Editor’s Note: This fictional article, which uses a vintage writing style for the period, was written as a contribution to The Globe’s April Fool’s Day commemorative issue designed by Shad Engkilterra. This article is for entertainment purposes only.
April 1, 1918 – On a dark and stormy night, this reporter sits with Bill Maudlin in a French café waiting for his subject to appear. Bill, the famous cartoonist, idly draws on his sketch pad while quaffing the specialty of the house, a root beer.
The dimly lit café is filled with the strains of “the Roses of Picardy” and “There’s a Long, Long Trail.” It is enough to make any homesick serviceman cry as the notes are gently plunked out by a Frenchman in a beret. A bust of Beethoven sits atop the smaller than normal piano.
The door to the café swings wide to reveal a silhouette of a funny looking dog with a big black nose. The full moon bright behind him, the dog walks in on his hind legs with a crop under his arm and an aviator cap with flight goggles on his head.
Bill Maudlin raises his mug, and Snoopy nods his head in return. The dog then signals to the barkeep and makes his way to our table. As he sits down, his root beer with a good head arrives. He blows the head off the drink, swallows it down in one gulp and quickly orders another.
This is the hope of the Allies to eliminate the threat of the bloody Red Baron Manfred von Richthofen. Richthofen is nearing 80 air victories, and no man has been equal to the task of shooting down the German’s best offensive asset.
Bill and Snoopy make polite conversation. They have been friends since Snoopy came into this world of air combat and downtime. People back home may never know how much of the war is spent waiting for something to happen and then when it does wishing that it would stop quickly.
Snoopy is on his third root beer before he acquiesces to answer questions from this Globe reporter.
A dog of few words, Snoopy makes it known that he has full faith in his Sopwith Camel and ability to remove the Baron from the sky, but his overriding desire is to go home, finish school and kiss his girl Lucy.
Of humble beginnings, Snoopy was born at Daisy Hill Puppy Farm. He was fortunately adopted by the Brown family, but no one would have guessed that he would become a World War I flying ace.
Snoopy continually hones his flying and fighting skills. He has faced the Baron thrice. He won the first meeting in a dog fight and the second in a gunfight. The third at Christmas, Snoopy’s wings got iced, and the Baron forced Snoopy to land. The Red Baron showed Snoopy the ultimate respect in drinking a toast to his enemy.
Snoopy has vowed not to eat any pizza until the Red Baron is put on ice. For now, the flying ace is content with root beer and kibble.
Patrons file in and out of the café, and each pays his or her respect to the dog tasked with defeating the Bloody Red Baron.
As the night wears on, Snoopy realizes that he must get some sleep if he is to face his respected and hated rival on the morrow. He walks out of the café door.
“Curse you, Red Baron!” Snoopy howls at the moon before the café door has a chance to close.
