Circus Jack - Chapter 4. The Wagon

Circus Jack. Chapter 4: The Wagon

This chapter follows the heart-wrenching journey of a lovable Jack Russell Terrier named Pepe who, stolen from his home, wakes up disoriented in the back of a wagon.

The story begins on a moonlit night as Pepe finds himself in an unfamiliar and confining environment, complete with the smell of hay, the rusty creak of springs, and the muffled voices of two unfamiliar men. It doesn't take long for Pepe to realize his predicament - he's been kidnapped, anticipated to fetch a good price for his special talent and smartness.

This chapter dives deep into Pepe's emotions as the sights, sounds, and scents of his familiar home fade away. His heart fills with fear and uncertainty and his body responds with longing for the open fields and the laughter of his beloved human family.

As the wagon continues its slow, steady journey, Pepe's situation intensifies. Trapped within a small, uncomfortable space, Pepe's confines offer no escape. His body aches — for freedom, for home.

The longer he spends in this confined space, the more sorrow consumes him. His eyes well up, discomfort knocks on his senses, and, succumbing to it all, he finally drifts into a deep, oblivious sleep. Stranded in the middle of an ordeal, one can only wonder, will Pepe be able to make a homecoming?

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Chapter 4 The Wagon.
Music.

(02:29):
You have just listened to La Fille au Chaveau d'Aline, French for the Girl with
Flaxen Hair, written by Claude Debussy.
It is the eighth piece in the composer's first book of preludes,
written between late 1909 and early 1910.
Let's recap the first three chapters. The setting of this story is in Lancaster,

(02:50):
Pennsylvania, during the late 1800s.
Our main character is a Jack Russell Terrier named Pepe.
He lives on a beautiful farm with his family and loves playing with the children.
Peppy also has a talent for entertaining people, which catches the eye of a dog-napper.
One night, he is snatched away from his home in Pennsylvania and wakes up in

(03:10):
a chicken crate in the back of a wagon pulled by two men.
Chapter 4. The Wagon The moon hung low in the midnight sky as Peppy stirred
with a pounding head and disorientation from the deep sleep induced by the chloroform.
His eyes opened to a blackness punctuated by occasional creaking sounds of rusty
springs, which followed bone-rattling bumps.

(03:33):
He had no memory of how he had ended up in this cramped, black space.
The pungent scent of hay and the rough texture of straw beneath him hinted at
a familiar world of farm animals.
Chickens. Yes, chickens, he thought. He struggled for each breath.
Peppy's ears pricked up at the sound of muffled voices close at hand he strained

(03:56):
to listen his heart pounding in his chest.
You think this one will fetch a good price, a man said in a gravel voice he did not recognize.
Aye, replied the other. Peppy's ears pricked at the recognition of this voice.
This one's got spunk and more brains than you. That's what the boss is looking for.

(04:16):
Folks down there reckon they're the best for hunting, willing to pay top dollar.
That's what Buck told me. I want him in good shape and unharmed, he told me.
Pepe's tail drooped, and his ears hung low as his home disappeared in the distance of time.
He had never been far from the place that held all of his memories,
and the thought of being separated from his loved ones filled him with a heavy sadness.

(04:41):
His heart raced as the possibility of danger and harm overwhelmed his thoughts.
He became consumed with fear and uncertainty as the wagon continued its slow, steady journey.
Journey the rough road jostled him in the
tight space with little room to move his legs or head
he whined softly as he scratched at the
wooden slats surrounding him no possibility of escape his body ached for open

(05:06):
fields and the laughter of children tears welled up in his eyes adding to his
discomfort and longing for home perhaps because of his misery the odorless drug.
Or the endless creaks and jolts of the wagon,
his eyes drooped, his tongue loosened, and he fell into a deep sleep.
The rough road jostled him in the tight space, with little room to move his legs or head.

(05:31):
He whined softly as he scratched at the wooden slats surrounding him.
No possibility of escape.
His body ached for open fields and the laughter of children.
Tears welled up in his eyes, adding to his discomfort and longing for home.
Perhaps because of his misery, the odorless drug or the endless creaks and jolts

(05:51):
of the wagon, his eyes drooped, his tongue loosened, and he fell into a deep sleep.