by Ronnie Reese

Created on: December 08, 2009   Last Updated: December 09, 2009

The Ole Black Cur

As a boy growing up I'd never heard the word, 'cur'. It's a slang term for an unwanted mongrel canine, (usually one that is not where he belongs).

When we moved to a rental home up in the mountains our neighbors had what could best be described as an old black cur. (I'm changing the name of our neighbor's dogs in this here story, cause this is up in the mountains of Western North Carolina, and son, up here you jest don't go bad-mouthin' a fellar's dogs up this-a-way. Talk about his woman, if you must, but don't you dare say nuthin' 'bout his dawg!)

This dog, we'll call him Lucifer, was the epitome of bad dog! Anything we'd give our border collie, Shep, this ole cur would take away. If we gave our dog food, Lucifer would eat it right in front of Shep, and Shep knew better than to try to stop him. If we gave Shep a bone it was the same thing. This behavior even carried over into Shep's toys. The old cur would take off with them.

The worst offense was when we would throw rocks for Shep to fetch. Yes rocks! You heard me right! Our dog Shep was just a natural born rock hound. He wasn't crazy 'bout fetchin' sticks, but now throw him a rock somewhere's and he was all over that game!

But that ole cur would always dart out there towards the rock what you throwed and Shep was a wise ole dog and jest let 'er be.

He would just let him have it and wait for another rock to be thrown. Shep was smart about handlin' bully dogs, handlin' people, and even opening the door to our house and commin' in during a thunderstorm.

But one of the things that really miffed my family about the old cur was that he had this huge bull dog buddy, (also my neighbor's), who would always come to Lucy's aid whenever he took a notion to whup-up on my collie dog. Shep would just be a nappin' outside in the sunshine and here'd come ole Lucifer a sneakin' up on him from his behind and chomp into his hind end!

Shep would let out a howl and then, next thing you knew, here would come ole Dufuss, the bull dog, out-a-nowhere and he's get a hold a Shep on one end and Lucifer'd get him on the other end and pertaineer pull that ole collie dog apart.

Well now, it took time, but about a year after we was a livin' up our cove I'd be goin' fer walks in the woods with Shep, and here'd come old Lucifer and his tag-along side-kick and they seemed to think we was a goin on a hunt and they got so engrossed in 'the hunt', that they plumb fergot 'bout whuppin' up on my dog, and they gave up barkin'

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