Greetings.
The lives of most dedicated public servants such as myself can be lacking in tangible accomplishment. Thus, it is with great satisfaction that I am writing to report that No-Meg has surrendered to my overtures. She and I are now engaged in amicable negotiations regarding her Patch status.
First, let me express my sincere thanks for your support of our blossoming friendship. Uninitiated and ignorant observers might think that you were in fact orchestrating the increasing familiarity between myself and No-Meg. Obviously, this is not the case, but your invitation to spend translation time inside the Feeder House and to assign me the position nearest the fire has supported my linguistic labors with No-Meg.
Secondly, my ongoing efforts both to interpret canine communication – a thankless task if ever there was one – and to establish No-Meg’s comprehension of my intent are returning some limited results. No-Meg’s emotional range extends from “excited-excited-excited” (upon being released from her kennel…or fed…or taken for a walk) to “danger-danger-danger” (in response to her own flickering reflection in a glass door, the same reflection of a large barking black thing that appears every time she passes in front of said door). You can see that there is not much, or perhaps far too much, for my capacious brain to work with in this situation.
My greater challenge lies in enhancing No-Meg’s teachability and expanding her pseudo-understanding of the mental, emotional, and relational lives of other Patch residents. She has not yet grasped the pleasures of s-l-o-w-l-y stretching out in front of a warm fire or keeping one’s body firmly in the sunshine by moving in such minuscule increments so as to be perceived as entirely stationary. In fact, slow movements seem entirely outside of No-Meg’s physical capabilities. She performs vigorous up-and-down motions to the point of excess, a trait I am currently working with her to remedy.
While I remain in the dark about No-Meg’s purpose at the Patch (and she has one, correct?), I find great satisfaction in doing my part to render her somewhat less obtuse and perhaps just slightly more amenable to cross-species conversation.
In humble triumph,
Henry
Comments