Bouncer

Well! That upset Bella, I can tell you. She went off into a corner to sulk, while I stood guard. The least sign of trouble and I was ready to spring! But just for the moment, he was on his best behaviour.

My people wondered where he could have come from.

“Where do you live, little fellow?”

I think he was probably too young to know. Fortunately he had a tag on his collar, with a telephone number which my people immediately rang. Alas, there was no reply!

“We’ll keep on trying,” they said. “We’ll get you back home!”

“And the sooner the better,” muttered Bella. She didn’t like the idea of having another pedigree in the house. She was still a bit spoilt in those days.

It was tea-time before the people finally managed to contact the whipper-snapper’s owner. His owner was really grateful! She said that she would drive over straight away.

But it was supper time before she arrived. We had had to put up with him for six whole hours!

In those six hours that puppy had:

chased the cats

bitten Bella on the ear

tried to bite me on the ear (I soon gave him what for!)

ripped a cushion to pieces

dug up a flower bed

knocked over a table

broken a glass.

We were all heartily glad when his owner turned up. She was a very nice lady, but not really young enough, in my view, to cope with a fox terrier puppy.

She explained how she had been staying with a friend and had taken Bouncer (that was the puppy’s name) for a walk across the Common. That wicked boy had run away from her! And she was such a nice lady.

“Some dogs,” I said to Bella, “just don’t know when they are well off.”

The lady put Bouncer into her car and they drove off together, down the lane. As they turned the corner, Bouncer jumped up at the back window and grinned at us.

“Mark my words,” I said to Bella, “that dog is TROUBLE.”

How right I was!

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It is a fact that all dogs, when they are little, need someone to teach them right from wrong. We all need a guiding hand. Some of us need firmer hands than others. And some of us – such as Bouncer – need very firm hands indeed.