The Journey Home

Rueby Tuesday by Carlos and Jean Aleman

After a rather disappointing trip to China, Reuben and Rufus decide to head for home. In the interest of safety, the Reubenites had decided that Reuben would travel by canoe and Rufus by blimp, so that in the event of an accident, the country would not lose both their top general and their country's ambassador.

Reuben and Rufus decide to take an unfamiliar but more scenic route home, rather than travelling across the Atlantic as they had done on the way to China. Rufus is awed by the extraordinary scenery along their journey, but his fascination proves to be the downfall of the two diplomats.

Reuben and Rufus were in the waters in a remote part of the Pacific when they enter a very beautiful section of islands. Rufus notices one island in particular with a most unusual tree house right in the center. Rufus decides to go in for a closer look when his blimp snags on the large tree. Rufus finds himself stuck in the tree and calls to Reuben for help. Reuben quickly rows over to the island and jumps out of the canoe to help his friend. Reuben climbs the tree and frees Rufus from the tangled remains of the blimp.

Unfortunately, by the time the two friends descend from the tree, they find that Reuben had failed to secure his canoe and it had drifted out to sea....

Diplomatic Reuben

Rueby Tuesday by Carlos and Jean Aleman

In the early 1900's, Reuben's ancestors ventured over to China to establish an alliance between that country and the Reubenites. General Reuben was sent with the Reubenite ambassador, Rufus. Once they arrived in China, they met with the Chinese ambassador, Ching-I.

The meeting went exceptionally well. The two countries worked out terms for a military and diplomatic arrangement that was mutally beneficial to both countries.

As they were preparing to leave, however, Rufus broached the possibility of manufacturing Reuben action figures in Chinese factories. They were thrown out of the country and told never to return.

Reuber Wright

Reuber Tuesday by Carlos and Jean Aleman

Everyone knows about the achievements of Orville and Wilbur Wright, how they were pioneers in the pursuit of flight. What people don't know is that Reuber Wright, the Wright brothers' dog, actually flew the first prototype the Wright brothers designed. It was a 1/15 scale model of the Wright flyer, plane the brothers eventually flew.

Reuber was a little nervous at first when he was told of what the Wright brothers wanted him to do, but he was devoted to his owners, so he agreed. The Wright brothers equipped him with flying attire and strapped him into the plane. Reuber was exhilerated and terrified at the same time, but succeeded in becoming the first doggie to fly a plane. He managed to break the sound barrier with his first flight, though the Wright brothers were only able to achieve a speed of ten feet per second. Sadly, the fact that Reuber was only a dog caused him to be ommitted from historical accounts.

King of the Ottoman Empire

Rueby Tuesday by Carlos and Jean Aleman

While flipping through a history book, Reuben came across this surprising photograph. He noted a strong family resemblence, so he read on to find out more about this fascinating creature.

As it turned out, the photograph as taken in the waning days of the Ottoman empire. It was the early 1900's, before World War I brought down the kingdom. The ruler was Sultan Mehmed VI. The sultan had a beloved pet who was also treated like royalty. The sultan had many photos and portraits commissioned of his dog, but nowhere was there an indication of the dog's name. Reuben was intrigued by the mysterious creature that looked so much like him, so he set out to see if he could find out the dog's name. Unfortunately, with the demise of the empire, the name of the dog had been erased.

Though there remains no record of this dog, Reuben is confident that he has located yet another of his relatives.

Hurricane Reuben

Rueby Tuesday by Carlos and Jean Aleman

In the aftermath of Hurricane Wilma, Reuben decided to go out and see for himself the damage done to his neighborhood (and to take a pee). He found that the winds were still powerful, but he was determined to do what he came out to do. So he braved the elements and went about his business.

As he was going home, this thought flashed through Reuben's mind: "Boy, I wish I had an indoor bathroom."