بخش 04

Wasn’t he amazing, the way he ate fire, Mr. Bickerstaff?

Maybe you shouldn’t have stood so close.

Now you tell me.

OK. Hey, Dixie.

You come crawling back. Oh, by the way, you can’t quit.

You’re fired. Oh! What? You can’t fire me!

I already quit! Cash, you… Oh!

Now you’ve got me riled.

Ohh!

Ah, don’t get your collar in a bunch, Dixie. Pitch a fur ball.

The nerve of that Cash! Where’s he get off firing me?

Oh, I thought you quit.

I’m that man’s heart and soul! It’s plain as a pig on a sofa.

That Cash can talk a dog off a meat truck. He talked me into getting sweet on him, and now he tosses me away like yesterday’s cornbread!

Honey, I don’t blame you for feeling hurt.

Hurt? What do you mean by that? You think Cash could hurt me?

Mangy mutt.

Oh, you’ll howl real good today, fellas.

Oh, well, there’s more than one way to skin a cat.

Ahem. No offense.

Soup’s on! That’s a good boy right there!

All right, fellas, all right. Calling out the team.

You know, if I could just play the banjo better, y’all would be eating steaks.

Hey! I guess I’d better go practice.

Welcome to the band, kid. Let me do some introductions.

That there is Waylon and Floyd.

They’re the, uh, brains of the outfit.

Oh, why I put up with this lowclass crew of mutts is beyond me.

Uh, and that delicate flower is Granny Rose.

Textbook version of growing old gracefully.

I got me an itch.

Yep. You’ll never harmonize with a finer group of singing strays and…

Uh, you are a stray, right, boy?

Uh… ‘Course he’s a stray.

You don’t see a collar around him, do ya?

Well, that’s true. I don’t see one.

No collar, no home.

Whoo! Good. Only strays allowed in this dog band.

Tod, I’m not a stray. Shh!

It’ll be our secret.

Haha. Just wait till Copper sees this.

Another fourthplace ribbon. Haha.

Next year, we’re going for the threepeat.

Oh! What the…

Widow Tweed. Hmm?

Oh! Do you make a career out of getting in my way?

Step aside, woman. I got a prizewinner coming through.

Well, so do I. What?

This here’s a hunting dog. What could you do with a pie?

Uh… Oh, yeah. Oh.

Woman’s got spunk. I’ll give her that. Hmph!

OK, fellas, ten minutes till curtain. Let’s round ‘em up and move ‘em out.

Move ‘em, round ‘em.

I’m movin’.

That means you, Copper. Huh?

Whoa!

Good luck, Copper. Thanks, entouragey.

Say, Tod, while we’re on, why don’t you spiff up those bowls a little bit?

The bowls? OK, Cash.

Don’t forget fireworks. Smack at sundown.

It’s a promise.

Psst! Little darling.

Come on in. Dixie wants to talk to ya.

But I’m supposed to sing now. Oh, I know, I know.

I just wanted to pass along my secret of success.

Really? Thanks, Miss Dixie.

Before every show, take a big ol’ helping of that.

Peanut butter?

All right, let’s get to growling and howling.

Now… Granny Rose, go fetch Copper, will you?

Ah, uh… Hang on. Ooh, ah. Oh, that’s good.

Uhoh. Bad news in a rhinestone collar.

Oh, why, Cash, you look as nervous as a longtailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

‘Cause I’m busy as a farmer with one hoe and two rattlesnakes.

Oh, yeah? Well, I’m as… as… Oh, I got nothing.

What is it, Dixie? Oh…

I just thought you could use a lead singer.

Peanut butter? But, Copper, you have to sing!

Ahhahahahaha!

Oh, hold on, Copper. I’ll be right back.