Delila's Delinquents

"If you think this is anything to do with me, you'd be wrong. I'm just sitting here minding my own business. Well - not entirely. I sit here quite often - usually when She's doing something else, like feeding or mucking out, or gardening - just to make sure these chaps don't go too far astray. When they do, I trot along - a little ahead of them - and try and turn them back. Doesn't always work. Sometimes I just have to run and tell her they're where they shouldn't be but if She doesn't do anything about it, then it's down to me. The black jobs are The Worst. She might call them Little Stars. They've a mind of their own. Well, five minds of their own actually. And they're always up to mischief. No self-respecting Gundog would ever behave like them.

"Take yesterday, for instance. There I was, minding my own business, as always. Sitting outside the pen here. And what do you know. Before I could think "Pheasant" off they went - all five little black jobs - quick as a flash up to the place where Rocco and his mates live. And would you believe, just at that moment She looked out over the stable door ...... She didn't look best pleased. So I gave one of them an ever so gentle little poke up his tail end and luckily he got the message and shot off back down the field..... bit of a relief that cos I wouldn't want Her to think I wasn't doing my job. But just as I relaxed the littlest one shot through the hedge and bumped his nose on the chicken pen and made a terrible noise. So they all got excited and started running around all over the place again and it was an awful job to get them back in order and going in the right direction back to their pen...... And then they ran around as if they owned the place and wouldn't go back to their Mum but went back in with some of the other chaps and then this one - who's a real show off - starts running around with a bit of green stuff in his jaws (Well, truth be known I've been telling them a few little hunting stories - just to keep them quiet - when they hang around my paws.... anything to stop them nibbling my knees.... and this one's just a bit too cocksure......) making out he's some sort of retriever, I suppose. No more stories for him.

She keeps saying we've never had any piglets as bold and adventurous as these black chaps... Real Little Delinquents, She says. I think she must be right.

They think they own the place. Wearing me out they are. Still --- it's something to do ....... for now......"