Spike Spike started barking loudly.<|end_header_id|> <|begin_of_text|> Spike was a big, scary-looking dog. But he was really nice most of the time, especially to the boys. When the boys came out to play in the yard, Spike would always get up from his bed and come over to say hello. He'd wag his tail and let them pet him, even though they usually ended up getting tangled in his fur or getting licked with his big wet tongue. One sunny day, Tom and Jerry were chasing each other around the yard. Spike watched them from his kennel, his head resting on his paws. Every once in a while, he'd let out a deep bark, almost like he was laughing at their silly antics. The boys kept running and yelling, not paying any attention to the dog. Suddenly, Spike jumped up and started barking loudly, his ears standing straight up. He ran over to where Tom and Jerry were playing and started barking right at them! The boys screamed and ran away, but Spike kept chasing after them. He barked and barked until they finally stopped running. Then he calmed down and sat back on his haunches, looking proud of himself for scaring them. Tom and Jerry cautiously approached the dog. To their surprise, Spike wagged his tail and let out a friendly woof, as if to say, "That was fun, wasn't it?" The boys couldn't help but laugh. From that day on, every time the dog barked loudly, Tom and Jerry would run and scream and pretend to be frightened. But really, they enjoyed the game and looked forward to their special playtime with the big, silly dog named Spike.