At the beginning of summer, parents decided to send their children to their grandparents' village. They thought the kids would be better off in nature than in the city during the hot summer days. However, their children, Mila and Aleksa, were not happy with that decision. They loved their grandparents, but they were scared to be away from their parents for the first time. They thought they would be bored on the countryside without their mom and dad, without friends they were used to, without their favorite toys, and they knew that there was no internet or cable TV in that village. They tried to convince their parents not to leave them alone with their grandparents in every possible way, but their parents did not give in to their children's pleas or tears, and they were determined to stick to their decision.
When they arrived in the village, the kids were surprised that their grandparents' dog, Lajka, did not come to greet them, and even more surprisingly, they didn't hear her barking. They named her Lajka because she barked all the time (when she was happy, scared, or when someone was coming). They decided to search for her. They went around the house, searched every corner, called her, but she did not respond.
At one point, Aleksa thought he heard something in the shed and called Mila to look with him. When they entered, they found Lajka in a fenced area with a few puppies. They stood there in amazement because they saw such small puppies for the first time, and they didn't even know that Lajka became a mother.
Although dogs don't allow anyone to approach their babies, Lajka felt that Mila and Aleksa wouldn't harm them, so she happily ran to the children. She wagged her tail and jumped while the children were petting her. She returned to the box and introduced the puppies to the children in her own way. She pushed one puppy after another in front of herself and patiently waited for the children to approach them.
The boy and the girl started to approach the puppies, but they didn't know which one to help first because they were all jumping and wagging their tails happily. They sat on the floor and excitedly watched the uncertain and cute little ones jumping, falling, rolling over, and standing up. They cuddled and petted them until it was time to eat. They didn't hear when their mother called them, but each puppy started to follow Lajka as if on command. The children left with many impressions and a strange excitement they had never felt before. They didn't want to be separated from the puppies, but they knew they had to leave them to eat and sleep. Every other minute was reserved for playing together.
When the puppies grew enough to go outside, other children from the village started to come to their yard and play with them. The enjoyment was endless. They ran, chased each other, laughed, and had fun in the fresh air all day long. Little lively "toys" couldn't bore them. Every day was different, although the group of friends did not change.
In addition to playing and having fun, the children spontaneously took care of the puppies. They regularly fed them, poured water for them, and made sure that the little ones didn't get hurt. They also proved to be excellent teachers because they taught the puppies many commands and tricks.
The puppies were responsible for many friendships that Mila and Aleksa made in the village, as well as for an unforgettable summer vacation.
When the day of returning to the city came, all the children from the village and the house were there to say goodbye to their brother and sister, and everyone hoped to see each other and hang out again.
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Author: © Nataša Milivojević / All rights reserved.
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