[ One thing about Jake; no matter how tall the kids in his life get, he could always get taller. A nice perk of being perpetually avuncular. ]

I hope so too, kid. [ For Jake's friends, as well. The old dog's way of expressing concern, albeit indirectly. He didn't want to embarrass the boy, not when he was in that ripe age where boyhood was a not-distant memory, and adulthood was rapidly approaching. ] Why don't you at least try to get a little sleep? My skin folds make a pretty great blanket, and still a long ways back to the village. You're gonna need your rest.