"Thinking takes time. At least it does for me," Digger asserts in "The Worst Day of My Life," and he does seem to take an extra long time to figure out what those dogs who follow him everywhere are up to. In general, Digger likes a peaceful life in which he can take his time to do his work well. He prefers digging graves with a shovel rather than using machinery because he thinks doing the work carefully and immersing himself in it is the respectful way to prepare a spot for someone's eternal rest.

Digger's slowness to realize what the dogs are, and what he himself is, is unlikely to be shared by his audience. Remarks such as: "There was something comforting about having these dogs around ...; almost thirty years? How can any dog be that old?"; and "He [the lead wolf] only...