It was a quiet morning on Ridge Street. Most of the humans were at work or at school. Most of the dogs were asleep.
At Number 7 Ridge Street, Baldy the Beagle lay on the front porch, in the sun. Suddenly his eyes blinked open. He’d heard something. What? Where? Who? Baldy lifted his head. There it was again — a noise down on the footpath.
Miaoww! Miaoww! A tiny grey cat was trying to duck down the street.
Baldy jumped off the porch. ZOOOM! He tore down the path. SPROING! He slid into the wire front gate.
“Woof! Woof!” barked Baldy. “A tiny grey cat is trying to duck down the street. Pass it on! Woof! Woof!”
Along the road at Number 9 Ridge Street, Raja the Rottweiler heard Baldy barking. Raja leaped up in her kennel. THWACK! She hit her head on the kennel doorway.
“Aarrff! Aarrff!” bellowed Raja. “A message from Baldy. A tiny grey RAT is trying to duck down the street. Pass it on! Aarrff! Aarrff!”
Further along the road at Number 11 Ridge Street, Garbage Guts the Mongrel heard Raja bellowing. Garbage Guts jumped out of the rubbish bin he was searching through. KRANGGG! He knocked the rubbish bin over.
“Rruff! Rruff!” yelled Garbage Guts. “A message from Raja. A MIGHTY grey RAT is trying to duck down the street. Pass it on! Rruff! Rruff!”
Still further along the road at Number 13, Buttercup the Bulldog heard Garbage Guts yelling. She jerked up and fell off her chair. SPLASH! She landed on her water bowl.
“Grrr! Grrr!” grunted Buttercup. “A message from Garbage Guts. A MIGHTY GREAT RAT is trying to duck down the street. Pass it on! Grrr! Grrr!”
Across the road at Number 12 Ridge Street, Fang the Poodle heard Buttercup grunting. Fang sprang up from the carpet. CLACK! He knocked his owner’s morning cup of tea onto the cushions.
“Yip! Yip!” yapped Fang. “A message from Buttercup. A MIGHTY GREAT RAT IS DRIVING a duck down the street. Pass it on! Yip! Yip!”
Back further along the road at Number 8 Ridge Street, Duchess the Doberman heard Fang yapping. Duchess sprang to her feet, gripping her breakfast bone in her mouth. WHIZZ! She sent the bone flying. SMACK! The bone hit her owner and almost knocked him flying.
“Bayy! Bayy!” boomed Duchess. “A message from Fang. A MIGHTY GREAT RAT IS DRIVING A TRUCK down the street. Pass it on! Bayy! Bayy!”
Straight across from Number 8 Ridge Street was Number 7. Number 7 Ridge Street, where Baldy the Beagle had seen a tiny grey cat trying to duck down the street.
Baldy was just trotting back to lie down on his sunny front porch again. Then he heard Duchess booming.
Baldy stopped and listened. ZOOOM! He tore down the path again. SPROING! He slid into the wire front gate again.
“Woof! Woof!” barked Baldy. “A message from Duchess. A MIGHTY GREAT RAT IS DRIVING A TRUCK DOWN TO EAT! Oh no, he’s going to eat US! Hide, everyone. Pass it on! Hide!”
WHIZZ! Baldy the Beagle rushed away and hid under the porch at Number 7.
ZIPP! Raja the Rottweiler bounded away and hid inside the garage at Number 9.
WHOOSH! Garbage Guts the Mongrel raced away and hid behind the trash can at Number 11.
SPLOSSH! Buttercup the Bulldog hurtled away and tried to hide inside her water bowl at Number 13.
FLASHH! Fang the Poodle scampered away and hid under the cushions at Number 12.
KERTHUMMPP! Duchess the Doberman galloped away and tried to hide behind her owner at Number 8.
Everything was quiet and still again on Ridge Street. The dogs didn’t move. Nothing else moved.
At last, Baldy the Beagle poked his head out from under the porch of Number 7. He looked around. He couldn’t hear anything. He couldn’t see anything.
Baldy crawled carefully out and lay down on the front porch again. He sighed a deep sigh.
Suddenly his eyes blinked open once more. There it was, down on the footpath. A tiny grey cat was trying to duck BACK UP the street.
‘Pass It On’ was first published by Random House New Zealand in Claws & Jaws: 30 New Zealand Animal Stories in October 2004.