Chapter Two: Crime and Forgiveness
May 11, 2025 at 11:02 PM
That night, Buddy, by his own choice, lay down on the rug next to the fireplace and did not sleep on the bed with Varanda, even when she called him. The poor dog kept thinking about what they told him to the chipmunk on the branch of that oak tree and was very worried. He was very afraid that they would be right and that if his mistress and Sonic ever got married, she would stop loving him, her beloved and faithful dog since childhood, and then throw him out on the street.
Trying not to think about it, he closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep, thinking that tomorrow everything would be fine and good. However, he slept poorly and was confused in his sleep. He dreamed of how his beloved mistress Varanda, gritting her teeth, looked at him angrily, screamed and beat him cruelly, like a disobedient child, spanking him on the bottom with her right palm, and holding him by the scruff of the neck with her left. Buddy was in pain and whined loudly. Then in his dream, Varanda kicked him out of the house and kicked him in the butt, putting him outside in a thunderstorm and rain. And on the street he was surrounded by Sonic, Vanilla, Cream, Shadow, Tails, Knuckles and Eggman, who looked at him, laughed evilly and mocked him.
***
The next morning, at the same time, somewhere on the farm, when one beautiful rooster with feathers on his tail of seven colors of the rainbow woke up before everyone else and just went outside to crow and wake everyone up, when suddenly a stupid goose did it instead of him. The gray goose climbed onto the roof, causing the rooster to bulge his eyes and wonder why he forgot that he was supposed to crow. At that moment the goose raised his head and screamed in his goose language: β COCK-ADOODLE-DO-O-O-O-O-O-O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o... β he screamed, but for most people and Mobians his scream only sounded like an unbearable and disgusting goose sound: β GA-AGAGA-AGA-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-a-a-a-a-a-a... Everyone who heard him, although they woke up early in the morning, were very angry and even thought: β "Something must be done with this nasty goose who imagines himself a rooster." And the goose at that time, after his scream, came down and began to run around cheerfully and laugh under his beak, rejoicing that he woke everyone up on time with the next sunrise. While he was walking.***
Buddy suddenly woke up next to the fireplace, where the fire had already burned out and died out. This time Varanda tried to wake him up, since she woke up earlier, although he usually woke up before her, and Varanda wanted to sleep longer. β Wake up, sleepyhead! You'll sleep all day. β says the owner, stroking the dog from head to back. β Let's go, breakfast is waiting for you. β Ah! Breakfast? Okay, I'm coming. β the dog answers, yawns and follows the hedgehog into the kitchen. They had breakfast together. Varanda made herself sandwiches with butter, and Buddy, like every day, received a bowl of dry food in the morning, which he simply adored. At least, as the dog thought, everything was calm and nothing catastrophic was happening. The owner still loves him and will not drive him away anywhere. It was almost ten o'clock in the morning and after breakfast the hedgehog and the dog decided to go for a walk as usual.***
At this time, when it was ten o'clock in the morning, the goose was climbing onto the roof of another neighboring house. β So, up-up-up. β he says to himself, flapping his wings and climbing onto the roof of the house. At this time, the cockerel with the rainbow tail was also nearby again. β So. It's time. β he says to himself and stands on the stone, getting ready to crow again, warning that a full day has already arrived, and at the same time waking up those who wake up later, at this time. The goose was also getting ready to pretend to crow. They were getting ready to crow at the same time, not paying attention to each other, and suddenly they both heard some kind of ringing. The rooster only bulged his eyes and silently looked in surprise in the direction from which the ringing was coming. β What? β said the goose, not having time to crow. He became curious about the ringing and where it was coming from. It was the alarm clock in Tails' house, who, as always, turned it off by pressing the button on top, got up, yawned, stretched and went to wash himself in the bathroom. The goose saw the same alarm clock in the window, and then he saw the two-tailed fox return and say to himself: β How nice it is to wake up in the morning to the sound of an alarm clock, rather than to the crowing of roosters. The sound is melodic and modern. These words scared the goose and he immediately realized that if such a thing were in everyone's house, then he himself would become useless and would no longer be able to crow and wake everyone up in the morning. He decided that he needed to get rid of this alarm clock in the two-tailed fox's house, as a small source of infection, before it spread like a forest fire everywhere. His whole life depended on it. β We must steal this ringing rooster and destroy it! β the goose said to himself and suddenly saw Tails approaching the window. β Stop croaking, stupid goose! Get out of here! Get out! I won't give you anything to eat. β Tails chased the goose away, waving his arms and the bird had no choice but to obey this evil Mobian in his opinion and leave. β What kind of goose is so curious? β the fox asks himself and leaves his bedroom. Planning a daring crime, the goose thought that he needed some kind of accomplice. A creature that would not arouse suspicion in anyone, and most importantly, that he had to be naive to easily trust! Only the goose did not know where to get one?***
Varanda and Buddy coincidentally came to the village. They decided to buy some village milk, some village ram shashlik and find some animal as a second friend. They came to the supermarket, but animals were not allowed in. Except for the Mobians, because although they were animals, they were intelligent and humane. Therefore, only Varanda could enter. β Buddy, will you wait for me here? If you are obedient and good, I will bring you some roast cow or pork. β She said to her dog and went inside, while the dog barked at her a couple of times, but in fact he answered: β Okay, Varanda. β He answered and sat down with his tail on the ground. He was standing in front of the entrance to the supermarket and waiting. At that very moment, someone addressed him from behind: β Dog! Hey! β Huh? What? β the dog asked, looking around. β You, boy, seem like a pretty smart dog to me. β says the goose, coming out from behind the corner of the building and approaching the dog. β Well... I don't like to brag, but I really am a pretty smart dog. And who are you, Mister Goose? β Buddy asked. β Me?... My name is Gulpcoder. β Nice to meet you. My name is Buddy. β the dog extended his right front paw, and the goose shook it with his right wing. β Why do they call you Gulpcoder? β I donβt know. I didnβt have a name before and my parents forgot to call me. And when I heard that many people and Mobians called me that, I just liked this nickname and decided to take it as a name. β Gulpcoder explained. β Listen, Buddy. Since youβre a smart dog, wouldnβt you mind helping me with one very important matter? I really need your help, because I need a second animal that can think well, and I canβt do it alone. β Iβd be happy to, Gulpcoder, but my owner asked me to stay here at the entrance to the supermarket and wait for her until she comes back. I donβt want to go far. What if she loses me and gets worried? β Donβt worry, weβll do everything quickly. Weβre only going there and back. Your mistress won't even have time to come back and notice that you were missing. I promise you. Let's go, we don't have much time. β says the goose and the dog, without arguing with him, followed him. β What exactly should we do, if it's not a secret? β asked Buddy. β I'll explain everything to you later. β answered Gulpcoder. About five minutes later, Gulpcoder and Buddy came to the two-tailed fox's house. β Hey, I know this house. Miles Prower lives here. He's Tails. β the dog said smiling. β Oh! So it turns out you two know each other? Well then. All the better and the faster we'll finish what we need to do. β says the goose and fluttered his wings, rising to the window. β Over here! Look! β he looks at the alarm clock near Tails' bed. Buddy jumped up after him and also saw the alarm clock. β Alarm clock? β asks the dog. β Exactly! Follow me! β the goose calls the dog and they hide between the tires, hiding in the shadows and began to discuss the plan of action. β So! So you want me to go through the back door through the kitchen, and then the living room and straight to the bedroom. Take the alarm clock or as you called it the ringing rooster and bring it to you? β Right! And don't forget about the owner of the house himself. β assured Gulpcoder. The dog looked sternly at the goose and was about to leave, saying: β Sorry, but I can't. β What? β the goose was surprised and followed the dog. β It's against the rules. Dogs are not allowed to enter other people's houses without permission. Especially not to steal anything from them. My mistress Varanda taught me this herself. β Wait, Buddy! I understand you. I also follow the rules, but now we are talking about my fate. Please listen to me! β he told him and the dog stopped, deciding to listen to him. β You should know something, Buddy. β So what? β People and Mobians eat birds. β Yes? Well, I already know that. Because birds are made of meat. I love them too. β explained the dog. β I understand, but now we are not talking about you. I am a goose and I am also a bird. Accordingly, people and Mobians also eat geese. Most geese try not to think about this terrible day when sooner or later they will be killed, hissed from their feathers, and then roasted and eaten. Do you want to know why, for example, dogs or cats are not eaten? - asked Gulpcoder. β Uh-uh... Why? β Buddy became interested. β Because, unlike geese, ducks and chickens, they are useful. For example, cats catch mice and rats, protecting food supplies of people and Mobians from them. And dogs protect their owners and their homes. β Ah! Well, yes, I know this about myself from my own experience. β the dog answered smiling. β There! β the goose emphasized. β And why don't they eat roosters? Because they wake people up in the morning with their crowing and take care of the chickens so that they lay eggs, which people and Mobians then collect and eat. Chickens, ducks and geese lay eggs, which people and Mobians collect and eat. But when chickens, ducks and geese stop laying eggs, they are sent to be slaughtered and eaten. I saw these horrors with my own eyes when I was a chick, and I realized that in order to survive and never be eaten, I had to become a very useful bird. At first I wanted to become a dog and guard houses, but I failed at that and one thief was not afraid of me at all, but simply laughed and kicked me against the wall. But then, when I started crowing, I succeeded. People and Mobians felt that they needed me. Everything was fine and I woke them up every morning before the other roosters, but suddenly this two-tailed fox got this iron thing that woke him up better than me. I immediately had a fear that with this thing I, like most roosters, would become useless and would be sent to be slaughtered. β The goose was ready to cry and was trembling with fear. He wiped his tears with his wings and continued to press on the sore spot. β The life of a skinny goose in this cruel world does not mean much, but, Buddy, I just want to live. Haven't you yourself had a fear that you can become useless, thinking that at first you are useful, but sooner or later in the future you can become useless and they will get rid of you? Gulpcoder's words made Buddy think and feel sorry for the goose, considering what news he learned from the chipmunks yesterday and what fears he is now experiencing. β I... I understand you, Gulpcoder. β He turned to the goose. β Okay, I'll help you. β Thank you. I knew you'd understand and feel sorry for me. β The goose stopped crying and sighed heavily. β But... Why are you asking me to help you, and not other animals? β Unfortunately, the others, unlike you, don't understand me. The roosters envy me and want me dead, and the rest just laugh at me because I want to become a rooster. β Gulpcoder explained and sighed heavily. β Besides, I'd gladly sneak into the house and do everything myself, but... There's not just a Mobian living in the house, but a fox. β So what? β Buddy didn't understand. β He's a Mobian, not an ordinary fox. He won't hunt you. β You don't understand, Buddy. I'm allergic to foxes. β Gulpcoder explained. β They always make me sneeze when I'm close to them. Buddy, understanding the goose, immediately went towards the back entrance through the kitchen in Tails' house. β Don't worry! I'll do everything for you, so that you live. β he said. β Try your best! You're my only hope! My life is in your paws! β the goose says and stands outside in place. The dog gets up on his hind legs, slightly rising, reaches with his left front paw to the latch that held the door closed and lifts it. After that, the door to the kitchen opened and the animal went inside. β Be careful! Tails was busy with the Tornado plane as usual at this time. Buddy slowly walked out of the kitchen into the hallway and looked around. Seeing that Tails was in the warehouse and busy fixing the plane, he realized that this was his chance and he would not see him. Climbing the stairs to the second floor, he enters Tails's room. At this time, the goose was watching from the window. Buddy finds the alarm clock and, standing on his hind legs, leaning his front legs against the nightstand, prepares to take the alarm clock with his teeth. Suddenly, he stops. β Stop! What am I doing? β he asks himself and flashes of memories flash through his mind, where Varanda says: β "Taking without asking is the same as stealing. You're not a thief, are you, Buddy?" β "The fact is that your mistress will sooner or later get tired of you and throw you out." β the chipmunk's voice was heard. β "I just want to live. You don't understand what it's like to be useful, and then suddenly become useless." β the voice of Gulper was heard. Tails' words made Buddy think even harder. On the one hand, he felt sorry for the goose who didn't want to die, but on the other hand, he realized that everyone was disgusted by his crowing in the morning instead of crowing. But he couldn't go back and leave everything as it was. He had to think of something. Buddy finally had an idea, but first he had to go out. He stood on his hind legs in front of the door and pretended that he couldn't reach the door handle. β Let me help you, Buddy. β Tails said and opened the door for him himself. "Run. Varanda is probably already worried about you. β he added and closed the door. Buddy looked around and saw Gulpcoder himself running up to him. β Are you okay, Buddy. Did you get it? β the goose asked and suddenly the dog started coughing and trying to spit out the alarm clock. He vomited it out of his stomach clean and without drool. β Well done! You saved me, Buddy. Now I am forever in your debt. I will do everything for you, no matter what you ask. Except for stupid things or things that will lead to my death, of course. Buddy thought, looking at the sky and said: β Yes... I have an idea how you can return the favor to me. And it will not concern your death. Only life. β Well, if it will only concern life, and not death, then fine. I agree to everything. Speak! β Gulpcoder listens to him attentively. β From now on, I want you to croak every morning not so that the whole farm could hear, but only on the roof of my house. And the house of my mistress. β Why? β the goose did not understand. β Because she is such a sleepyhead, she likes to sleep too long and I have to suffer to wake her up in the morning so that she does not go to bed again. Since I helped you, now you help me. You will be useful and no one will kill you. And most importantly, no one will envy you anymore. - Buddy explained. Goose thought about the dog's words and said: β Okay... I... I'll think about it. β With these words, he left. The dog sighed with relief, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his right ear, taking Tails' alarm clock in his teeth again, left it at the entrance and pressed the button on top, after which it began to ring, and the dog himself ran back to the supermarket. Tails at this time went out the door and saw the alarm clock. β Ah! So is it my alarm clock that is making noise? ... And how did it end up here? β he asked himself, took it, turned it off and went into the house. Buddy returned with a clear conscience and all clean and sat down again in the same place, as if nothing had happened. By this time, Varanda herself came out of the supermarket with her purchases and knelt down in front of the dog. β Buddy, forgive me, I was late inside! I met Rouge by chance and chatted with her for a long time about this and that. And I couldnβt find you any roast meat for too long. Arenβt you mad at me for being inside for so long? But Buddy wasnβt mad at her, since he himself had disobeyed her and left with the goose for a while and only then returned. The dog only smiled stupidly, looking at his mistress and was afraid that she would find out what he had been doing today. Varanda decided that Buddy was most likely smiling like that because he, like Hachiko, was very patient and wasnβt at all mad at her. As she had promised, she handed him the promised large piece of roasted cow meat, which Buddy simply took in his teeth and held, but didnβt eat it yet, still smiling stupidly and looking at Varanda. She patted him on the head, stood up and walked away, and the dog, holding the meat in his teeth, followed her. At least she hadn't found out anything and he was calm about it.***
And the next morning, Gulpcoder finally thought about Buddy's advice and decided to agree, because he was now in his debt. He no longer pretended to be a rooster in front of the entire village and did not disturb everyone's sleep. Now only a beautiful rooster with a rainbow tail woke everyone up with his normal crowing, and from now on the goose flew to Varanda's house every morning, climbed into her roof and crowed there, or rather croaked, trying to wake Varanda at six, seven, eight and even nine in the morning. On the first try, of course, she did not wake up from this goose cry, but on the fourth, at ten o'clock, when she usually should wake up, she did wake up and was not at all indignant, because being sleepy, she mistakenly thought that it was a rooster crowing somewhere outside the window, after which she herself went to the bathroom. And Buddy now woke up every morning earlier than Varanda and did his personal business until his mistress woke up. And unlike most people and Mobians, the dog was not angry at the goose at all and did not complain, but on the contrary, was glad to hear his attempts to crow and always woke up to them with a smile. After all, he was the only one who understood him and treated him calmly. Every morning, waking up, he even said under his breath as if the goose would hear him: β Good morning, Gulpcoder!
