(Originally written June 29, 1997)

Hi, this is Lukie and boy, did I just have a big battle! No, it was not with big brother Sultan her little sister Ditty. It was with the SUCKY MONSTER!

The Sucky Monster quietly hides during the week in his cave. We don’t dare go near it. But on Sunday mornings, Mommy sometimes gets too close and the Sucky Monster wakes up with the roar. Its one eye, low on its forehead, gleams and the beast races out of the dark closet.

Mommy is brave and grabs its tail which always stands straight up in the air. The Sucky Monster screams and runs throughout the house. Mommy holds on for dear life, but she isn’t very strong. The Sucky Monster drags her from room to room.

Ditty is really frightened of the Sucky Monster. She said, a long time ago where she used to live, that a mean man and the Sucking Monster in that house attacked and hurt her. That makes me so mad. How dare anyone hurt my sweet, little sister, Ditty? Sultan doesn’t get too close either. He barks that the Sucky Monster eats all the dog hair from the rug. Sultan said anything that can do that, might eat a whole dog. Old Quinder once told him how the Sucky Monster sneaked up behind him and started inhaling his tail.

This is where I come into the picture. Even Hercules isn’t as brave as I am. I leaped right on the Sucky Monster and bit its bloated stomach. Mommy screamed. I think she was afraid the Sucky Monster would get me. But I’m too quick. I snapped at its ugly white eye and its hard tail. Finally, Mommy was able to wrestle it into the closet again where it went to sleep.

Now, I am waiting patiently for my reward for saving Mommy, Sultan and Ditty. I think ten dog biscuits are in order. What do you think, Mommy?

The Brave and Fearless Lukie (Luke, you put another hole in a vacuum cleaner bag and you’ll be doing sit-stays for a month. – Mommy Cheryl)