There once was a Jack Russell terrier that lived in a teacup. Not just an ordinary terrier mind you, and not just because she was so tiny. She was made of clay. Hanging on a Christmas tree during the Holiday season every year made her very happy. Her name was Anna, and she loved waking up every December to see what was new in her world.
She had a big sister, actually a giant sister, who was also named Anna. But there was no confusion between the two, though they looked very much alike. Big Anna seemed a hundred or a thousand times bigger than the terrier in the teacup. And unlike Little Anna, Big Anna could move around the room—even leave it completely—while barking and playing with the humans in the room.
There was also another immense, frolicking dog running about or napping on the carpet that Little Anna heard was named Millie. Unlike the fluffy-looking spotted fur of the two Annas, Millie’s coat was sleek and golden brown. In some ways, Little Anna wished she could get down to play with the two immense canines, but she also was afraid because both were big enough to swallow her whole. Besides, she knew the rules: no moving when not inside your storage can.
Day after day during her waking time she wished she had a companion to talk to, a confidant and a friend. She enjoyed viewing the room, and her neighbors who were also on the tree, but they had trouble understanding her, and she them.
At the end of the season, a week or so after the colorful boxes on the floor were opened and the humans played with the shiny new contents, she and the other ornaments were returned to their tin and put away for another year. Little Anna, said a general goodnight to her fellow trinkets, stretched, yawned, and fell asleep.
When December came around, and the terrier in a teacup once again saw the brightly lit room, first from the tabletop and then hanging from the tree, she once again felt excitement. But this year she sensed something was different, something glorious and wonderful, was about to happen. The humans unwrapped a small parcel and held it up to the dogs below, who seemed totally uninterested. The woman called Millie, “Look, girl, You have your own ornament now.” The short-hair golden-brown dog came over to sniff the object the lady held, then joined her companion as they left the room together. Turning to the tree, she hung something on the tree next to Little Anna. As the woman removed her hands, Anna could see it was a tiny teacup like her own, inside a miniature Millie, staring out into the room, eyes full of happy wonderment.
“Hello, my name is Anna. I’ve been waiting for you.”
Copyright 2022 by Richard Lane Church. All rights reserved.