There was no doubt about it. Hazel Fox was a teaser. She could make you laugh until your sides ached at some of her jokes or pranks that she had pulled on other animals. They were great jokes or pranks, as long as they weren't done to you.

 A lot of animals steered out of Hazel Fox's path when they saw her coming, in case you were next on her prank list. Other animals trailed around with her just to see who would get zapped next. Today though, Hazel Fox was solo when she found the little dog lost in the woods.

 Romeo Dog wasn't very big. In fact, his name was almost bigger than he was. His owner was a Shakespeare lover, and, seeing the big brown eyes on this dog, instantly said, "You will be a Romeo when you grow up." The name stuck.

 Romeo Dog getting lost was one of those crazy things that happen. Dog sees open gate, dog sees woods in back field, dog decides to chase squirrel into woods, squirrel loses dog and dog finds himself lost. That was how it happened as evening approached and shadows lengthened in the forest.

 "Hi, cutie!" said Hazel Fox, seeing the dog was little and very much alone.

 "Hi!" said Romeo Dog, glad not to be alone anymore.

 "Bet your little tummy would like a big bone, wouldn't it?" asked Hazel Fox.

 Seeing that his little tummy was gurgling because he missed lunch, Romeo Dog thought it was a great idea. He wagged his tail eagerly back and forth.

 "There is a big one buried in a hole under that tree," said Hazel Fox.

 Romeo Dog trotted off to the tree while Hazel Fox put her paw over her mouth to contain a chuckle. Romeo Dog's little paws dug and dug, but the only thing he found were a few nuts, not bones. He looked questioningly at the fox.

 "I must have picked the wrong tree," said Hazel Fox looking very innocent. "I think it is that one." She pointed to a maple further down the path which Romeo Dog trotted to and started digging.

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 "There doesn't seem to be any bones, only roots of the tree," said Romeo Dog searching. Hazel Fox had to duck behind the trunk of a tree for a moment to bend over laughing. He was so naive, she thought.

 Romeo Dog was determined, you had to give him that, as the rest of the afternoon he dug wherever Hazel Fox said. He dug until his paws ached and Hazel Fox ached too. Ached from laughing at the poor dog, that is.

 When Romeo Dog unearthed a small bottle of shiny rocks, he shook the bottle. "I think it is gold," he said remembering stories of pirate gold.

 "If it is, then I'm rich," said Hazel Fox dancing around.

 "I found it, so we are rich, right?" asked Romeo Dog, wanting to share in the good fortune.

 "Sure kid," said Hazel Fox, who had no plans of sharing with the little fellow.

 At the jewellery store, the owner couldn't believe when two animals dropped a bottle of shiny stones on the counter. When he held his eyeglass up to the stones, he shouted, "It's diamonds! You're rich!"

 "We thought it was gold," said the dog disappointed.

 "All that glitters is not gold, you know," said the shopkeeper.

 Quickly the shopkeeper called the police to see if the stones had been involved in any robbery. Finding they were and that a reward was involved, he gave Romeo Dog and Hazel Fox a bone each for bringing the stones to him.

 "We're rich right?" asked Romeo Dog chomping on his bone.

 "Yeah! Right!" said Hazel Fox and she ran back to the forest.

 Winner: Devin McDow of Chester Basin received a prize for sending in the answer to Storytime.

 Question about the story: Why did Hazel watch when the dog did all the work?

 Send answers to Storytime, c/o Verna Dunlop, PO Box 325, Sheet Harbour, NS B0J 3B0. Prizes will be sent to those sending in the answer.

posted on 01/25/12