by Holly Webb
“Everyone’s nervous,” Christy agreed. “I keep forgetting my lines. But Miss Wright said the rehearsal was great, Lucy.”
Ellie burrowed in her coat pocket. “Here, look. I brought these to show you two.” She had printed out the photos of Rascal she’d taken the night before. They were so cute she couldn’t resist showing her friends!
“He’s so funny!” Lucy giggled, looking at the one where Rascal had managed to get the hat over both eyes. “Thanks, Ellie, that’s really cheered me up!”
Ellie’s mum and dad had even persuaded Max and Lila to come and see the play. When the curtains drew open that night, Ellie could see them all sitting in the second row, with Grandad. Mum was waving, but Ellie only gave her a quick smile back. Miss Wright had made them promise not to get distracted by anyone in the audience.
The play seemed to race along, and it was no time at all before the audience were applauding at the end. Ellie had seen Mum and Dad beaming as she said her line, and even Max was clapping. When the dancers came on to bow, with Lucy in the middle, people cheered. Lucy looked delighted, and Ellie hugged her as they ran off stage.
“I told you it would all be OK,” cried Ellie. “You were a star!”
“Last night was so much fun!” Ellie smiled, and then she gave a huge yawn.
Christy smiled at her and then she yawned too, and so did Lucy. “Oh, it’s catching!”
Looking round the classroom, Ellie could tell that everyone was tired after the play last night. They’d slogged through Literacy, and then Miss Wright had announced they were making Christmas decorations, as there were only a couple more days until the end of term. Ellie had enjoyed making Rascal’s hat so much that she’d chosen to make the more complicated decoration, a felt stocking decorated with sewn-on sequins. But she was so sleepy she kept dropping the sequins and having to scrabble around on the floor for them.
“What did your teacher think about the carols idea?” Lucy asked. “Have you had another dog-training class yet?”
“No, they’re Mondays and Thursdays at the moment,” Ellie explained. “It’s our last class before Christmas tonight. Oh, I hope she says yes!”
“It’s definitely a good idea,” Christy said thoughtfully. “But it would be even better if there was a way to make it more about dogs. Are there any Christmas carols with dogs in them?”
Ellie frowned. “I don’t think so,” she said at last. “‘Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer’ is the only one I can think of with any animals. Oh, and ‘Little Donkey’.”
“I know!” Christy sat bolt upright, looking more awake than she had all morning. “Why don’t you all take your dogs with you? They can stand next to you while you’re singing. And you can put Santa hats on them, like the one you made for Rascal!”
“That’s brilliant, Christy!” Ellie said. “Seeing dogs with nice homes would make everybody think about how sad it is for the dogs at the shelter. I’m not sure about the hats though. We can try, but you saw the photos – Rascal wouldn’t keep his on properly at all. And ever since then he’s decided it’s his new favourite toy. He carries it around everywhere in his mouth!”
“Bouncer would wear a hat, I’m sure he would,” Christy said. “I got him a pair of antlers to wear on Christmas Day last year, and he did keep them on for a bit!”
Ellie bounced in her chair excitedly. “I know! If we do it, why don’t you bring him too? And his antlers?” Ellie suggested. “I bet Jo wouldn’t mind – the more the merrier. And you’ve been learning all the carols at school…”
“Do you think I could come too, Ellie?” Lucy asked shyly. “I know I haven’t got a dog, but I’d really like to help the Christmas Fair go well, so they raise lots of money for the shelter. I could even help you work out dance moves to go with some of the carols, if you like – easy ones, that you could still do if you were holding a lead.”
“That would be great!” Ellie beamed at them both. “Would you really both come and help? It’ll be even more fun then. You’ve met Jack, Christy, he’s really nice. I’ll bet he’ll come and sing. Hugo would look fab in a hat!” She giggled. “A big one!”
Jo had planned a Christmassy obstacle course for the last dog-training session of the term. The dogs and owners had to walk round a trail of little paper Christmas trees, and do various challenges on the way. It was very funny, especially when Hugo tried to run through the tube, and forgot how big he was. Jack had to rescue him, as he was wandering around with the tube on his head.
The trickiest bit was the stopping and staying, because there were Santa-shaped dog biscuits, which the dogs were supposed to ignore. But all the dogs got one of the biscuits at the end, even Rascal, who’d already eaten two on the way round.
At the end of the session, Jo gathered them all together to give out a note about next term, and remind them about the Christmas Fair on Sunday afternoon.
Ellie waved a hand excitedly. “Jo, I’ve had an idea for the fair! Could we all bring our dogs, and stand in the entrance hall and sing carols as people are coming in? To get everyone in a Christmas mood? We could even give the dogs Christmassy things to wear, if they wanted. My friend Christy said she’d bring her dog Bouncer too, if that’s all right, and he’s got some reindeer antlers.” She finished on a sort of gasp, as she’d rattled it all off without taking a breath.
Jo was smiling, and the other members of the class were nodding interestedly.
“That’s a brilliant idea, Ellie!” said Jo. “I’ll ask Carol from the shelter, but I’m sure she’d be really pleased to have you all helping.”
Jack looked really excited. Ellie had told him about her idea at the beginning of the class. “Jo, I bet my mum would make Hugo a red dog coat to wear!”
“Oh good.” Ellie looked round at the rest of the dog owners, feeling a bit shy. “Do you think we could rehearse some carols quickly tomorrow evening, Jo? Is the hall free?”
“I’ve got my advanced classes here on Friday nights, but I don’t mind if you’re in the entrance, practising.”
“That’s a lovely idea, Ellie!” one of the other owners came over to say. Ellie had seen Tara working in the baker’s close to school; she had a really gorgeous Dalmatian called Libby. “I’m going to see if I can make Libby a Christmassy-looking scarf – I don’t think she’d wear antlers! I guess we don’t need to bring the dogs tomorrow night to rehearse, do we?”
Ellie shook her head. It felt funny organizing all these adults – but at least everyone seemed to love her idea! Amelia was the only one looking grumpy, and Ellie guessed that she wished she was the one getting all the attention.
As Ellie gathered her things to go home, Jack came over, looking thoughtful.
“Are you OK?” Ellie asked.
Jack nodded. “Hugo came from a shelter, you know. Not Paws for Thought, a different one. I couldn’t leave him there. Mum said he was too big, but I begged her.” He glanced up at Ellie. “I actually cried in the middle of the shelter. In front of everyone. That’s what made her change her mind.” He frowned for a second, as though he shouldn’t really have admitted that.
Ellie nodded. “Even seeing the dogs in the leaflet made me feel sad. But Mum says no more dogs. No way. One’s enough. But since I can’t give any of the dogs a home, I really wanted to do something to help the shelter.”
When they got home, Dad helped Ellie find words for the carols on the internet. Then she called Lucy and Christy to tell them the good news, and check they could make the rehearsal.
“I’ll work out some moves now!” Lucy told her excitedly. “And you, me and Christy can practise tomorrow at break – it’ll be a cool thing to do on the last day of school!”
Ellie could hear Christy dancing around when she told her. “Yay! I can’t wait! I went and found Bouncer’s antlers just in case!”
The next morning Lucy dashed up to Ellie and Christy in the playground, waving several sheets of paper with all her ideas on. Soon half the girls in their class were doing the moves.
&
nbsp; “When’s the Christmas Fair, Ellie?” Lydia asked. “I definitely want to come.”
The excitement lasted all day – until Ellie, Lucy and Christy arrived at the hall that evening, and saw Amelia going in.
“Ugh, I’d forgotten she went to your dog training…” Christy moaned. “It’s been great not having her at school any more. At least she wasn’t in our class, but she was always making nasty comments about people.”
Ellie nodded. “I was hoping she wouldn’t turn up. Oh well.”
“There you are!” Amelia snapped, as soon as Ellie and the others walked in. “I’m doing a solo.”
Ellie shrugged. “OK.” Christy glared at her, but Ellie muttered, “Let’s just keep her happy.” She smiled shyly as Tara came in, and a couple of the others.
Jack dashed in last of all. “Sorry, Hugo ate my dinner! Mum had to make me some more. Have you started?”
Ellie grinned, handing him a carol sheet. “No. Here, have some words. And Lucy’s come up with some brilliant moves. Things we can do even if we’re holding a lead!”
Jack looked worried. “How am I going to hold Hugo and the words, and dance?”
“Especially as you can’t even walk without tripping up half the time,” Amelia muttered.
Christy glared at her, and Lucy smiled at Jack. “It’s OK. You know ‘Jingle Bells’, don’t you? You won’t need to hold the words for that one.”
An hour later, everyone had got the hang of the words, and most of the moves, although Jack still wasn’t sure about dancing. “At least no one will be able to see me behind Hugo, anyway,” he pointed out.
“I wish we hadn’t had to give Amelia a solo,” Christy grumbled, as they watched her stalk out.
“I know,” Ellie sighed. “She does sing well, though.”
“She’s good,” Lucy admitted, as if she didn’t really want to. “Oh well. It’s only one verse.”
Christy sniffed. “You wait. She’ll probably have taken over the whole thing by Sunday.”
Christy’s mum was dropping them home. Ellie jumped out of the car and dashed into the house, expecting Rascal to be jumping up and down at the door. He wasn’t used to her being out in the evening. But there wasn’t even an excited bark. Ellie went upstairs, feeling slightly worried.
As she pushed open her bedroom door, Rascal slunk out from under her bed.
“Oh no!” Ellie crouched down. The lid of the big box where she’d been keeping the presents was on the floor. “I should have known you could get that lid off,” she muttered. “Oh, Rascal! Max’s fudge!”
Rascal wagged his tail happily. It was very good fudge.
Ellie sighed. “I’d be cross with you if I wasn’t so happy you’re mine, and not stuck in a shelter somewhere,” she whispered, hugging him tight.
The next day, Dad dragged Ellie out of bed early. He’d already fed Rascal, who’d followed him upstairs and was dancing around Ellie’s bedroom.
“But it’s the first day of the holidays!” Ellie wailed.
“Remember,” said Dad. “Christmas tree shopping! We want to get one early, then we’ll have lots of time for decorating.”
Ellie jumped out of bed. “I’d forgotten!” she squeaked. “Let’s go! Can we bring Rascal?” She always loved getting the Christmas tree. Dad had already got the box of decorations out of the loft, she noticed happily, as she dashed downstairs a few minutes later. Mum and Lila and Max were still having a lie-in, but she didn’t want to miss this.
“Have some toast!” Dad handed her a jammy slice. “You can take it with you.”
They headed out of the house and down the road to the little greengrocer’s shop on the high street.
“Can we have a really, really big tree?” she asked Dad hopefully.
Rascal sniffed a lovely bushy fir tree, and edged up close, with a look in his eye that Ellie recognized. “Rascal, no!” she hissed, and he looked up at her in surprise. It was a tree – what was the problem?
Dad laughed. “You wee on it, Rascal, we have to buy it,” he told him solemnly. “How about that one in the corner, Ellie?”
Ellie nodded. It was huge!
They carried the tree back home – or rather Dad carried most of it, and Ellie held the pointy end.
“Now we just need to get it in the stand,” Dad said, as they went up the path.
Mum opened the front door, looking horrified. “It’s enormous!”
“Isn’t it?” said Dad proudly, and Ellie beamed. Rascal barked approvingly.
“It’s taller than our living-room ceiling!” Mum exclaimed.
Dad and Ellie looked at the tree doubtfully. “Is it?” Dad asked. “Oh well… Perhaps we can cut a bit off the bottom…”
In the end, the tree just fitted, although the fairy on the top had to be at a funny angle. Dad and Ellie spent the whole morning wrapping it in tinsel, and hanging on baubles, while Lila pointed out gaps in the tinsel.
“It’s lovely,” Ellie said happily, as they stood back to admire it.
“It looks wonderful,” said Mum. “Even if it does take up half the room.”
Rascal eyed it suspiciously. He liked trees, but he had a feeling he wasn’t allowed to wee on this one either. And Ellie had told him off when he nosed one of the baubles. Why did they swing about so interestingly if he wasn’t allowed to play with them?
“Are you all ready?” Jo smiled at the little group of dogs and owners standing in the entrance to the village hall, and Ellie glanced round proudly. Everyone had made such an effort!
Jack’s mum had sewn Hugo a beautiful red coat with a gold braid trim, which looked amazing against his smooth golden-brown fur. Christy had brought Bouncer in his antlers, which had jingly bells on them. Bouncer was sitting perfectly next to her, with a special collecting tin gripped in his teeth. Ellie had made it out of a seaside bucket. She’d covered it with red paper, and got Rascal to make paint pawprints on it. She’d hoped Rascal might carry it, but it was a bit big for him, and he’d probably have chewed through the handle anyway.
Rascal was sitting next to Bouncer, eyeing it enviously, with his hat hanging down over one eye as usual. It was looking a bit raggedy now, as he had taken to dragging the hat around with him. Even Amelia had put Goldie in a sparkly red coat.
“Let’s start with ‘Away in a Manger’, since we all know it really well.” Ellie looked at the door nervously. She could see through the glass panels that people were lining up outside. They began to sing as Jo went to open the hall doors. People started trickling in, stopping to admire the dogs and drop some change into Bouncer’s bucket.
“What next?” Ellie asked, as they finished, and Amelia leaped in.
“I want to do my solo for ‘Once in Royal David’s City’,” she demanded.
Ellie sighed. “OK…”
Amelia closed her eyes, and her face took on a saintly expression. She began to sing, and a couple of people stopped to listen, smiling admiringly. She had just got to the difficult high bit, when someone else joined in, and her eyes snapped open in horror.
“Ahhhrrrroooo!” Hugo howled, in a deep bass voice.
“Hugo, ssshh!” Jack hissed, trying not to laugh. But Hugo went on howling, and then Rascal started up too, in a much squeakier little howl. “Owwwoooooo!”
Amelia was bright scarlet – the colour of her hat – but she carried on singing grimly to the end of the verse. Then everyone else joined in, as well as they could, giggling every so often.
Funnily enough, Hugo and Rascal stopped as soon as everyone was singing. “It’s only Amelia’s voice they don’t like!” Christy whispered to Ellie.
Quite a few people had gathered to listen, and they clapped at the end of the carol.
“Your Great Dane’s a star!” one lady told Jack. Lots of people put money in the tin, and patted Rascal and Hugo, and told them how good the dogs’ “singing” was.
“You did that on purpose!” Amelia hissed at Jack and Ellie, as their audience went on into the hall.
; Jack stared at her. “You think I’ve trained Hugo to howl when you sing?” he asked.
Amelia was about to argue back when a man with a large camera hanging round his neck came in. “I’m from the local paper,” he explained. “Are you carol singing? Can I take a couple of pictures?”
Amelia immediately snapped a smile back on her face, and patted Goldie’s ears into the best position.
“Let’s sing ‘Jingle Bells’,” Ellie suggested, knowing that everyone smiled in that one.
The man took lots of photos, and then went on into the hall. Ellie and the others had just sung all the way through their list of carols twice when Jo came out to see them, with a lady in a rescue centre fleece. “You were fab!” she told them. “This is Carol, she runs Paws for Thought.”
“I just wanted to say thank you!” Carol said, as she patted all the dogs. “The carol singing was such a good idea.”
“Why don’t you all come and look round the stalls,” Jo suggested. “You haven’t had a chance to see the rest of the fair, and I think most people are here now.”
Ellie nodded. “I’m just going to find Mum and Dad,” she told Christy and Lucy. Her family had arrived a few minutes before, and she wanted to go round with them. She was hoping to get something for Max to replace the fudge.
“Hello, Ellie! You sounded lovely,” Mum told her. “Aren’t these stalls wonderful?”
Ellie nodded, admiring the hats laid out in front of them. They had really cool designs, and she could see Lila fingering one with knitted flowers sewn on to it. She’d already got Lila some nail polish though… Then Ellie spotted the perfect hat for Max – knitted with ears like a dog’s, with big eyes and fierce teeth, too. She was sure he’d love it. She quickly fumbled for her purse, and tucked the hat away in her coat pocket before Max could spot it.