Why Fear Is Not All That It Is Cracked Up To Be

A young man called Digger was delivering a package for a friend to a nearby farm.  He’d finally reached old Smither’s place.  It was nothing spectacular.  A farmhouse.  It was looking a bit dilapidated and weather worn.  To the left of the old house was a barn and  the yard was strewn with pieces of farming equipment.  As he opened the gate, his eyes searched for any sign of a dog.  He continued to scour each and every inch of the place as the gate slammed with a bang behind him.

He strode quickly across the yard with the package firmly gripped in his hand.  Suddenly, to his dismay, he saw a flash out of the corner of his eye.

A dog!

Digger was already halfway between  the gate and the house  and there was nowhere to run.

He froze.  The dog had firmly latched it’s mouth around his right heel.

Trying not to move a muscle, he yelled,  “Hello! Anybody home?”

Finally, out of the house bounded a big, burly fellow; presumably old Smithers.  He stopped dead in his tracks and began to bellow with laughter.  Tears streamed down his face as he lost total control of himself.  He slapped his legs with his muscly arms and pointed at the scene before him.  He obviously thought it was hilarious for  before his eyes stood a statue, which could have been entitled,  “Digger with dog attached and nowhere to go.”

Digger was not at all amused.  The only consolation was, that eventhough the dog hadn’t loosened it’s hold, the canine’s jaws hadn’t moved further up his leg.

When old Smithers finally took control of himself, and put a stop to the guffaw that had been exploding in waves from his belly, the big man yelled out, “A bit caught up are ya?”

“Can you give me a hand?  Call off your dog will ya?” Digger pleaded.

“Oh there’s nothin’ to worry about mate.”

Nothing to worry about, digger thought.  Here I have a man eating animal on the end of my leg and he says I’ve got nothing to worry about.

With yet another burst of laughter, the big man yelled, “Me dog’s got no teeth.  Here boy!” he called, as he let out a piercing whistle.

Immediately, the gummy fiend let go of Diggers ankle and leapt towards his master, with it’s wagging tail following close behind.  As digger looked down at his ankle, all he could see was the foamy outline of where his false assailant had been.