A Forever Home for Pip Read online

  “Mum says studies have shown that a puppy can give an older dog a new lease of life,” said Jack.

  Winston flopped down and rolled over, letting Pip pull at the thick fur around his neck. Both dogs play-growled and wagged their tails.

  “So do you still think Winston wouldn’t like having Pip around?” said Grace, glancing at Ben.

  The corners of his mouth twitched and then a wide smile spread across his face. “No. OK. You’re right. You’ve convinced me!” Kneeling down, Ben stroked both dogs. “So, Pip, would you like to live here and be a farm dog?”

  Pip yapped.

  Jack grinned. “I think that’s a yes from Pip!” he said.

  Mrs Taylor was delighted when she heard the news. “It’ll be lovely to have a Border collie. Maybe you can even enter some sheepdog trials when he’s ready.”

  “That would be awesome,” said Ben. He picked up Pip. “I bet you’d like that, wouldn’t you, boy? He’s so clever, Mum. You should have seen the way he led us to Winston and the lamb!”

  Grace and Jack swapped looks. It was wonderful to hear Ben enthusing about Pip. Grace sidled up to Jack. “We don’t need to do an official home check this time, do we?”

  Jack shook his head. “No, I think we’ve seen all we need. This is definitely the perfect home for Pip. We’ll have to tell Jess and Alex.”

  “And when they’ve had their baby, they’ll be able to bring it to the farm for a visit!” Happiness rushed through Grace as she looked at Ben cuddling the little puppy. Pip was actually starting to look tired for once. She heaved a delighted sigh. Everything had worked out wonderfully after all!

  A few weeks later, Grace and Jack returned to Apple Tree Farm to see how Pip was getting on. They found Ben in the yard, helping show a party of preschool children around. The children were gathered round a pen of pygmy goats. Pip and Winston sat either side of him, their eyes on Ben, waiting for him to say that they could move.

  “Wow! Look at that!” Jack exclaimed as he approached. Pip had clearly recognised the twins. His body quivered with excitement and his tail swished from side to side but he remained where he was.

  “He’s being so good!” said Grace as Ben gave him the command to go free and he bounded over. “And hasn’t he grown? Hello, boy,” she said as Pip rushed between her and Jack, licking their hands before darting back to Ben.

  Winston ambled over, his tail wagging.

  Ben’s eyes shone. “Pip’s great. He and Winston get on really well and Pip’s a brilliant farm dog. Pip definitely keeps Winston young, and I think Winston is teaching Pip to be a bit calmer!”

  Just then, a woman’s voice rang out from the crowd of children. “Oliver, come back!” A small boy, bored of the goats, had wandered away from the group.

  “Pip.” Ben nodded at the little boy. “On.”

  Pip’s ears pricked. Immediately, he peeled away from Ben and trotted after the child.

  “Come by,” called Ben softly. The puppy swung left, going clockwise in a circle around the toddler, gently herding him by nudging him with his nose.

  The little boy started giggling as he toddled back to the group.

  “I want a go,” called a little girl who was watching. “Please, can the doggy catch me?”

  Ben called Pip over and patted him. “Good boy!” He pulled a ball from his pocket and gave it to Pip. “Reward time. Go and play.”

  Pip took the ball and brought it to the little girl. He dropped it at her feet.

  “That’ll keep him busy for a while,” said Ben with a grin. “All the kids will want a turn and Pip never gets tired of fetching it for them.”

  Grace couldn’t stop smiling. “I’m so happy it’s all worked out.”

  “It really has,” said Ben. “And have you seen the new posters Mum’s made?”

  The twins shook their heads. Ben led them over to the play barn where there was a new poster in the window. At the top in big bright letters were the words: “Apple Tree Farm”. Beneath, there was a picture of Pip and Winston, looking incredibly cute as they sat together with their ears pricked and tongues hanging out. At the bottom it said: “Come and meet us and our friends here at Apple Tree Farm.”

  “We’ve had lots of people visiting since Mum put them up,” said Ben. He looked proudly at Pip and Winston. “They’re the perfect poster dogs – and the perfect dogs for me!” He smiled at the twins. “Thanks for not giving up when I said I didn’t want Pip.”

  “We don’t give up easily,” said Grace, swapping smiles with Jack.

  Ben grinned. “Yeah, I worked that out!”

  The twins gave Pip a last cuddle and went to find their mum.

  “I love a happy ending,” said Grace.

  “Me too,” said Jack. “It was such a good idea to point out to Ben that the mother sheep loved both her lambs equally.”

  “Thanks.” Grace shot him a sideways look. “Though you know, what I said about Mum wasn’t exactly true.”

  Jack frowned. “What do you mean?”

  Grace’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “Well, obviously Mum loves me more. I mean, I know she pretends to love us both the same but I’m definitely her favourite…”

  “No way, I’m her favourite!” said Jack.

  “Uh – no, I am!” said Grace.

  She squealed and dodged as Jack threw a handful of hay at her. He chased after her and, laughing and arguing, they raced through the farm to the car.

  NAME: Sarah Anne Taylor

  AGE: Forty-four

  LIKES: Dogs, cats, spending time with family and friends, going for long walks in the countryside

  DISLIKES: People who are cruel to animals, mess and rudeness

  FAVOURITE COLOUR: Aquamarine

  HOBBIES: Pilates, reading and walking

  FAVOURITE FOODS: Home-made lasagne, salted caramel chocolate

  FAVOURITE JOKE:

  Q: What do you call a snowman’s dog?

  A: A slush puppy!

  DREAM JOB: Running Top Dog!

  WHAT ANIMAL WOULD YOU BE? A snow leopard roaming the Himalayan mountains.

  Unscramble the letters to find the hidden doggy word. If you get all six right take a big bow (wow!).

  1. deal 2. llaroc

  3. ypupp

  4. istelwh 5. cliloe

  6. heeps dgo rilats

  ANSWERS ON PAGE 90

  WHAT DID THE HUNGRY

  DALMATIAN

  SAY WHEN HE HAD

  SOME DOG FOOD?

  That hits the spot!

  WHAT KIND OF DOG DID DRACULA HAVE?

  A bloodhound!

  WHAT’S A DOG’S FAVOURITE MUSICAL

  INSTRUMENT?

  A trom-bone!

  WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU CROSS

  A SHEEPDOG WITH A ROSE?

  A collie-flower!

  1. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING ARE OFTEN USED AS POLICE DOGS:

  a) German Shepherd

  b) Husky

  c) Labrador

  d) Border Collie

  2. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING ARE OFTEN USED AS DOGS TO HERD SHEEP:

  a) German Shepherd

  b) Husky

  c) Labrador

  d) Border Collie

  3. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING ARE MOST COMMONLY USED AS GUIDE DOGS:

  a) German Shepherd

  b) Husky

  c) Labrador

  d) Border Collie

  4. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING WERE TRADITIONALLY BRED TO PULL SLEDS:

  a) German Shepherd

  b) Husky

  c) Labrador

  d) Border Collie

  ANSWERS ON PAGE 90

  ANSWERS TO QUIZ ON PAGE 85

  1. lead 2. collar 3. puppy 4. whistle

  5. collie 6. sheep dog trials

  ANSWERS TO QUIZ ON PAGE 88-89

  1)a 2)d 3)c 4)b

  COPYRIGHT

  First published in the UK in 2020 by Nosy Crow Ltd

  The Crow’s Nest, 14 Baden Place

  Crosby Row, London SE1 1YW

&
nbsp; www.nosycrow.com

  ISBN: 978 1 78800 820 4

  eISBN: 978 1 78800 819 8

  Nosy Crow and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Nosy Crow Ltd.

  Text copyright © Linda Chapman and Julie Sykes, 2020 Illustrations © Sophy Williams, 2020

  The right of Linda Chapman, Julie Sykes and Sophy Williams to be identified as the authors and illustrator respectively of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  All rights reserved

  This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of Nosy Crow Ltd.

  A CIP catalogue record for this book will be available from the British Library.

  Printed and bound in Great Britain by Clays Ltd, Elcograf S.p.A.

  Papers used by Nosy Crow are made from wood grown in sustainable forests.

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