As he put the Bible back in its place, he heard Elmer on the porch squawking, “It's twelve o'clock! It's twelve o'clock!” He went to the kitchen for the bowl and beer, and then went outside to the porch.

At the sight of Oliver, the creature leaped from his haunches and began raging at the limits of his tether.

“Would you like some lunch?” asked Oliver as he poured the beer into a bowl for Elmer.

“You can’t do this! It’s child abuse! Let me go! You’re gonna be in BIG trouble!”

“Are you hungry? Would you like some lunch?”

“LET ME GO!”

Oliver looked at the creature quizzically and said simply, “No.” And as the creature flew into a new rage even more furious than the first, Oliver calmly walked into his house and ate his lunch, and Elmer said, “What we've got here is a failure to communicate,” then dipped his beak into the bowl again.

After lunch, Oliver came out with a large tin basin and began filling it with water from the hose. The creature called to him.

“Hey, am I going to get any lunch?”

“Lunch is over.”

“But I’m hungry!”

“I asked you if you wanted lunch. You didn’t act like you wanted any. Lunch is over. You’ll have to wait until dinner.” Oliver set the basin of water where the creature could get it.

“What’s that for?”

“For you to drink, of course. I imagine you’re thirsty after all that shrieking and howling.”

The creature picked up the basin and hurled it at Oliver, drenching his legs.

“Give me something to eat!”

Oliver looked at his wet clothing. “I guess I was wrong. You aren’t thirsty at all.” Then he got into his truck and left as the creature raged behind him.

Oliver took his binoculars with him. Whenever he finished digging a hole, he checked on the creature. Mostly, he saw the creature picking at the knots or tugging at the rope, or rubbing the rope with small stones or stabbing it with sticks, but once, Oliver saw him climb the flagpole and try to slide the rope over the ball at the top. Oliver grinned and shook his head as he continued his work.

At dinnertime, Oliver packed up the truck and drove to the house to find the creature lying on the ground in a contorted position. He gazed at the prostrate form for a moment with a puzzled look on his face, then he went over to the hose and began rinsing off the post-hole digger and spud bar. The creature turned his head slightly to get a better view of Oliver through the tight slits of his eyes. After Oliver finished rinsing his tools, he put them on the porch, leaning against the house, ready for him to grab in the morning. He stepped off the porch and approached the creature.

“Would you like some dinner?” The creature did not move.

“I said, would you like some dinner?” Oliver said more loudly. He waited a moment. The creature did not move.

“Huh, must’ve worn himself out,” he muttered as he turned to go into the house, but before he took two steps, he heard a feeble moan from the creature. He turned back and approached the creature again.

“So you’re awake, ey? Are you thirsty? Would you like some dinner?”

The creature shrugged a shoulder weakly and slowly flopped onto his stomach. He tried to raise himself on all fours, but his arms gave out as he collapsed in a pathetic heap barely whispering the words, “Water, water, food, water, food...”

“What’s that? I can’t hear you.” Oliver put his ear to the creature’s mouth until he understood what he was saying.

“Ah! Water and food! So you are thirsty and hungry! Good! I was beginning to wonder about you. Water coming up!”

Oliver took the basin and filled it with water from the hose. He set it beside the creature’s head. “There you are! Water! Drink to your heart’s content.”

The creature slowly turned and weakly raised his head after a few tries. He hoarsely whispered “Cup? Cup?”

“A cup? No, animals don’t drink from cups, but I will get you some dinner.” Oliver hurried into the house. While he was gone, the creature greedily scooped the water into his hand and drank. When he saw Oliver returning, he immediately went flaccid again. Oliver returned with a tin bowl, a can of dog food, and a manual can opener. He began opening the can.

“You’re going to love this. Nothing but the best.” He removed the top from the can and shook the contents into the bowl with a dull plop. Oliver stood and smiled as if he expected the creature to pounce on the meal with relish. The creature seemed to gain some strength.

“Is...is that...dog food?”

“Yes...the best money can buy. Nothing’s too good for my animals.”

“I’m not eating that!” The creature seemed to gain even more strength.

“Why not? It’s the best. I heard on the radio that it was the best, Mr. Jenkins at the market highly recommends it, and Bayo can’t get enough of it. Why, I would think...”

The creature leaped to his feet, snatched the cylinder-shaped food from the bowl, and hurled it at Oliver. “You can take your dog food and shove it!” He picked up the water basin with an angry growl and almost flung it as well, but thought better of it and stopped mid-fling. About a quarter of the water sloshed out of the basin. The creature settled for cursing and screaming at Oliver.

“I see you aren’t really hungry, but you are thirsty.”

“I am so hungry! I’m starved! If you give me some decent food, I’d eat it.”

“I did give you decent food...more decent than you deserve...more decent than the animal you’re acting like. You can still have it if you want,” said Oliver, pointing to the dog food on the ground at his feet.

I’m acting like an animal! Who tied who up? Who’s starving who? Who’s trying to kill who?”

Oliver smiled. “I’m not trying to kill you. I’m teaching you.”

“Teaching me? What are you teaching me? How to starve in three easy steps?”

“No...something far more important than that.”

“What?”

“Gratefulness.”

“Gratefulness? I’m supposed to be grateful to be tied up? I’m supposed to be grateful to you for starving me?”

“I’m not starving you. You’re choosing not to eat.”

“I’m not eating dog food! Nobody would!”

“Far more in the world would see it as a delicacy than not. Enough talk. It’s your choice. Bayo!” He whistled for the dog, which instantly bounded from the porch. Oliver pointed to the food on the ground, and Bayo gulped it down as the creature watched.

“Perhaps you’ll be hungry in the morning. I’ll see you before bedtime.” Oliver walked into the house to make himself dinner. The creature sulked, sitting with crossed legs on the ground. After a moment, he spied the water basin and took a long drink from it.