of dogs there. Even ones that are quite nervous, and need, um, careful handling.”
“Oh.” Mrs Everett nodded thoughtfully. “Well. I suppose you could try, anyway. I must say, I’m very impressed with your initiative, even if you are young. And Charlie seems to like you.” She smiled at the little reddish-brown spaniel, who was sitting with his nose on Emily’s leg, gazing up at her adoringly.
“To be honest, that’s probably because he thinks I’m going to give him a biscuit,” Emily admitted. “But I wouldn’t!” she added hurriedly. “Especially not these chocolate ones.”
“Why not chocolate ones?” Mrs Everett frowned at her, looking confused. “Because they’re more fattening?”
“Oh! No, it’s something I read in a dog magazine,” Emily explained shyly. “I don’t actually have my own dog, but I’ve always liked getting the magazine anyway. I cut the pictures out.” She flushed pink, realising this sounded a bit silly. “Um. It was at Christmas and there was a special article saying make sure you don’t put boxes of chocolates under the tree as a present for someone, in case your dog eats them. Chocolate’s poisonous to dogs. Mostly it’s dark chocolate that’s the problem, and they have to eat quite a bit of it, but they could even die, if they eat enough. There’s a chemical in chocolate, I think it’s called theobromine. Something like that. But it still tastes yummy to them, so they eat it anyway even though it’s so dangerous.”
“Good gracious!” Mrs Everett looked at the biscuits in horror. “I never knew that. I’m sure Charlie’s had the odd chocolate biscuit when I’m not looking.”
“I shouldn’t think there’s enough chocolate on them to hurt him,” Emily said reassuringly. She really hadn’t meant to upset the old lady, but Mrs Everett looked quite impressed, as though Emily was some sort of dog expert.
Charlie stared up at her with reproachful, almond-shaped dark eyes. Clearly he suspected that therewouldn’t be any more sneaky chocolate biscuits, and it was all Emily’s fault. She rubbed his ears apologetically.
“How often would you like me to take him out?” she asked.
“Well, could you fit in three walks a week?” Mrs Everett asked. “I can take him for a short walk every day, and he has the garden, but I just can’t manage the nice long walks he really loves. I’ve got a problem with one of my knees, you see.”
“That would be great,” Emily said enthusiastically. “I could take him along by the stream, maybe. Or across the common.”
Mrs Everett sighed. “Yes, he loves it there, sniffing all the rabbit holes. But that’s just a bit too far for me now, except on a very good day. I can tell he’s going to have a lovely time with you.” She smiled, and reached down to stroke Charlie’s silky domed head. “I really am so glad I called you, Emily.”
Emily beamed back at her. “I’m ever so glad too. I can’t wait to start walking him!”
SIX
“We’re nearly home now,” Emily told Charlie. He was dragging his paws a bit, and she looked down at him anxiously. He’d had loads of energy when they first set off, so they’d gone quite a long way – but that meant they had to come quite a long way back again, and the little spaniel was definitely tired.
“I hope Mrs Everett isn’t going to be upset that I wore you out,” Emily muttered. “I didn’t mean to… Do you want a carry, Charlie?” That was what they did with Sukie, when she started sitting down and sulking, and they didn’t have the pushchair. Emily crouched down and looked at Charlie, and he gazed back at her, with his tongue hanging out.
“I reckon I can carry you for the last five minutes. Poor baby. Carry, yes? Is that OK?” She picked him up carefully, cradling him in her arms. “Wow. You’re a lot heavier than you look, Charlie.Too many biscuits.”
Emily and Charlie staggered back along Mrs Everett’s road, and Charlie wriggled out of her
“Oh.” Mrs Everett nodded thoughtfully. “Well. I suppose you could try, anyway. I must say, I’m very impressed with your initiative, even if you are young. And Charlie seems to like you.” She smiled at the little reddish-brown spaniel, who was sitting with his nose on Emily’s leg, gazing up at her adoringly.
“To be honest, that’s probably because he thinks I’m going to give him a biscuit,” Emily admitted. “But I wouldn’t!” she added hurriedly. “Especially not these chocolate ones.”
“Why not chocolate ones?” Mrs Everett frowned at her, looking confused. “Because they’re more fattening?”
“Oh! No, it’s something I read in a dog magazine,” Emily explained shyly. “I don’t actually have my own dog, but I’ve always liked getting the magazine anyway. I cut the pictures out.” She flushed pink, realising this sounded a bit silly. “Um. It was at Christmas and there was a special article saying make sure you don’t put boxes of chocolates under the tree as a present for someone, in case your dog eats them. Chocolate’s poisonous to dogs. Mostly it’s dark chocolate that’s the problem, and they have to eat quite a bit of it, but they could even die, if they eat enough. There’s a chemical in chocolate, I think it’s called theobromine. Something like that. But it still tastes yummy to them, so they eat it anyway even though it’s so dangerous.”
“Good gracious!” Mrs Everett looked at the biscuits in horror. “I never knew that. I’m sure Charlie’s had the odd chocolate biscuit when I’m not looking.”
“I shouldn’t think there’s enough chocolate on them to hurt him,” Emily said reassuringly. She really hadn’t meant to upset the old lady, but Mrs Everett looked quite impressed, as though Emily was some sort of dog expert.
Charlie stared up at her with reproachful, almond-shaped dark eyes. Clearly he suspected that therewouldn’t be any more sneaky chocolate biscuits, and it was all Emily’s fault. She rubbed his ears apologetically.
“How often would you like me to take him out?” she asked.
“Well, could you fit in three walks a week?” Mrs Everett asked. “I can take him for a short walk every day, and he has the garden, but I just can’t manage the nice long walks he really loves. I’ve got a problem with one of my knees, you see.”
“That would be great,” Emily said enthusiastically. “I could take him along by the stream, maybe. Or across the common.”
Mrs Everett sighed. “Yes, he loves it there, sniffing all the rabbit holes. But that’s just a bit too far for me now, except on a very good day. I can tell he’s going to have a lovely time with you.” She smiled, and reached down to stroke Charlie’s silky domed head. “I really am so glad I called you, Emily.”
Emily beamed back at her. “I’m ever so glad too. I can’t wait to start walking him!”
SIX
“We’re nearly home now,” Emily told Charlie. He was dragging his paws a bit, and she looked down at him anxiously. He’d had loads of energy when they first set off, so they’d gone quite a long way – but that meant they had to come quite a long way back again, and the little spaniel was definitely tired.
“I hope Mrs Everett isn’t going to be upset that I wore you out,” Emily muttered. “I didn’t mean to… Do you want a carry, Charlie?” That was what they did with Sukie, when she started sitting down and sulking, and they didn’t have the pushchair. Emily crouched down and looked at Charlie, and he gazed back at her, with his tongue hanging out.
“I reckon I can carry you for the last five minutes. Poor baby. Carry, yes? Is that OK?” She picked him up carefully, cradling him in her arms. “Wow. You’re a lot heavier than you look, Charlie.Too many biscuits.”
Emily and Charlie staggered back along Mrs Everett’s road, and Charlie wriggled out of her
Similar Books
