Harold and Song

Buffalo Bratwurst Brunch

Harold the Basset Hound and Song the black housecat live simple lives: the pets of Mr. Li, their owner, they spend their days under his roof. Even though they are of different species, that makes them siblings. And unless you told them, they would hardly know they weren't Mr. Li's offspring. They are close like a teabag and some hot water. Together, they make the world around them their playground: full of fun, but also full of adventure. At least when Harold the Basset hound isn't sleeping. What will today hold in store for the wrinkly, goofy Basset hound? Who knows, but like all Basset hounds, this dog wakes up from a long, long midday nap...

"Yawwwwn...." Harold says as he stretches, looking out from his dog bed at the gas fire burning in the living room. On this beautiful, crisp fall day, he can hear Mr. Li grilling outside in the backyard. And just as his sleepy Basset hound traits fade away as he wakes up, another Basset hound trait takes over.

"Sniff! Sniff! Sniff!" Harold's happy tail swings back and forth as he click, click, clicks across the hardwood floors. That powerful snout swishes up lots of scent molecules from the ground with the help of his big, floppy ears. Finally, he makes it outside the open door to the backyard to see Mr. Li, all 6'3 of him, standing behind the grill, cooking up some nice Bratwursts with his favorite buffalo sauce. 

"Woof!" greets Harold to Mr. Li.

"Aha! Mr. Harold! Nice of you to join us after your midday nap." Mr. Li replies, 'accidentally' dropping a tomato on the ground for Harold. Harold wobbles over and eats it up with a happy swing in his tail.

But then Harold realizes it after he eats his vegetables. 'Us'? Mr. Li said 'us', but he only sees Mr. Li. Where is Song?

In a world full of brave and true risks and challenges for the household dog, Harold begins his most daring and dangerous mission of them all: find Song. He looks up on the table outside: she's not there. He looks at the fenceline: not there either. Where could she be? He decides to use his most valuable weapon, brave and true: his big sniffer.

Harold knows Song's scent like the back of his paw. Who needs a morning high five when you can wake up your sister with a big belly sniff in the morning? And who can let Song know dinner is ready in her bowl from across the house like Harold, after sniffing out where she is hiding at in a cardboard box? 

Sniff, sniff, sniff...Harold begins his search. Start from the perimeter, that's what he'll do. The sound of Mr. Li's grill sizzling fades as the big wafts of air going up his nose gets louder. He calculates every molecule. A rabbit was here a week ago, oh yes, I remember barking at that. Song took a nap in this spot 17.3523 hours ago, oh yes, that's it. There's a grasshopper 13 feet over there!! Maybe take a detour? No, no, no, don't get distracted. (That's very hard for Harold!) Then, his search hits a breakthrough. His noes goes up from the ground and slowly rises up the fence: there she is, on top of the fence!