Our house is full of wild animals. Elephants. Crocodiles. Lion cubs. There is even a swordfish. They live under the sofa, in the hallway, and occasionally in my shoes.
But there is only one king.
His name is Lion, and he was once a fierce and noble beast. He had a proud mane, a brave face, and two perfectly good ears. That was before he met Tobby.
Now, you should know something about Tobby. He is the kindest, gentlest soul you will ever meet. With other dogs, he is polite to the point of shyness. Cats frighten him. Yorkies, all three kilograms of them, make him step aside and pretend he has somewhere else to be.
And yet, this same dog took one look at the king of beasts and decided that the ears simply had to go.
One by one, they disappeared. Not in anger. Tobby doesn't do anything in anger. I think he just felt that Lion looked better that way. Softer, maybe. A little less intimidating. More like family.
Lion has retired now. He spends his days resting in a place of honor, earless and dignified, like an old general with stories to tell. Tobby has moved on to smaller prey.
I laugh every time I look at that lion. And after the years we've had, laughter in this house feels like its own small victory. Some days, it comes from the most unexpected places: a dog who is afraid of Yorkies, and a lion who never saw it coming.
Does your dog have a favorite victim among the toys?
Would you like to share your answer?
I read every answer myself. It stays private unless you say otherwise.
If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, please reach out to local emergency services or a crisis line in your country right now. You deserve immediate support.
With love, and a wet nose from Tobby
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