by Jean Ure
They were gathered around a lamppost, one morning – Big Billy, Mikey, Bouncer and Spike – trying to decide where to go.
“I’m bored!” said Mikey.
“I’m bored, too,” said Bouncer.
“I’m bored, as well,” said Spike.
They wanted to do something new. Something different. Something daring and exciting!
“Such as what?” said Billy.
“I know!” It was Spike who came up with the idea. “I know what we can do! Follow me, dogs!”
Spike led the way up the road, across the park, out on to the Common and down a lane.
“Look there!” he said.
They looked. In a field, peacefully minding their own business, was a flock of sheep. Bouncer’s eyes grew big as soup plates. He had never seen sheep before!
“What are they?” he said.
“Silly big woollies!” cried Spike. “Watch this!”
And Spike squeezed under the gate and shot across the field, scattering sheep in all directions.
What dog could resist? The other three were after him in a flash!
It is very, very wrong to chase sheep. I know this, and so does Bella, for our people have told us. But no one had ever told Bouncer; and even if they had he probably wouldn’t have listened. He was having too much fun! Those silly big woollies (he really thought that was what they were called) ran this way and that, bleating as they went. Bouncer barked, while Spike rushed in and nipped their heels and Mikey and Big Billy wheeled in circles, round the field.
I think they were extremely bad dogs, those three. They knew that it was wrong! Spike and Big Billy certainly did. Bouncer says he is not so sure about Mikey. Poor Mikey wasn’t very bright; he was just a follower. But the other two – they knew! Suddenly, Spike yelped a warning.
“Someone’s coming!”
He and Big Billy were out of that field even faster than they had gone in. After a moment of panic, when he couldn’t find the gate, Mikey dived head first through the hedge and galloped after them. Only Bouncer was left. He didn’t realize at first that the others had gone. Out of the corner of his eye he had glimpsed Mikey, diving through the hedge. But Mikey was simple! No one took any notice of Mikey.
And then—
BANG!
Bella always starts to shake when we get to this part. It scares her!
It scared Bouncer, too. He admits it.
“This man was running towards me,” he says. “He had a thing like a big stick in his hands.”
The stick was making loud and frightening noises.
“A gun,” I said, the first time I heard the story.
Bouncer was lucky that he got away with his life. One of the pellets grazed his ear; you can still see the scar it left. Another centimetre the other way—
“Don’t!” begs Bella. She cannot take violence. If ever our people watch a gangster movie on television, Bella always hides behind the sofa.
Bouncer was terrified! He squeezed out through the bars of the gate and ran just as fast as his legs would carry him. By the time he reached home he was trembling so much he could hardly find the strength to jump back over the fence into his garden. For a long time, he lay in a heap in the middle of a flower bed.
It was the cat who found him. She must have been a sweet-natured creature! She didn’t jeer, or gloat, or prick him with her claws.
Panda says she should have done.
“It would have paid him back for all the times he’d chased her!”
Panda can be quite fierce! But Bouncer’s cat wasn’t like that. She could see that Bouncer was in a bad state and she went to fetch the old lady.
“Oh, my goodness!” said the old lady, when she saw Bouncer lying in the flower bed. “What have you been up to this time?”
Bouncer managed to wobble to his feet and follow her indoors. He just about managed to eat his dinner (it was chicken and rice, he remembers. One of his favourites!) then he curled up as meek as could be, in the cat’s bed, and stayed there. He didn’t even move when the cat curled up next to him.
The following morning, the lady discovered his damaged ear.
“Tut, tut!” she said. “You’ve been in a fight, you bad boy!”
She didn’t realize that he had been shot.
For the next two days, Bouncer hardly moved from the cat’s bed. He crept out to have his dinner, or to go into the garden, then he crept back in again. He was too scared even to go and dig up the flower beds. He thought the man with the gun might be out there, waiting for him!
“You’ve really given yourself a fright, haven’t you?” said Bouncer’s owner. “Perhaps that will teach you a lesson!”
On the whole, the lady thought that it was a good thing. She thought that from now on Bouncer would be a quiet, gentle, stay-at-home sort of dog.
And then, at the end of the week, the local paper came out. And there on the front page was a big headline:
LOCAL FARMER VOWS REVENGE
The lady read it, and her face grew pale.
“Oh, Bouncer!” she cried. “What have you done?”
She read the story out to him. How a small brown and white terrier had been caught chasing the farmer’s sheep. How the farmer had shot at him and “got him in the ear”. Now the farmer was vowing that he would find the dog and “string him up”.
“Oh, Bouncer! You silly, silly boy!” She was so distressed. Bouncer tells us how he climbed on to her lap and they clung to each other. Bouncer whimpered, and the lady wept. She couldn’t bear the thought of the farmer stringing him up! She knew that this time Bouncer was in real trouble.
Didn’t I always say it? Didn’t I say, right at the beginning? That dog is TROUBLE.
But he was still only a baby! And he hadn’t known he was doing wrong. There had to be a way to save him!
“You are too much for me,” said the old lady, sadly. “But I am not going to let the farmer get you! You are not a bad boy at heart. You deserve another chance.”
She stood up and wiped her eyes. “I am going to take you somewhere where you will be safe. But we must hurry! Hurry! Before the farmer finds you!”
None of us heard the front gate open and close. Not even the cats, who have very sharp ears. But some time during the evening, while we were snoozing and our people were watching television, all of us animals opened our eyes and cocked our heads. What was that???
Our people hadn’t heard it. But we had! I jumped up and ran into the hall, with Bella at my heels. From somewhere outside came the sound of—
Whimpering!
I at once put my nose to the door crack.
“Dog,” I said to Bella.”Definitely dog!”
At once I began to scrabble with both paws at the bottom of the door. My people don’t like it when I do that. They say it ruins the paintwork. But I had to get their attention!
“Buster!” they cried. “Stop that!”
But I went on scrabbling; and Bella, at my side, began to bark.
“Buster! Bella!” One of the people had come out into the hall. “What are you doing? What’s the matter with you?”
Bella pointed with her nose at the door.
“What is it?” Both people were out there, now. “Is there something there? Move away! We’ll have a look.”
Our people opened the door and we all peered out. There on the front step, looking extremely sorry for himself, was a small brown and white terrier. Bouncer! He was sitting in a basket, tied up to the porch. He told us later that he had been there for a LONG time, not daring to move or make any noise in case the farmer came for him.
Round his neck he had a label. Our people read it out to us:
My name is Bouncer. I have been a naughty boy, but I am not a bad dog at heart. Please give me a second chance!
“Well!”
Our people couldn’t decide what to do. They already had two dogs! Could they cope with another?
In the end, they turned to me.
“What do you think, Buster? Shal
l we keep him?”
It was up to me! I am the boss dog. I could either say yes – or I could say no!
“Which is it to be?” said the people.
I thought about it. Did we really need another dog? I wasn’t sure that we did.
And then I looked at Bouncer. And Bouncer looked back at me. He didn’t say anything, but his little stumpy tail thumped the floor, and his little bright eyes begged me as plainly as anything to let him stay.
What could I do? I went over to him and gave him a nuzzle. I know I am a big softie, for my people have often told me so. But he wasn’t a bad boy, at heart! All he needed was a firm hand.
Of course, as soon as he realized that I had given in, he perked up and became just as cocky as he had ever been. He hadn’t learnt a thing! Well, he had learnt not to chase sheep; he wouldn’t do that again. But he still dug up the plants and pulled on the lead and refused to come when he was called.
Just at first I believe my people really wondered if they had made a mistake, letting him stay. They needn’t have worried! We soon licked him into shape.
He tried chasing Panda round the garden, and she bopped him one. He wouldn’t do that again!
He tried chasing Whiskers round the garden, and I bopped him one. He wouldn’t do that again!
When he dug up the plants, I growled at him.
When he pulled on the lead, I nipped him. And when he refused to come, I ran after him and sent him back with his tail between his legs. He got the message!
“We all behave in this house,” said Bella.
One day, after he had been with us for about three weeks, I heard this strange slurping noise coming from under the table. I looked down – and guess what? It was Bouncer, licking Panda’s ears!
That was when I knew that it was all going to work out. Bouncer had learnt his lesson! He would be a good boy from now on.
Well, quite a good boy. A better boy than he had been.
He still needs squashing from time to time, but he is definitely one of us! One of the dogs of Munchy Flats.
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Also by the Author
Other Chums to read
Buster
Bella
Bonnie
Also by Jean Ure
The Puppy Present
Monster in the Mirror
Big Tom
Help! It’s Harriet!
For older readers
Skinny Melon and Me
Becky Bananas, This is Your Life!
Fruit and Nutcase
The Secret Life of Sally Tomato
Family Fan Club
Copyright
Collins
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First published in Great Britain by Collins in 2001
Text copyright © Jean Ure 2001
Illustrations by Maggie Ling 2001
Jean Ure assert the moral right to be identified as author and illustrator of the work.
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Source ISBN: 9780006755111
Ebook Edition © SEPTEMBER 2014 ISBN: 9780008116743
Version: 2014-09-22
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