The Incredible Shrinking Girl Definitely Needs a Dog

by Lou Kuenzler

  It was true. Jester had over the jump and now Sophy was calling him through the tunnel. Nisha clapped.

  “Are you watching?” I said to Chip. “It’s through the gate first. Then the jump. Then the tunnel. We need to remember the route. We’ll lose points if we go the wrong way.”

  Chip his tail.

  “Good luck, the pair of you,” said Dad, patting me on the head and ruffling Chip’s ear. He waved across the ring to Mum, who’d found seats for them under the scoreboard. “We’ll be watching.”

  “This is it, Nish,” I said as Dad left us. I kept my eyes fixed on everything Sophy was doing. As Jester reached the white Pause Box painted on the grass, she raised her hand and smiled.

  “Stay!” she commanded. Jester sat still as a statue right in the middle of the square. One second. Two seconds. Three seconds… Then he was off again, heading for the see-saw.

  “Don’t forget to stop there, Chip.” I said, bending to whisper in his ear. “That’s when you have to stay very still, remember?”

  I knew what Chip would be thinking: Sitting still is boring.

  “We have to do well,” I said. “Especially for Yana.” I’d only caught a glimpse of her once or twice since we had arrived at the show. She was busy organizing volunteers, manning the information tent and selling raffle tickets to raise money for But she’d wished me luck this morning when I had collected Chip.

  “There she is!” I saw the top of her green spiky hair over by the bandstand. She rattled her donation tin but Riley and the boys shook their heads and ignored her.

  When he wasn’t sniggering and pointing at Chip, Riley was running up and down the grass with Speedy. He kept making her sit and sprint, just to show how fast she could go. He wasn’t even watching to see how well Jester handled the course or to try and learn the route.

  “That dog is ancient,” was all I heard him say as the old collie took a slow run-up and stiffly through the hanging tyre.

  It was true. Jester wasn’t fast. But he was careful. He hadn’t knocked a single obstacle – not even with his thick, wagging tail. And now, for one last tricky test – the weaving poles.

  Jester trotted slowly and calmly through, glancing from side to side as he wound his way steadily between the posts.

  “Perfect!” Nisha and I clapped as he crossed the finish line and completed a clear round.

  “That’s going to be hard for us to beat, Chip,” I said. But I was pleased for Sophy. She had been so friendly and Jester was a lovely old dog.

  the loudspeaker boomed.

  “Eight out of ten,” said Nisha. “That’s good, right?”

  “It’s brilliant,” I agreed.

  “Then let’s just hope Riley and Speedy make a mess of it,” said Nisha. “As long as you can beat them, that’s the main thing.”

  “Exactly,” I agreed, but the loudspeaker drowned me out.

  Riley unclipped Speedy’s lead and she shot into the ring like a rocket.

  “See you later, Violet,” he grinned. “Don’t forget to buy those TOFFAMELS!”

  “I’d like to stuff those TOFFAMELS up his nose,” I growled to Nisha.

  “I know. He’s so full of himself,” she said, picking the twigs out of Chip’s coat and smoothing down his ears. “You’d think he already won the trial!”

  “He might as well have done,” I said. “Look!”

  As the whistle blew, Speedy flew through the starting gate and

  Riley had to hitch up his jogging trousers and sprint to keep up.

  “Faster, Speedy. Faster,” he panted, scrambling along behind her as she bounded towards the tunnel.

  I thought for a moment she might swerve and miss it, but she slid herself through and from the other end like a champagne cork.

  “Come on!” screamed Riley, punching the air and running towards the see-saw.

  Speedy hesitated for a moment, turning her head towards the white square painted on the grass beside her.

  “She knows what to do,” I whispered. “It’s the Pause Box next.”

  But Riley thought he knew better. “COME ON, SPEEDY! Get on the see-saw, you silly dog!”

  With one last glance, Speedy lurched forward and followed his call. The crowd gasped.

  “What it is?” said Nisha.

  “She’s supposed to sit for three seconds,” I said. “But Riley made her run on. I knew he should have watched what Sophy and Jester did.”

  In one bound Speedy was the see-saw, and before I could blink, she had sped on and through the hanging tyre, too.

  “What happens if you go wrong on the course?” said Nisha.

  “I’m not sure,” I said, leaping up and down. I clapped my hands as a tiny bubble of hope grew inside me. “I think it means we might be in with a chance. It means Riley can’t get a perfect score.”

  Seconds later, Speedy had finished the course, gliding through the weaving poles so fast she looked more like flowing water than a dog.

  Riley ran in a circle and threw his arms up in the air like a footballer scoring a goal.

  “Yes!” he cried, cheering to all the boys at the side of the ring. He still had no idea he had missed the Pause Box out, but he hadn’t even bothered to pat Speedy or tell her how well she had done.

  announced the loudspeaker.

  “What? That’s stupid!” Riley stood in the middle of the ring and shook his fist in the air.

  “Yes!” I clapped my hands and cheered. That was the same score as Sophy and Jester. Brilliant. Riley wasn’t in the lead. “He’s still going to be tough to beat,” I said, crouching down and throwing my arms around Chip’s neck. “But we’ve got a chance. Not a very big chance, but a … Oh no!”

  Suddenly, I wasn’t crouching down with my arms thrown around Chip’s neck any more. I was tiny and clinging on to his collar for dear life.

  I’d shrunk so fast this time, I didn’t even feel my toes tingle.

  “Violet?” said Nisha somewhere far above me. “Where are you?”

  “Down here,” I called. But she couldn’t hear me.

  The loudspeaker boomed above me.

  My tiny head was If I couldn’t get back to full size and quickly, I couldn’t take Chip in the ring. We would have to miss the trial.

  As the loudspeaker blared out my name, Riley came over and looked down at Chip.

  “Ha!” he said. For a moment I thought he had seen me clinging on to the little red collar. But he turned to Nisha. “Has Violet run away? Has she chickened out of the trial?”

  “No.” Nisha put her hands on her hips and tried to look tough, but I could tell she was panicking. “Violet will be here … soon.” She glanced down, looking amongst people’s feet. Poor Nisha must have guessed I’d shrunk, but she had no idea where I was.

  I wanted to wave at her, but I daren’t in case Ratty-Riley saw me. He is the last person in the I would want to see me tiny. He’d probably catch me and pickle me in a jar. He’s always showing off about how he did that to a frog.

  “She better hurry up or she’s going to miss her turn,” grinned Riley as the loudspeaker boomed out my name again.

  I had to do something! Mum and Dad would be wondering where I was, too. They’d think it was really irresponsible not to show up once I had entered the competition. Perhaps I’d lose my chance to keep Chip for ever.

  “Oh dear,” breathed Nisha. She scooped Chip up and put him under her arm.

  “Really doesn’t seem to be coming, does she?” said Riley. “I’ll go and tell the judges. S’pose she’ll be disqualified. It’s no big deal.”

  “Wait,” said Nisha, still peering at the ground. “She’ll be round here … somewhere!” But Riley had sped off.

  “NISH,” I shouted, dangling from Chip’s collar. “Eeeek!” I squeaked, hoping she would recognize my little mousey call.

 
Chip flicked his ear in excitement as he heard me squeak.

  “That’s it!” I cried. “Good boy, Chip!” He wagged his tail again, turning his head to try and see me. This time Nisha heard me, too. She looked down and her eyes widened as she spotted me clinging to Chip’s collar. “Violet!”

  She lifted Chip higher as if she was adjusting his collar. “Oh Violet, this is terrible,” she gasped. “You won’t be able to do the agility trial now you’ve shrunk.”

  “But I’ve had an idea!” She was so close she could hear me clearly. “It’s brilliant – super-double-choc brilliant – don’t you see?” I grinned. “Chip just heard me squeak! If I stay tucked up, I can whisper in his ear and he’ll do exactly as I say. It’ll be even BETTER than when I crawled along beside him.”

  “Quick! Before Riley tells the judges we’re not coming,” I said. “You’ll have to take Chip into the ring. He needs to have a handler.”

  “But I don’t know the course,” said Nisha. “You know I haven’t practised.”

  “Leave that to me and Chip,” I said as I his collar and hid behind his ear.

  “Go!” I cried.

  I watched Riley striding towards the judges’ table. I knew which one was Lady Valance at once from her huge feathery hat.

  “Excuse me,” he called. “Violet Potts isn’t …”

  “… isn’t able to be here,” said Nisha bravely, running up alongside him. “But she has trained this dog all by herself.” Nish was shouting loud enough for the crowd to hear. “And I am going to show you what he can do.” She unclipped his lead.

  “ ” Chip leapt out of her arms. I had to cling on tight to a tuft of his fur to stop myself flying through the air.

  “Come on, Chip,” I whispered in his ear. “Time for a LITTLE FUN!”

  Chip sped into the middle of the ring.

  the voice on the loudspeaker chuckled.

  “Little or not, we’ll show them,” I said, leaning forward and whispering right into Chip’s ear again. “I’m here with you.”

  And just like that, Chip shot through the starting gate and we were off.

  “Steady,” I whispered.

  “Good boy.” Nisha ran along beside us. But I knew Chip wasn’t really listening to her. It was my quiet little voice in his ear that he liked. All I had to do was whisper gently and he would do anything I said. Yana was right – dogs hate being shouted at. I know how they feel! Bunny kept shouting at me when I was practising the special slow bridesmaid walk she wanted. Whenever she yelled I just panicked and tripped over my own feet.

  “Yippee for shrinking,” I laughed, hidden deep in the thick hair around Chip’s neck. “Now we really do make the perfect team!”

  Chip sped up to the first obstacle.

  “Jump!” I whispered, and up he leapt through the air.

  UP! UP! UP!

  He flew over the jump! (It had been lowered a bit since Jester and Speedy, but that was fair. In a real agility trial, like the ones you see on the telly, Jester and Speedy would have been counted as big breeds. Chip was only a mini-size dog.)

  “Just like me. I’m mini too!” I giggled as we landed safely on the far side of the jump.

  I felt like a tiny circus rider – and I was the ride.

  “ROLL UP! ROLL UP!” I laughed. “COME SEE THE AMAZING FLYING CHIPOLATA AND HIS FAMOUS mini RIDER – VIOLET POTTS, THE smallest GIRL IN THE WORLD!”

  Chip slowed for a second as if he was trying to figure out what I was saying.

  “Go!” I cried, not wanting to confuse him. “Keep on.”

  We shot down the middle of the tunnel, which was a bit like a real big-top tent at a circus, with its bright red and yellow stripes high above our heads.

  “Good boy.” I patted Chip’s neck, holding on tight, as we charged out of the tunnel again and into the bright spring sunlight.

  “Well done!” said Nisha, looking around for where to go next.

  The crowd cheered as the loudspeaker spoke over them.

  “Now this is the tricky one,” I warned, leaning hard into Chip’s neck to try and urge him over to the left. “It’s the Pause Box…”

  As soon as we were inside the square, I spoke as calmly and clearly as I could. “SIT, CHIP! STAY!”

  Chip sat. I couldn’t believe it – he was doing exactly as I told him to. He had been this obedient before. One second. Two seconds. Three seconds…

  “GO, CHIP! GO!” I cried, and away he roared as soon as the three seconds were over.

  Riding the see-saw was awesome.

  Down the other side we flew.

  If only I could always be tiny enough to whisper in his ear, Chip would be the best-behaved dog in the universe.

  cheered the voice on the loudspeaker.

  We shot past the judges’ chairs and Lady Valance nodded her head so that the feathers on her hat like a dancing peacock.

  As we galloped towards the tyre hanging from its tree, I glanced backwards. Nisha was running to keep up. Behind her I could see the big clock above the scoreboard. We were making time. We hadn’t knocked down a single obstacle or missed anything out – not even the tiniest mistake. If we carried on like this, it might just be possible. We might beat Riley after all.

  OK, so Mum and Dad wouldn’t know I was actually here guiding Chip round the ring. But at least they’d see how well I’d trained him.

  “JUMP!” I cried, and we through the hanging tyre. Looking up, I caught a glimpse of a squirrel as it scurried through the branches of the tree above us.

  “Good boy,” I breathed as we landed on the grass again. “You’re going to be the champion, Chip!” I sang in his ear as we thundered on. “Just the weaving poles left.”

  But, as I turned to glance at the clock again, my heart thumped. The squirrel had scampered down from the tree now. It swung upside down from the tyre and dropped on to the grass behind us.

  If Chip got even a sniff of squirrel scent, we were

  “No!” I cried as he turned his head towards it. We were halfway through the weaving poles already. All we had to do was get to the end.

  “NO, CHIP! NAUGHTY!” I tried my strictest voice, but once Chip has seen a squirrel, NOTHING can stop him!

  “ ” he barked.

  The squirrel fled.

  Nisha must have sensed trouble. She grabbed at the lead hanging round her neck, as if she was going to clip it back on.

  But it was too late.

  Chip charged after the fleeing squirrel.

  “Stop!” I cried, clinging on to his collar for dear life. “PLEASE, CHIP! STOP!”

  The squirrel took one look at Chip and bolted straight across the ring.

  Chip charged after it.

  “We need to finish the course,” I cried weakly.

  But I knew it was hopeless. Nothing in the world would stop him now. I couldn’t believe how fast his little legs could run.

  I bounced about like a dangly toy on a car mirror. The squirrel shot under the judges’ table. We were so close behind, Chip almost caught it by the tail.

  “ ”

  “SIT, BOY!” cried Lady Valance, peering from under her big feathery hat. She leant down and tried to grab Chip. But…

  “ ”

  He took a bite of the feathers, snatched the hat in his jaws and sped on.

  Oh no! This was getting worse and worse…

  “Why did it have to be her hat?” I groaned.

  For a minute, I couldn’t see anything as the feathers bobbed about in front of my face, flapping like an angry peacock.

  I scrambled higher up Chip’s collar just in time to see us run between Speedy’s legs. And there was Riley, bent over double from laughing so much.

  But Speedy had spotted the squirrel, too. She pulled the lead from Riley’s hand and ran beside us.

 
“Hey! Come back,” cried Riley.

  Speedy yapped madly at the squirrel. I remembered what it said in my Bumper Book Of Dogs. Greyhounds are trained to race by following a furry electronic toy rabbit on a string. Speedy seemed to think the squirrel was the same thing.

  “Look out!” I called to the squirrel. “Climb a tree!” But the animal ran on in a straight line across the park. Chip and Speedy weaved between benches, baby buggies and picnic rugs to try and catch it. This was a new agility course for them … and much more fun than the real one.

  All chance of returning to the ring was lost – we’d never be able to finish the proper Agility Trial now.

  Since Speedy has joined us, Chip was running faster than ever.

  Speedy was barking but Chip still had the judge’s hat clenched firmly in his teeth. At last, the squirrel ran up the side of the cafe and shot on to the roof.

  Speedy stopped barking. She stood still, lifting her graceful neck to stare at where the squirrel had gone.

  Chip stood on his hind legs and danced from side to side, in the air to try and see it too.

  Where’d it go? Where’d it go? I could imagine him saying.

  Chip raced in wild circles. It was like being on a fast spinning ride at the fair. My fingers slipped from his collar.

  “Help!” I grabbed hold of the hat.

  “ ”

  As Chip opened his mouth to bark, the hat flew out of his jaws and I flew with it, clinging on to a long red feather as I soared through the sky.

  The hat hovered like a frisbee for a moment, then dropped down as it skidded to a stop underneath a cafe table.

  “Ouch.” I hit the ground hard. The hat flopped down on top of me like a giant collapsing umbrella. As I peered out, rubbing my knees, I saw Ratty-Riley’s smelly grey trainers running over.

  He grabbed hold of Speedy’s lead. I could see her thin grey legs where she was still standing waiting for the squirrel to come down from the roof.