Horrie the Dog by Alex Nicol

This Play is the copyright of the Author, and may not be performed, copied or sold without the Author's prior consent

Horrie the Dog is based on the true story of the little dog who served with the second first machine gun battalion AIF in the Middle East, Greece and Crete during the second world war.

In adapting the story to the stage some dramatic licence has been used and while the names of some of the soldiers associated with

HORRIE have been used it is not intended that the characters as depicted should in any way be taken as a representation of actual people alive or dead.

The action takes place over time and space. Always present thought sometimes hidden behind a scrim is a WW2 vintage army tent open at the front to reveal four stretcher beds.

ACT 1 SCENE 1

At rise we see a bare stage and hear the voice of

T'SIZA (pron Th Size A) from off stage. We'll meet her again in many forms. In reality she is the story teller, the spirit of dogs everywhere but right now she takes the form of a Barbara Woodhouse "WALKIES!" woman, all tweed and positive command. She's trying to instil some discipline into a young, cross-bred terrier pup though to you and me he looks for all the world like a young rebellious teenager. He doesn't know it yet but his name is HORRIE.

T'SIZA One, two, three, four. Will you. Will you keep up sir.

T'SIZA enters at a brisk march

HORRIE stumbling, trotting, sometimes running, sometimes stopping to look around is up stage.

T'SIZA stops and points dramatically.

T'SIZA Heel! Heel sir!

HORRIE wanders about for a bit and accidentally finds himself in the right place.

T'SIZA Good boy. Good Boy!

T'SIZA rewards

HORRIE with a caress around the head and face vigorous enough to stun a donkey.

HORRIE collapses.

T'SIZA Up and one, two, three, four.

T'SIZA begins a brisk march across stage.

HORRIE hesitates for a second then rushes excitedly after her, He races in circles around her ignoring her commands.

T'SIZA Heel! Good dog. Heel. HEEL! Exasperated

T'SIZA collars

HORRIE as he dashes past and

HORRIE promptly collapses, rolls on his back, arms and legs in the air begging to have his tummy tickled.

T'SIZA Stand up. Straight. Straight. Why did I pick you, why, why, why? There were so many to choose from. Oh, there's a passing resemblance, true, passing, but the character is wrong, all wrong.

HORRIE I'll try harder.

T'SIZA You certainly will. You'll try 'til you get it right.

HORRIE I have to march

T'SIZA Walk in a straight line would be enough.

HORRIE has lost interest and begins to scratch himself.

T'SIZA Will you stop that! You're to be a representative

HORRIE What's that?

T'SIZA Someone who stands in the place of all of us. The brave dogs who

HORRIE swells visibly with pride and marches importantly for a couple of steps.

T'SIZA Yes, yes, yes, Alright. You'll have to march, or at least walk in a straight line through a big city. There'll be music playing and crowds cheering and waving flags.

HORRIE is now ten feet tall.

T'SIZA Hundreds and thousands of people will laugh at you. They think you, we, have no place there.

HORRIE is a bit doubtful.

T'SIZA So, they'll shoo you; aim a kick; try to grab you; lock you away; get rid of you

HORRIE has his ears back his teeth bared.

T'SIZA And you WILL NOT BITE! They

DON't understand. No. You will walk until you find the man who understands and then you'll walk beside him, quietly and with dignity.

HORRIE opens his mouth to ask what dignity means.

T'SIZA It means be quiet and sensible. Do you understand?

HORRIE Which man?

T'SIZA You'll know him when you meet him. He'll look at you and instead of seeing a scrawny, disobedient mongrel in need of a good bath he'll look inside and know who you are.

HORRIE Inside?

T'SIZA Yes.

HORRIE Like we can look and see whether people will squirt you with a hose and laugh or give you a pat, or a biscuit, or whether they like cats better than dogs or they're a postman or

T'SIZA Like that, yes.

HORRIE I like biscuits. Will he give me a biscuit or take me home? Yeah! Take me home. And I'll have a dish and a kennel on the back verandah

T'SIZA He won't take you home.

HORRIE Naw, a bed by the fire and. Oh. He won't?

T'SIZA No.

HORRIE But he'll like me? Because he can see inside.

T'SIZA Yes. Oh yes he will.

HORRIE Who am I? Inside?

T'SIZA You're more than you seem.

HORRIE Oh. And he'll know that?

T'SIZA Yes. He'll look into your eyes and he'll know. He'll see a thousand years of fires and hunts and

HORRIE Pats!

T'SIZA Much, much more than that.

HORRIE In me?

T'SIZA In you. And he'll see an old friend, a brave friend, who'll bring back a lot of memories and he'll cry, a bit.

HORRIE That's sad. Do I look like his friend?

T'SIZA A bit. (beat) Very much. (beat) Exactly like him. But you

DON't behave like him. He was a hero.

T'SIZA produces a row of campaign medals.

T'SIZA These are his medals.

HORRIE From the war? He must have been brave.

T'SIZA Everyone who went to the war was brave. Yes, from the war.

HORRIE Who gave them to him?

T'SIZA The country.

HORRIE Because he was brave.

T'SIZA Because he was there. And you can wear his medals when, if you walk QUIETLY with the man.

HORRIE is excited. He takes the medals and is about to pin them to his chest.

T'SIZA Not like that. On the other side. Left side for him, over his heart. You can put them on the other side. Give them back and I'll put them on his uniform for you.

HORRIE Was he was he my father?

T'SIZA Goodness me, no.

HORRIE Grandfather? Great Grandfather?

T'SIZA All dogs are related. The great dog spirit is a fox terrier and we're all working our way back to him. If humans would only leave their gates open, we'd all be fox terriers.

HORRIE Am I a fox terrier?

T'SIZA Neeeearly. Almost.

HORRIE And I look exactly like him?

T'SIZA Exactly.

HORRIE Will I ever meet him?

T'SIZA No. He was killed. Shot, so they say, a long time ago.

HORRIE In the war?

T'SIZA No, after the war.

HORRIE Why?

T'SIZA Will you stop asking questions. Go and find the man.

HORRIE takes a couple of uncertain steps, looks around then flops down to have a scratch and a think.

T'SIZA WITH DIGNITY!

HORRIE jumps up and straightens himself.

HORRIE What was his name?

T'SIZA The same as yours.

HORRIE Oh. Good! (Pause and a thought) What's my name?

T'SIZA You'll know it when you hear it. Dignity now sir, dignity. ACT 1 SCENE 2

HORRIE What about his medals?

T'SIZA has gone.

HORRIE slumps back into contemplative mood. He's brought back to earth by the sound of a mouth organ being played badly. LIGHTS change to reveal the army tent. It is late afternoon December 1940 and we're in an army training camp on the edge of the western desert.

Two Australian soldiers

JIM, 27 quiet and solid and

DON 23,bright, intelligent and rebellious are spine bashing.

JIM is 'playing' a mouth organ and it's obvious he's an amateur.

As if attracted by the sound

HORRIE takes a quizzical look then goes about his business. Now we see a very different

HORRIE. In Contrast to the relaxed soldiers he's tense, wary. He knows he risks a kick or a thrown stone

DON Can you play far, far away?

JIM Eh? Fair go she only came in yesterday's mail (realisation) Oh. Yeah well you'll be glad when I've learned.

DON You can say that again.

JIM I think I'm getting her. Listen. It's a bit like whistling.

HORRIE is now systematically quartering the area. Nose down and tongue out he's looking for water and he's desperate.

DON (Rising) I'll take your word for it.

DON notices

HORRIE Hello. Where'd you come from? (TO

JIM) We've got a visitor. An exuberant flourish on the mouth organ from

JIM as he sits up to look.

HORRIE reacts and backs away. He's got a choice, fight or flight and he hasn't decided. And he's a music critic.

JIM You're a long way from home mate.

JIM clicks his fingers. Come on.

HORRIE cocks his head but makes no move.

JIM Come on old mate. I'm not going to hurt you.

DON Careful he might have rabies or something.

JIM No he's fine. Aren't you fella?

DON He's slobbering. His tongue's out.

JIM He's thirsty.

DON Oh yeah?

JIM It's a desert out there. Why do you think he's turned up here? Get him a drink.

DON What in?

JIM Your tin hat.

DON Use your own hat.

JIM gets up.

HORRIE takes a couple of steps back but continues to face them. Not very friendly is he?

JIM He's okay. Someone's given you a tough time old mate you're just skin and bone. Bet you'd like a feed wouldn't you?

JIM has taken his tin hat and poured some water into it. He offers this to

HORRIE who stretches out to it but won't come close enough to drink.

DON Scared little bugger.

JIM No he not. He's just playing it safe. See his tail is up.

DON What there is of it.

JIM He's just not sure about us are you mate?

JIM puts the tin hat with the water down on the floor and backs away a pace or two.

HORRIE advances that pace and takes a sip from the helmet. He looks up to see if this is some sort of a trap. Satisfied he makes short work of the water. There you go,

DON reaches down to pat

HORRIE who once again backs off.

DON Only want to pat you pup.

JIM He doesn't know that. Kick him more likely where he's come from. Just take him easy, he's got to get his confidence. Nip over to the cookhouse and see what you can scrounge for him. That should do it.

DON Poor little brute crosses the burning desert to get here and you want to poison him with greasy

JIMmy's cooking.

JIM Get going. (To

HORRIE) Even

JIMmy's tucker'd taste good to you mate wouldn't it?

DON goes to move and quick as a flash

HORRIE turns to cover him. You really

DON't trust anyone do you? Who'd you belong to, the Eyeties? Switched sides have you? Desertion in face of the enemy, they shoot you for that. What? Ooh, they're about buggered so you thought you'd get while the going was good. Good move, good move. You're not an Arab dog naw you're too smart for that.

HORRIE squats, his head on one side trying to understand what

JIM is saying. Oh. Settled in? Decided to be an Aussie dog have we? Mates are we?

JIM picks up the mouth organ and blows a chord.

HORRIE immediately jumps up and backs away a pace growling a warning at the strange noise. Ah. You're as bad as the rest of 'em. No taste in music.

JIM make an 'oooh, aaah' breathe in and out sound on the mouth organ.

HORRIE cocks his head quizzically but doesn't move More oooh, aaah and

JIM holds the mouth organ out towards

HORRIE who cautiously stretches forward to sniff it.

JIM retracts the offer and blows another harsh chord.

HORRIE gets the joke and for the first time wags his tail. Mates then.

JIM puts the mouth organ on the ground between them.

HORRIE sniffs at it then grabs it shaking it like a rat.. Hey. Hey. Hey! I get the message. I'll get better.

DON returns with a steaming plate of something. Once again

HORRIE regards him with suspicion.

DON puts the plate down. Back off a bit and give him a go.

DON retreats a step. He's made himself at home. He tried to kill me mouth organ.

DON Educated dog. (To

HORRIE) Go on, get stuck in. I know it's horrible but if we can eat it

HORRIE sniffs at the plate then sits back with a, what-do-you-expect-me to- do-with that look on his face. Gawd the duty officer should see this, not even a starving dog'd eat what they serve up to us.

JIM It's Okay mate. Away you go.

DON He won't touch it. Smart dog.

JIM

JIM squats on his haunches beside the plate. Come on. It's okay. Ah. I know what the trouble is. He's a polite dog aren't you? Never eaten off a plate just scrounged what he could from where he could. That's the problem.

JIM takes a morsel from the plate and puts it on the ground under

HORRIE'S nose. It's gone in an instant. But still he won't touch the meal on the plate.

JIM Go on. Go on. It's alright.

JIM sits back but still there's no move from

HORRIE.

JIM Look at that. Poor little bugger's starving but he still won't touch the plate. Another couple of morsels on the ground which

HORRIE accepts.

JIM Yeah. You've really had a hard time. Here you go.

JIM holds the last morsel from the plate in his hand and offers it to

HORRIE who approaches cautiously and very carefully and very gently accepts it.

JIM Good boy. Learns quick doesn't he?

DON You'll never get rid of him now.

JIM Who says I want to? Nice to have a bit of intelligent company for a change.

DON makes a rude gesture in response.

JIM Bet we could teach him.

DON We?

JIM. Me.

DON What are you going to do with a dog?

JIM Keep him. I dunno. What else do you do with a dog?

DON Keep him? Mother'll love that.

JIM Ah the sarge is alright. He'll never notice. We'll make him the company mascot.

DON He's a mong!

JIM All the best dogs are.

DON You can't have a mong for a mascot. Gotta be something I dunno.

JIM Then he'll just be a dog. We need a dog. My old dad always reckoned that a man wasn't dressed without a hat and a dog.

DON Scrawny, miserable, look at him. Turn your back on him and he'd bite yer.

JIM No he wouldn't.

DON Go on try and touch him. I bet you can't.

JIM half rises and moves towards

HORRIE who is on his feet and on guard in a flash.

JIM settles down again but

HORRIE stays on guard.

JIM Not going to hurt you mate.

JIM holds out his hand.

HORRIE stretches forward and touches it with his nose. The pair look at each other for a long moment.

JIM Pay me. He's mine now aren't you mate. We're going to look after each other you and me.

DON I hope you'll be very happy together. What are you gonna call him?

JIM Dunno. What do you reckon?

JIM He's an Aussie dog now. Needs an Aussie name.

DON Blue.

JIM Funny. It'll come to me. Good dog always names himself.

DON Your old dad say that?

JIM Yeah.

DON Thought he might. He's musical anyway.

HORRIE has squatted and begins to scratch himself.

DON Plays the banjo.

JIM Got fleas. He needs a bath. We'll give him a bath. Go and get some water.

DON You go.

JIM No he might

DON P.O.Q. (piss off quick) Thought he was a good dog.

JIM Yeah. Well, he doesn't know us that well yet.

DON Tell you what. We'll both go and get the water. If he follows us or, he's still here when we get back, we'll keep him.

JIM He'll be here.

DON (intent on scaring

HORRIE off) Bath dog. Gonna get a BATH.

JIM and

DON begin to exit.

HORRIE watches trying to make up his mind whether to follow or stay.

JIM You're wasting your time. He doesn't speak English.

DON Dogs

Don't speak anything.

JIM You know what I mean. He's never heard anyone speak English. He doesn't know what bath means.

DON All dogs understand bath. It's the sound of it. They all hate it. Bet he's gone when we get back. Bath dog. Bath. Bath. `

JIM He'll be there.

ACT 1 SCENE 3

JIM and DON have gone. There's the faint sound of a wind and HORRIE'S nose goes up to scent it. The amplified voice of T'SIZA is heard, a long drawn out breath of a sound that carries the word.

T'SIZA Hoooome. (Pause.)

The sound is repeated and a long way off a dog howls.

HORRIE is alert, his senses straining.

T'SIZA Hoooome. You smell home dog. Hoooome. The wind from the sand with the smell of a hunted lizard crushed between sharp teeth. Freeee (Pause) dommmmm. The taste of blood. There's a faint rumble of thunder.

T'SIZA enters. She might be the wind off the desert but now she takes on the appearance of an Arab ready to beg, bargain or, if the chance presents to pilferer.

T'SIZA Baksheesh! Baksheesh sergeant. Eggs a'chook, very clean. Eggs a'chook.

HORRIE Hop it. Beggars aren't welcome here. Go on, off.

T'SIZA And what are you scrawny pup who turned his back on his home and begged for meat?

HORRIE Off.

T'SIZA Or what? You'll yap like a pie dog?

HORRIE

HORRIE drops into a crouch. I'll taste a bit out of your smelly bum.

T'SIZA Oh isn't he brave? The men have gone pup. Hurry. Chase after them.

T'SIZA aims a kick at him.

HORRIE dodges.

T'SIZA I need to steal a few things. Go. Run away. Hide behind their legs and make your noises.

HORRIE One more step and I'll have your leg.

T'SIZA dodges around

HORRIE and grabs a pole in the tent. She pokes it at him and

HORRIE fastens on for dear life.

T'SIZA Oh will you. (Exclamation of disgust) He's their's already.

HORRIE We're a pack. A strong pack.

T'SIZA Silly little puppy, a pack. Ha! And you're the great and fearless leader. You'll run at their heels all your life.

HORRIE I

DON't run at anyone's heels.

T'SIZA For a kick.

T'SIZA aims a kick at

HORRIE to make him let go of the pole.

HORRIE dodges and pulls back almost getting

T'SIZA off balance.

T'SIZA You've taken meat you didn't kill. All your life you'll get scraps of food so you forget how to hunt.

HORRIE Arghhh! I'm really going to enjoy the taste of your meat!

T'SIZA To bite me you'll have to let go of this stick and then I'll beat you with it.

HORRIE Oh. I can taste it now. I'm quicker than you think. Quicker than you.

T'SIZA But you'll grow fat and lazy. Little, fat dog asleep at his feet. Fat, fat dog who gave up his spirit for the touch of a man's hand.

T'SIZA thrusts the pole hard at HORRIE letting go of her end as she does. The force pushes HORRIE away and sends him sprawling.

T'SIZA seizes the opportunity to grab a rifle from the tent and to make good her escape.

HORRIE scrambles to his feet. There is no dodging now.

T'SIZA is intent on escape with the rifle

HORRIE reaches her and grabs hold.

T'SIZA swings the rifle at him to knock him away.

HORRIE holds dragging her to a standstill.

T'SIZA They'll turn their back on you.

JIM enters carrying a bucket of water. He drops the bucket and rushes to help.

JIM Bloody thieving Hang on mate. Hang on.

T'SIZA has one last swing of the rifle and hits HORRIE dropping the weapon in the process. A yelp from HORRIE.

T'SIZA They'll betray you.

T'SIZA is gone. ACT1 SCENE4

JIM

HORRIE!

HORRIE! You alright little mate?

JIM kneels beside HORRIE.

You little beauty. You really had a go didn't you? Good on yer mate. Here, sit still give me a look.

JIM continues to check HORRIE over.

No bones broken. That's one thieving Arab won't be back in a hurry. You frightened the tripe out of him.

HORRIE leaps to his feet anxious to continue the fight.

Steady on killer, he's gone. You'll do. Yeah you'll bloody do alright.

HORRIE? Now where did that come from? I had an uncle Horace. Now, do you look like a Horace eh? Don't think so. Need a collar and a tie if you were a Horace. Naw, you can be a

HORRIE, good Aussie name. Anyway, it's yours. G'day Horrie, I'm Jim, time for your bath.

JIM has HORRIE by the scruff of his neck and leads him away for a bath. As they exit DON appears with some boards and a bit of a packing case scrounged from the Quartermaster's store. He begins to knock up a bed-box for

HORRIE. A moment later JIM appears with an armful of packing straw. He's followed by HORRIE who is now wearing a collar sporting the shoulder patch of the 2nd 1 machinegun battalion.

JIM drops the straw and sits to watch DON work.

HORRIE flops beside him.

JIM You gonna put a roof on it?

DON It's inside the tent.

JIM Um.

DON You want to put him outside?

JIM No. No, but it should have a roof ,dogs like to have something to get under sometimes and other times they like to sit on top of something.

DON hands the hammer over.

DON You want to have a go?

JIM No. No. Carry on private. He gets a rude gesture for his trouble. We hear the rumble of artillery fire in the middle distance.

JIM Anti-tank boys are hard at it.

DON Yeah. Something's on. All the blokes in the truck lines are talking about it. What are you going to do with him?

JIM Eh?

DON Do with him?

HORRIE?

JIM Keep him. What do you think? Keep him and he's not mine he's ours.

DON He's your shadow. We can't just keep him.

JIM Why not?

DON It's a machine gun battalion. Sooner or later (there'll be bullets flying) He's a great little pup but

JIM He's as good as a letter from home, aren't you

HORRIE?

DON He's not a toy. You sit there with a silly grin on your face scratching his ear

JIM He likes me scratching his ear. I like scratching his ear. I pretend I'm at home on the verandah

DON and you haven't thought about

JIM You're the one making a bed for him.

DON

DON't change the subject. Sooner or later we'll be in a stoush.

JIM

HORRIE can handle himself.

DON Shut up

JIM. A real stoush, bullets, some of us'll probably get killed. What are you going to do with him?

JIM We'll look after each other won't we mate?

DON

JIM!

JIM He chose us. He stuck. We accepted him and we're mates, we'll look after each other.

DON I'm trying to be practical. The army says

JIM I know what the army says. The army says no pets in camp. He's not a pet, he's a guard dog.

DON Oh Gawd yes. He's 12 inches and 8 pounds of pure terror.

JIM It's not the size of the dog in the fight. It's the size of the fight in the dog.

DON Your old dad said that, right?

JIM Nothing's been pinched out of the tent since

HORRIE came, right? No night time visitors. He's a guard dog.

HORRIE has climbed onto one of the beds and is watching

DON work with interest.

DON Oy! You! Off! (Tapping the bed box with the hammer) This is for you. We gotta be sensible. If we're gonna move out

HORRIE inspects the bed-box and scratches some straw out of it. .

JIM You reckon we're off?

DON Stands to reason. Mother's been fussing over the signal gear like an old hen and we haven't seen an officer for a week. Something's on.

HORRIE has pulled a pair of JIM'S socks out from a pair of boots and transferred them to his bed-box.

DON Hey! (Beat) You've just lost a pair of socks.

JIM He can have 'em. Save washing. So, what's the drill? (Gossip)

DON Fitzie says the truck drivers reckon it's one last push to get the Eyeties out, says all the ammo that's coming up is armour piercing.

JIM Makes sense.

DON And there's new bikes for you and me. New moon in three weeks, nice and dark. Night attack they reckon. So, you and me'll be as busy as a one armed wall paper hanger, dispatches all over the place. What are you going to do with

HORRIE then?

JIM Take him on the bike.

DON Gawd. I can see it now; Headquarters loses contact with half the units in the dark. The old man's having a fit and you turn up to deliver a dispatch with a mongrel dog riding pillion.

JIM You'll be the only sane one there, won't you Horrie?

DON Look at him. His ears are up. He knows we're talking about him.

HORRIE hops to his feet and makes a dash out of the tent. A split second after he does so we hear the bugle call, "come to the cook house door "

DON (Rising to follow)Always first to the cookhouse, how does he do that?

JIM Anticipation mate. A true Aussie digger, never late for tucker.

JIM AND

DON rise to follow

HORRIE to the cookhouse.

DON 'Course that's all a furphy. (A rumour)

JIM What?

DON The Eyetie business.

JIM You reckon?

DON Yeah. You gotta learn to think like the army. They stick us here in the desert, wide open spaces, summer gear. Stands to reason they're gonna send us to fight somewhere it's cold and hilly. (Beat) Greece.

JIM Greece?

DON Went into town to get some film. The Greek bloke at the camera place didn't have any. "Plenty in Athens," he says. "You can pick some up there." They all know about it.

JIM You sure?

DON They're measuring all the gear, working out how to stow it. You better work out how to get

HORRIE up a gang plank mate. It's a life on the ocean wave you and me dig.

JIM Oh. Please. Just shoot me now. I'm never, never, never gonna set foot on a boat again as long as I live. I get sick going to Manly.

DON Stick him in your kit bag I reckon.

JIM Who?

DON Horrie.

[end of extract]

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