Category Archives: Short Stories

Christmas was always a difficult time for Stan, because it was at Christmas Time when he was abandoned as a puppy and was left to fend for himself on the street. Up until he was 8 months old , he had a family and then something awful happened. His family could no longer look after him and the father said it was kinder to let him loose on the streets, where someone was bound to take him in, whereas if they handed him to the shelter if he wasn’t claimed in 4 weeks then he would be put to sleep. His family were very sad but they thought they were doing the best for him.

The little pup; though he went through some very hard times and lots of adventures survived on the streets. In truth , he had lost faith in people and felt it was only other animals he could trust. He avoided getting involved with people and would only steal food when he knew he could get away with it. He was always hungry , he was very careful not to trust people, even when they offered him free food. He had heard what the man who used to care for him had said , so he was very wary.

When he met Milo, the mouse, he knew he was OK. In truth Stan was down on his luck, being so big it wasn’t easy to sneak away with food and he’d had some lucky escapes. One man had tried to throw hot oil over him. Stan was getting older and couldn’t move as fast as he used to. .Stan, though was a dog of the World , he knew how things worked and Stan knew that Milo, despite being very rich and very able at business needed looking after. So it was a good relationship, they both looked after each other’s backs.

It was their first Christmas together and Milo had put a heater in the Stan’s shed and also decorated it with some festive cheer and a new bed with an electric blanket. Secretly ,Stan was very pleased and it on Christmas night he settled into his new surroundings which were very comfortable and said goodnight to Milo as he wandered by just taking a breath of fresh air in the garden.

” See you tomorrow Stan” said Milo as he waved goodbye ” We’re having turkey for breakfast and dinner!”

Stan smiled , he knew he would now dream of turkey, but he didn’t mind, he was tired and he knew he’d sleep well.

That was unless something happened.

Which of course it did.

At 3.00 am in the morning Milo came rushing out to the garden, still in his pyjamas and with his mobile phone glued to his ear. His Big Department Store down in the city had been broken into , the alarms were going off , the Police were on their way , but the Security Guards were in real trouble. They needed help, they were being held hostage. Milo had them on the telephone and they were very scared.

Stan leaped out of bed immediately , he didn’t know the full details but he could tell Milo was very concerned.

Milo got the car out of the garage and put the phone on speaker phone. They were driving along and suddenly the voice of one of the robbers came on the speaker.

” Call the Police Off Mr Big Mouse, or else the Concierge get’s it !” Milo could hear the concierge in the background he was crying.

” Hold on, I didn’t call the Police , someone else must have, I can’t stop them, they know there’s a burglary going on. Look I’m on my way , as soon as I get there I’ll let them know, I don’t want them interfering. Please don’t hurt anyone.”

” We want access to the safe, nobody here seems to have a clue, when you get here can you come up to the fifth floor and let us into it.”

” Of course , I will! Look just don’t hurt anyone!”

Stan rolled his eyes this did not sound good. He had to start thinking of a plan and what to do.

Eventually, Stan and Milo got to the store and Milo immediately went in, he’d made a call to the Police Commissioner explaining the situation and asked that the police keep quiet and be there to help if needed. Milo promised the Commissioner that as soon as he had made sure that everyone was safe he would let him know.

So it was that Stan and Milo made there way up to the Fifth Floor of ” The Big Mouse Department Store”. That was the administrative floor and Milo had been told to come up alone and knock on one of the office doors . Which he did. Stan stealthily hid in the cleaning cupboard of the Fifth Floor, and with the headset that Milo had given him awaited further instructions.

Milo knocked on the office door he had been instructed to , he knew it was the one with the safe in it. One of the thieves opened it and roughly grabbed at him to come in. Once inside Milo saw the hostages and the thieves standing around the safe.

Milo gave a very unhappy look at the thief who was manhandling him and the leader of the thieves said.

” Leave him alone, he’s the one who can let us into the safe, so leave him be. Your going to cooperate Mr Big Mouse aren’t you?” Said the Thief in Charge.

” Yes, of course. Now let’s see if all three of you can stand aside , then I will open the safe and then we can let you get out the back way with all the money and the Police won’t see you and you can make your escape”.

” Right, that sounds like a good plan, that is if we can trust you, first though open the safe.”

” OK, let me see, right I have to turn this and then twist this lever and as soon as I do that , put the following numbers on the dial, five, four , three, two one!”

Stan leapt through the door and within seconds all the thieves were flattened underneath him and those that weren’t were unconscious as he had thrown them backwards against the wall. The Security Guards who were tied up were quickly released by Milo biting through the string binding their wrists and as the Thieves Leader regained consciousness, he was tied up and along with the other thieves.

The Police Commissioner was very pleased when he heard from Milo that everyone was safe and that the thieves had been apprehended. It didn’t take long before the thieves were led away by the Police and that Milo and Stan could go back home.

It wasn’t quite breakfast time when the two friends arrived home and they were both very tired , so they decided to go to bed and have a late breakfast.

On Christmas Day they would be able to talk to their friends about their adventure and they had even invited the Security People and their families from the store to come and share their Christmas Day with them as everything in the end had worked out alright and Milo wanted them to forget the bad bits when they had been frightened and remember how brave they had been and how it had all worked out alright because of Stan.

A good time was had by all, and Stan didn’t mind that Milo exaggerated his role, certainly he didn’t remember Milo giving an uppercut to the jaw of the biggest thief, but then again it was a good story and everyone enjoyed it. There was loads of turkey too, enough even for Stan.

The End