Finding his family in Dogville took Walden almost no time at all. The hug he received from his mother would have lasted all day had his father not walked up and wanted a hug of his own.
“First things first,” began Walden’s father after their embrace. “Never leave Dogville without my permission, especially once we leave Bedlam.”
A confused look fell over Walden. “Leave Bedlam?”
“It’s dangerous out there,” replied his mother, not really answering her son’s question. “Now that we’ve found you, we don’t ever want to lose you.”
Walden had no idea why they would want to leave this place or where they would go, but there was no time to ask. Continuing his lecture, his father added, “And you must stay away from Thor’s tail. It is low to the ground sometimes. One could easily fall off it if not careful. And if you do fall off, you will get lost. We may never see you again.”
His eyes growing big, Walden nodded.
“And there’s no need to go anywhere else to find food,” added the older and wiser flea. “Everything you need is right here.” Walden’s father showed him at once just how to find all the nutrients that he needed from his host. (This might sound a bit gross, but fleas live off the blood of their hosts.)
Walden’s tummy filled up fast on Thor’s warm life source, and soon he became sleepy. He moved closer to his mother who had invited him to snuggle in next to her. Walden loved his mother already and she loved him, too. He closed his eyes.
Walden didn’t know how long he slept, but he woke with a stir. Something was shaking him—and everything else around him. The trembling from beneath him reminded the young flea of the moment just before he broke out from his cocoon. Only, this time, he did more than shake. He began bouncing up and down.
“Hang on!” yelled his mother. “It’s Thor! He’s on the move.”
It took Walden a day or two, but he got the hang of riding atop the large shaggy dog. He even began to enjoy the daily scenic tours of Outdoors and Backyard where he encountered new sights and sounds.
Thick grass, leafy bushes, and brightly colored flowers. Each of these caught the eye of the flea. Meanwhile, creepy-crawly things, things bigger than him, things that moved slowly across leaves and stems and down branches, left him to wonder what it was like to live out there.
Walden noticed a few winged critters as well, things like beetles, moths, and dragonflies. One such creature looked as if it possessed hand-painted wings. “How beautiful!” he said as he stared at the intense colors and inventive patterns. It had long pointed shoots sticking out of its head, and it beat its wings gently in the warm summer air as it moved from one bush and plant to another.
“Those are called butterflies,” said Febes as she strolled up alongside her new friend.
“They’re stunning,” replied Walden.
Walden could only imagine what else he might see and experience in Backyard. Each part of the lush-filled place offered its own delights, beautiful and interesting things to see. However, each part also offered dangerous temptations for the small flea. He wanted to hop off and explore everything. These temptations only grew worse upon seeing an area known as the LowLands, for this is where Thor would lie down sometimes.
Some of the fleas in Dogville jumped off in the Lowlands. Walden watched them disappear into the thick grass. They were laughing and having all kinds of fun. He wished that he were with them.
“What’s that?” asked Walden in Febes’s direction.
Febes followed Walden’s gaze. “That’s a fire ant!” she announced. “Stay away from them. They’re very dangerous.”
Walden knew nothing about the six-legged insect, but it looked mean and dangerous. He trusted Febes—and his own eyes—vowing in that moment never to get near one.
But then, he spied something else, something he had never seen before. The large, red creature had three parts to it: a head with two thin antenna that never seemed to stop moving; a long, middle section that held six different legs; and a big, fat section in the back that almost seemed to drag along the ground. What demanded Walden’s attention the most, however, were the creatures’ big, bulging eyes which sat on top of its head.