Deep River Collies

A Story for Young People Sponsored by Gastonia East Rotary 

Story by Jim Bretzuis & Illustration by Hunter Bretzuis

Featuring their 3-year-old sable merle smooth Collie, Pim, aka CH Deep River’s Watch Captain

Tuesday, September 8, 2009 The Gaston Gazette, 1C

Pim’s two favorite things to play with were his big red ball and his tug-o-war rope. He loved to chase the ball around his big backyard. He liked it best when his owners threw it for him but sometimes they were busy so he had use his long collie nose to push it along. The tug rope required some help from his human family or from one of the other dogs that often came to play with him.

He spent most of the day playing, stopping only for meals and to take a short nap or two. He had an unusual amount of energy for a young collie and took very few rest periods. All of this exercise made him very strong and it was rare for one of his dog friends to get the best of him during a tug-o-war contest.

One sunny spring day Pim was nosing his ball around the yard and running after it and nosing it again and again, running as fast as he could to keep up with it.  Suddenly the ball started rolling down the hill and went so fast Pim couldn’t keep up. The ball kept rolling and rolling faster and faster, then disappeared over a small rise and plopped down with a splash into a stream.

The swift current of the steam began to carry the ball into the deep woods with Pim racing along side trying his best to keep up. The ball got ahead, but Pim would never give up his favorite toy and kept going as it went deeper in the woods. The ball was almost out of sight when it suddenly stopped.

“Good,” Pim thought. “Now I can get it back.” He raced to the spot where the ball rested.

“Oh no,” Pim thought. The ball was caught in some branches that were blocking the stream.

Several times Pim waded into the water but it was very deep and he was not a good swimmer like some of his dog friends. He barked as loud as he could, trying to get the attention of one of them, but they were far off and couldn’t hear.

As hard as he tried he couldn’t get to the ball.  He hated to leave it behind, but he was out of ideas on how to retrieve it. He was about to head for home when he heard a small voice.

“Help me, please help me!”

“I can’t help you,” said Pim. “I’ve lost my ball and it’s getting late and I need to get home.”

“I want to go home too,” said the voice. “I’m scared , can’t you help me?”

Pim was confused. He knew he had to get home but something told him that he had to do the right thing and find a way to help.

He went back to the pile of branches and looked as hard as he could to find where the voice was coming from. He almost gave up when he spotted two tiny eyes and a little black nose.

“Who are you? Are you a puppy like me?” Pim asked.

“No,” the tiny voice said. “I’m a baby otter and I’m trapped in these branches. Please help me.”

Pim remembered tug-o-war and started pulling the branches with his strong back and teeth. One by one the branches loosened. Pim was almost exhausted when he grabbed a large limb in his teeth. He tugged with all of his strength and at last it came loose. The pile broke apart and floated down stream along with his red ball.

Pim started to worry about the little otter when all of a sudden, up popped the little shiny brown creature.

“Thank you, thank you. I never would have gotten free without your help,” said the baby otter. “But look you ball is floating away. Stay here and I’ll get it for you.”

Away swam the otter and a few minutes later he came back pushing Pim’s ball with his little black nose. When he got close to Pim, he flipped the ball into the air, slapped it with his tail. It landed at Pim’s feet.

“And I thank you for saving my ball!” said Pim. “I’m strong but you are a good swimmer. We both helped each other.”

“Come back and play with me some time,” said the baby otter as he jumped in the air, dove into the stream and started swimming home to his family.

Pim nosed his red ball home hoping he hadn’t missed his supper, thinking about his new friend along the way.

Pim – CH Deep River’s Watch Captain – (by CH Deep River’s Solid Stock x HTCh CH Deep River’s Comfort and Joy RE, HSAc, HXAsd)