The Pretty Princess Chair

Darling had wanted one so badly! Those mushroom chairs, that is. It was Christmas, and the chair was one of those top of the list items. And trust me, those lists are long, so being in the top ten makes it pretty special. When she opened the oddly shaped gift from her grandparents, she was thrilled beyond all belief.

The chair sat in Darling's room for a year or two, but you'd never know it. Instead, you'd think there was a four foot high pile of clothing in the corner. In reality, the clothing was only two feet, as the chair was holding it up off the ground. Eventually, City Boy got tired of this type of clothing storage and removed the blue mushroom chair.

The chair was set down in the rec room while City Boy contemplated other items he'd like to haul to the dump that day. He loaded up the trash cans from outside and gathered a few other stray items. He then came back inside for the chair, only to find it occupied. And giving him the most pitiful look was Rufus, head of Homeland Security.

Evidentally, Rufus convinced City Boy that he needed that chair more than City Boy needed to get rid of it. It must have taken quite a lot of pleading, as Darling had failed just an hour earlier. But then, there's a reason Rufus is head of Homeland Security. It's not just his bravery on the job, but his ability to communicate while here in the house.

So City Boy set up the chair to Rufus's specifications. And Rufus moved in.

Head of Homeland Security and Alice, both feeling pretty.

Rufus loves the mushroom chair. It makes him feel pretty, like a princess. Alice would like to feel pretty now and then as well, and sometimes joins Rufus in the chair. Before long, Rocket became jealous. He wanted to feel pretty, too. So when Rufus hopped out of the chair to eat, Rocket would jump in.

Rocket naps in the Princess Chair.

Thus began the battle over the Princess Chair. Who ever was in the chair was the pretty princess dog. It became a throne, and which ever dog was in it, ruled. Rocket would refuse to get down to eat. Rufus refused to go outside to go potty. Heaven forbid they're outside at the same time. They come racing for the door like a pig goes after an oreo cookie. And because Rocket is the faster of the two (and most pig-like), he usually reaches the door first and gets into the chair.

Rufus isn't chief of Homeland Security for nothing, though. He devised a plan to remove Rocket from the Princess Chair, establishing himself as ruler of the rec room. While Rocket sat in the chair, Rufus came walking over to me, sat at my feet and began chirping and humming. No, really. Rufus makes the strangest, non-doglike noises, and he wasn't going to stop until he got what he wanted. What he wanted was for me to reach out and pet him, which I did. Instantly, Mr. Jealousy lept from the chair and came running over, afraid he was missing out on something.

And with that, Rufus returned to his rightful place as Pretty Princess.