The Adventures of b.u.t.ton.

by Broken Tail

Preface.

This book written in simple English prose with the fullest intention of entertaining the reader. However, do not fear to pick up a Webster's Dictionary; it is an incredibly fascinating book, a journey in itself. Read The Adventures of b.u.t.tons with your parents, share it, and enjoy.

There are a very few animals not native to Oklahoma. I have strayed into the world of fantasy fiction with the introduction of Sara, but I still like to go adventuring, too. All of the dogs who join b.u.t.tons I have known personally. They were and remain grand, in my memories.

tio, RWlL

Ssserek's End.

The small, black figure negotiated the last of the back porch steps in a controlled fall, executing a forward roll in her haste to reach the fence. Winding her way through spring-fresh daffodils, she reached her goal only to stop and cautiously look back. No one was to be seen, and she bent down, seeking the small hole in the soft dirt she had begun the day before. With hardly a glance, she began to dig, bits and pieces of dirt flying furiously backwards along her rotund body. It took but a moment for her to dig a hole big enough to permit her to push her long-tapered snout outside the confines of the wooden fence.

She worked her way forward and glanced at both sides before emerging into the field that seemed to go forever all about her.

She snorted, a quiet, soft snort to be sure, but it cleared her nose which worked quickly to pick any strange or mysterious scents. Finding none, she bound forward. Free at last, b.u.t.tons was again into the the field, seeking new horizons and distant adventure. field, seeking new horizons and distant adventure.

Her stout legs rapidly carried her forward along the barely perceptible paths of the rabbits and mice that inhabited the stretch of fence along her masters' backyard. The day was bright, the sky clear of living creatures. Only distant cirrus clouds pa.s.sed far overhead. b.u.t.tons paid no attention to them for her nose was close to the ground, sniffing to the left and then to the right. Small gouts of dust swirled into the air with each snort. Strange and alluring scents filled her nose with the pa.s.sage of the early morning's activities. How she would have liked to investigate each of them, but her Jon waited in his room while she greeted the day for the first time. Jonnie was wrestling with a new shirt for school, and was gathering his books and paraphernalia because the school bus would be along in minutes. b.u.t.tons has no other thought than the odors and drifting breezes that brought so much information to her.

She continued her race through the brown thatch of gra.s.ses that reached above her shoulders. Her pace was fast and her pa.s.sage swift. Where she went made no difference for she was seeking whatever the field had to offer for fun and adventure.

The field sloped gradually from southwest to northeast toward the old and rusting fence of the graveyard which lay partially within the field. A tall line of ancient oaks split the graveyard into an ancient portion and newer sector. The heavy branches of the oaks protected the greater portion of the graveyard and provided homes for innumerable birds and four-legged creatures. These latter were b.u.t.ton's goal this late morning. But for the moment, she was content just frolicking along. Her world was in her nose, and the many new and enticing odors that reached her keen, though young, senses totally blinded her to the large sinuous form before her.

The rope-like body was large, even for its kind. b.u.t.ton's headlong rush was quickly detected and the creature's pa.s.sage through the tall, dry gra.s.s slowed but rather in antic.i.p.ation or curiosity was not evident.

b.u.t.tons, of course, paid no attention. She gamboled along at her ground-eating pace totally oblivious to the fate that awaited her. Her pa.s.sage was abruptly halted as she bowled into the form before her. A loud grunt greeted her as she unceremoniously sat back on her haunches.

"Wow," she exclaimed as she looked at her roadblock. "Boy, are you big!" Moving forward, she peered over the large, round back. "Hey, you're even shorter than me." As she moved toward the head that towered above her, her nose was sniffing along the ground, examining the newcomer more closely than many had in the past. "Hey, where's your feet? I can't find them. I have four, you see." b.u.t.tons rolled over on her back to the amazement of her new acquaintance. Her forelimbs were limb, and her small black feet kicked slowly in the air.

"I do see, but..." He got no further as b.u.t.tons immediately regained her feet and stood on her hind legs, the right forepaw bracing against her new friend, while the left leg hung limply.

"Gee, you even longer than Shadrack, the water moccasin. Do you know Shadrack?"

Her sinuous friend began to open his mouth, when b.u.t.tons continued and interrupted, "Hey, you know, you're not the same all over. Pretty colors, too. I'm only black, well, really, shiny and black. My hair goes with my nose, you know. Color-coordinated, that's what my boy calls it. What's your name?"

"Ssssserek, the mag..."

"Sssssso nicccce." b.u.t.tons giggled at her own joke as she launched herself over Sssereck's broad back. Four legs hung momentarily in the air as her round belly rested on the top of Ssserek's back. Then, with a whoosh of air, she slid to the ground on the opposite side.

Peering down the long, smooth flank, she exclaimed, "Wow, I bet it's a day's journey around you."

"That's nicely put, young lady." He muttered in a low tone,"Must be getting old,I'm repeating my self."

"Well, it's only the truth, you know," b.u.t.tons responded as she marched forward to place herself squarely before Ssserek. Ssserek's head swayed to and fro a foot above her. "Hey, can't you lower your head? I can't see you very well." b.u.t.tons sat up as Ssserek's nose began to approach her, then slowly rolled onto her side. "My sit-up still slides to the side, you see."

Ssserek's soft, sibilant hiss made her scramble to her feet more quickly than normal. "Hey, I'm not making fun of you, really. Besides, you're really very nice to look at."

Ssserek's head was by now swaying just above b.u.t.ton's head. The broad snout pointed side to side as his slender, red tongue darted back and forth as he maneuvered to better view b.u.t.tons.

His eyes began to whirl as he measured the small four-legged creature before him. "Hum, humm, hummm. Bigger than a mouse, but appears harder than the bunnies. Hummmm." His eyes whirled more rapidly and red flecks appeared in them.

"You have pretty brown eyes, just like me, you know. Please stop moving so much." b.u.t.tons again tried to sit up, and when that failed, she stood for a second so that she might get a better view.

"What kind of animal are you?" Ssserek's head was by now only inches from b.u.t.tons's nose. "I stick my tongue out to pant, you know. But yours goes all the time, doesn't it?"

Ssserek's quick answer came before b.u.t.tons could continue. "I am of the great snake clan, and I do not pant. My tongue tells me much about the world around me, and it tells me you are a very fine..."

He hesitated, sighed, then continued as b.u.t.tons interposed a "Well."

"A very nice young lady," he sighed again as his thoughts were brought back to the young dog before him. "Oh, well."

b.u.t.tons looked at him expectantly. "Gee whiz, your eyes aren't going around and around anymore. That was very pretty, too, you know."

"Yes, I know, but then..."

"Will you be my friend?" b.u.t.tons was lying on her back, twisting to and fro as she stretched and scratched her back. Flipping upright, she continued unabashedly, "You're really nice to look at, so tall and short, as it were. You know, there's something moving back there."

She was gazing intently toward Ssserek's furthest component. "What happened to your legs? You know you didn't say, and it certainly is, well not odd, but definitely different. You see what I mean?"

"I will be your friend. I am glad you appreciate my appearance. Many don't. And yes, I am both tall and short." Ssserek reared up to his greatest height, and gazed serenely down on the small creature before him.

"It is a very old tale," Ssserek smiled for his own pun before continuing, "that is told within the snake clan of a time, a very long time ago. We had legs then, but..."

Ssserek dropped so that his left eye focused closely on b.u.t.tons's right. "But-it is told by those who have no love for us-they say we lost our legs because of something a great, great ancestor, many times removed, did to people. I dismiss such cavil comments as mere hearsay, and you must pay no attention to it. We, the many clans of snakes, prefer the truth. We move with stealth and silence; we are subtle, as we are supple,(to himself, nice alliteration, don't you think), and we are wise for we hold the histories of many clans in our thoughts."

b.u.t.tons had lost interest through this lengthy peroration and was again watching Ssserek's nether part.

"There is something there. I did see it. Look!" b.u.t.tons tapped Ssserek with a forepaw.

He swayed to his words with his head c.o.c.ked to one side.

"You see?" b.u.t.tons poked him again.

Ssserek tried to continue, "My great-great-great grandfather, ten times removed, once..." The rippling of muscles reached his head, and he looked down.

"Wha... wha... what is it now, little one?"

"There. You see. It's moving and I hear noise." b.u.t.tons was fairly jumping up and down against Ssserek's side. "You see?"

"Yes, of course, I see. It's always there."

"Well, what is it?"

"Humph! I'd thought you would know."

"Why should I? I've never seen one before."

"Hardly seems possible, but you've probably pa.s.sed it innumerable times while asking questions of some poor soul."

"I really don't think so." b.u.t.tons looked up at Ssserek quizzically. "No, I don't really think so. It's much too fascinating for that, don't you agree?"

"But, of course. I am rather attached to it, you know." Ssserek grinned out the side of his mouth. "Really, you know, that's rather good. I'll have to run that by badger one of these days."

Fairly hopping in one place, b.u.t.tons paid scant attention to Ssserek's comments for her own world had been reduced to his tail. "What does it do?"

"Well, well, you see, it rattles. But then, what would a rattle do but rattle? It is becoming."

"You always have it with you?"

"What?" Ssserek lowered his head and gazed intently at b.u.t.tons. It was not all that easy, the gazing that is, for b.u.t.tons was bouncing from one forepaw to the next. "Well," Ssserek thought, "at least she is jousting. I think." "I just told you, I'm very attached to it."

"And, well, you should be. Can I go look at it? It won't hurt, will it? Does it always make that much noise? Does it keep you awake at night? Does it play?"

Before Ssserek could respond, b.u.t.tons was off, racing down Ssserek's side. He muttered to himself at such cavalier treatment. "Yes, you can look at it. It has never hurt me. And no, it doesn't always make so much noise, though I've gotten rather accustomed to it. And no, it doesn't keep me awake at night. Why should it? And good heavens, NO!" Ssserek jerked his head backways just as b.u.t.tons leaped.

Needle-sharp teeth sank into Ssserek's tail just before the rattle, sending writhing muscular convulsions racing forward.

His head snapped upward and back, fangs glistening in the morning air. b.u.t.tons let go as the rattle whipped to and fro, sending gouts of dust skyward.

"This is great." Her words came in the midst of her joyous efforts to once again capture the rattles which now eluded her best leaps.

Ssserek's fangs stopped a fraction of an inch short of b.u.t.tons's round, black posterior. "Good lord!,"he exclaimed. "What now?"

With her head down, b.u.t.tons lay in wait for each pa.s.sage of the rattle. With each pa.s.sage of the tail, she would leap, snarling at her prey, grunting with the effort. Back and forth. Up and down. Worse than leaves in a whirlwind, her small body rose into the air in swift, quick jerks, her teeth snapping ever more closely. The motion began to make Ssserek dizzy, watching the two tearing the gra.s.s into shreds in their frenzied efforts.

"My G.o.d, I'm getting positively giddy. I'm too old for this. I'm tired." And Ssserek rested.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh." The throat of snakes was not made for such verbal abuse, but the only other recourse was entirely too lethal, though Ssserek was sorely tempted as sharp, stabbing pains once again a.s.sailed his brain.

Ssserek's blunt snout thudded into b.u.t.tons's rear, sending her spinning head over heals through the gra.s.s. "Whewwww! Hey, that's fun. Can we do it again?" Bouncing to her feet, she braced herself for another rush, only to find herself looking squarely into the face of Ssserek, whose tail was ringed with white and black. It was now rapidly sidling away from another painful confrontation.

"We will think about it."

b.u.t.tons was by now moving alongside Ssserek's head. "Open."

"Wha... wha... what?"

"Open, you know, your mouth." b.u.t.tons's nose was nearly touching Ssserek.

Tilting his head ever so slightly, Ssserek slowly allowed a small slit to appear.

"No, no. Wider." b.u.t.tons was bouncing up and down on her short front legs, attempting to get even closer. Again, Ssserek allowed more s.p.a.ce to appear between his lips. "Come on," b.u.t.tons insisted. "More."

As his upper fangs dropped into view, they were greeted with "Ha, I thought so. They have holes in them. Do they hurt? Boy, are they big. Can I touch them?" Opening her own mouth, she continued, "See, Igateethtoo," and with a snap, she grinned, "But no holes."

Each time Ssserek moved his mouth aside, b.u.t.tons would move closer, until Ssserek was forced to raise his head out of reach. "No, no, my little sister, you must not touch. Ever." He fixed his eyes on b.u.t.tons who sat with a puff of dirt.

"Well, but why not?" She dropped her head and the hurt was evident in her voice.

Ssserek took in a deep breath as he watched b.u.t.tons with both amus.e.m.e.nt and deep understanding. "They move, you see, and they might hurt you if we weren't careful. I don't want that. Do you?"

"No, of course not. You can touch mine if you wish. They're sharp, though."

Ssserek chuckled, "I believe you. Tell you what, let us never use our teeth in anger and in..." He looked back towards his tail. "Ummm, well, never in anger or to intentionally hurt. All right?"

"That's neat," b.u.t.tons responded, the entire matter forgotten as she gazed with some longing in the direction of Ssserek's gaze.

"Boy, do you see that?" A small hushed voice broke into their contemplation.

Ssserek whirled around, whipping his head. The newcomer. Rare it was indeed when anyone could sneak up on him, and the thought that it had happened caused his rattles to whir like a hornet's nest under attack.

"Whoa, Ssserek, you know we don't taste good. Golly, I didn't mean to bother you." The voice was that of Isaiah, the skunk, and his tail twitched convulsively, torn between the great desire to depart the vicinity of Ssserek and the novelty of the scene before him.

b.u.t.tons, who had been standing against Ssserek's smooth, glistening side, had slumped to the right haunch and sat, looking at the newcomer, with her left paw dangling at her side. What a scene!

Isaiah would repeat the tale many times in the future for no one had ever willingly put themselves within reach of Ssserek and his volatile temper.

The tip of Ssserek's tongue was invisible as it flickered to and fro in the early morning sun. Then, it abruptly stopped, something it almost never did.

"Phew, you, my black-and-white friend, are welcome to approach. Downwind, of course, and I have mentioned that once before. You do remember?" His head dropped abruptly to directly confront Isaiah at his own level.

The sudden move sent the young skunk spinning backwards onto his tail. Whuffing, Isaiah regained his feet quickly. His composure only came later with due consideration of the situation.

"Yes, sir," Isaiah respectfully replied. "But I didn't expect to see b.u.t.tons so close, well, I mean, near, ah, with you, I mean. I forgot."

"That's because you're a flibbertigibbit just like them birds!"