Katie nodded. The tube was wriggling, and as she watched, a little brown nose appeared at one end, followed by some stubby whiskers and a pair of sparkling dark-brown eyes. The brown and white puppy popped out of the tube and stared curiously at the visitors.
“Oh, he’s gorgeous!” Katie giggled.
“Do you want to go in and play with them?” Mrs Jones asked.
“Yes, please!” Katie said eagerly.
“Are they happy with strangers?” Dad asked.
“They’re quite friendly,” Mrs Jones replied.
“Well, remember to be really gentle, Katie,” said Dad.
Soon Katie’s whole family was sitting on the floor, with puppies sniffing and licking and climbing over them. Even Jess couldn’t resist the cuddly little things. There were only five puppies, but there seemed far more as they all wriggled and darted around so quickly. The brown and white puppy was definitely in charge – or at least he thought he was. Katie watched him hopefully. She really wanted to pick him up, but she didn’t want to scare him.
The puppy gave her an interested look. She smelled nice. Very friendly.
Katie gently held out the back of her hand for him to sniff, and he crept up to her, his tail wagging gently. He sniffed her fingers, then butted them lovingly with his nose.
“Your nose is cold,” Katie whispered. She ran her fingers over his silky, domed head. His fur was so soft.
The puppy closed his eyes blissfully, and rested his chin on Katie’s knee. That was very nice.
“He’s a beauty,” Dad murmured. “What do you think, Katie? Is this the one?”
Chapter Four
There was a lot to do before Katie and her family could bring the puppy home. Katie, Jess and their mum went to the pet shop on the way home from school the next day, with a long list. Katie had brought all her pocket money with her, although she didn’t have an awful lot left after buying Christmas presents. It certainly wasn’t enough to buy everything she wanted to get for their new puppy.
“Katie! Come and choose a collar and lead,” Mum called from the counter. Katie left off choosing between a squeaky fish and a bright-orange nylon bone, and ran over.
“What colour do you think?” Mum said thoughtfully. “This blue one is nice.”
Katie nodded. “Ye-es… But don’t you think he’d look gorgeous with a red collar? It would show up really well against his brown and white fur.” She lifted out the bright collar and held it up.
Mum added the red collar and lead to the pile on the counter – a sleeping cushion, a big bag of puppy food, and food and water bowls. “Did you find a toy for him, Katie? And where’s Jess, did she want to get anything?”
“She’s choosing a Christmas present for Misty. I’ll get her. And I’ve nearly decided which toys.”
Katie managed to limit herself to three dog toys, and five minutes later they were walking home, laden down with bags.
“There’s one thing missing, girls. We still need to think what we’re going to call the puppy. Ow, this food is heavy!” Mum shifted the bag to her other hand.
“I’ve been thinking about it!” Katie hitched up the big purple cushion they’d chosen for the puppy to sleep on. The man in the shop had said some puppies liked to chew baskets, so cushions were better. “I think he really looks like a Timmy. Sort of cheeky but cute.” She looked anxiously at Mum and Jess.
“Timmy… Yes, I like it,” Mum said.
Jess just shrugged. Even though she’d enjoyed cuddling the puppies at Mrs Jones’s house, she still wasn’t sure that they should actually get one. “It’s OK,” she muttered.
Back at home, Katie wandered round the kitchen, trying out the cushion and bowls in different positions.
“Katie, I’m not cooking with a dog cushion in front of the oven,” Mum pointed out. “Try by the radiator, that’ll be nice and warm.”
Katie pushed Misty’s blanket out of the way, and stood back and looked at the cushion. “That’s perfect!” she declared happily.
Misty prowled in from the hallway and stopped. Someone had put a big purple cushion exactly in her favourite sleeping spot. She stalked over and stared up at Katie accusingly.
“Hi, Misty!” Katie bent down to stroke her. “Look, this is where your new friend’s going to sleep. He’s a puppy, and he’s called Timmy. He’s so sweet, and I bet you’ll love him!”
Misty climbed on to her fleecy pink blanket and sat down, squishing herself in beside the vast cushion. She glared at it disapprovingly. What was going on?
Katie didn’t notice. She was looking at the calendar on the wall and wishing it wasn’t so long until they brought Timmy home. “Another three whole days till Saturday!” she sighed. “That’s ages!”
The brown and white puppy gazed thoughtfully up at the window. It was only very slightly open, but the most delicious smells kept floating through it. Fresh air and frosty ground and general outsideness. It smelled wonderful. The puppies weren’t allowed outside yet, as they were too young, but the brown and white puppy was desperate to explore. Where were all those delicious smells coming from?
He looked round. His brothers and sisters were snoozing in their basket, and their mother was half asleep, too. If he went for a little wander now, probably nobody would notice…
Mrs Jones had left the window open to air the room, but she’d carefully made sure it was only open a crack. Not that the puppies were big or strong enough to get up on to the windowsill, of course! They were far too small for that.
The puppy looked up. Beneath the window was a chair. It was still too high for him to reach, but next to that was the old cardboard box Mrs Jones had given them to play with. If he climbed on to that first, maybe he could jump on to the chair, and then to the window?
He scrambled on to the box, tiny claws scrabbling. Then he made the next hop on to the chair. Hmmm. It was still a long way to the windowsill. But…
“Oh, you naught y little thing!” Mrs Jones was half-laughing, half-cross, as she rescued the brown and white puppy, who was standing on the chair seat, his paws on the back, staring up at the open window hopefully. “You could have really hurt yourself. And I suppose you were making for the window. I’d better shut that.” She smiled. “I think your new family ought to call you Rascal. You’re going to be a real little handful!”
On Saturday morning, Katie woke up early, with a wonderful feeling of excitement inside. She was still sleepy, and it took her a couple of minutes to work out why she was feeling so happy. It was the first day of the Christmas holidays, but there was something more… Then she remembered. They were getting Timmy today! She bounced out of bed, and flung on her clothes.
She clattered downstairs, wondering where everyone else was. Misty stared at her reproachfully as she banged the kitchen door open, then turned round on her blanket and settled herself down with her back to Katie.
Katie was aching with impatience by the time the rest of the family got up. She couldn’t understand how Dad could sit there with the paper, and drink a cup of coffee so slowly.
“When are we going to go?” she wailed, standing in the kitchen door with her coat on.