Not so long ago, a boy named Marko lived with his dog named Badza. The two of them grew up together and were incredibly close. Marko learned to walk with Badza's help, and Badza tirelessly protected the boy from anyone who tried to hurt him. They shared all their toys and free time. They loved walking together and hanging out with children and other dogs. Every day they met someone new and happily made friends.
However, Badza started going out of the house alone. Marko didn't know why he was leaving and separating from him, nor the reason for his departure. Sometimes hours would pass before Badza returned, and the boy stopped looking for him and calling him in the streets because he knew it was pointless. Badza would return on his own, just as he had left.
One day, when they arrived at the park with Marko's friends, they found an incredible sight. Empty bottles, bags of various snacks, cans, and other litter were scattered everywhere. The boys stood and silently watched the park, which did not look like itself. They did not understand who could have made such a mess. They gave up on staying in the park and decided to play in someone's yard that day, but Badza didn't go with them. He went alone in an unknown direction.
The next day, the park was completely tidied up, so the children could play unhindered. Badza was lying by the fence of the park and patiently waiting for the children to finish playing.
The next day, things started to disappear from the neighboring park that the children brought with them. Nemanja's favorite tennis ball went missing, and Vesna's few cans and shovels she liked to play with in the sand. The park children had only briefly gone to buy popcorn, and when they returned, there were no toys. When Marko and Badza arrived at the park, they found sad children who immediately told them what had happened. They began to search every corner together, but without success. Their favorite toys were missing.
No one noticed a few big boys sitting and laughing near the park until Badza started barking at them. Marko turned surprised and looked at where his dog was. Badza had never attacked anyone before, nor barked like that, so the boy began to call him and run towards him afraid that his dog would hurt someone.
The big boys started shouting and trying to chase the dog, but when they failed, they tried to run away. However, Badza didn't let them go but grabbed one of them by the leg.
When Marko and the other children arrived at Badza, the boy whom the dog was holding by the leg was already terrified. Confused, he took out the tennis ball from his pocket and returned it to Nemanja, and the other boy showed Vesna the place behind the bench where her cans and shovels were.
Only when the children had their toys returned did Badža calm down and release the boy's trouser leg that he had been holding onto. The older boys were so scared that they began to stutter. They apologized to the children and promised them that it would never happen again. They also admitted to leaving litter in the park after their birthday celebration, along with a few of their friends, and that the same dog had found them and made them pick it all up, but at that time Badža didn't seem so dangerous to them.
It was only then that Marko realized that Badža would leave home alone to solve the problems caused by naughty children that no one else could uncover. His dog, whom he was proud of, was not only his best friend and a good guard, but also an experienced detective who became famous throughout the city they lived in, and even beyond.
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Author: © Nataša Milivojević / All rights reserved.
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