A CRUST OF BREAD.

Have you got a minute? I have a story to tell you that I think is quite funny. I don't know what you'll think but here goes!

I am a black and white long-coated guinea pig and my name is Lucky. How old am I? I really don't know. I share a comfy and spacious cage with my girlfriend Millie. We have an outside run as well that we enjoy on fine, sunny days. Millie is as black as I am white. She is loud and bossy and likes to throw her weight about. She organises me but I don't mind as it saves me having to make decisions. She starts laying down the law early in the morning and it goes on like that through the day.

Recently I became ill. I had an eye infection that got worse and worse. This meant a lot of trips to the vet, injections and medication. Altogether I felt lousy and went right off my food. I even refused my favourite titbits. One one hand Millie was worried about me but on the other hand she was delighted as this meant more food for her and she has never been one to turn down extras. She got fatter and fatter while I got thinner and thinner. Things needed to be taken in hand. They were. Millie's rations were cut back to a one guinea pig size and I was fed by syringe, six times a day and filled with a disgusting mixture called reconstituted grass. That stuff had never been near a blade of real grass, not no how, not ever. No matter, it started doing me good. The medication worked too and the eye slowly got better. The six syringes were cut down to three a day and I began to toy with a little real food. Although Millie was relieved when I came out of my huddle in the corner of the cage she also kept an eye out for any extra food that became available. Things came to head one morning. Our breakfast usually consists of a large chickory leaf each. They are deliciously crunchy and we love them. I was still convalescent but improving daily, in case you were getting worried about me, but because I was still weak I was slow off the mark. I'd barely sunk my teeth into the chickory leaf when Millie, who had eaten hers at the speed of lightning, appeared and swiped mine. She was so fast I barely saw her!

I spent the morning plotting my revenge. The opportunity came at lunch time. To keep our teeth in good order we are sometimes given a crust of bread. This is a favourite of ours and something we look forward to. Today just happened to be a bread day.We both saw the crust at the sme time but I was closer to it than she was. I scuttled down the cage and sat on it. She was furious, started pushing and pulling and walking round and round me to see if there was a bit sticking out that she could nibble. I held firm sitting squarely on the crust. It was not too comfortable a position as you can imagine, but I was determined to teach her a lesson. In a situation like ours food should be shared and not gobbled up by one greedy guinea pig. She sulked, nibbling bits of hay to show me that she didn't care but I could see her watching me. I decided that I had made my point and climbed off. The crust was then shared.

I am now fit again and things are back to normal. Millie the bossy boots and me letting her get on with it. Anything for a quiet life! I must admit though that she has never pinched my food again!