Liquorice and I were walking back toward the house and had come to our “horse-shoe” shaped garden next to the garage. It is a pleasant spot some 10 yards across with the shrubs forming the horseshoe providing a sheltered area from the winds that can buffet our home on the hill. And this morning the wind was blowing. My little darling had been helping me with the morning chores including watering the veggie garden. Liquorice always loves to help, especially when it involves water! Anyway, as we walked up the garden path, the morning sun reflected from the wings of a graceful orange and black butterfly fluttering just above my eye level. This unexpected sight delighted and seized my attention, but only for a brief instant as Liquorice charged forward and pounced upon some object on the lawn in the middle of the “horseshoe”! She jumped up and pounced again just a couple of feet away! I had seen nothing, however my immediate fear was that she has discovered a snake, despite it still being early for one to be active. Liquorice jumped back, pirouetted and dived but this time to her left. My little darling, as per usual, was one step ahead of me with current events. I knew that it was not a snake, it had to be small, but what was it? Liquorice stood up looked about, and taking two slow steps forward, dived ahead, cat-like, with her two front paws held together over her quarry. My curiosity was intense. This time I had seen a movement, and watched eagerly as Liquorice carefully turned her right paw outwards, her nose just inches away lest her captive escapes and appeared for all the world like a small child looking at a bug it has just caught. Disappointment! Her prey had eluded her yet again! A look around followed by another lunge, then several frolicsome swats and still I could not get a good look at that which had caught the imagination of my little darling for its actions seemed calculated to keep Liquorice between me and its secretive self. It appeared to be about the size and color of a mouse but moved without reason or urgency. Liquorice stood to her fullest and most intimidating height. Then once more keen eyes found her elusive quarry and into the attack went the mighty huntress with a bound. I had another brief glimpse of this form before it disappeared beneath those massive black paws. I moved forward anticipating an answer to the question as to the origins of this mysterious visitor but it was not to be. With unbelievable ease it casually moved from Liquorice’s paws and was quickly lost in the shadow from the garage not two feet away! Liquorice looked in amazement, not understanding how it had escaped or where it had disappeared to in the shadow. Her eyes darted to her right, the left and to the right again. Some eight feet from where she stood it emerged from the shadow and that had Liquorice pouncing again at her elusive foe, slapping at the short grass in several places with a frustrated joyousness that only an innocent mind can comprehend. Then she was still, her mind contemplating yet another stratagem as her eyes followed its movement away.
Now though, I was one step ahead of my little darling for I knew the hopeless nature of Liquorice’s quest, as the task she had set herself was to capture the shadow of that orange and black butterfly that flitted overhead! And it had now it reached a height above the protection the shrubs of the “horseshoe” afforded from the wind, and was being carried away at a rate of knots. Liquorice followed the shadow briefly down the lawn and returned to my side to receive a deserved cuddle for her valiant efforts.
Was Liquorice concerned she had not caught her “prey”? No, for my little darling knew that more important tasks were at hand. It was time for breakfast!
Arthur Witten
Liquorice – Now Dad, if only you had helped we could have caught it!!