{"id":161,"date":"2024-10-21T09:50:13","date_gmt":"2024-10-21T09:50:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.d-c-k.com\/mme-el\/?p=161"},"modified":"2024-10-21T09:50:13","modified_gmt":"2024-10-21T09:50:13","slug":"toutoune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.d-c-k.com\/mme-el\/toutoune\/","title":{"rendered":"Toutoune"},"content":{"rendered":"
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S<\/span>he had her own dog for a companion in the house, a <\/span>Labri bitch, Toutoune, with whom I became great friends <\/span>in spite of her biting history, no doubt because of my <\/span>relationship with her mistress. I simply wasn\u2019t afraid of this <\/span>dog, not wary in the least, to the point that when she, on her <\/span>hind legs, and Mme El were side by side at their open window <\/span>and I in the road, she habitually barking like mad, I frightened <\/span>Mme El by putting my hand straight towards that barking <\/span>mouth! The animal didn\u2019t bite and I was asked not to do that <\/span>again.<\/span>
Toutoune was long-haired and needed brushing frequently.
\n<\/span>To this end she put her front legs up on a stool so that Mme <\/span>El, sitting in her arm-chair, could lovingly wield the brush all <\/span>along the dog\u2019s body at her leisure and convenience. Toutoune <\/span>was used to Mme El\u2019s commands so disliked by some sensitive <\/span>souls: When they proceeded into the farmyard, the dog in <\/span>front, waiting for her mistress and sometimes in her way, it <\/span>was \u2018en avant marche!\u2019, forward march! In a definite tone not <\/span>to be resisted. Once a year we paid a visit to the local canine <\/span>cosmetic saloon for an all-round overhaul with warm water, <\/span>thick towels, perfumes and nail and hair cutting. The session <\/span>lasted a good hour and for a few days Toutoune was a shade <\/span>lighter and very civilized, fit for Mme El\u2019s grandson\u2019s wedding, <\/span>but she didn\u2019t come to church, neither did I In the end.\u00a0<\/span>
Toutoune,<\/span> having<\/span> contracted<\/span> a<\/span> nasty<\/span> disease<\/span> like<\/span> any <\/span>human, left this world soon after Mr Bernard. Her mistress <\/span>was in hospital at the time. When she heard the news of the <\/span>dear dog\u2019s departure, she understood what had happened: <\/span>an injection\u2026 and wanted to fall down, but she was lying in <\/span>bed and couldn\u2019t and I reminded her of the disease to whose <\/span>first clear symptoms she had closed her eyes. That\u2019s life, Mme <\/span>El is a champion in accepting life as it comes, \u2018es atal\u2019, it\u2019s like <\/span>that, her closing words in the discussion and that was the end <\/span>of that.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

She had her own dog for a companion in the house, a Labri bitch, Toutoune, with whom I became great friends in spite of her biting history, no doubt because of my relationship with her mistress. I simply wasn\u2019t afraid of this dog, not wary in the least, to the point that when she, on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t