Lola and Marco Chapter 3: Marco Says Goodbye

 Lola didn't think that she would live through the ride on the self propelled cart. It was bumpy and so very fast when they went down the hill. Some of the wine bottles fell off the cart making people yell and wave angry fists at them. Marco reassured her that all would be well. He would protect her. He said his nose told him that there was water nearby. Suddenly the cart stopped. The two dogs fell off the cart shaking off straw and thanking their lucky stars that they were still alive and not hurt. 

Marco looked around and said, "Lola, look! Look through those trees. We are going over there. I was right. There is a stream of water through those trees. I can hear it sing. She hopped on his back and once again Marco was right. It didn't take very long to make their way through the vines and the trees to see that there was a stream of water. It wasn't as big as a canal that the gondolas floated on and it certainly wasn't as big as the ocean, but it was water. It was clear and it was cold and delicious. The two dogs drank as much as they could. They made their way over to the shade of the big trees and decided to lay down and rest before they continued on their journey to the shipyard. 

The arrival of Lola and Marco stirred up some interest of the wildlife that lived by the stream. There were squirrels, frogs, and lots of birds and even some beautiful blue butterflies. Those butterflies were not a bit happy with the visitors because they were close by the flowers that they drank nectar from. They had just settled down for a very juicy lunch with their long straw like tongues when those dogs interrupted them. They flew away to a bush that was a safe distance away from the two dogs. They were interested to see what the strangers were going to do. 

They were soon to hear and see another stranger making a cheerful chittering whistling sound. There was a mouse in a tiny row boat. He had his lunch packed and seemed to be on his way to the sea. At least that's what Lola told Marco. "Oh, Marco, look. There is a mouse. He is not a house mouse, he is a mouse on his way for an adventure. An adventure on the sea. I just know it. Let's ask if he will take us with him on his little boat. I am sure that would be a wonderful way to travel. Look how happy he is!"

Marco looked at the traveling mouse and shook his head. "I am sure he is going to the sea, Lola, but his little boat does not have room for us. See how tiny it is? There is room just for you. I will ask if he will take you to the ship that is going to the New World. But I will stay here. Italia is my home. If the mouse says yes and if he is going to the New World too, I will ask him to take good care of you."

Lola was not a bit happy about leaving Marco. She loved Marco. He had protected her, made sure she had food and water, and believed in helping her achieve her dreams. How could she leave him? Oh, but she so wanted to see the New World. Maybe that mouse wouldn't even take her along with him. A mouse wouldn't take care of her like Marco had been. Oh dear, what should she do?

Marco made his way to the water and splashed it with his big paw. "Hello there, mouse on the boat. Will you take my friend, Lola, with you? She is very small and doesn't eat much. She very much wants to go on a big sailing ship to the New World. Is that where you are going?"

After a long discussion about the mouse not eating meat and Lola eating cheese and fruit the mouse agreed to give it a try only after Lola agreed to keep dangerous cats from harming him on board ship.

Marco had been keeping a secret knowing that at some point in time he and Lola would have to go separate ways; he had gotten her a little gift. He helped her onto the little boat and said, "Here you go, Lola. I got you this so that every time you get afraid or lonely just cuddle up to this little toy and think of me. You will be just fine. Now go on. Go and have your adventure, little one. Go!"

Lola and Marco Adventure Chapter 2 Hungry, Thirsty, AND A Magic Cart?

 Lola couldn't believe that they had successfully jumped onto the gondola. The narrow boat sure wasn't very big. Marco took up a lot of room and Lola buried herself in front of him as good as she could. The man with the stick or oar that was making the little boat move in the water didn't say a word to them. "Maybe he didn't see us. Could we be that lucky, Marco?" Marco made a soft growl in his throat and told her to be very very quiet. He had a lot of thinking to do. He loved his new little friend and wanted to keep her safe. He knew these waterways. People traveled from place to place on them. They would go shopping at a store and sometimes would ride the gondola until they got close to where they lived. He saw them give the man coins. Of course, they didn't have any coins they just had each other. Lola had a dream and he was determined to make that dream come true.

Lola was trembling she was so scared. Maybe this dream of hers would get them penned up again or worse thrown into the water. 

"Oh no, Marco. We are going to shore. There are some people wanting a ride on this thing. We have to get off before someone throws us in the water or worse." Marco agreed. This way of travel was faster than walking to the sea, but it was dangerous. He noticed several carts that had vegetables and fruits for sale on them. It looked to him that just might work for a free ride. He explained to Lola that when the man got the gondola close to the street they would jump and start running as fast as they could. "Remember, hang on to my back as tight as you can. When I see a cart that has room for us I will jump as high as I can."

The gondolier steered the gondola close to the street shortly after. Marco said, "Hang on tight! Here we go!" The gondolier yelled. "Dogs, get out of here." Lola and Marco were going like the wind and didn't see or hear anything but the streets ahead of them. 

Marco eventually slowed down to catch his breath. He was thirsty and hungry. They needed to rest for awhile. Marco had experience on the streets long before he roamed onto the palace grounds. He knew where and how to get some sausages and a drink from some of the vendors called lixae. They were loud and dirty men that would sometimes feed the soldiers. They were messy and often dropped the food they tried to sell on the streets. He heard one of them hawking his food a few feet away. He stopped in an alley. He said, "Okay, Lola. You wait here and I will get you some food. We need water too, but it will have to wait until we get closer to the sea. Now hide as well as you can in this doorway behind us."

Lola was so very scared, but she trusted Marco to take care of her. She backed up and attempted to hide but her white fur was so very white it was hard. It seemed like Marco had been gone for hours. What if he had been discovered stealing food and taken and penned up? She knew about pens. They were awful; even on the palace grounds. She saw rats and big black bugs scampering and running all about the trash looking for food for themselves. There were other dogs, rats, and even a cat. They all looked hungry. Finally Marco came holding a fat juicy sausage in his mouth. "Here you go. Now eat it as slowly as you can. It may be a long time before we find another. I have already eaten so go ahead and enjoy your supper. Don't worry about the dogs and cats. I will protect you. I think that we are close to where the ships are. I can smell the salt in the air. Your dream is about to come true if everything goes well. We do have to have water though. If it would rain we would be in luck, but the sun is shining. Doesn't look good for fresh water."

Marco waited patiently while his little friend ate her sausage. He looked up and couldn't believe his eyes. A wooden cart had just gone by. It had no driver or human around it. It was going all by itself right down the road! There seemed to be wine bottles on it and some straw. "Come, Lola. Jump on my back. We just might have a chance for a ride. I have no idea where the cart is going, but there doesn't seem to be anyone around to hurt or capture us. That girl is a servant so she won't bother us. Let's go! You wanted an adventure, this is the day!"

Lola did as Marco said, but worried where the cart was going and how in the world was it going all by itself? Was it magic?

Leonardo da Vinci smiled as he looked down from a window up above at his new invention and the little scallywags that jumped up on his self propelled cart. "Hmm, I wonder where they are off to and if those two dogs will enjoy a trip on one of the ships going to the new world...

Lola And Marco"s Adventure Chapter 1

 It took only a bit of flirting with the handsome dog to get him to do what she wanted; to knock down the royal fence and let her ride on his back. She didn't know where or how to go, but she did not want to be locked up in a pen for the rest of her life. Marco was big, his brown coat was beautiful and he was willing to carry out her dream; a trip to the New World that she had heard about.

Just imagine a brand new place far far away from the royals who wanted nothing but for her to perform her tricks and to have puppies for them to fawn over some day. That kind of life was not for her. She wanted excitement and action. Marco was the perfect way to get to the sea. She was a little bit scared. She had been lost before, but the old woman had taken really good care of her. When she went with the angels a kind man had picked her up and taken her to the palace. But she had been there way too long. It was her time now; time for adventure!

She hugged her hero, Marco, as tight as she could. He was running and dodging carriages and going through dark alleys at night. He seemed to know just how and where to go. How she hoped that they would reach the sea where the big ships were before they left for the New World. She was sure she could sneak on board, but she worried about Marco because he was so big. It seemed to her that they stopped too many times so that he could look for food. She didn't eat much, but he sure did. Would there be enough food for them on the ship? Would the men be kind to them? What if they threw them overboard?  She buried herself into Marco's fur as close as she could. There was no sense in worrying. She just knew that this was what she was born to be; a canine explorer. She smiled to herself. She might go down in history known as the first C.E. of the New World. She probably needed a human at some point to write down things she and Marco had discovered. Maybe little humans would read about her! Humans did such things. She just knew she was going to be famous. But first they needed to get to the shipyard. The only way she knew to get there was on water. She had seen paths of water called canals. She told Marco, "Look for water. Maybe we can get on a small boat and float to the big sea. I think they call them gondolas."

Marco said, "We need to wait until it gets dark. Then we will find our way to the small water. Hopefully we can jump on a small boat and the man that uses the stick to make the boat move can get us to the sea without throwing us in the water. You must be very careful and do just what I say."

It seemed like they waited forever before Marco said, "It's now or we have to wait another day. Now get on my back and hang on with your paws as tight as you can!"

"We made it! Lola whispered, I can hardly believe it. Maybe dreams do come true."

Lola Chapter 4: The Kindgom Is In Trouble

 The palace servants were scattered throughout the palace working as fast as they could. The explorers had been arriving for weeks seeking money to finance their ships for voyages to lands across the ocean many weeks if not months away. They required not only gold, but staples and men to feed and man the ships. They had to plan for bad weather that would require them to be at sea longer than expected especially if they were blown off course. The many visitors kept the housekeepers and cooks busy night and day.

The Queen was reluctant to promise financing to any of the men because of the turmoil and trouble in her own kingdom. There were prominent families in Italia that were becoming rich and fighting with each other for land and even banks. The Queen was getting old and was relying on her countes and close royals for advice. The world seemed to be getting out of control with wanting to explore new lands and families and even her own servants wanting more money and higher wages.

Besides the relentless strain on her coffers and her health, she was sad. Her old friend had joined the angels in Heaven and left behind two ducks and a dog. Some weeks ago she had a counte hide the dog in the bushes for the old woman to find. The dog was a very special dog, but was deliberately disguised as one that was abandoned. The old woman fed it and cared for it, but most of all loved it.

The Queen had had one of her servants gather the two ducks and the dog and put them in the pen behind the palace with the other dogs. The beautiful white Lola was among those that were already penned. Some of the dogs were used for hunting, some were bred just for lap dogs and Lola of course, was full of love and joy. What the Queen did not know was that the feuding kingdoms adjoining hers were at war. There would soon be trouble on the grounds of her palace as well.

Behind the palace a big brown dog whose name was Marco looked over the fence and said, "What are you guys doing? Why are you penned up and not running free like me? Want me to knock down the fence? Bella said, "Oh no, big brown dog. I am used to sitting on the lap of my master. Please go away. We shall soon be given to new masters." Winston, the old big black Labrador said, "Go away. I know who you are. You are the dog that likes to get into fights. We don't need your kind around here. Let me rest. My side kick, Romeo, wants you to leave too." Oscar, the brown and white dog, lay sunning himself. He thought about it and said, "Well, if you knock the fence down where would we go? Who would feed us? Huh? You got all the answers? I'd just as soon the Queen found me a family with children who would love and play with me. Yeah. You just leave the fence alone. We don't want any trouble around here. Go back home." Both the white duck and the black duck said, "We are fine in our own little pool. We are fed and kept cool. Sometimes life gets a little boring, but we are safe and well. We agree with these dogs. Go back home and leave us alone."

All at once there were sounds of shouting and horse hooves pounding on the hard dirt. The dogs all started barking. All except Lola. She stood up as tall as she could and said, "Please, Marco. Bend the fence so that I can jump on your back. Then you can run as fast as you can. If we can reach the sea perhaps we can get a ride to the New World on one of those big ships. What an adventure that would be! You have to hurry the angry men will soon be back here and we shall have no chance for escape."

It didn't take Marco but a second . Soon his big strong legs and paws had gotten the fence down low enough that Lola was soon on his back. It seemed like only a moment they had disappeared into the forest. Their adventure would be exciting and long. It would often seem like it would never end, but their story would be like their adventure; never ending and most exciting.