Man in Dog's Body

The cell phone rang on the porch. A sleeping dachshund lifted her head, suddenly alert, intent on the intruding noise. The phone rang several more times, eliciting the same reaction every time. You just know she understood someone important was calling. She barked enthusiastically, wondering why someone did not answer it.

Dogs are people reincarnated, human beings in hairy, zippered suits. If only we knew where the zipper was we could open it, and let the person dog inside, out. But being human, maybe we would not let the dog out of the bag. This reincarnation is a penalty for having been human and bad, or bad and human or moswt likely both is not to find the zipper. Big dogs once were little people, and shaggy dogs were once bald men. The punishment is in being the opposite in dog life, and occasionally a reward if the human happened to have been good. Dogs know the meaning of everything we say, even comprehending some of the multi-syllable words, like metempsychosis. And if they cannot respond or let us know how much they comprehend,or they will die. They are permitted to empathize only, to play and amuse and they mostly do, especially when hungry.

The dogs are coming to town. Get out the leashes, get out the doggie bags, the water bowl. The dogs are coming, and so is the wife.