The 97.3% True and Amazing Adventures of Zeus: The Fisherman’S Newf

By Matt Caffrey

Zeus was named after a Greek god, which he is not; he is a dog. Zeus is a Newfoundland dog, a breed that looks like a black bear, can swim like a polar bear, is as strong as a grizzly bear, and as loyal aswell, as loyal as a dog, actually. But despite these remarkable characteristics, he has one major problem: Hes afraid of heights.

After being adopted by a gruff but friendly fisherman named Capt. Apache Bluegills, Zeus finds a welcome home in a small fishing town called Flatrock Cove in Newfoundland, Canada. Zeus is quick to admire the Sea Sentinels, the towns elite team of Newfie dogs who keep the shoreline safe by patrolling the seaside cliffs and diving into the ocean at the first sign of trouble. He wishes to join the team but is disappointed when his fear of heights prevents him. When Capt. Bluegills goes on a fishing trip for a few weeks, Zeus decides instead to follow his passion and embark on a journey of his own.

Follow the wild adventures of Zeus, the fishermans Newf, as he travels overseas, learns many new things, samples strange and wonderful food, and makes lifelong friends. Of course, keeping out of trouble during his adventures is much harder than he thinks, especially for such a curious fellow as he.

Zeus ventures from his home in Newfoundland (which most humans call the Rock) and sails across the Atlantic Ocean all the way to France. There he meets a sophisticated French poodle named Poutine, and together they explore Paris. However, Zeus soon discovers that the people of France believe he is something else entirely: a wild beast, who wants to eat all the fat French babies he can google up!

Will Zeus learn to overcome his greatest fear in Paris? Will he escape the French military police, the Gendarmerie nationale, who are determined to capture and cage him? Will he make it back home before Capt. Bluegills returns from his fishing trip? And will the most beautiful of all the Newfie dogs, Electra, be there waiting for him even if he is not a Sea Sentinel?

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jul 20, 2018
• ISBN: 9781532053320

Matt Caffrey

Matt Caffrey lives in Alberta, Canada, with his wife and their three kids Caden, Sonja, and Selena. This is Caffreys first childrens book, and he know that once his kids read it, hell have to give in to their endless requests for a dogmost likely a big, loveable Newfoundland!

Book preview

1

Rock the Cradle

Zeus was named after a Greek god even though he looked nothing at all like one. In fact, he looked more like a baby black bear…which he was not. Zeus was a Newf—that is to say, he was a dog of the breed Newfoundlander, which are some of the biggest and strongest dogs on earth.

However, we are getting ahead of ourselves here, so let’s start from the beginning. Let’s start on his birthday.

Zeus first came into this world on a high bluff that overlooked a cold and moody sea. He was born not far from a place called Tickle Cove, on an island called Newfoundland, but most people just called it the Rock. His mother gave birth to him in a damp cave made of grey stone, and of a litter of six, he was the only pup who survived.

Zeus sighed happily and snuggled beneath his mother’s warm fur. They were waiting for his father to return to the cave.

Soon, he will come and bring us food, she said.

However, the days grew colder, the nights grew longer, and still he did not return to them. They did not know it at the time, but Zeus and his mother would never see him again.

Many days later, the brave mama dog offered the last of her milk to her hungry puppy. She licked his little face clean and spoke for the last time.

Promise me something, she said weakly.

Anything, Mama, Zeus said.

Promise that you will always follow your heart, no matter what others do or say. Only you can discover your true path in this life.

I promise, Zeus said as tears fell from his eyes. Don’t leave me, Mama.

I love you, she whispered.

And then she was gone.

For three more days and three more nights, little Zeus remained by his mother’s side. He grew weaker as he lay there, the light in his black eyes slowly fading. He could hear the coywolves howling outside the cave, could smell the blood on their teeth as they poked their long snouts into the cave’s rocky crevices, sniffing out an easy meal. The coywolves were half grey wolf, half coyote, and one hundred percent perfect predator. They would never give up; he was doomed.

In his fear and loneliness, he had all but given up. He curled himself into a tight ball of soft black fur, sneezed once, and fell into a deep sleep.

That very same night, Zeus’s mother came to him in a dream. She ran towards him, cutting through a field of summer dandelions. She looked like a bear chasing bees for their honey. She looked happy.

Son, she said, bending down and nuzzling him.

Yes, Mama?

Do you remember your promise to me?

I do…but all my heart wants is to see you again.

And so you have, little one. She nudged him with her nose. Wake up now and ask yourself what it is you truly want.

Zeus opened his eyes.

Mama? he said, blinking the dream away.

Listen to your heart.

Zeus struggled to his feet and stumbled towards a single shaft of sunlight that shone through a crack in the cave’s wall, illuminating the way out.

There was only one thing he wanted.

He wanted to live.

2

Cliff Diver

Zeus could see the coywolves charging through the trees. They moved like grey smoke, their red eyes piercing the morning mist like hot coals.

The little Newfoundlander ran as fast as his gangly legs would allow, but it was hopeless; the beasts were closing quickly.

They burst from the cover of the black spruce and drove through the drifting snow, their howling a dreadful wail that sent all the animals in the forest scurrying away.

The coywolves surrounded Zeus, their muzzles slung low to the ground, their lips curling back over white fangs. They seemed to be waiting for something, and a moment later that something arrived.

The pack leader was smaller than the rest; however, his eyes were twice as cruel. The other animals slunk away from Zeus, their movements fearful. They keened and fretted, and one even rolled onto her back, submissively offering up her throat. Ignoring them, the leader stared at his meal.

Why, yer ’ardly even a snack now, ain’t ya? he snarled at Zeus.

The puppy stood as tall as he could, puffed his cheeks out, and glared back at the coywolf with what he hoped was a threatening look.

All the coywolves started to yip and yap and snicker away. It was the funniest thing they had ever seen.

Ye looks like a bullfrog wit’ fur, the leader said as he slid closer to his prey.

And you look like a moose’s butt! Zeus said.

The coywolves stopped laughing.

On second thought, the leader said, his eyes narrowing, "whatcha really looks like is me breakfast!"

The beast lunged at Zeus, his jaws snapping together like a steel trap, but Zeus was no longer there.

What—? Ack…thrathhh! The coywolf spat out a mouthful of snow. Where’d me breakfast scuttle off to then? Weaselly thing!

Zeus tunnelled his way beneath the snow. He went right between the hungry coywolf’s legs. He had almost made good his escape when the leader whirled around and spotted the lump of shifting snow.

Crafty little worm, isn’t he? the leader sneered.

Zeus could hear the coywolves’ paws crunching the snow all around him, could sense their long snouts snuffling their way towards him, but he refused to surrender.

When he could feel the leader’s hot breath on his neck, Zeus burst out of the snow, ran a few feet, and quite unexpectedly fell off the edge of the bluff. He yelped in surprise and tumbled through the air towards the fog-shrouded sea—far, far below. He looked up and caught a last glimpse of the coywolf pack as they peered over the edge of the cliff and howled their disappointment at losing a lovely, tender doggie dinner.

Zeus barked in terror and then plunged into the icy waters of the Atlantic. Down, down he went. He could see nothing but blue. He could hear nothing but the pounding of his own heartbeat, fast and furious in his ears.

So far, life hadn’t been very kind to such a handsome pup as he; however, fate has always enjoyed testing God’s earthly creatures and Zeus’s luck was about to change.

3

Tunder ’n’ Lightning

Capt. BlueGills Apache Mussels stood like the Rock of Gibraltar on the heaving foredeck of his fishing vessel, the Zugbug. A fierce northern wind flayed his tattered oilskins about him. He shot out a big shiny black seaboot and kicked over a bucket of fish guts. He jutted out his chin and scowled over his salt-lashed beard.

The Captain bellowed at his crew. Lord tunderin’, b’ys, I’ll knock ya as far as ever a puffin flew if ya don’t haul that codfish in a spell quicker-like. So says I, I says!

The boys grinned at each other as they hauled on their ropes. They knew that Capt. BlueGills was all bluster and bluff, and that there was no gentler soul on the entire island. He did, however, work hard to keep his true nature a secret, on account of niceness being bad for business and all.

The net rose out of the water like the head of a great sea serpent.

Lotsa fish there, Capt. BlueGills! one of the deckhands said.

So says yerself! I see two or t’ree small ones. Now heave that net onboard or I’ll clout and clobber the lot a ya. Guaranteed, b’ys! Like all proper Newfoundlanders, Capt. BlueGills always said b’y whenever he meant boy.

The fishermen swung the load over the deck in an easy fashion. It hung wet and heavy with many hundred squirming fat cod.

Dump ’er down, the Captain ordered.

The net opened up like the drawstrings of a purse, filling the boat with thick-lipped, bulging-eyed codfish. They swam around the fishermen’s legs and thumped their shiny silver tails on the boat’s wooden deck.

Ahh, we’re sorted now, b’ys. There will be kettles of cod for supper tonight, the Captain said