Welcome

Hi, my name is Alys Jackson and I'm an author and poet

based in Adelaide, South Australia.

My work has been published in books, magazines,

anthologies and online.

Momo and Hana

‘He’s so cute,’ said Hana with a sigh. The ginger-red Pomeranian reminded her of the stone-carved lions guarding the entrance to their local shrine, the little dog’s soft orange fur fluffed out and frizzy at the edges.

‘Very,’ agreed Mother. ‘But if I find him in the living room again, I’ll turn him into sushi.’ She picked up a pair of chopsticks from the kitchen counter. ‘His claws are tearing up my straw mats.’

‘Mum!’ exclaimed Hana. ‘You’ll scare him!’

The dog let go a series of emphatic barks and Mother laughed. ‘Ok, Momo. You’re forgiven. But only this once.’

Kenji, Hana’s 8-year old brother, gave the Pomeranian a suspicious look. ‘Where’s it from?’

‘He,’ corrected Hana.

‘He belonged to my English teacher, Amanda Foster,’ said Father.

Hana patted the top of Momo’s head. ‘Amanda said we could keep him.’

‘But why?’ demanded Kenji.

‘Because she had to go back to Australia,’ explained Hana patiently.

‘When’s she coming back to Japan?’ asked Kenji.

Father shook his head. ‘She isn’t.’

‘Which is why we agreed to look after him. Isn’t that right, Mother?’ Please, thought Hana.

‘That was before I found out he was such a handful,’ said her mother sadly.

To prove Mother’s point, Momo began to yap like a maniac, his back legs skittering around on the floorboards, his bottom nudging a stack of pots and pans which swayed dangerously.

‘Don’t worry,’ said Father. ‘We’ll find him a good home.’

‘This is a good home,’ persisted Hana. Their traditional Japanese house was a rambling maze of rooms and creaky stairs that led to three upper-story bedrooms. A beautiful home surrounded by gardens and a grove of plum trees. Plenty of room for a small dog.

‘Exactly,’ said her mother. ‘And I can’t have Momo running loose and destroying the place.’

Momo dropped to his belly and started to whine.

‘It smells funny,’ complained Kenji. He’d retreated to the corner of their kitchen and was stacking coloured blocks one atop the other, the wooden tower already five bricks high.

‘He smells like a dog,’ said Hana irritated. Momo’s eyes were an adorable, liquid gold and sparkled with intelligence. She turned to her parents. ‘You promised,’ she said. ‘You said he could stay in the backrooms as long as I looked after him.’

Kenji delicately placed a seventh block onto the wobbling, wooden skyscraper. ‘Like you looked after the turtle?’

‘Big mouth,’ shouted Hana. Momo leaped to his feet and started barking; short, sharp annoying sounds that stabbed at Hana’s eardrums. His tail thumped against a tall pot of umbrellas sending the whole lot sliding to the ground with a crash.

‘Not again?’ moaned Kenji, clapping palms to his ears.

‘He can’t help it,’ shouted Hana for the tenth time, but even she was beginning to lose sympathy. For the last hour, Momo had whined, barked, yapped and fussed, driving the family half mad and Hana’s eardrums to the edge of pain. If only he’d realise it was ruining any chances she had of keeping him.

Father raised a hand. ‘Enough. Why don’t you take him for a walk? It might help to calm him down.’

Hana slipped on a pink plastic raincoat and glanced at the raindrops sliding down the kitchen window. Outside, the summer rains had stopped and a frog was burping in the rice paddies. Soon the snakes would appear, their long bodies curling up on the hot boulders in the old castle pond. To Hana it looked wet, humid and unpleasant.

‘Can’t we just stay here?’ she said. Down by her feet, Momo barked twice.

‘Out,’ snapped Mother. ‘Mrs Suzuki’s arriving in a minute and I haven’t finished preparing the tearoom. I don’t have time for this, Hana.’

When Hana opened her mouth, her mother glared.

Out in the back lane, the little dog stopped barking and they headed past the rice paddies with their soft green stems, stopping briefly to watch the dragonflies skipping in and out of the water. At the noodle restaurant, Hana turned left and waved at Mrs Hirohito who was selling boxes of shiny orange persimmons, the tasty fruits a real summer treat in Japan. They ended their walk at a tiny park tucked beneath the castle grounds, and Hana plonked down on a swing to catch her breath and think.

Down by her feet, Momo was silent and obedient.

‘Can’t you at least try to be good?’ sighed Hana. ‘I’m sure mother would let you stay if you weren’t so naughty.’

Momo wagged his curly tail and showed her a wet tongue. Scooping him up, Hana buried her face in his fur. He smelt nice and she could feel his tiny heart beating fast. ‘They have to keep you,’ she whispered into his side. ‘They just have to.’

Back at the entrance to their house, Hana kicked off her shoes, stepped into a pair of house slippers and carried Momo into the tearoom.

Old Mrs Suzuki was kneeling in front of a low wooden table a peeled grape poised between two fingers, its plump green flesh moist and glistening. On seeing the stranger, Momo let out a single loud bark and the grape plopped into Mrs Suzuki’s cup of green tea, splashing hot liquid up the front of a pale blue kimono.

Hana blurted an apology and slammed shut the sliding door, leaving Mrs Suzuki’s shocked outline staring back towards the white paper panels.

‘Hana Yoshimoto!’ barked her mother, scaring her twice over.

Startled, Hana let go of Momo who fled into the kitchen barking furiously. There was a sudden scream and the sound of wooden blocks clattering to the floor.

‘Mum!’ bellowed Kenji.

Mother took a deep breath. ‘Take Momo upstairs, please, Hana. We’ll talk about this later.’

Hana didn’t miss the intonation or the look in her mother’s eye, both of which were promising trouble if she didn’t obey. She took the stairs to her room on the second floor, slid open her door and flopped to the floor. Momo was two steps behind. Hana reached out a hand and let the dog lick her palm. ‘Good dog,’ she said sadly. ‘Good Momo.’

He wagged his tail.

Later that afternoon, Hana heard her parents talking quietly downstairs, her mother’s voice concerned, insistent. A few minutes later, she heard her name being called. Father was standing in the kitchen beside a two-ring burner on which bubbled a pot of fish stew. His expression was grave.

‘Mother and I are taking Momo to Mr Yamamoto’s house in the morning,’ he said.

A painful lump formed in the back of Hana’s throat. ‘But their house is tiny,’ she said. ‘They don’t even have a garden.’

Father looked away. ‘I’m sorry Hana, but he leaves in the morning.’

Back in her bedroom, Hana pulled out a heavy cotton mattress and unrolled it beneath the window. A butterfly was battering its tiny wings against the square panes of glass. The rain had started up again and cars sighed through the puddles that criss-crossed the lane outside. To say that Hana felt sad was an understatement. Her stomach ached with sadness. Downstairs, she could hear Momo barking and whining non-stop. The little dog had been confined to the kitchen and didn’t sound too happy about it.

At midnight, Momo’s barking got even louder. Already wide awake, Hana heard her father stomp downstairs but as soon as he opened the kitchen door, Momo shot out and up the stairs to scratch at Hana’s door. Worried he would damage the paper panels, Hana scooted out of bed and let him in.

‘Bad dog,’ she hissed as he leapt onto her bed. ‘Naughty Momo.’

Momo began to whine, an urgent, unsettling sound which made Hana’s skin crawl. ‘Stop it!’ she ordered. The little dog looked afraid, the whites of his eyes gleaming in the low light. Despite the absurdity of the situation, Hana began to feel frightened, too, although she couldn’t have said why.

‘Stop it,’ she pleaded.

Momo ignored her and began tugging at the hem of her nightgown, jerking Hana back towards the open door, his feet digging into the soft matting, strong, sharp claws ripping out fine slivers of golden straw.

‘No,’ snapped Hana. ‘Bad, Momo. Stop.’

‘Momo!’

Hana turned to find her father standing in the doorway, his hair mussed up, eyes blurred by sleep. In the half-light of the landing stood Mother and Kenji. All three looked furious.

Oblivious to the trouble he was causing, Momo flattened his belly to the ground and started to howl.

And then, very slowly, the floor beneath Hana’s feet began to quiver. Beside her, the windows rattled and shook. Hana felt her heart thud.

‘Earthquake!’ shouted Father.

Momo’s howls became louder.

‘Outside,’ shouted Father. ‘Now!’

Hana took the stairs two at a time, her bare feet sliding on the polished wooden floorboards at the bottom. She could hear the others close behind. Around them, the house began to shake, the ancient wooden beams groaning, cups and glasses clinking together, the paper screens shuddering with the growing tremor.

To their left, Mother’s favourite china vase toppled from a shelf and smashed to the floor, the broken white shards continuing to tremble at Hana’s feet.

‘Move!’ yelled Father.

Hana ducked out of the back door and bolted towards the open garden, the plum trees quivering like tall wooden jellies. Then, as suddenly as it had started, the earthquake stopped, leaving behind a thick, shocked silence.

One by one, the sounds of a summer’s night began to return; crickets chirruped, a night bird screeched, doors slammed, windows slid open, and somewhere, someone started to laugh. Everything, it seemed, was wide awake. Everything except Momo. Curled up in Hana’s arms, the little dog had fallen into an exhausted sleep.

‘He knew,’ said Mother, her tone one of amazement.

‘How?’ asked Kenji.

Father scratched the top of Momo’s tiny head. ‘My grandfather often said that animals can sense earthquakes. Even scientists admit it’s possible but no-one quite knows how.’

‘Maybe he could feel it coming,’ suggested Hana.

‘Maybe,’ agreed Mother. She smiled. ‘I guess that explains why he’s been so naughty.’

Hana’s eyes lit up. ‘Does that mean we can keep him?’ she asked.

‘We’ll see,’ smiled Father, but Hana could tell that he and Mother had already made up their minds, and she grinned all the way back to bed.

‘Goodnight,’ said Mother with a light kiss.

Hana wrapped her arms around Momo’s warm body and closed her eyes tight. ‘Goodnight, Mother. Goodnight, Father.’

Father turned off the light and Hana heard him whisper something that sounded very much like, Thank you, Momo.

By her side, the little dog answered with a soft, contented sigh.

Momo and Hana first appeared in The School Magazine, Orbit, Feb 2017. Illustrations by Althea Aseoche.

72 thoughts on “Momo and Hana”

  1. Hello Alys,
    I just want to say that Momo is one intelligent little dog! When I get older, I want a Siberian Husky! If that happened to me, I would have been so relieved! Thanks for the great story!

    • Hi Caleb, thank you for the comments and it’s lovely to hear that you enjoyed the story. I love that dogs are so intelligent. There are so many true stories of dogs saving people. When I was little we had a sheep dog who was so gentle. I can’t say she saved me from anything, though. She was too lazy! 🤣 Siberian Huskies are beautiful dogs, too. Good choice. Alys

  2. Hi Alys,
    That was such a good story! I love dogs and cats! But I would think of myself of a dog person! Dogs are are so cute! I am allergic to cats but I love cats too! It is such a shame so many cats are in the shelter now! My mum was thinking of saving one but we are all allergic! Momo is such a cheeky dog! I love how animals can sense things like this, animals are great!

    Love Clara ❤️

    • Hi Clara, thank you for the comments! I love both cats and dogs, too. I have a gorgeous ragdoll cat called Leo who is cheeky and playful. When I was little we had a collie dog. She was so gentle and sweet. I can’t say that either of my pets sensed anything more than food 😮. My dad’s allergic to cats, too, but he’s getting better as he gets older. I think your mother sounds very kind. Allergies are so irritating, aren’t they!? Alys

  4. Hi Alys!
    I found this story very sad at the beginning and then really happy at the end.
    one question though.
    from where do you get your inspiration?

    • I’m glad you found the ending happy, Tiaana. I got the idea after living and working in Japan for many years. Some of my Japanese friends believed that animals could sense earthquakes before they happen. I always found that amazing. Alys 🙂

  5. Hi Alys
    At the start I felt really sorry for Momo because he was just being judged and he is one of the cutest character that I have encountered in my life and there being so harsh to a tiny little dog but I am happy that they finally see the truth to the dog, Momo
    Thank you for the great story Alys

    • Thank you for the comments Dinith. You make some great points. I deliberately made the family treat Momo harshly because I wanted the reader to feel worried about what was going to happen. And I am very happy that you think Momo is cute. So do I. Alys 🙂

  6. I loved this story so much.
    I used to have a ginger red Pomeranian, his name was Bosco. He was cheeky like Momo.
    I felt different feelings reading this story. I was worried and sad when I thought Momo would be going away. Then I felt happy and relieved he was staying with Hana.
    Thank you so much for sharing this story. I will read it again over and over : )

    • Thank you for your lovely comments Sophia. Wow, I don’t think I know anyone who has had a real Pomeranian. I bet Bosco was cute. And I’m glad you were relieved and happy at the end of the story 🙂 Bye Alys

  7. The poem made me feel curious
    They keep taking to each other and it was very interesting
    In you say he she or the dog instead of people names
    I got to keep the dog as the owner was no long able to look after it.

    • Hi Roshnai. Thank you for your comments. I am glad you like the story. I hope you read some more. Dogs are great fun aren’t they? 🙂 Alys

  8. That was a fun story to read. I liked Momo and the picture of him, it was interesting and funny, I loved the ending when Momo saved them when they were about to get rid of him.

    • Hi Elsren, it’s nice to hear your comments and I’m glad you liked the picture of Momo. I was excited to see how the illustrator drew my characters and love them, too. Alys 🙂

  9. Hi Alys, Is that true dogs can sense earthquake. I know birds could do but never thought doga. Surprise!!! The best part is that Momo feels the danger and he want to save others from dangue. So he tries tell others about it by all means and ways. Lovely story. I dont have a dog so i told my mam to buy me a dog for my 9th birthday as he could save us from danger things.

    • Great question Dinethri. Of course I’m not 100% sure that dogs can sense earthquakes, however, there is a lot of evidence to suggest that some dogs can. The National Geographic website has a very interesting article about this topic. And I agree that the best part of the story is that Momo wants to protect Hana and her family. Dogs are really amazing sometimes. 🙂 Bye Alys

  10. It was a beautiful story and also made me cry because Momo was about to leave but he was being naughty because he could sense the earthquake. I never knew that animals could sense earthquakes

    • Thank you Miabella-Rose. I’m glad you enjoyed the story. Sometimes the best stories are the ones that make us feel deeply. 🙂 Bye Alys

  11. Animals are very good at helping people. We have a staffy who is a companion dog for my dad. She is great at knowing when he feels sad, I think birds can tell when things will happen too because they will fly to find somewhere safe when storms are about to happen.

    • I agree Charlie – animals are very good at helping people, especially dogs. I liked your comment about birds too – I hadn’t thought about it but you are right. Birds always know when there’s a storm coming. When I lived in Scotland the farmers used to say that cows would sit down if they thought rain was on its way… not sure if that’s true or not. 🙂

  12. Hi Alys,
    This story reminded me of the time when our dog put puppies and we were begging not yo give them away. I think instead of the dad telling Hana to take Momo on a walk he could have told Hana to take Momo upstairs and put him to sleep. I think that you would get A+.I really enjoyed this poem.

    Kind regards Tirath

    • Hi Tirath. Thank you for your comments and I love your idea for an alternative ending. A+? I am doing a happy dance right this minute 🙂 Bye Alys

    • Dear Mayumdi, thank you for letting me know your thoughts, and I’m pleased that you enjoyed the story 🙂 Bye Alys

  14. Hi Alys
    I found this story really sad at the start because they found the Pomeranian Momo annoying but he was actually trying to warn them about the earthquake. This reminded me of the olden days when the people went out mining with canaries so if the canaries starts to feel ill that means that the air was bad. it amazes me about how quickly animals detect things that we humans don’t detect as fast.

    Kind regards Yenuli

    • Great comments Yenuli, especially about the canaries. Animals really do have extraordinary senses, don’t they? Wouldn’t it be amazing to have their eyesight, or sense of smell? Just think of all the fun we’d have. 🙂 Wow! Bye Alys

  15. I liked the story because I have a cat named Momo, I thought the story was kind of funny and sad at the same time. I was feeling sad because I didn’t want them to get rid of Momo. Even though the story made me sad I still really liked the story.

    • Hi again Fleur. I love the fact that you have a cat called Momo! And yes, I think you are right again. This story is both sad AND happy. Very happy at the end thank goodness!! Bye Alys

  16. I didn’t know that dogs could sense earthquakes and that fact is quite fascinating. I’ve always wanted a dog and after reading this story I especially want a Pomeranian. Overall, you used a lot imagery especially with Momo. This made me picture a small adorable puppy as fluffy as a cloud. This story definitely appealed to me as I have always enjoyed stories where there are dogs.

    • Hi again Chomilka. Isn’t it amazing that some animals can sense things that humans can’t see or hear? And yes, I deliberately used imagery to build up the scenes in this story – it helps the reader to identify with the characters, especially animals. Bye Alys

  17. This story was very interesting and i learnt something new too. After some research i found out that ‘Many hours before an earthquake dogs may begin to act restless and distressed’ which makes sense when momo was whining a few hours before the earthquake. The way you described momo really set a picture in mind of how adorable it is.

    • Hi Thenumi. Wow, I’m sorry this reply is so late. I’m so pleased that you did some research after reading Momo and Hana. I also did a lot of research before writing this story. It’s amazing to realise that animals can sense earthquakes before they happen, isn’t it? And yes, I agree that Momo is adorable 🙂 Bye Alys

  18. I like the way you described japan, which made a nice picture in my mind. I wish I could visit Japan one day.The family except Hannah were bit too harsh on Momo, which made me sad. Glad that Hanna could keep Momo at the end. Thanks for the story

    • Hi Yehanya, It’s nice when stories create pictures and I hope that your wish to visit comes true 🙂 I’m glad you liked the end to the story! Bye Alys

  19. I really like the end bit where they thought of keeping Momo, it made me feel happy when I was reading it like most stories do make me happy. One question, can dogs really sense an earthquake? If they can, then it is so cool that I might get a dog myself!

    • Great question, Thisali. According to some people dogs really can sense earthquakes! And researchers in Japan have been studying this for years. I’m glad you liked the story. It was fun to write 🙂 Bye, Alys

  20. I liked the part where Hana got to keep the dog. By the way I loved how cheeky he was, reminds me of my sister!

    Keira, SA

    • Thank you Keira. I love your comments 🙂 It makes me laugh to think that your sister is as cheeky as Momo. Bye Alys

  21. I liked this story and the bit where the dog was trying to tell them about the earthquake. I was happythat Hana got to keep the dog.

    • Hi Ashton. Thank you for your comments. I’m glad you liked that Hana got to keep the dog 🙂 Bye, Alys.

  22. I loved the story and I thought Momo was very cute.I think that it is amazing how dogs know when an earthquake is coming.I have a puppy called Evie and she is as naughty as Momo!

    • Hi Layla, thank you for your comments. I agree that dogs are amazing. They can sense things that we can’t – how wonderful is that? I hope Evie behaves well sometimes! Puppies can be really silly. Bye, Alys

  23. Hi Alys, I liked the story because the family thought that Momo was angry but he was just warning them that there was an earthquake coming. The story made me feel sad for Momo at the beginning and at the end, happy.

    • Hi Linuka, thank you for the great comments. I’m glad you felt happy at the end of the story. It’s nice to know that dogs like to help us, isn’t it? Bye, Alys

  24. *Hi Alys, the book was very good i liked it because i LOVE dogs and i liked how you had the story in Japan . I’m looking forwards to reading more of your books. Camila

    • Hi Camila, thank you for such lovely comments. It’s nice to know that you enjoyed the story. Yes, I love dogs too, but I actually have a cat called Leo. I don’t think Leo would warn us if there was an earthquake! 🙂 Bye Alys PS: I’m glad that you’re looking forward to reading more stories.

    • Hi again Paige. Japan is a very beautiful and exciting country and I hope that your wish to go there comes true 🙂 Bye Alys

  26. I have two dogs and they are pathetic. We had a tiny earthquake once and my dogs did absolutely nothing about it! Do you ever use story starters to create your short stories and poems? I am going on a holiday this year and the plane trip is about 8 hours and I was wondering if you had any writing prompts/tips to help pass the time? I saw a previous comment saying that people believe that dogs can sense earthquakes, do you believe this? I will make sure that I keep reading your stories and poems.
    From Lily

    • Hi Lily, thank you for the wonderful comments. It made me smile to hear that your dogs did nothing during the earthquake. I’m not sure that I’m convinced that dogs can sense earthquakes, however, I did read (on the National Geographic website) that in 1975 China evacuated the city of Haicheng days before a magnitude 7.3 earthquake – due to animals behaving oddly. Yes, I often use story starters to create my poems and short stories. What better place to start than with something you know well. My writing advice is to start keeping a diary. You don’t have to fill it. Just write down things that interest you. People. Places. Smells, feelings and unusual observations. You’ll soon have enough to fill a story with exciting details, if not the story ideas themselves. I am glad you’ll keep reading my writing. Have a great holiday. Alys 🙂

  27. Hi it is Paige again and instead of reading the robot story i read this AMAZING story!!
    Where did you get the idear of this book from and how long did it take you to wright it????
    👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
    By Paige

    • Hi again Paige. Thank you for so many thumbs up 🙂 I lived in Japan for 5 years and we used to have earthquakes a LOT. I also met a lot of people who believe that some dogs can sense earthquakes before they happen. I guess that’s where I got the idea from. I’m afraid I can’t remember how long it took me to write the story. HMMM? Maybe a week … or two. Bye Alys

  29. Your story made me feel good because Momo helped the family and i like dogs. I liked the happy ending. I would add in a birthday party for Momo.

    • Thank you Mackenzie. Some really great comments. I really like the idea of a birthday party for Momo 🙂 Bye Alys

  30. I really liked this story and i think that it is really cool that dogs can sense that there are earthquakes.
    I never new that dogs could do that.
    I hope that Hana got to keep Momo because he is very cute and after all he did help save them.
    Thank you
    From Leah

    • Hi Leah. I think that Momo is a very clever dog, too. Isn’t it amazing that some animals might be able to sense earthquakes? By the way, I am sure that Hana got to keep Momo. Thanks, Alys

  31. Hi I’m Zoe I liked the story. It was a good story because momo was trying to tell them that there was an earthquake. My favourite part of the story is at the end because the dog momo told them that there was an earthquake that is why momo was barking. Bye Zoe

    • Hi Zoe, I’m so glad you liked Momo and Hana and I really like your comments – I think dogs are so clever which is why it was fun writing this story. Bye Alys

  32. I really liked this story because only don’t I have a dog but also Momo tried to warn them all but as we all know, dogs don’t talk. The very last thing I liked was how you put information in with a story at the same time. One question though: Why didn’t Momo wake everyone up to maybe chase him to save everyone by leading them outside? Yours sincerely, Jameson.

    • Hi Jameson, thank you for your great comments. I think Momo chose to wake up Hana because he had formed a connection with her more than anyone else. I’m glad you enjoyed the facts, too. I lived in Japan for many years and learned some amazing things. Thanks Alys

  33. hello, I really liked the story about how Momo could tell the earthquake was coming. I hope to visit Japan one day to as it looks like a very nice place. Maddison

    • Hi Maddison, I’m happy that you enjoyed the story. It’s amazing how clever some dogs can be! I hope you get to visit Japan, one day. It’s a very beautiful country. Alys

  34. I love the fact that Momo could sense the earthquake. This has made 1 on my private short story list.

    • Hi Olivia. I’m really pleased that you enjoyed Momo and Hana. I think it’s amazing that some animals can sense earthquakes and I’m glad that you do, too. Alys

  35. I really like the story,I was just waiting to see what happens next.I loved the idea that you put in real information and facts.

    • Hi Abbey. I agree with your comment about using real information and facts – it always makes stories more interesting. Thank you for saying you liked the story.

    • Hi Estelle,
      So glad you liked the story. Dogs are such fun to write about and to have – although they can be soo naughty 🙂

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