It’s an oft-told Herman family tale this time of year.
December 25, 2003 — Ricky the Beagle’s first Christmas. Matt is 22. Robby is 10. (Greg is 19, but he’s not part of this story. Sorry, Greg.) Matt and Robby are locked in one of their weird competitions: Whose gift will Ricky like better?
Robby had gotten for Ricky a tiny white Dolphins #34 Ricky Williams jersey. (Our dog was named for him.) Matt had stashed away three french fries from a recent visit to the Diner, which he covered with a paper napkin and placed in a small box. He then put that box inside another box, put them both inside a third box, stuck a bow on it, and placed it under our “tree” — the indoor basketball hoop covered with a green fleece blanket, topped by a gold star, and festooned with a single strand of lights. (The tree was also Matt’s handiwork.) He buried his special present deep within the pile of boxes — several layers above it, several below.
While each member of the family is carting his/her last few gifts to the tree, we discover that the box of French fries is . . . missing! All that’s left is a pile of shredded paper and cardboard. Remarkably, nothing else has been disturbed. Ricky, quite clearly, has chosen his winner.
Flash forward to Christmas, 2019. A similar mound of presents under the tree. (The tree is a somewhat lighter sage color this year; Matt couldn’t find the old green fleece.) Kemba, in the role of Ricky, heads directly to the mountain of gifts, and miraculously zeroes right in on the one for him: A Christmas-green-with-silver-glitter plastic spiky ball, his very favorite kind. Apparently, he can smell these from a mile away.
For one dog, it’s all about the food. For another, it’s all about the ball. And there, in a chestnutshell, is the difference between Ricky and Kemba.
Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, and a wonderful New Year!
YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW BEAGLE MAN AND KEMBA ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM.
Hank: I always loved that story about Ricky. Our first beagle, back in 1967, found a package of Reese’s peanut butter cups under the tree.
Sonny took off the gift wrapping and ribbon, removed the cellophane wrapping, took off the paper on each one and ate all 12! He did not get sick or have any reaction to all that candy. My mother was in tears as it was a special gift for my father!
Happy New Year! Mary