to school. And last night when Max said we ought to send Rascal back, Mum said she would think about it! Then Dad went out in the garden later and found this huge hole in the lawn…”
“Settle down, please, girls!” Mrs Harley, Ellie’s teacher, looked over at her and Christy. “Less chatting, Ellie. Your literacy words are up on the board.”
“Sorry,” Ellie muttered, turning red. She didn’t usually get told off at school. But she cheered up later on when Mrs Harley asked anyone who’d done something exciting over the holidays to share it with the class. Ellie stuck up her hand. Sometimes she was shy about speaking up in front of people, but she wanted everyone to know about Rascal.
“Yes, Ellie?” said Mrs Harley.
“We got a puppy last week. His name’s Rascal.”
“That’s exciting.” Mrs Harley smiled at her. “What sort of dog is he?”
“A Jack Russell. He’s thirteen weeks old. My mum’s bringing him when she comes to pick me up, you could come and see him.”
Mrs Harley nodded. “I’d love to.”
At break time lots of people from Ellie’s class asked her about Rascal. She just couldn’t wait to show him off. But she was a bit worried, too.
Christy nudged her as they sat back at their desk after break. “Are you OK?”
Ellie leaned closer to whisper. She didn’t want to get told off by Mrs Harley again. “I’m just worried about Rascal. I hope he’s not being naughty at home. Last time I left him he howled the whole time.”
“Your mum’s there, isn’t she?”
Ellie nodded. “But he misses me !” She couldn’t help feeling a little glow of pride at that.
Mum looked a bit frazzled when she came to meet Ellie and Max. She was standing by the gate holding Rascal’s lead very tightly. She tried to get him to shush, as Rascal started barking at a pushchair.
“Hi, Mum! Has Rascal been OK?” Ellie asked, crouching down to make a fuss of him. Rascal bounced up and down, trying to lick her face.
Mum sighed. “He howled all day. I’ve hardly got any work done. And look at his lead! He pulled it down off the hook and chewed it to pieces!”
“Oh no!” Ellie took the lovely red lead from her mum. It was now chewed all down one end!
Just then, Christy rushed over. “Hello, Rascal!” she said, crouching down and tickling him. The puppy frisked around her, his whole body wagging with his tail. Other girls from Ellie’s class crowded round to take turns stroking him, too.
Ellie saw Mrs Harley coming over. “He’s lovely, Ellie.” She bent down to stroke the lively puppy, and he jumped up at her, yapping happily.
It was only when he turned round to be stroked by one of the other girls that Ellie noticed the trail of little muddy paw prints down Mrs Harley’s beautiful pale pink skirt…
Ellie flushed pink. “Oh, I’m sorry, Mrs Harley, I didn’t see he was muddy!”
Mrs Harley smiled. “Don’t worry, it’ll wash off. My dog’s always doing that.”
Ellie nodded, but she still felt embarrassed, and Mum hurried them through the school gates, before Rascal caused any more trouble.
On the walk home, Rascal sniffed every fence and lamp post, and soon he and Ellie were way behind Mum and Max.
“Come on!” Mum called. “I suppose at least he’s walking now,” she sighed, when Ellie caught up. “I had to carry him most of the way to school before!”
Chapter Two
The courgette catastrophe
That evening, Ellie was struggling with her science homework at the kitchen table, when she had a sudden thought. She’d let Rascal out for a wee earlier and he’d been in the garden for an awfully long time. She jumped up and ran to the window. She could just see a small, white shape, scrabbling away – in the middle of Dad’s veg patch.
At that moment, she heard the front door open. Dad was home!
“What are you up to, Ellie?” Dad asked, as he walked into the kitchen and spotted her struggling to pull down the blind on the window. “Let me help with
“Settle down, please, girls!” Mrs Harley, Ellie’s teacher, looked over at her and Christy. “Less chatting, Ellie. Your literacy words are up on the board.”
“Sorry,” Ellie muttered, turning red. She didn’t usually get told off at school. But she cheered up later on when Mrs Harley asked anyone who’d done something exciting over the holidays to share it with the class. Ellie stuck up her hand. Sometimes she was shy about speaking up in front of people, but she wanted everyone to know about Rascal.
“Yes, Ellie?” said Mrs Harley.
“We got a puppy last week. His name’s Rascal.”
“That’s exciting.” Mrs Harley smiled at her. “What sort of dog is he?”
“A Jack Russell. He’s thirteen weeks old. My mum’s bringing him when she comes to pick me up, you could come and see him.”
Mrs Harley nodded. “I’d love to.”
At break time lots of people from Ellie’s class asked her about Rascal. She just couldn’t wait to show him off. But she was a bit worried, too.
Christy nudged her as they sat back at their desk after break. “Are you OK?”
Ellie leaned closer to whisper. She didn’t want to get told off by Mrs Harley again. “I’m just worried about Rascal. I hope he’s not being naughty at home. Last time I left him he howled the whole time.”
“Your mum’s there, isn’t she?”
Ellie nodded. “But he misses me !” She couldn’t help feeling a little glow of pride at that.
Mum looked a bit frazzled when she came to meet Ellie and Max. She was standing by the gate holding Rascal’s lead very tightly. She tried to get him to shush, as Rascal started barking at a pushchair.
“Hi, Mum! Has Rascal been OK?” Ellie asked, crouching down to make a fuss of him. Rascal bounced up and down, trying to lick her face.
Mum sighed. “He howled all day. I’ve hardly got any work done. And look at his lead! He pulled it down off the hook and chewed it to pieces!”
“Oh no!” Ellie took the lovely red lead from her mum. It was now chewed all down one end!
Just then, Christy rushed over. “Hello, Rascal!” she said, crouching down and tickling him. The puppy frisked around her, his whole body wagging with his tail. Other girls from Ellie’s class crowded round to take turns stroking him, too.
Ellie saw Mrs Harley coming over. “He’s lovely, Ellie.” She bent down to stroke the lively puppy, and he jumped up at her, yapping happily.
It was only when he turned round to be stroked by one of the other girls that Ellie noticed the trail of little muddy paw prints down Mrs Harley’s beautiful pale pink skirt…
Ellie flushed pink. “Oh, I’m sorry, Mrs Harley, I didn’t see he was muddy!”
Mrs Harley smiled. “Don’t worry, it’ll wash off. My dog’s always doing that.”
Ellie nodded, but she still felt embarrassed, and Mum hurried them through the school gates, before Rascal caused any more trouble.
On the walk home, Rascal sniffed every fence and lamp post, and soon he and Ellie were way behind Mum and Max.
“Come on!” Mum called. “I suppose at least he’s walking now,” she sighed, when Ellie caught up. “I had to carry him most of the way to school before!”
Chapter Two
The courgette catastrophe
That evening, Ellie was struggling with her science homework at the kitchen table, when she had a sudden thought. She’d let Rascal out for a wee earlier and he’d been in the garden for an awfully long time. She jumped up and ran to the window. She could just see a small, white shape, scrabbling away – in the middle of Dad’s veg patch.
At that moment, she heard the front door open. Dad was home!
“What are you up to, Ellie?” Dad asked, as he walked into the kitchen and spotted her struggling to pull down the blind on the window. “Let me help with
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