Olive deserves a spot in ‘reindeer history’

A holiday tradition in this writer’s family is “the filling of the reading basket.” That involves stuffing it with Christmas story books – enjoyed and relived each year by both old and young readers throughout the holiday season.

Among the 60 or so books that live within the big basket during December is a personal favorite – “Olive, the Other Reindeer.” The book was published by Scholastic in 1998, so this year is Olive’s 20-year anniversary (of having been basketed).

“Olive, the Other Reindeer” is a delightfully clever holiday picture book, a perfect choice for any gramps to read together with his 6-year-old grandchild. It’s about a 10-minute activity.

The main character is a dog named Olive. She’s a rather diminutive but frisky pooch, and you might even say she looks like the dog on the box of small-sized Milk-Bone dog biscuits.

In real life, Olive was a Jack Russell Terrier. She was the pet of one of the book’s authors, Vivian Walsh. The co-writer and illustrator is J. Otto Seibold. His drawings portray Olive as a loyal dog with a spunky personality.

In the story, Olive is living in an urban environment, and in December on her daily walks, she would hear the music to the popular song, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” The people were singing “all of the other reindeer.” However, Olive’s perky ears interpreted the lyrics as: “Olive, the other reindeer.”

One day, the refrain set off a bright red light in Olive’s brain, and the message was that Santa Claus needed her at the North Pole, ASAP. Traveling by bus after bus, Olive got there just in the St. Nick of time on Christmas Eve.

She reported for duty to be harnessed to the team. “Dagnabbit,” Santa exclaimed, “dogs can’t fly!” But being the softy that he is…and impressed with Olive’s grit…good ole Santa decided to take her along. He instructed lead reindeer Comet to strap Olive in, tying a sturdy ribbon tightly around her middle. And whoosh, off they went.

Santa encountered several technical difficulties on his journey that year, and the team found themselves in several scrapes. Olive proved to be a true “rescue dog,” enabling Santa to escape the various perils and complete his rounds, delivering toys around the world to good little girls and boys.

Certainly, Olive earned credentials to qualify her as a candidate to be written up in history…just like Rudolph.

However, what sealed the deal for Olive was her performance on the ride back home when the “dreaded North Pole fog” set in…‘twas “thick as a pillow.” The reindeer had lost all sense of direction on the morning of Dec. 25.

But then, Santa remembered that dogs are excellent smellers. Mrs. Claus was baking a Christmas cookie breakfast. The big man asked: “Olive, won’t you guide my sleigh this morning?” Yes indeed she would.

The elves all cheered as Olive, following her nose, orchestrated a perfect landing. After breakfast, the reindeer games began out on the lawn...with Olive joining in.

It makes perfect sense that a Jack Russell dog would appear in a Christmas story, as the breed was developed by a man of the cloth, Parson Jack Russell. The good reverend was assigned in 1832 by the Church of England as Vicar of Swimbridge, a small village along the Taw River in Devon County, which is located in southwest England.

Parson Jack faithfully served the congregation of St. James Church there for more than 40 years. He was a very popular preacher in his day, as his sermons were brief by Victorian standards. That was because his hunting horse was usually saddled and waiting in the churchyard, according to an article from the British Broadcasting Corp. archives.

Therefore, Parson Jack was dubbed “The Sporting Parson.” He was determined to develop a hard-working breed of terrier, dogs that would improve the quality of the great sport of foxhunting.

It was a quest that began around 1815, historian say. While a student at the University of Oxford, Jack Russell acquired his first Fox Terrier from a local milkman. The female dog was named Trump. Jack Russell began by breeding Trump with a Hunt Terrier.

By the 1850s, several generations of offspring had resulted in the recognition of a specific breed; it was termed the Jack Russell Terrier (JRT). Pastor Jack’s dogs “specialized” in flushing foxes out of their foxholes, rather than maiming or killing them.

JRTs “enjoy a good run and a good chase,” especially to “terrier-terrorize” foxes and other critters such as deer, coyotes, badgers, otters, polecats, weasels, wolverines and rabbits. JRTs have high energy and stamina, but they do tend to bark a lot, a trait that both “gained the attention of their masters and frightened burrowing animals from their holes.”

Pastor Jack Russell died in 1883, and his body is buried in the churchyard at Swimbridge.

The nearby village pub was renamed the “Jack Russell Inn” in his honor. The pub sign is a reproduction of a painting of the noble Trump.