HONDO & SKEETER is an unpublished children's book that I wrote in 1997. The basic plot revolves around the two main characters, two dogs who are best friends. Skeeter can't find his favorite bone and the story follows their adventures as they search their entire neighborhood for the missing bone.
Hondo and Skeeter are best friends. They play together all day long and if one of them is in trouble, the other is always there to help.
One day Skeeter was sitting quietly by his dog house when Hondo stopped by and noticed that his friend looked very sad.
"What's wrong, Skeeter?" asked Hondo. "You look sad."
"Yesterday I buried my favorite bone," Skeeter replied,"and today I can't find it."
"Well," Hondo said. "Why don't you just get another bone?"
"No," said Skeeter. "I need that bone. It's my favorite." Skeeter looked very sad and he began to cry.
"Don't cry, Skeeter," Hondo said, trying to cheer up his friend. "I will help you look for your favorite bone."
"Oh, Hondo!" Skeeter exclaimed. "You would do that for me?"
"Yes," he said. "You're my best friend and I don't like to see you so sad."
Skeeter was so happy he jumped up and down and gave his friend a bear hug.
(Well, it was a dog hug but it felt like a bear hug to Hondo.)
Hondo and Skeeter then began sniffing around for Skeeter's favorite bone.
They sniffed around Skeeter's house.
They sniffed around Skeeter's favorite tree.
They even sniffed along the fence.
Skeeter did not smell his favorite bone.
Hondo did not smell Skeeter's favorite bone. They did not smell any bones at all.
Skeeter was still sniffing but now it was because he was crying again. He missed his favorite bone and began to fear that he would never see his favorite bone again.
Hondo gave his friend a scratch behind the ear and said, "Don't worry, Skeeter. Our search has only begun."
"Yes," Skeeter said, "I suppose you're right."
"Now let's go!" Hondo shouted, wagging his tail and hopping excitedly. "We have a favorite bone to find!"
Hondo and Skeeter walked along the fence to the large lawn they often played on, sniffing as they went. Skeeter called the yard one of their "wandering places." Every day he and Hondo would wander from home, looking for something new to do. Sometimes they would wander far. Sometimes they would wander closer to home.
Hondo turned to his friend and asked, "Skeeter, did you bring your favorite bone out here?"
"Yes," Skeeter replied. "I think I did."
"But do you think you buried it out here?" Hondo asked.
"Yes, Hondo," Skeeter said. "I think I did."
Hondo just sighed and he and his friend continued walking and sniffing.
Skeeter suddenly became very excited and began to dig furiously. "Hondo," he said, "I think I've found it! I've found my favorite bone!"
Hondo rushed over to help. "Are you sure?" he asked. "Did you smell something?"
"Yes!" he exclaimed. "I smelled my favorite bone!" Hondo and Skeeter continued to dig. When Skeeter felt something with his paws Hondo helped him grab it and they both pulled it out.
"Oh," Skeeter said, looking rather somber. "It's just a stick."
"Well we won't give up, Skeeter," Hondo said, trying to cheer up his friend again. "We'll keep sniffing and digging."
The two friends were determined to find Skeeter's favorite bone. They continued walking until they reached the next "wandering place."
Just beyond the large lawn was a school. Next to the school was a small schoolyard with a slide and a climber. Skeeter likes to play on the climber but Hondo prefers the slide. They both have trouble with the monkey bars. Skeeter says that monkey bars are for monkeys anyway.
Hondo and Skeeter began to sniff around. Hondo again turned to his friend and asked, "Skeeter, did you really bring your favorite bone out here?"
"Yes," Skeeter replied. "I think I did."
"But do you think you buried it out here?" Hondo asked.
"Yes, Hondo. I think I did," Skeeter said.
Hondo just sighed and he and Skeeter continued walking and sniffing.
Suddenly, Skeeter became excited again and began to dig, kicking up lots of dust.
"Hondo," he exclaimed. "I really think I've found it this time! I've found my favorite bone!"
Hondo rushed over and began to help."Are you sure?" he asked. "Remember last time? You only smelled a stick."
"I know, Hondo," Skeeter replied. "But this time I know I smelled my favorite bone."
Hondo and Skeeter continued to dig. Again Skeeter felt something with his paws. Hondo helped him grab it and they both pulled it out.
"Oh no," Skeeter said, looking more glum than before. "Not again. It's just an old shoe."
"Well, Skeeter, don't worry," said Hondo. "We won't give up. We'll just keep sniffing and digging."
The two friends continued walking until they came upon the next "wandering place."
On the other side of the school were lots and lots of pine trees. Hondo and Skeeter love to run through the woods, looking for squirrels to play with and birds to talk to. The birds never seem to understand Hondo and Skeeter when they bark. Skeeter thinks that birds should learn how to bark like dogs. Skeeter says, "All that chirping is just silly!"
But now they were getting tired. They did not want to run through the woods and teach birds and squirrels to bark. They just wanted to find Skeeter's favorite bone and it was beginning to get dark.
"Skeeter?" Hondo asked wearily. "Did you bring your favorite bone all the way out here?"
"Yes," Skeeter replied. "I think I did."
"But you don't really think you buried it out here. Do you?" Hondo asked.
"Yes, Hondo," Skeeter said, yawning. "I think I did."
Hondo sighed again and he and Skeeter continued walking and sniffing.
Once more Skeeter suddenly became very excited and started to dig frantically. "Hondo," he said, "I found it! This time I know it's my favorite bone!"
Hondo hoped it was true this time. So he helped his friend dig. "I hope you're right this time," Hondo said. "I'm getting very tired."
"It's okay, Hondo," Skeeter said. "I think this time I've really found my favorite bone." But as soon as Skeeter spoke he and Hondo pulled out an old rusty pipe; the kind of pipe you see under a sink. This pipe didn't look like it had been under a sink in a long, long time.
With that both friends just sat down, their hopes finally dashed. "Skeeter," Hondo said. "We can't give up now, but it's getting dark. We'll never find your favorite bone in the dark."
Skeeter agreed and the two friends quickly started back to Skeeter's house.
They ran through the trees and came out of the woods.
They walked past the schoolyard with the slide and the climber.
They walked past the big lawn, along the fence, and past Skeeter's favorite tree.
"We're home at last," Skeeter said in a sleepy voice.
Hondo, trying to keep his eyes open, said, "We should go to sleep now and start again in the morning."
Skeeter agreed. "You can sleep here," he said, pointing to a patch of grass. "I'll sleep in my house."
"Okay, Skeeter," Hondo said wearily. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Hondo," Skeeter said as he slumped into his house and fell fast asleep.
While he slept, Skeeter had a dream. In his dream he was very happy. He was playing with his favorite bone and it was very tasty. Skeeter was having so much fun with his favorite bone. In his dream, Skeeter promised himself that he would never lose his favorite bone again.
In the morning the bright, warm sun greeted Hondo and Skeeter as they began to awaken. Hondo stretched a little and fell back to sleep. Skeeter stirred and then remembered his lost favorite bone. This made him sad. He did not feel like sleeping anymore and now Skeeter began to stretch.
First he stretched his front legs, then he stretched his hind legs. When Skeeter stretched his hind legs he kicked something. "What was that?" he asked himself as he reached inside his house. Skeeter suddenly let out a high pitched yelp and pulled out his favorite bone!
Skeeter was more excited than ever. "Hondo!" he shouted. "I found it! I found my favorite bone! It was in my house!"
Hondo jumped up and asked, "Your favorite bone was inside your dog house the whole time?"
"Yes!" Skeeter replied excitedly. "I didn't bury it after all. I just left it in here by mistake."
"That's great, Skeeter!" Hondo exclaimed, "Now you can enjoy your favorite bone again."
"You're right, Hondo," Skeeter replied. "I am very happy now and I like being happy! I don't like being sad."
Hondo was glad that Skeeter was so happy, but now something was bothering him. Hondo scratched his head for a minute and, turning to his friend, asked, "Skeeter, yesterday you said you had buried your favorite bone. Right?"
"Yes," Skeeter replied with a puzzled look on his face. "Why?"
"Well," Hondo said. "You must have buried something. Right?"
"Yes, Hondo," Skeeter said, licking his favorite bone. "What are you getting at?"
"Well, Skeeter," Hondo said. "If you didn't bury your favorite bone the other day, what did you bury?"
"I don't know," replied Skeeter, now scratching his head, searching for the answer. "Wait a minute!" he said suddenly.
"Hondo, have you seen my favorite bowl? Oh no! Where's my favorite bowl?"
THE END
Hondo & Skeeter is a trademark of The Chicken Coop. Story and images © Pete Sanfaçon. All Rights Reserved. Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office December 14, 2004 (Registration No. TXu1-216-192).
