Autumn had arrived bringing with it cooler air and blustery showers. If the sun was out, it still had some warmth and today was no exception. I am a Lhasa Apso and it was a great day for a walk. Dad had decided on a country walk not far from where we lived. We drove there in the red car. You know. The one I don’t like very much. When we arrived I could see the river and the long path that ran alongside it. I loved this walk and couldn’t wait to get going.
Tranquil Autumn
It was very quiet and tranquil along the pathway and we had the place to ourselves. Dad unhooked my lead so I quickly raced off down the path. When I looked back, dad was talking to another human and so I ran on. Then I saw the rabbit. As you know, rabbit chasing is a hobby of mine and as it took off, so did I.
Rabbits are very good runners because they are agile and fast but this little Lhasa Apso puppy is a pretty good runner too. My opponent zigged and zagged along the path until disaster struck. I missed a turn and tumbled down the riverbank trapping myself in the mud below. When I looked around, I was stuck in a small patch of mud. There was a steep bank in front of me and the river was behind me. Just to make matters worse, I couldn’t move. All my instincts screamed danger.
Slithering danger
When I fell, I had disturbed a small heap of sticks in the corner of this small space. As I looked at the sticks they started moving and a small head emerged followed by a long slithering body. A snake! This creature was reddish brown in colour and had diamond markings on its body. It was a very scary and slithery creature who looked angry. I started barking. I couldn’t help myself but it just seemed to agitate the snake which moved closer still.
Stand-off
Standing in the mud face to face with a dangerous snake made me feel very frightened so I remained still. The snake watched every move I made, swaying from side to side, but it didn’t advance. I sat down in the mud and did not move a muscle. Everything became very quiet. Then the snake seemed to lose interest in me and slithered back to its stick home. Just then, I heard dad’s voice behind me. “Well done Poppy. You did the right thing. Some snakes can be quite dangerous.” Dad was standing in the water. He pulled me out of the mud and placed me on the riverbank. He then clambered up himself and we walked back to the car.
Safe and sound
On the way home I thought about what had happened and how easily a dog could be badly hurt. I think I had made the snake angry by disturbing its home but I don’t think it was really interested in me. I was safe now in the red car on my way home. Maybe it wasn’t so bad after all. See you next week.
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