Read The characters
The story below is a chapter from the children's book The Central Park Tales, written and illustrated by Marcus Meesters.
All use of it, other than reading it on this website, is prohibited. ©2014 Marcus Meesters, all rights reserved
All use of it, other than reading it on this website, is prohibited. ©2014 Marcus Meesters, all rights reserved
CHAPTER 3
THE TEA PARTY
THE TEA PARTY
“DOCTOR BEGGAR! MISTER Pup! Hurry up! It's Monday morning,
time to go to dog school!” called Mother Dog from down the hallway. “Miss
Virginia is waiting for you! And I still have to set the table for my friends
who are coming to tea.”
“But I don’t want to,” said Doctor B, as he emerged from his bedroom. “And neither does Mister Pup. Do you?”
Mister Pup, who had now come out of his room, shook his head.
“Want to or not, you’re going,” said Mother Dog. “If you don’t get your dog diplomas, you will never achieve anything!”
“But we learn nothing at school,” muttered Doctor B. “Miss Virginia only gives boring lessons about good manners.”
“That 's very kind of her,” said Mother Dog. “Let her see that you’ve already learned them from me. And, anyway, practicing them at school will do you good. Besides, she only gives classes three mornings a week, so Thursday you’ll have off again.”
“We much prefer to play outside, don’t we, Mister Pup?” said Doctor B.
Mister Pup nodded.
“Hush! To school!” said Mother Dog, who had now lost her patience, and her sons reluctantly shuffled out the door.
“Just in time,” Mother Dog thought to herself, as she looked at the clock. Then she set the table with her best tablecloth and laid her homemade ginger cake down on it.
Half an hour later, Mother Dog’s friends arrived. They sat at the table while Mother Dog poured a cup of tea for them.
“Your house has such lovely decor,” said Miss Poodle, as she brought her teacup to her lips. “And how delicious does this cake of yours smell!”
“Yes, your house really looks gorgeous,” said Miss Dachshund, as she looked around. “You have decorated your walls so nicely. Miss Bouvier’s house is not nearly as lovely.”
“But I don’t want to,” said Doctor B, as he emerged from his bedroom. “And neither does Mister Pup. Do you?”
Mister Pup, who had now come out of his room, shook his head.
“Want to or not, you’re going,” said Mother Dog. “If you don’t get your dog diplomas, you will never achieve anything!”
“But we learn nothing at school,” muttered Doctor B. “Miss Virginia only gives boring lessons about good manners.”
“That 's very kind of her,” said Mother Dog. “Let her see that you’ve already learned them from me. And, anyway, practicing them at school will do you good. Besides, she only gives classes three mornings a week, so Thursday you’ll have off again.”
“We much prefer to play outside, don’t we, Mister Pup?” said Doctor B.
Mister Pup nodded.
“Hush! To school!” said Mother Dog, who had now lost her patience, and her sons reluctantly shuffled out the door.
“Just in time,” Mother Dog thought to herself, as she looked at the clock. Then she set the table with her best tablecloth and laid her homemade ginger cake down on it.
Half an hour later, Mother Dog’s friends arrived. They sat at the table while Mother Dog poured a cup of tea for them.
“Your house has such lovely decor,” said Miss Poodle, as she brought her teacup to her lips. “And how delicious does this cake of yours smell!”
“Yes, your house really looks gorgeous,” said Miss Dachshund, as she looked around. “You have decorated your walls so nicely. Miss Bouvier’s house is not nearly as lovely.”
“Certainly
not,” said Miss Poodle. “I recently visited Miss Bouvier for tea. Her walls don’t stand out. A little bit of
paint would do wonders there.”
At that moment a “Yoo-hoo!” sounded and Miss Virginia came in.
“What's the matter?” said Mother Dog surprised. “Isn’t it a school day? My children went to school this morning.”
“Yes, it's a school day indeed, but your children didn’t show up. They’ve been playing truant again.”
Miss Dachshund glanced at Miss Poodle and Miss Poodle gently gave Miss Dachshund a knowing look.
“I’m pleased you’ve alerted me,” said Mother Dog, and she poured a cup of tea for Miss Virginia. “When they come home this afternoon they’ll be in trouble!”
Just then, someone barked at the door.
“Who could that be?” murmured Mother Dog curious, as she walked to answer it.
On the threshold stood two ladies.
"Good morning, ma'am," said the taller lady politely. "We are sisters Hilda and Tini. We have come to live in the neighbourhood and wanted to introduce ourselves to you."
At that moment a “Yoo-hoo!” sounded and Miss Virginia came in.
“What's the matter?” said Mother Dog surprised. “Isn’t it a school day? My children went to school this morning.”
“Yes, it's a school day indeed, but your children didn’t show up. They’ve been playing truant again.”
Miss Dachshund glanced at Miss Poodle and Miss Poodle gently gave Miss Dachshund a knowing look.
“I’m pleased you’ve alerted me,” said Mother Dog, and she poured a cup of tea for Miss Virginia. “When they come home this afternoon they’ll be in trouble!”
Just then, someone barked at the door.
“Who could that be?” murmured Mother Dog curious, as she walked to answer it.
On the threshold stood two ladies.
"Good morning, ma'am," said the taller lady politely. "We are sisters Hilda and Tini. We have come to live in the neighbourhood and wanted to introduce ourselves to you."
“How nice,”
said Mother Dog. “You certainly came at the right time. My friends are visiting
and I'm about to serve cake.”
“That's very kind of you,” said Miss Hilda, “but we really don’t want to bother you.”
“Don’t be silly,” said Mother Dog. “My door is always open. You are more than welcome.”
She accompanied the sisters to the table where she introduced them to the other ladies.
“That's very kind of you,” said Miss Hilda, “but we really don’t want to bother you.”
“Don’t be silly,” said Mother Dog. “My door is always open. You are more than welcome.”
She accompanied the sisters to the table where she introduced them to the other ladies.
“We’ve lived
for years in the northern part of the park,” said Miss Hilda, as she took a sip
of tea, “but it seemed to us like a nice idea to go and live in a new
environment. And this part of Central Park is so beautiful, isn’t it?
No tea for my sister, thank you, dear,” she said, when Mother Dog went to pour a cup for Miss Tini. “She is suffering from a severe toothache. That’s why she is wearing a scarf around her mouth. Are you okay, Tini? Does it hurt very much?”
Miss Tini narrowed her eyes and began to make sad whimpering sounds.
“Poor thing,” said Miss Hilda. “Mother Dog, do you have something cold she could hold against her cheek? Maybe some ice cream? Strawberry ice cream often works best.”
Now Miss Tini began to cry loudly.
“No, unfortunately not,” said Mother Dog.
“She must be in a lot of pain,” said Miss Poodle, compassionately.
Miss Tini stood up from her chair and looked as if she was about to crawl on the table, towards the cake. Her sister pushed her back into her chair.
“Sit down,” she whispered sternly.
“Please excuse my sister, her pain gives her convulsions,” she said to the other ladies.
“What’s that your sister has in her mouth?” said Miss Dachshund.
Miss Hilda looked at her sister and saw that the scarf around her mouth had fallen off.
“Oh, that . . .” she said. “That's a ball she can bite if the pain is too severe.”
She stooped down to pick up her sister’s scarf from the ground.
“Your sister is having convulsions again,” she heard Mother Dog say.
“What's she doing now?” Miss Dachshund asked, surprised.
“My goodness!” said Miss Poodle.
Miss Hilda rose and saw that her sister was standing on the table, with her head just above the ginger cake.
No tea for my sister, thank you, dear,” she said, when Mother Dog went to pour a cup for Miss Tini. “She is suffering from a severe toothache. That’s why she is wearing a scarf around her mouth. Are you okay, Tini? Does it hurt very much?”
Miss Tini narrowed her eyes and began to make sad whimpering sounds.
“Poor thing,” said Miss Hilda. “Mother Dog, do you have something cold she could hold against her cheek? Maybe some ice cream? Strawberry ice cream often works best.”
Now Miss Tini began to cry loudly.
“No, unfortunately not,” said Mother Dog.
“She must be in a lot of pain,” said Miss Poodle, compassionately.
Miss Tini stood up from her chair and looked as if she was about to crawl on the table, towards the cake. Her sister pushed her back into her chair.
“Sit down,” she whispered sternly.
“Please excuse my sister, her pain gives her convulsions,” she said to the other ladies.
“What’s that your sister has in her mouth?” said Miss Dachshund.
Miss Hilda looked at her sister and saw that the scarf around her mouth had fallen off.
“Oh, that . . .” she said. “That's a ball she can bite if the pain is too severe.”
She stooped down to pick up her sister’s scarf from the ground.
“Your sister is having convulsions again,” she heard Mother Dog say.
“What's she doing now?” Miss Dachshund asked, surprised.
“My goodness!” said Miss Poodle.
Miss Hilda rose and saw that her sister was standing on the table, with her head just above the ginger cake.
“Come here,
you fool! Don’t you have any brains inside your head!” she snarled as she stood
up and tried to grab her sister with her paw.
“You shouldn’t talk to your sister that way,” said Miss Dachshund, indignantly.
“No, that's really no language for a lady!” added Miss Poodle. “It made your sister shake!”
And she was right, Miss Tini was trembling all over as she stared wide-eyed at the cake. Then she dropped her ball, shook her cloak off and dived down, with her mouth on the cake, which she started to devour. The other ladies jumped back, screaming. But Miss Hilda leapt onto the table, too, and threw her hat and dress off.
“Leave some for me!” she screamed wildly, pouncing on the cake.
“You shouldn’t talk to your sister that way,” said Miss Dachshund, indignantly.
“No, that's really no language for a lady!” added Miss Poodle. “It made your sister shake!”
And she was right, Miss Tini was trembling all over as she stared wide-eyed at the cake. Then she dropped her ball, shook her cloak off and dived down, with her mouth on the cake, which she started to devour. The other ladies jumped back, screaming. But Miss Hilda leapt onto the table, too, and threw her hat and dress off.
“Leave some for me!” she screamed wildly, pouncing on the cake.
Mother Dog
intervened, grabbed the two dogs - who were now recognisable as her sons - by
the scruff of their necks, and dragged them to their bedroom, where they were
strictly reprimanded. When she came back to the dining room she saw that her
friends had put on their coats and stood in the doorway.
“I’m afraid we have to go,” said Miss Dachshund.
“Yes, it's getting late. But it’s been very nice,” said Miss Poodle.
“I have some homework to correct,” said Miss Virginia. “And I still have to prepare tomorrow's lesson.”
“I'm so sorry for what just happened,” said Mother Dog. “Don’t you want to stay a while? I have some butter cake in the cupboard.”
But the ladies really couldn’t stay any longer and said goodbye to Mother Dog, who was left alone at the dinner table.
The next morning Mother Dog brought her children to school herself, to be sure they wouldn’t play truant again. When she saw her sons sitting on their benches dutifully, she turned to leave the classroom and heard Miss Virginia announce the lesson being taught that day, and for the rest of the month: “Table Manners.”
“I’m afraid we have to go,” said Miss Dachshund.
“Yes, it's getting late. But it’s been very nice,” said Miss Poodle.
“I have some homework to correct,” said Miss Virginia. “And I still have to prepare tomorrow's lesson.”
“I'm so sorry for what just happened,” said Mother Dog. “Don’t you want to stay a while? I have some butter cake in the cupboard.”
But the ladies really couldn’t stay any longer and said goodbye to Mother Dog, who was left alone at the dinner table.
The next morning Mother Dog brought her children to school herself, to be sure they wouldn’t play truant again. When she saw her sons sitting on their benches dutifully, she turned to leave the classroom and heard Miss Virginia announce the lesson being taught that day, and for the rest of the month: “Table Manners.”
Read Chapter 9: The Moth