that he was standing by the side of her leg, as she’d practised in the puppy obedience classes. Then she walked on down the path, and gave Lucky the treat as he trotted nicely alongside her.
“We can run with him in the park, though, can’t we?” Adam asked Mum. “I don’t mean we’ll let him off the lead, I know he’s not old enough for that. But can we run fast with him?”
“Of course you can!” Mum smiled. “It’s just best to try and keep him sensible on the way there. Mind you, we can’t expect Lucky to be perfect,it’s all so different from our garden at home.”
But Lucky had stopped wanting to dance about anyway. He was far too busy for that. When he’d gone out before, to puppy training and visits to friends in the car, he’d always been carried. There was so much more to see down at nose level now! To see and thoroughly sniff.
Georgia giggled as they stopped at the seventh lamp post – still in their road. “You know, if we want to be back by dinner time, I’m not sure we’re going to make it to the park!”
Chapter Two
They only made it just inside the park gates on that first walk, before Lucky started to drag on his lead and look up hopefully for a lift. Georgia and Adam took it in turns to carry the weary puppy home.
But over the next few weeks, a short walk every day soon stretched to two short walks, and then a quick run roundthe houses before breakfast and a proper walk after school, in the park or the woods. By the time Georgia and Adam broke up for the summer holidays, walks were his absolute favourite thing.
They celebrated the beginning of the holidays by taking a picnic tea with them to the woods. It was a gorgeous hot day, perfect for a long expedition. Mum took a folding chair, so she could sit down with a book while Georgia, Adam and Lucky raced around the woods, shouting and calling and playing hide and seek among the tree roots.
Lucky adored the woods. They were full of amazing smells, good places to dig, and sticks that Georgia and Adam could throw for him to chase. He had an extending lead now, as no one wassure about letting him run free just yet. But the absolute best thing about the woods was that they were full of squirrels. Lucky adored squirrels. They were fast, and they smelled interesting, and they bounced up and down when they scampered along. He was desperate to catch one. He’d never got anywhere near, but he wasn’t giving up hope. And there was a squirrel now…
Adam raced behind Lucky, laughing as the puppy pulled the lead out to its full length and galloped down the path, ears flapping as if he was about to take off. The squirrel was a plump, bushy-tailed one, and it wasn’t scared. It seemed to keep looking back to see how close the puppy was getting.
“Adam!” Georgia yelled worriedly.“Don’t let him catch it! He’ll hurt it! Or it might scratch him!”
But Adam was too far away to hear – or he just wasn’t listening, Georgia thought crossly as she dashed after them. She really didn’t want Lucky to hurt the squirrel.
But when she caught up with Adam and Lucky, she saw she needn’t have worried. Adam was leaning against a tree, panting, and Lucky was jumping up and down and scrabbling at the trunk, whimpering.
The squirrel was sitting on a branch halfway up, squeaking and chittering as though it was telling Lucky off.
“Didn’t you hear me yelling?” Georgia demanded. “What do you think he’d do if he caught it?”
Adam shook his head and shrugged. “No idea! I don’t think he knows either. Calm down, Georgie! He’s never going to get one.”
Lucky ignored them, staring hopefully up at the squirrel, as it danced up and down on its branch. Unfortunately, it didn’t look as though it was going to fall off.
By the time they trailed back to the clearing where Mum was sitting, they were all really hungry. They had brought Lucky’s dog biscuits with them, and a bottle of water and his bowl, so he could have a picnic too.
“We can run with him in the park, though, can’t we?” Adam asked Mum. “I don’t mean we’ll let him off the lead, I know he’s not old enough for that. But can we run fast with him?”
“Of course you can!” Mum smiled. “It’s just best to try and keep him sensible on the way there. Mind you, we can’t expect Lucky to be perfect,it’s all so different from our garden at home.”
But Lucky had stopped wanting to dance about anyway. He was far too busy for that. When he’d gone out before, to puppy training and visits to friends in the car, he’d always been carried. There was so much more to see down at nose level now! To see and thoroughly sniff.
Georgia giggled as they stopped at the seventh lamp post – still in their road. “You know, if we want to be back by dinner time, I’m not sure we’re going to make it to the park!”
Chapter Two
They only made it just inside the park gates on that first walk, before Lucky started to drag on his lead and look up hopefully for a lift. Georgia and Adam took it in turns to carry the weary puppy home.
But over the next few weeks, a short walk every day soon stretched to two short walks, and then a quick run roundthe houses before breakfast and a proper walk after school, in the park or the woods. By the time Georgia and Adam broke up for the summer holidays, walks were his absolute favourite thing.
They celebrated the beginning of the holidays by taking a picnic tea with them to the woods. It was a gorgeous hot day, perfect for a long expedition. Mum took a folding chair, so she could sit down with a book while Georgia, Adam and Lucky raced around the woods, shouting and calling and playing hide and seek among the tree roots.
Lucky adored the woods. They were full of amazing smells, good places to dig, and sticks that Georgia and Adam could throw for him to chase. He had an extending lead now, as no one wassure about letting him run free just yet. But the absolute best thing about the woods was that they were full of squirrels. Lucky adored squirrels. They were fast, and they smelled interesting, and they bounced up and down when they scampered along. He was desperate to catch one. He’d never got anywhere near, but he wasn’t giving up hope. And there was a squirrel now…
Adam raced behind Lucky, laughing as the puppy pulled the lead out to its full length and galloped down the path, ears flapping as if he was about to take off. The squirrel was a plump, bushy-tailed one, and it wasn’t scared. It seemed to keep looking back to see how close the puppy was getting.
“Adam!” Georgia yelled worriedly.“Don’t let him catch it! He’ll hurt it! Or it might scratch him!”
But Adam was too far away to hear – or he just wasn’t listening, Georgia thought crossly as she dashed after them. She really didn’t want Lucky to hurt the squirrel.
But when she caught up with Adam and Lucky, she saw she needn’t have worried. Adam was leaning against a tree, panting, and Lucky was jumping up and down and scrabbling at the trunk, whimpering.
The squirrel was sitting on a branch halfway up, squeaking and chittering as though it was telling Lucky off.
“Didn’t you hear me yelling?” Georgia demanded. “What do you think he’d do if he caught it?”
Adam shook his head and shrugged. “No idea! I don’t think he knows either. Calm down, Georgie! He’s never going to get one.”
Lucky ignored them, staring hopefully up at the squirrel, as it danced up and down on its branch. Unfortunately, it didn’t look as though it was going to fall off.
By the time they trailed back to the clearing where Mum was sitting, they were all really hungry. They had brought Lucky’s dog biscuits with them, and a bottle of water and his bowl, so he could have a picnic too.
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