Stashia Was One Of The Lucky Shar Pei Born In America

                                                             Zeke

 Zeke and Whitlee had always been friends. He remembered the day that she saw her first bubbles out on the front porch. Oh how she laughed. She gave me a big hug that day. I should have started talking to her then, but didn't think she was much interested in being my friend. I whispered to her that day, but she was more interested in the bubbles. She was so little.  I was a pretty big lunk to be in the house even when I was just a puppy. I took up a lot of room in the living room. I'm a little stubborn just like the rest of my family so when I don't want you to go anywhere I lay in front of your chair or the door. I like to keep you company.

Later on that day, she did put her little arm around me, I just didn't go with my instinct. I think I'll have a talk with Stashia and see what she thinks. I get this feeling she doesn't like me much though....

                                                                   Stashia

Stashia was very much aware of what was going on with Zeke. Stashia was not a bit pleased about it either. Zeke was trying to take her place with these little girls and it wasn't going to happen on her watch if she could help it. 

She could remember when Zeke was just a puppy. His fur was all fluffy and white. Hers was  short, and rough like sand paper and bristly. (In fact that's why I am called Shar Pei. It means sandy skin.) She had watched Zeke listen to the grandmas talking about ancestors. Zeke thought he was just so important because his kind was named  the Royal Dog of France. She sighed and thought, "My ancestors worked for peasants or very poor farmers in China. My ancestors only go back two thousand years, but we were really good hunters. We also served as guardians of our master's homes. We are so smart and strong and because of our wrinkles when we barked we would scare off thieves to protect our humans. At one time some bad people took our ancestors and did bad things to them. Soon there were very few of us. To make matters worse the Communist Party in China considered us a luxury and imposed such a heavy tax on our owners they couldn't afford to keep us. 

Then one day in 1971 one of my ancestors had his picture taken. It was put in a magazine called Dogs. It was published in New York. Some how or another that magazine traveled all the way to China. A very nice man whose name was Mr. Matgo Law read the article. It said that soon there wouldn't be any more Shar Pei dogs.  At that time there were only twelve us living that he was aware of. Well, he just couldn't stand the thought of that so he did what a lot of people do in newspapers. He wrote a letter to the editor of Dogs Magazine. Soon many many letters came rolling into the magazine's office. They all wanted to help adopt a Shar Pei and raise puppies. I am one of the lucky puppies to grow up in America. I was really lucky when Grandma B adopted me and I got to live on the Mini Farm.

"Oh just look at that Zeke. He sneaked inside to wake up Miss Marlee. I just know it!"

Sure enough Zeke came sneaking in to see if he could talk to Stashia, not to wake up Marlee. He figured he could sweet talk the old girl into giving him some advice on how to get Whitlee to talk to him like Marlee did to her. He had heard some stories that some of the animals had told him about how Stashia had helped her in her adventures. She also kept her from getting lost, getting potty trained, prospecting for gold and had even helped her solve a few mysteries. Well, he didn't want to do all that. He sure didn't want to be on a hot air balloon going apple picking. He was busy keeping the mini horses and donkeys safe, he just wanted little Whitlee to tell his stories to either Grandma B or Grandma Lu or both. Hopefully Stashia would help him make Whitlee Jo understand him 

Grandma Lu had gone back home after a wonderful day at the mini farm with her friend and her friend's two little granddaughters. She had taken some cute pictures with her phone. She put her phone on her lap and thought, "Now how am I going to have Whitlee and Zeke talk to each other? It was so easy with Marlee and Stashia. There has to be a way.Whitlee wants to be in a story so badly.