Bach, ep. 2

It is well known that puberty is a difficult period. A time of discovery, of need to feel part of a group, and to assert oneself as an individual. A phase of questionable choices, made more from the gut than the brain. Especially from the gut, for Bach.

Who is Bach? If you don't know him yet, you'd better catch up on episode 1. If, on the other hand, the story of the little king's rise to power has remained in your heart, you are ready to ride the rollercoaster of a turbulent tale of canine adolescence. Buckle up: here we go!

The Age of the Coronation

Bach was made king of Soleil when he was still a puppy, but the real coronation came about a year later. When Dr. Vet, after following him for months and helping him to cut down on his raging hormonal instincts, deemed him worthy of a big, glamorous crown.

They called it the 'Elizabethan collar', in honor of one of the greatest queens of all time, and Bach wore it for some time before deciding that this style was not for him.

He was certainly radiant in his royal robes, but this was more for the fact that it resembled a lamp than for the joy of wearing such a garment. Bach's fame, however, preceded him, and the people of his village did not need to see him wearing the crown to remember that he was in power. Therefore, after a few weeks of trying on his new outfit, the king returned to his natural look: an elegant black collar, and a 42-teeth smile.

King Bach, the Teenager

Bach certainly enjoyed life at court: cuddles, games, runs, walks... But he was curious, and always eager to meet new humans to cuddle up with and new four-legged—or more or less pawed—friends to play with.

Once, during a walk together with his family along the lawns in front of his house, his sister suddenly realized that Bach was no longer with them. What had happened to him? The young king had crossed the road to visit a chicken, which was running free in the meadow opposite.

As we said before, when you are a teenager, you think more with your gut than with your head. And the young king's desire to play with one of his peers outweighed his ability to understand that, by continuing to shake that soft feathered ball left and right, clenching it between his teeth, would leave him little chance of continuing to play with it. Fortunately, his parents persuaded him to let the chicken go, trying to teach him that, to play together, he had to get permission.

Less lucky than the chicken were the numerous insects with whom the king tried to establish a relationship. Of course, they were uncooperative! One paw inviting them to play with him, and they were already lying on the ground exhausted and unable to move. “What loafers,” thought Bach....

Escapades

Oh yes, the young king loved to play. He would have played all the time, 24 hours a day. But his parents could not always accommodate his wishes, and they sometimes had to take him with them to work, in the vineyards. If nothing else, there, he could stretch out in the shade of the trees and enjoy the coolness of the earth and the freshly cut grass. One fine day, Mum and Dad let him loose in the vineyards, and, busy as they were, they did not notice that the king had gone away. When they looked for him and did not see him, however, they did not worry much: he used to visit his elderly great-uncle Giovanni, who lived next door, to collect the tribute of a piece of bread and some delicacies that he used to keep for him.

And indeed, a few half-hours later, Bach was back in the vineyard, calm and rested from his much-appreciated outing. All right... had it not been for the fact that, during lunch, his mother received an alarmed phone call. "Renata, has the king escaped?" the voice on the phone said. "But how," said his mother, "he is here with us at home." Well, young Bach had not gone to his great-uncle's, but had gone to the neighboring hamlet of Larianaz, sneaking into a family's henhouse in search of new feathered friends to play with. Immortalized in a snapshot, the king ended up on the Facebook fan page of his kingdom 'you’re from Chatillon if', causing criticism and laughter, and confirming that he was both loved and feared, like a true king.

Hungry Boy

His teenage years saw him the protagonist of these and many other little misadventures, which had him engaged in mischievous pranks and premeditated thefts. Such as those of pizzas, sandwiches, and hams. Which leaves us to say that, if nothing else, Bach was never power-hungry, but only hungry. But these adventures belong to another story, which I will tell you in the next episode.