Max Gets A Bath

Max Gets a Bath

          By Valerie L. Egar

            Robbie and Amy overheard Mom talking to Dad.  “The only thing I still need to do is give Max a bath.” Max was the family’s chocolate lab. He hadn’t had a bath all winter because it was too cold.

            “That will be a handful,” said Dad. Though Max loved plowing through puddles, running in the rain and swimming in the near-by lake, Max hated baths.

            Mom sighed. “I know, I’m dreading it. I guess I’ll do it first thing tomorrow.”

            Robbie and Amy decided to surprise Mom by giving Max a bath when she and Dad were outside in the garden. How hard could it be?

    Robbie ran warm water in the tub.

    “Where’s Max?” Amy asked.

             Robbie and Amy looked on his dog bed. No Max.

             They looked under the kitchen table, where he liked to lie when they ate. No Max.

             They searched every room in the house.

            “I found him!” Amy yelled.  Robbie ran upstairs.  Max was hiding his head under Robbie’s bed, but the rest of his body didn’t fit.

            “We see you,” Robbie said.

            Max thumped his tail.

            “Doggie biscuit,” Amy said.

            Max squeezed out and Amy gave him a Beefy Bone. Max crunched and wagged his tail.

            Amy held another in front of Max and walked into the bathroom.

             Max got as far as the doorway and stopped. Baths happened in bathrooms and he could smell water in the tub and shampoo.

            “Come on, Max,” Amy said. “Mmm, Beefy Bone.”  Max stepped forward. Beefy Bones were delicious!

            Robbie clicked the door shut as Amy handed the bone to Max. 

   “Come on boy, jump in the tub!” Max sat.

            Amy tugged on Max’s collar and urged him to jump in.

            Max stretched out on the floor and rolled over.

            “Look, water!” Robbie said. He tried to sound excited.

            Max stood. Amy pulled his collar and Robbie pushed from the rear. Max jumped into the tub with a big splash.

            Robbie lathered Max’s neck first, taking care not to get soap on his face or in his eyes. Amy soaped his back and his long tail.

            “Doesn’t that feel good?” Amy said. Max wagged his tail throwing suds against the wall.

             All of a sudden, Max decided he’d had enough.  With one leap, he jumped out of the tub and shook, exploding water and soap everywhere.

    “You haven’t rinsed off yet!”  Robbie and Amy tried to get him back into the tub, but Max resisted.  He’d had enough of bath time.

“Maybe we can wipe the soap off,” said Robbie.  Amy wet few towels and they rubbed the soap off Max. Then, Amy grabbed more towels and they started to dry him. Max thought it was a game. He shook again and again until the bathroom floor was soaked.  Robbie and Amy were soaked, too.

“Maybe we should take him someplace else to dry,” said Robbie. He opened the bathroom door.

            Max flew out, leaving a trail of wet paw prints down the stairs and into the kitchen.  Robbie and Amy ran after him leaving a trail of wet shoeprints.

            Robbie took four rolls of paper towels out of the cabinet and they finished drying Max.  Then, Amy took another roll of towels and she and Robbie dried themselves off.

            “Mom is really going to be surprised,” said Amy.

“She sure is,” said Robbie.

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Copyright 2016 by Valerie L. Egar. May not be copied, reproduced or distributed without permission from the author.