The Day The Dog Woke Up Dead

It was winter, and during that time it was much colder than it had ever been before. One night there was a cold frost.

We had a very old dog that someone had given to my Mom. It had stripes like a tiger, so we named him Tiger. He had lived with us for 15 years. He didn’t have any hair or teeth, and he had a very hard time walking. During those days we spoon-fed Tiger, and let him drink out of our cupped hands, so he wouldn’t have to get up.

That night was very cold, and in the morning we found Tiger outside with his legs up in the air. We did every possible thing to wake him up, but he didn’t wake up. My brothers and sisters and I started to cry, and we all gathered around Tiger. We were filled with sadness, and decided to give him a good burial in the dried-out riverbed that was down the hill from our house. We put the dog on a large piece of cardboard, and all of us carried him in a procession to the riverbed. While walking, we sang and rocked and swayed the cardboard this way and that with the dead dog on it.

Suddenly, in the middle of the road, the dog stood up and jumped off the cardboard!! We ran as fast as we could back home, scared to death and yelling, “Tiger’s resurrected! Tiger’s alive! He’s alive!”

My Mom gave us a glass of water with sugar in it to calm our shock and excitement. She explained to us that with all the rocking and the morning sunshine, Tiger had defrosted!

Tiger lived many years after that. But every winter we made sure he wasn’t cold. Gabriela Guillen

May 6, 2005

El Dia Que Amanecio Muerto el Perro

Era invierno y habia hecho mucho frio en esos dias como nunca antes.

Teniamos un perro muy viejo que le habian regalado a mi mama, era de colores como un Tigre y le pusimos de nombre “Tigre.” Cuando lo trajeron a casa ya era un perro viejo y con nosotros tenia 15 anos, de manera que ya era muy viejo, ya no tenia ni pelo ni dientes y batallaba mucho para caminar. En los ultimos dias le dabamos de comer en la boca para que no se levantara.

Ese dia en la noche habia hecho mucho frio y el perro amanecio tiezo con las patas para arriba. Lo sacudimos para despertarlo pero no lo logramos, y todos empezamos a llorar alrededor del perro. Despues de un rato de duelo decidimos llevarlo e enterrar en un arroyo que pasaba cerca de la casa. Subimos al Tigre arriba de un carton y entre todos mis hermanos y yo llevamos meciendo arriba del carton, cuando, de repente!! A medio camino!! El perro se levanto y se bajo del carton!! Corrimos lo mas recio que pudimos todos asustados, mientras el perro corria atras de nosotros. Llegamos tan asustados a la casa gritando, “ El Tigre resucito!! El Tigre resucito!!”

Mi mama nos dio un vaso de agua con azucar para el susto, y nos explico que el perro no estaba muerto, solo se habia congelado con tanto frio, pero con la mecida y con el solecito, el perro se descongelo. Despues del susto el perro todavia vivio muchos anos mas. Desde entonces en cada invierno nos encargabamos de que no pasara frio.

Gabriela Guillen

6 de mayo, 2005