CaBo
by Nikolaj Vigrim
by Nikolaj Vigrim
Published by Nikolaj Vigrim
Copyright 2009-2013 Nikolaj Vigrim
Illustrations by Nikolaj, Luke and Louise
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See photos of Cabo
https://daftstoriesbydad.com/cabo/Cabo%20the%20Guide%20Dog/index.htm
‘Harry’s Pocket Book of Clouds’
‘Princess Rose’
'The Adventures of Blackcat'
'Harry the Cloud'
'Lucy'
‘Strange Happenings at No 4’
‘Mr Farty Pants’
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/381268
Look out for Nikolaj Vigrim on Facebook
Contact the Author
[email protected]
Author's note about Cabo: most of these stories are based on real events that occurred during the year of chaos and disaster that descended on our house when Cabo came to stay.
Cabo starts off black, but as black pencil doesn’t scan very well, he becomes blue, and sometimes green, as the story progresses.
Chapter 1 - Life was Great
Life was great.
The days were full of fighting, sleeping, eating and Mum.
Life was great, then along came a red van full of smelly children and stole Cabo away from his mother, and his eleven sisters and brothers; Candy, Clara, Coco, Chester, Cricket and Chico, just to name a few.
Life was great, then Cabo was put in a box, stuffed in the back of the van and transported to another life.
Life was great, then Cabo headed off into a world full of love and disasters.
Life was great, then it got better.
The van shook and wobbled and vibrated. There were smells. Smells of kids, smells of cat and socks, of car and old sandwiches.
Cabo could smell something else too.
Sausages!
Sausages in the shopping bag leaning up against his cage. The smell was overpowering. Cabo wanted sausages, those sausages! He squeezed his nose through the crack in the door and wriggled and squirmed and pushed.
Ping! The door opened.
The sausages sat heavily in Cabo's stomach. The van danced and vibrated. The acrid fumes made his throat dry. Cabo felt a little green, a little sick.
The van finally lurched to a halt and the back door swung open to reveal five smiling faces, all looking at Cabo. Just at that moment something nasty happened. Something nasty involving sausages.
After Carolina had cleaned up the mess she looked at Cabo with a twinkle in her eye and said, 'Cabo, you are a disgrace!'
Chapter 2 – Diva
Diva the cat, lived on top of the drier, way up by the ceiling. Diva peered over the edge and eyed the new arrival suspiciously. It was black, very bouncy and looked like trouble. It had charged into the laundry, knocked over her water, and ate her food and something horrible and smelly out of her litter tray. It sat on the floor and sniffed the air. It's nose twitched as it looked up and spotted Diva. It jumped but couldn't even reach the top of the washing machine. Luckily, it couldn't fly.
Diva watched it and it watched her.
Diva jumped down onto the washing machine to take a closer look. The black thing barked and whined and knocked over the litter tray.
Sam arrived, Louise arrived, Sofie arrived, Zozo arrived and Carolina arrived.
'What a mess! Cabo, you are a menace. You smell of poo and you are 'orrible. OUTSIDE NOW!' bellowed Carolina.
All of Diva's things moved to higher ground. Her litter tray, her water and food, and her favourite blanket. The black thing lay on the floor all day and watched. Diva sat on top of the washing machine and taunted the black thing.
Diva's tail wasn't on top of the washing machine. It hung over the edge and swished and flicked.
I'll have it. I'll have it, thought Cabo. He waited his moment then pounced like Superdog.
YOWWWWWLLLL!
HHHHssssssssssssssssssssssssss!
Scatch!
All hell broke lose. Fur, cat, dog and litter, it all went everywhere.
When the fur had settled, Diva was back in safe territory, glaring down from on top of the drier. Cabo's nose hurt. Blood dripped down adding to the mess on the floor.
Sofie's head came around the door
'Cabo,' she scolded, 'You are a naughty, naughty dog!'
Chapter 3 - The Tree - Part 1
The pungent aroma of sap and nuts filled the room. The tree stood by the window and twinkled its wee lights at Cabo. Red and green boxes and parcels were piled high around its feet.
Cabo chewed his rubber bone patiently and waited. It tasted horrible but seemed to keep those peapolly things happy. Finally the kids went out for a bounce on the trampoline and Carolina got lost in her newspaper. Cabo snuck across, grabbed a little green packet and slunk out onto the terrace to his favourite chewing spot, just out of sight around the corner. It was wonderfully chewy and his efforts were rewarded with a soft gooey centre that was all lemons and honey.
Cabo lay there and dozed off in the warm sun.
Grumble, rumble.
Cabo woke up with his tummy going in circles. He opened his mouth to yawn and out came a bubble. He snapped at it but the breeze carried it just out of reach. Cabo yawned again blowing out more bubbles, lots of them. Jumping up to chase them, a doggy fart came out the other end, all multi coloured bubbles. Soon there were bubbles enough to block the sun. There was laughter and giggles and before Cabo knew it, he was at the Vet.
The Vet smiled nicely, then forced some horrible nasty stuff down Cabo's throat and stood back.
What followed next was very messy and we won't go into it. Too messy to drive home in the car, so they walked home via the beach and swam and played in the waves. Bubbles went everywhere.
That evening Carolina gave Cabo a pat, then looked at him in despair and said, 'Cabo, you are a disgrace to the doggy race!'
Chapter 4 - The Tree - Part 2
The red and green boxes moved. They flew up out of doggy reach and sat perched in the topmost branches of the tree.
Cabo lay dozing in the sunshine and tried to will a little parcel down from where it sat, nestled at the top by the star. The afternoon slipped lazily by. Cabo lay there, intoxicated by the heady pine scent and looking up occasionally at the little parcel.
Suddenly there was an explosion in the garage. A Carolina explosion. Pocket money was cancelled, Christmas was put on hold, Sam was on dog walking duties and Lulu on dishes.
Now was the moment for Cabo's cunning plan. He grabbed the lowest branch and pulled. The tree moved a little as if swinging in the breeze. He pulled a little harder. The present at the top shifted slightly and slipped a few inches. It needed just a little more...
Cabo gave a big tug.
Then It happened.....
Once Carolina had extracted Cabo from under the fallen tree, tied it back up and redecorated it, she looked at him in despair and said, 'Cabo, you are just too, too much.'
Chapter 5 - The Tree - Part 3
The tree was a funny sight and had lost most of its piney smell. That was because there was less of it. Sam had been sawing, leaving just a few branches at the top, well out of doggy reach. All of the decorations, lights and presents were up high, and the tree was firmly lashed back to the curtain rail.
Cabo was beaten. No chance of getting those boxes, no chance at all.
He sat there and watched the tree. Little lights flashed and twinkled. A wire lead down the trunk, across to the curtains then along to a plug on the wall. It had been carefully taped down so a dog might not notice it. Very sneaky, but not sneaky enough. Sitting out of sight behind the curtains, Cabo beg
an to chew on the thin wire.
He chewed and chewed. A funny metallic taste filed his mouth and the hairs on his tail stood up. Just one more bite and he'd be through, then one little tug and the presents would come raining down.
ZAP! The world went bright yellow, then black.
Next thing Cabo knew, someone was punching my chest and he opened my eyes to see two Carolinas, inches away. What were they doing?
Blowing air up his nose. A funny thing to do!
The air was full of smoke, Cabo's tongue ached and the end of his tail was smouldering.
Carolina was so, so happy to see him move. She gave him a big hug, then it was off to the Vet.
That evening Carolina looked at Cabo sternly and said, 'Cabo, you are a menace,' and gave him a little wink.
Chapter 6 - Guide Dog Skool
The kids were back at school after the summer holidays and it was Cabo's first day at school as well.
He was taken for a walk on the grass, then was coaxed into his box, and brum, brum, the van headed off to skool.
Skool was great. It was a big green field full of earthy smells. Earthy smells and puppies.
Cabo's brothers and sisters were there and all the other guide dog puppies too. There were puppies, puppies and more puppies. Puppies everywhere. They fought and ran and tumbled.
Then the puppies put their red jackets on and the teacher made their owners line up and behave. Not bad for the first lesson, but there was plenty of room for improvement.
Classes over, the jackets came off and the puppies ran around in an unruly pack, the call of the wild!
Then IT happened. Carolina's phone rang. Sofie had fallen off her crutches and broken her ankle, again. Carolina grabbed Cabo and Zozo and zoomed off.
Guide Dog School lesson one really seemed to have worked wonders on Cabo. He stopped eating Zozo's shoes, stopped stalking the cat, stopped chewing on the computer cables and started doing ones and twos outside.
It all seemed too good to be true.
Then Carolinas phone rang.....
Wrong Puppy!
Chapter 7 - The Bee
45 minutes had passed
46 minutes had passed
46 minutes and 30 seconds had passed
Time for a pee
It was too tricky and too much effort to go outside so Cabo sneaked around behind the arm chair....and...and...
'Cabo NO!' shouted Carolina.
'N-O, What part of NO do you not understand? OUTSIDE NOW!'
Sprung!
So outside Cabo went. Not much effort really.
I should, I should go out here, if only to save my eardrums, he thought.
A shower had just passed and the grass was full of fresh scents. It smelled of the cat, the neighbour's grumpy dog with the big teeth, hedgehoggy smells, and flowers. The lawn was covered with flowers, a sea of little white daisies with buttercups and dandelions adding a splash of yellow.
Cabo's nose followed a glistening trail of slime that lead to a little scrunchy morsel. He sniffed out a few snails then sat in the grass and chewed his tail.
Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...
A large black and yellow buzzy thing landed on a dandelion right in front of his nose.
It looked easy pickings.
SNAP!
Cabo had it.
Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
YOWWWWP!
Chapter 8 - Zozo's Flipflop
The pickings were slim. Cabo had done the rounds, hoovered under the table, poked his
nose between the cushions on the couch and licked out the cat's bowl. Nothing but a few
crumbs and a half eaten carrot. Then he sniffed an odour, a whiff of smelly feet and old socks, with just a hint of strawberry.
Cabo put his nose to the ground and and homed in on the scent. Zozo's flipflops were by the door, pink and delightfully chewy with a lingering taste of strawberries.
The left one quickly turned into little morsels then Cabo started on the right one. Looking up and seeing Carolina, sitting in her chair in deepest, darkest Suduko land, Cabo slunk off into safer territory. He chewed and chewed and chewed.
Diva the cat sauntered past with her tail in the air.
I'll have her, I'll have her, I've got her this time, thought Cabo and jumped up, paws spinning on the slippery lino, as he shot off in hot pursuit.
Then IT happened.
Gulp!
Down went Zozo's glittery pink flipflop. Cabo swallowed it whole.
It was a relief at first, but after a couple of days Carolina was getting worried.
NO POO! Normally it ended up everywhere except outside on the grass where it was
supposed to be.
Cabo's guts hurt. He felt like he would explode.
Off to the Vet they went. Off to the smell of cats and dogs and disinfectant. Cabo was given a special bit of sausage and made to walk through a funny whirring machine called an X-ray.
'There it is!' shouted Zozo, looking at the screen. 'There's my Flipflop.'
'We'll have to operate,' said the Vet, rummaging through his cabinet and pulling out a syringe with a huge needle. He gripped Cabo firmly.
Yoowch!
Cabo was bursting to poo. He wriggled and twisted and squirmed trying to get
free.
Blumph! Splat!
It happened, smelly orrible stuff went everywhere! There was screaming and a lot of kerfuffle, but suddenly Cabo was so, so sleepy....
When he awoke, he was surrounded by the familiar smells of Sam's undies and Diva the cat.
The pain was gone and there nailed to his kennel was a pink, glittery flipflop.
'Cabo, you are a DISCRACE!' scolded Carolina.
Chapter 9 - Chocolate Brownies
The house was full of the sweet smell of brownies cooking. The kids hovered around the kitchen, never getting too far from the stove. Cabo lay panting in the corner, a thin dribble of saliva drooling from the end of his tongue.
Briiiiiiiinnnggg-g!
They were ready. Out came the cookies and sat cooling on the sideboard.
Carolina shooed the kids away. Cabo just sat there, his drool forming a puddle on the floor.
Minutes passed. The house was just a little too quiet. Sam snuck into the kitchen, grabbed a square and was just tippy-toeing out when...
'STOP THIEF!' yelled Carolina, without even looking up from her Suduko. 'Put IT back.' She has eyes in the back of her head, a 7th sense for mischief. 'Those Sam, are for the school fair.'
'But Mum, Oh Gorgeous, can't I have just one?'
'NO! SCHOOL FAIR!'
That afternoon at the school fair, the kids pooled their money and with an extra $10 from Carolina, they bought the chocolate brownies and home the cookies came again.
After the chaos of dinner had died down and it was time to do the dishes, Sam suddenly remembered the chocolate brownies. Funny, they weren't on the table anymore. 'Anyone seen the chocolate brownies?' he asked.
The kids ran everywhere looking. The chocolate brownies were gone. Zozo was the No.1 suspect. Wrong!
'Cabo's got the chocolate brownies!' called Lulu.
There he was, out on the veranda, licking up the last few crumbs.
'Cabo, you are a naughty, naughty dog,' scolded Sofie. 'You are SO, so Naughty!'
Chapter 10 - Cabo turns Green
When Carolina came home Cabo looked sheepish and just a little green.
He would have looked like this...
Except for just one small detail…
He was wearing the rubbish bin lid!
He'd pushed open the door to Lulu's room and gobbled up her secret stash of Easter eggs.
The Camembert Carolina had left on the kitchen bench to warm had disappeared.
And half a kilo of boiled lollies were missing too, wrappers and all...
And then there was everything horrible and nasty, sticky and gooey, that Cabo found in the rubbish tin
.
For the first time ever Cabo's bowl of food remained untouched.
But that was not the end of it.
At 3am Cabo exploded!
YUK!! Green stuff all over the walls and ceiling!
Chapter 11 - Cabo runs Amok
After the explosion of the night before Caroline thought the best place for Cabo was outside, just to be on the safe side while she cleaned up the mess.
'Cabo, you are just too, too much,' she scolded as she chased him out the back door.
The sheets flapped invitingly on the washing line. 'Pull and tug,' they called to Cabo, so he did. Usually the pegs popped off but not today.
R-i-i-pppp!
A sheet ripped off the line and landed on Cabo.
Capey Crusader strikes again, he thought as he scampered around the muddy garden under the sheet. Then suddenly tiring, he lay down on the sheet and watched Lulu's knickers dancing in the breeze.
If I just jumped up I could have those, he was thinking when he heard footsteps coming. It was time to go and play with Toby!
Cabo shot around the corner at full speed and burst straight through the Cabo proof fence.
He chased the neighbour's cat up a power pole. It sat there for two days before the firemen came and rescued it.
He had a moment with some rubbish bags, the wind quickly scattering the contents along the street.
Then he reached Toby's house.....
Chapter 12 - Cabo takes a Ride
Carolina was chatting. She stood on the beach chin wagging and yakking with the girls. She did notice the jogger go by, but she didn't notice Cabo yolloping off after him chasing his shoe laces. Cabo and the jogger end up in a snotty heap on the beach.
The jogger picked himself up. 'Stupid mutt,' he cursed, dusting the sand and seaweed off. Then he threw a stick into sea to get Cabo out of his hair and ran off.
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