Storytelling Week 10: The Dog Wife

June 3
Today is the day! By tonight I will be Mrs. Caleb Harrison. I am so nervous I am shaking as I'm writing this. I still cannot believe how lucky I am to have found Caleb. He really is the most perfect, kind, loving man. I cannot wait to be his wife and to build a family with him.


June 4
First day as husband and wife. Caleb told me something very shocking. I didn't believe him a first, and then he showed me, and I about lost it in front of him. This is going to sound crazy even to write, but I have to get it out somehow. This morning, Caleb sat my down and said he needed to tell me something. "This is too long overdue," he told me, "but I was afraid I would scare you away, and you wouldn't want to be with me. But now that we're married, you deserve to know the truth." I was so incredibly confused as he took my hands. "Hannah, this isn't easy to say, but I haven't been completely honest with you. You see, I have this ability, it's been in my family for generations. I'll just say it. I can turn into a dog."
I thought he was insane. I remember I pulled my hands away and stared at him. "What did you say? Are you feeling well, Caleb?
"I am Hannah," he said. "I know it's really weird, but I have the ability to turn into a dog. I've had it since I was a child. I know this is hard to process."
I still didn't believe him. So, he then proceeded to change into a freaking German Shepherd. I about lost it. I tried to smile and then just bolted into the bedroom, where I am now. Caleb hasn't tried to come in. I don't even know what to think. My husband, a dog. What if we have kids?! Am I going to be the mother of German Shepherd puppies?? Is his whole family canines? I feel like I'm going to throw up. 

June 5
We've haven't even been able to enjoy our honeymoon since yesterday's "announcement." Caleb's tried to talk to me, but I am still in shock. I woke up today hoping it was a dream, but it isn't.
I love Caleb. I really do. I wouldn't be married to him if I didn't. So why can I not get over this? So my husband can turn into a dog. Maybe that could be useful. We certainly would never need to get a dog. He would be a good protector of our home.
No, it's still too weird. Why would he not tell me this before we tied the knot? This is not something you wait until your married to tell. Maybe that's what I'm most upset about, that he didn't tell me. Apparently he wanted to wait until he had me forever before he revealed his deep dark secret. What am I going to do?


June 6
Something… interesting happened today. It may have changed everything.
After two days of this, I needed to get out of the hotel. We were supposed to be exploring New York for our honeymoon, but Caleb has ruined that plan. I needed to get out and think clearly alone, so I decided to explore I my own. Caleb told me I shouldn't go alone, but I said if he wanted things to get better, I needed to be alone.
I walked through the streets of New York for about an hour. I was still trying to process everything (and getting no where) when someone grabbed me from behind. There weren't very many people around and the person dragged me into an alley. I tried to fight him off, and I was doing alright, but he was a lot bigger than me. I really feared at that moment that I would be raped or murdered or both.
Then something came on the man and he let go of me. I back away and watched as a dog, a German Shepherd, bit the man. The dog stood in between the man and I and growled at the man. The guy took off running. The dog turned around and changed in Caleb. "I told you not to go alone," he said, smiling slightly. All I could do was hug him.
It's still weird that my husband can turn into a dog. I'm not sure where that will take our lives. But I saw then that Caleb really cares about me, and that he will always be there for me. So I think we'll be alright.

Author's Note: I read a Native American story called The Dog-Husband. It was about a woman who had a dog she loved. The dog could actually turn into a human, and well, she got pregnant. The story was a little messed up, but I liked the idea of a human being able to turn into an animal, so I decided to write about a woman who marries a man who can turn into a dog and to write about her reaction. I chose to write it in diary form to make it even more personal and informal.

Bibliography: This is a retelling of the story of "The Dog-Husband" from Tales of the North American Indians collected by Stith Thompson. From the unit Native American Marriage Tales.

Image information: "Buck the German Shepherd" taken by Nicky Hannaway, 2008. Web source: Wikimedia Commons