Along Came a Dog

Along Came a Dog by Meindert DeJong

A couple of blogs ago I brought up the topic of “quiet books”. This is the book that started the discussion - quiet Newbery Honor winner from the 50's.

It was sitting next to me at the desk at work and my boss noticed it. She of all people would know it – recognize it – remember it. And it brought back a memory from forever ago. There had been a little boy, who might have been 9 or 12, who knows, but he LOVED this book. She had wondered what had captured his heart. Did he have a thing for chickens?

I felt bad. Here was a book that I should be able to read in a couple of days. Simple rather than complex. Few characters rather than a symphony. Short rather than bulky. But it just didn’t capture me … Maybe I don’t have a thing for chickens? But I love dogs.

Even though the title is Along Came a Dog, this book is really about a chicken and even a farmer. Let’s call it a love triangle. The farmer loves the chicken. The dog loves the chicken. The dog wants a home. The farmer doesn’t want the dog. That pretty much sums it up. Who doesn’t own a farm and have at least one dog?

The chicken is special to the farmer. She is a little red hen in a flock of white ones. She is the only survivor of his reds so she holds a special place in his heart. Unfortunately, his hen house wasn’t adequately protected from the cold and the little red hen’s toes froze. I kid you not; she takes a step into some squelchy mud and the toes come right off!

Here’s where the dog comes in. The dog loves the chicken because she needs him. He becomes her protector and she becomes his boss. The dog now has a purpose even if the farmer keeps trying to get rid of him.

The dog senses that the farmer has a soft heart and it is true. The farmer likes the dog well enough, he just doesn’t have a use for him to his knowledge. But because the dog knows that the farmer is a good man, he keeps coming back even if he continues to hide from him.

Now here is what I like about the book … There is a moment where the white hens and the single white rooster gang up on one of the white hens who has gotten herself into a silly situation. It is all about pecking order. The farmer comes to the rescue and scolds the others for their cannibalistic behavior. Then he goes and kicks the rooster for his stupidity. (I forgot to mention that the toeless red hen sits on the farmer’s shoulder.) The red hen pecks the farmer’s cheeks and he comes to his senses. He is no better than the rooster by resorting to kicking him. Perhaps the chickens aren’t acting so much chicken as they are acting human. OUCH! Hen House = Life Boat. We're all just trying to establish our importance. All that is except the dog who is humble enough to take the lowliest job and even do it in secret ...