I should know better

I usually let Truly out last thing at night, after all the others are in bed, and she doesn`t stay out away from her not so little girl too long.

But last night after a few minutes a storm of barking, growling and other horrendous Swedish cursing broke out. Merlin, safe in bed, was insisting that something out there was Very Wrong, Mum, and that I should Do Something.

I couldn`t see why someone would be at the gate so late on. but out I went.....

And there was Truly, facing up to a really enormous fox. Drawn up to her full height of nine and a half inches at the shoulder, she was telling it loudly and clearly that it had no right to live, and when she had killed it, she would be feeding it to her puppy.

The fox was.....well, a bit foxed by it all. You could see him thinking: "It looks like a dog, it smells like a dog, it sounds like a dog - but I do eat things that size....."

I got her in quickly, and got the look I know well that says "I brought it to bay for you - now you kill it!"

I went up to the fox, which showed no inclination to leg it. But after some persuasion it headed off behind the coal into the thicket down by the burn, from which came sounds of crunching. So it already had a meal.....fortunately not Truly.

She was already in bed with her fat daughter, telling her all about how she had vanquished a giant predator, and how when she was older, she would be taught how to do the same. And then they could go hunting together.....

Be afraid, Godzilla. Be very afraid.