by Elizabeth Knight –
Henry the Labrador squeezed under the playground fence. Time for a little something he thought. Under the swings he gobbled a half eaten sandwich and a chocolate flavoured wrapper. When Lucy and Zara entered with a softball bat and a large bag he thought, Oh good! Maybe it’s full of snacks. Anyway, I’m just in the mood for a game.
“There’s a dog,” said Zara, “I’m scared of dogs. Especially big ones.”
“Ignore it,” said Lucy, marching to the baseball diamond.
Zara left the coats and bag by the fence and followed her. Henry romped behind them.
“Bother!” said Zara. “Dog, this playground is for kids.” Henry sank down on his front paws, his bottom raised and his tail wagging. She doesn’t mean it, he thought. Wait till she sees me catch. I’m a wow! He grinned, showing his teeth.
“Help!” shouted Zara, “It’s snarling.”
“Pretend you don’t care,” said Lucy. She slipped on her mitt and prepared to pitch. “Strike One,” she called as Zara swiped out and missed. But Henry didn’t miss. He snapped up the ball and hurried off with it across the field.
“Hey, dog, just drop that!” yelled Zara as Lucy raced after Henry.
Catch me if you can, he woofed, his mouth full of slimy ball.
“Can’t,” panted Lucy, giving up. “He’s faster than me.”
Henry thundered back and, laying the ball on the mound, cocked his huge head, inviting Lucy to throw it.
“Here dog,” said Zara, picking up a stick and hurling it as far as she could. Henry was delighted. In one minute he was back with the game. He dropped the stick and flew after Strike Two, leaping to catch it in the outfield.
“It’s no use,” said Zara, sulking. “We can’t play with that thing around. Let’s go for a walk. It might go home.”
Oh, good! thought Henry, Walkies! and he rollicked after them looking for more sticks. Zara threw another to get rid of him.
This time Henry, noticing a half eaten cookie, dropped the stick and prised a scattering of chocolate chips out of the grass. Behind him, Lucy and Zara halfheartedly played on.
Following his nose, Henry arrived at the fence and finding the large bag, wiggled his head inside, eagerly thrusting his neck through a handle. What have we here? he thought. A knitted toy monkey, a soccer ball, a packet of crackers and…a Hershey Bar! Having gobbled down the Hershey Bar and its foil wrapping, he tried to drag out the packet of crackers but somehow, he seemed to be stuck. He lifted his bagged head, shook it, pawed at it, growled, but the bag remained over his head. Henry didn’t like being wrapped up in the dark with a soccer ball rolling about walloping his nose. Panicking, he zigzagged over the field fighting the bag.
“What’s that?” Zara asked.
“I think it’s a dog with its head in a bag,” said Lucy. “Our bag.”
“My crackers!” wailed Zara.
“My Hershey Bar!” shouted Lucy. “And we’ve got to get Mom’s bag back.”
Henry felt his bottom rudely yanked and someone was trying to pull his head off. Half throttled, with his nose squished against the soccer ball, Henry emerged. Grateful to be free in the blissful daylight, he reared on his hind legs and put his huge paws on Zara’s shoulders. I love you, he thought.
“Help!” she screamed, collapsing backwards as Henry licked her nose. Lucy flapped wildly at him. Excited, Henry, looked round for a stick. He seized the knitted monkey, threw it up in the air, caught it with a snap and dashed over the field.
“Stop!” yelled Zara. “That’s my monkey!” and she set off after him.
“Wait for me,” panted Lucy.
“No time,” bawled Zara. “It’s going to eat Monkey for dessert.”
Finding a flower bed on the edge of the play area, Henry plunged into the geraniums and began to dig. As Zara and Lucy arrived dirt flew out at them between his back paws. Half buried in a hole, lay Monkey. Henry stood back, pleased. Who’s a clever dog then? he thought, grinning and wagging his bottom.
Zara snatched Monkey while Lucy swiped at Henry with the bag.
Henry’s tail went down. He flopped down on his belly with his ears back.
“Bully!” said Lucy.
What me? thought Henry. But everyone loves me.
“I guess you made a mistake dog,” said Lucy. “Next time make sure that a stick is a stick.”
“Let’s go home and have snacks in the garden,” said Zara throwing Henry the mangled crackers.
Oh, good! Time for a little something, thought Henry.
the end.
Question Time
1. Why did Henry follow Zara and Lucy onto the baseball diamond?
2. Why did Henry put his head in a bag?
3. Why do you think Lucy and Zara called Henry a bully?
4. Do you think Henry was trying to ruin the girls’ day out?
