@outoftheirdifferences
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"Now, children," Duchess' warm tone trilled as she sat upon the front steps of their new abode, paw smoothing down the tufty, unruly fur of Berlioz' head. She addressed her darling babies as she always did — with love and gentleness.
"You must remember to be kind to our new neighbors... We will be living by them for quite some time, and Madame must love it for us if we could make new friends to care for."
"But I saw em' already, Mama," Berlioz wrinkled his nose in protest. "They're dogs! Real, big, giant dogs with hundreds'a teeth! They'll eat us!"
"I won't let em'," Toulouse proclaimed boldly, puffing out his chest. "I can fight fifty dogs. The size'f... The size of elephants!"
"That's very noble of you," Duchess assured her son, bending down to give Toulouse's forehead a quick, affectionate lick. "But they shall do no such thing, my loves... I will be right here all of the time if you are frightened."
...
And so, off the three went, scampering down the steps and across the yard to the other to peer through the fence, one after another.
"They're not very giant." Marie commented quietly to her brothers.
"Still bigger than us..." Berlioz muttered.
Making herself known, Marie called out politely,
"Hello! We're your new neighbors!"
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