love to say that things changed overnight and all was well with the world but it was no fairy tale ending. It took time for the four other boys to learn to behave.
People volunteered to teach them anything and everything they could possibly teach them. When the boys were tested it was discovered that Thomas, Travis and Timmy were all dyslexic. Timmy was also colorblind. The teachers found just the right people to help them and their grades improved greatly. Since Teddy and Tony made good grades already, they also helped their brothers.
Near the end of the school year Mr. Thompson announced that he had found homes for the dogs. He had come to realize that these dogs were not meant to live in a nice neighborhood and he knew what his family would be facing if and when their dogs hurt or killed someone or a pet.
The boys were upset because they did love their dogs, but over the past months they had grown and gained so much knowledge and had actually made some good friends and they learned to care about people, so they knew it was best to give them up. Their parents promised to get them a dog by the beginning of the summer, so that made it a bit easier.
Hershey and Fluffy grew up to be such loveable little dogs. Without the T’s teasing them, they relaxed and once again enjoyed being out in the neighborhood. They had befriended Teddy and Tony, and were beginning to warm up to Thomas. They still steered clear of Travis and Timmy and Hex, but maybe in time things would get better.
By: Kay Olds
For: Ahlanna
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