Prince Spot's Journey

Yvonne stuffed a stack of books into a suitcase. She put her new oracle ball, who did not throw tennis balls, into another suitcase.

"What are you doing?" asked Angelica. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Yes. I'll be gone for about a week," answered Yvonne.

"But you don't have any clothes or hygiene products in those suitcases," said Angelica.

"If you have books and prophecies, you don't need hygiene," said Yvonne. "And, you know, I'm a rabbit. I don't need clothes." 

Savio looked sad. Then he suddenly perked up and said, "Can I come? Can I come?"

"No, Savi, you stay here," said Yvonne. Savio became sad again. "Savio, you're in charge of the house, okay?" she added. Again Savio perked up. He started spinning in circles.

"I'm in charge! I'm in charge!" he said. 

"What? The dog?" exclaimed Angelica, almost in disgust. "But I'm more responsible than him!"

"Personally, I don't think so. You guys take care now," Yvonne said as she grabbed her suitcases. Before she disappeared out the door, she added, "Oh, Savio, why don't you tell Angelica a story?" Then she was gone.

Savio's eyes lit up. "A story!" he gasped. "I always wanted to tell someone a story!" He ran to his room, grabbed a notebook, in which were notes scrawled in a dog's handwriting, and sat down in front of Angelica. Savio began to read his story to her.

"Once upon a time there was a little doggy prince named Spot. Spot lived in a big doggy palace and had all the toys and balls and belly rubs he could ever want. He was allowed to chew on sticks and rocks and he ate Milk-Bones all day. But one day, a traveller from a distant land came and spread a rumor about the Golden Baseball. Spot loved baseballs, but he was sure he would love a golden baseball even more. He gathered a crew of doggy sailors and went on a journey across the sea to find the mythical island of the Golden Baseball.

Along the way, Spot came to an island full of primitive squirrel warriors. Some of Spot's sailors could not resist the squirrels, and they stayed on the island to chase squirrels. They came to a bad end though, because the squirrels were a fierce people. But Prince Spot went sailing off again. He was determined to find the Golden Baseball. 

They came to another island, an island made of the best rocks in the world. One doggy sailor chewed on one of the rocks, and then he just couldn't resist it. He chewed on the rocks and couldn't stop himself. Some of the others chewed on the rocks, and they stayed there on that island. They probably also came to a bad end, since rocks aren't usually too nutritious. But they taste good. I love rocks. But Prince Spot was strong and brave, and he knew he had to continue his journey.

On the next island there was a mighty city, ruled by a tyrannical fluffy white dog. The country which Spot and his sailors came from had been at war with the fluffy white dogs for hundreds of years. They did not like each other, and some of Spot's sailors stayed behind to start a war with the fluffy white dog's kingdom. But Spot knew he was coming close to the island of the Golden Baseball.

But now, Spot was all alone. All his sailors had left him. It's a good thing Prince Spot knew how to sail a ship. He was an amazing dog.

After that, he came at last to the island of the Golden Baseball. At the top of the hill on the island there was an ancient temple where the Golden Baseball was kept. When Spot got to the doors of the temple, he came face to face with the fierce protector of the Golden Baseball: a cat.

The cat told him that if he wanted to get into the temple, he would have to answer a riddle correctly. The cat told him this riddle: "What is big, dumb, slobbery, and completely inferior to me?" 

But Prince Spot didn't hear the question. He slobbered on the cat. And then he leapt at the cat and smashed him under his mighty paws. The cat screeched and ran away, and Spot couldn't help it: he chased the cat. Spot chased the cat for all eternity, and never found the Golden Baseball."

Savio slobbered on Angelica. "Did you like it?" he asked.

"That was... wonderful," said Angelica. But Savio didn't understand sarcasm.

"Do you think Veronica will like it?" he asked.

"What? No. Veronica isn't sentient. Why do you think--" replied Angelica, but Savio had already ran off to Veronica the ball-throwing oracle ball.

Veronica did ​like his story.