tail.

   “W-what?” asked Pox, lifting an ear.

   “Speak up then, eh Chips?” grunted  Bessie.

   “I was just thinking, you know. It’s not quite Cruella’s style to—” she was cut off from a yelp of fear from Pox, who was horridly afraid of Madame De Vil. “Ooh, sorry Pox!”

   “Well if not for ol’ skunk hair, who then?” asked Bessie, yawning lazily.

   “Probably the Baddun brothers, Horace and Jasper. She could’ve sent them.”

   Splatter brought his eyebrows together in confusion. “But I thought they hit the clink. You know, after Patch and Thunderbolt—”

   “Oh, that’s right!” Chip was nodding now. “And Cru—I mean, you know, SHE is locked up in the asylum since then too. So who--?”

   “Oy, you lot!” another Dalmatian head poked up from the other side of the horse feed. It was Scruff, their other brother, who had shaggy fur, dark spots under his eyes and a spike of hair sprouting up at the base of his skull, glared down at them. He sounded in a bad mood, but that was typical. Scruff usually didn’t hang around with his siblings during the day unless he wanted to poke fun at them, so all four of the puppies gave him their attention immediately.

   “Ol’ pet Anita’s got the grub out, mates. Better make quick, cuz the others already heard the dinner call!” with a wicked chuckle at their misfortune, their big brother raced to beat them to the farmhouse kitchen.

   Splatter and Chip leaped over the horse feed. Pox scrambled behind, and Bessie almost fell on her head trying to climb the bags herself.

   “Gruff gets on my nerves when he does that. You know, only drops in to tell us how we’re going to miss the food and then leaves us behind.” Muttered Chip as she and Splatter turned to help Pox heave Bessie up.

   “Well, he did tell us lunch was ready. He could’ve let us miss it entirely.” Splatter mused as he yanked Bessie to her feet by the collar.

   “Well, that is pretty decent for Gruff,” Agreed Bessie between huffs of breath as they ran out of the barn.

   When they came into the barnyard, they saw dozens of Dalmatian puppies stampeding—and causing a stampede in the cow pen—off towards the farmhouse across the path.

   Scruff was pushing and shoving rudely to the front of the pack, racing a three legged pup called Tripod. The two were in constant competition.

   “I hope T-Tripod beats him there!” Pox panted.

   “If Tripod had any wits about him at ALL, he’d ignore Scruff’s challenges altogether.” Snorted Chip huffily. “All brawn and not a shred of brains about them, the big bully!”

   Bessie was panting so much she might’ve been hyperventilating. “Huh-huh-huh….where’s…Splatter then, eh?” she gasped.

   Just as the three siblings were about to look around before joining in the mad dash for food, a loud braying came from around the barn.

   “Wahoo!” howled Splatter. He was seated on top of a hay cart being pulled by the farm’s donkey. The cart was going at top speed as the mule trotted towards the farm house. “Totally ripper!” he barked as the cart passed his siblings, who were staring dumbfounded. “Come along, we’ll get there in no time!”

   “Hurry up kids, I’ll give you a ride.” Drawled the old donkey.

   Chip charged after the cart. “Hurry, you two!” she leaped into the cart with ease.

   Bessie waddled as fast as her fat body could go, panting raggedly. “Wonderful, eh? More running.” She wheezed sarcastically. 

Pox ran behind reluctantly. He was skinny and built for running, with nice long legs, but the little pup was lagging back for some reason.

   “Come on, Poxy!” shouted Splatter. “We’ll miss lunch!”

   Pox panted, looking terrified. “I-I-I can’t do it!” he yelped.

   “Sure you can, Chickenpup!” scolded Chip. “Just jump!”

   “W-what if I fall?” he panted. Bessie was beginning to fall behind, and the donkey wasn’t stopping.

   “I’ll catch you, I promise!” barked Splatter, wagging his tail reassuringly. They were nearing the back of the sea of spots that were racing towards the house.

   Pox looked from the cart to the house frantically.

   “Pox!” Chip shouted. “If you don’t get your hindquarters up here NOW, I’m going to pull them off when we reach the house. Do you hear me? You’ll be a Dalmatian with no spots, just a pink, naked tail end, and everyone will call you Shiny Hiney. Understand?!”

   Pox’s eyes stretched wide. Bessie wasn’t too exhausted to lift her left eyebrow. Even Splatter stared at Chip.

  Pox jumped. Splatter grabbed his blue collar to give him an extra boost and they tumbled to the back of the cart. Bessie panted. “I ain’t gonna make it.”

   Chip gave her the skunk eye. Bessie blinked. “On second thought, get ready to catch me!”

   Bessie leaped. Her front paws barely tapped the edge of the hay cart. She would’ve fallen back, but her siblings caught her by the collar as well, and though it took all three of them to pull her up, she made it.

   As they lay in a heap on the bottom of the cart, Bessie groaned. “Next time, Splats, let us get in the cart afore you get it movin’, ay?”

   They got up and put their paws on the edge of the cart to enjoy their triumph. (All except Bessie, who lay panting and wheezing and swearing off exercise forever.

    Puppies began yelping and scrambling out of the donkey’s way, or slowing down and staring in amazement or jealousy as they rode to the head of the pack.

   “Out of the way!” shouted Splatter, laughing.

   “Coming through, you lot!” added Chip, looking like a war princess on her chariot.

   “Oy!” shouted a voice to their left.

   Pox looked up from his spot at that side of the cart. “It’s Scruff!”

   The other two came over to that side and looked down on their brother, who was still running and trying to keep up with them. Tripod was right behind him. “Let me up, you blokes!”

   The three looked at each other. Chip smiled down at him. “What’s the magic word, Gruff?”

   Scruff panted and struggled to keep pace. “Oh come on, chums, aren’t I—”

   “Better say ‘please’, Scruff.” Splatter gave him a sympathetic but unwavering look.

  Tripod suddenly put on a burst of speed and came neck-and-neck with Scruff.

   Scruff panted, tiring, and shouted, “All right, okay! P-Please can I come up?!”

   “Jump aboard, Gruffy!” winked Chip. Scruff jumped. He hadn’t gotten as high as Pox, but he was higher than Bessie and less heavy, so his littermates easily got him into the cart.

  The donkey stopped. “Alright then, ev’rybody off then, puppies.”

   “Thanks, Jessie,” said Splatter. The others muttered their thanks as well, except for Scruff.

   “Don’t mention it. I reckon ev’ry spotty pup in this brood’ll want a ride next time, so consider this cab out of business! I’m no carrying service.” She brayed with a decisive stamp of her hoof.

  The four of them hurried inside ahead of the other pups.