The Puppy who was Left Behind

Chapter Four

“What on earth happened?” Gran asked, hurrying out of the bedroom and putting an arm around Anna. “Did you bump yourself, Anna? And where’s Fred?”

“Over there,” Anna sniffed, still rubbing her head. “Behind the armchair. I think he’s hurt his paw – the table fell on it.”

“Oh dear,” Gran murmured. “Well, thank goodness there wasn’t anything on it. It’s lucky I moved that little vase yesterday. If that had smashed, he could have cut himself.”

Grandad went over to pick up the table. “Not broken. It’s fine. Come on out, Fred.” He crouched down and looked round the armchair, but Fred had crept right behind it now. All that they could see was a dark pinkish nose and they could hear him whimpering. “Poor old boy. He’s really scared.” He sighed. “Sorry, Anna, that’s probably my fault. I shouted and he doesn’t really know me.”

Anna slid down from the bed and hurried over to Fred’s hiding place. “Hey, Fred. It’s OK. Come on out.”

Fred sniffed cautiously at Anna’s outstretched hand and slowly, gradually, he wriggled out from behind the chair. But he was shivering and he still looked miserable. Anna carefully checked his paw, but it wasn’t bleeding and it didn’t seem to be hurting him any more.

“Oh dear.” Gran sighed. “Was it another squabble with him and Sunny, do you think?”

“That’s what it sounded like,” Grandad agreed. “Lots of barking and scuffling. I suppose Sunny thinks it’s his boat. He’s never had another dog on board before. And he isn’t used to a friendly puppy like Fred, all bounce and tail-wagging.”

“What are we going to do?” Anna whispered. Grandad had picked up the table, but there were still newspapers everywhere and Fred had knocked over a pile of books. A couple of Gran’s pretty china animals were on the floor, too, and Anna really hoped they hadn’t been broken. The room was a mess.

Gran frowned. “I’m not sure. They really aren’t getting on, are they? I know Fred’s only trying to be friendly, but he’s just got so much energy. He isn’t the right sort of dog to be squashed up on a boat.” She shook her head, worriedly. “I’m sorry, Anna, I didn’t think about this properly. I was just so excited about you coming to stay with us.”

Anna nodded and sniffed. “Do we have to go home?” she whispered. She didn’t want to, but it wasn’t fair on Gran and Grandad to have Fred spoiling their beautiful boat.

“I don’t think it’s that bad…” Gran murmured. “Let’s all get dressed and have some breakfast. If you throw some clothes on quickly, you could take Fred for a quick walk, maybe? That’ll cheer him up and burn off some of his energy. And your grandad and I can think about what to do.”

Fred wagged his tail a little as he saw Anna pick up his lead. A walk. It was all he had wanted, really, but everything seemed to have gone wrong.

Still, as he hopped carefully over on to the bank and sniffed the cool morning air, everything seemed better. The grass was lovely and wet under his paws, and interesting things had been running along the towpath in the night – rabbits and those hard-to-catch ducks. He sniffed busily, nuzzling into the clumps of grass and under the brambly hedges.

“Come on, Fred,” Anna said at last, yawning. “We should go back now. Don’t you want your breakfast? I’m starving.”

All the same, she walked slowly as they turned back towards the boat, letting Fred rootle around in the long grass. There were scuffling noises in the hedges and indignant twitterings. She smiled. “Watch it, Fred. You’ll get your nose pecked in a minute, mister.”

Even though Fred didn’t like being shut up and he kept getting in trouble with Sunny, Anna loved being out here with him. She didn’t want to go home.

But she couldn’t see what else they could do.

“So, your mum and dad are coming over for lunch tomorrow,” Grandad said, buttering his toast.

“Mmm…” Anna nodded. And they were going to say that she and Fred should go back home with them, she just knew it. She sighed.

“We were thinking perhaps they could take Fred home, too,” Gran said.

Anna stared at her. “Just Fred? And leave me here?”

Gran and Grandad both nodded, and Anna glanced from one to the other, confused.

“But what about Mum? She won’t be able to look after him properly. That’s why I had to bring him. I mean, I wanted to, anyway, but it was mostly because he needs someone around.” Anna sniffed and shook her head apologetically. “I know he made a real mess of the boat, but if he didn’t get walked enough at home, he’d probably do the same. He chews things when he’s bored. If I’m home at least I can play with him in the garden.”

“Ah, but you see, your mum’s got loads of work done already,” Gran explained. “She called me while you were on your walk with Fred. She said she was glad to hear you were having a lovely time on the boat and she didn’t have to worry about you. I’m sure she’d be able to fit in walking Fred now she’s got a bit more time.”

“Oh…” Anna frowned to herself. If they both went back, her mum would be worrying about whether Anna was all right, stuck at home while she was trying to work. “I suppose you’re right,” she murmured. She really didn’t want Fred to go, but it did seem like the best solution. If you didn’t count how much she would miss him.

Anna took Fred for another really long walk along the towpath that morning. Partly because she knew she was going to miss him so much after he went home tomorrow, but also because she was hoping, just a little bit, that if she wore him out enough, he’d be really good. Then maybe Gran and Grandad would change their minds and say it was OK for him to stay.

They moored up that afternoon next to a break in the woods that ran along one bank of the canal. The dark trees opened out and there was a huge field, dotted with big, old oak trees. Anna looked out at it delightedly. She couldn’t wait to explore, and Fred’s tail was wafting back and forth excitedly as he looked at all that open space to run in.

“It’s beautiful!” Anna said to Grandad, as she helped him tie the boat up to the mooring posts on the bank. Fred was pulling hopefully at his lead, as though he wanted to go for a walk right now.

“Isn’t it?” Grandad agreed. “I’m glad we were able to get this far before your mum and dad come to see us. This is a great spot – it’s not too far from the road, though you’d never guess it, and there’s a café with space to park cars over on the other side of that field. It’s a popular mooring spot, so we’re not allowed to stay here too long.”

“You mean like you have to move on from parking spaces?” Anna asked, surprised. She hadn’t realized it worked the same way for boats.

“Mm-hm. We can stay until Monday morning, but that’s all.”

Anna giggled. “It’s not like the end of our road where you can only park for two hours, then!”

Grandad snorted. “Well, not quite.”

“So – Mum and Dad will walk across here tomorrow, to come and see us?” Anna asked, with a tiny sigh.

“Yes. Are you OK, Anna?” Grandad looked at her worriedly. “I know you’ll miss Fred, but he really will be happier back home, I think.”

“Maybe,” Anna agreed quietly. She couldn’t help thinking that Fred would be happiest wherever she was. He was used to her being around, except when she was at school. And even then he would be at the front door to meet her as soon as she got back, flinging himself at her, barking and whining as if he’d thought he was never going to see her again.

Grandad gave her a sympathetic smile. “Look, why don’t you take him for a really good run across that field now? Your gran’s going to be a while cooking the dinner. You might even be able to let him off the lead – there doesn’t seem to be anyone else around. Just don’t go out of the field, though, will you? So that I know where you are?”

Anna nodded. “I promise. Come on, Fred!”

Fred looked over at the field hopefully, and his long tail swished slowly from side to side.

“Yes! Walk! Come on!” Anna patted her hand against her leg, and Fred leaped joyfully forward, prancing through the gate into the field. It was long, tussocky grass, and he and Anna raced across it, Anna laughing and stumbling as she tried to keep up with him.

“Slow down a minute! Fred, come on, stop. Then I can get your lead off. Yes, you see, silly, that’s what you want, isn’t it?” Fred danced about excitedly while Anna unclipped the lead, and then he bounded away, barking like a mad thing.

Anna watched him, giggling. She loved it when he ran so fast that his ears flapped. Today, he looked as though he might even take off.

Then she sighed and wrapped her arms around her middle. She knew that sending Fred home tomorrow was the sensible thing to do, but she still wasn’t happy about it. And she didn’t think Fred would be, either.