The Secret Puppy

by Holly Webb

  Julie shook her head and looked at him worriedly. “I really hope you cheer up a bit before tomorrow,” she said, kneeling down next to the puppy to stroke him. “Your new owner’s coming to see you. She called me today, to tell me she’s chosen you from those photos I emailed her. She’s been waiting for the perfect puppy for a while, she said, and she thinks you’re the one. She wants to take you to dog shows.”

  Barney nuzzled her hand gently. He might be miserable, but he still liked Julie. He thumped his tail on the scruffy grass of the pen.

  “Good boy,” Julie said. “Are you missing Daisy? Her mum said she was getting too fond of you, and she was worried it was going to make it hard for her to say goodbye.” She sighed. “I probably shouldn’t have let her come to see you so much, but she was having such a nice time… Oh dear, I think that’s what it is, isn’t it?” She rubbed his ears. “Don’t worry. You’ll have a lovely new owner soon.”

  As she stood up, Barney sighed and lay down by the wire of the pen, looking out at the garden. Julie frowned. He really was missing Daisy. And she was sure Daisy would really be missing him, too.

  Julie walked out of the gate, latching it carefully behind her. As she headed back to the farmhouse, she wondered if there was anything she could do to help the puppy.

  She didn’t notice Barney’s ears twitching curiously. One of them pricked right up, and the other followed suit but then flopped over again the way it always did.

  He’d found a hole in the wire fence.

  Daisy lay on her tummy at the edge of the river, watching the ducks. Oliver had gone off to play football again, and Mum and Dad had gone to do the washing-up after dinner. Daisy thought Mum was probably still feeling sorry for her, after she’d been so upset at the stables. She’d suggested that Daisy read a book in the tent, or find some friends to chat to. But Daisy had spent so much time playing with the puppies, she hadn’t really made friends round the campsite like Oliver had.

  It was starting to get dark, and the ducks swam slowly away. Dinner had been late – the gas stove had taken ages to boil the water for the pasta – so it would be time to go to bed soon.

  She wriggled up on to her elbows and flicked a little stick into the water, watching it float away downstream. Maybe she could play pooh-sticks with herself… But then she decided that was just boring. And a bit sad.

  She’d go and read in a minute, she thought, dabbling her fingers in the water and wishing the ducks would come back.

  Barney scrabbled at the little dip in the packed earth under the wire fence. The run backed on to the path up to the camping area. If he could just get underneath, he was sure he could find Daisy.

  The other puppies were still eating, and his mum was over at the farmhouse, so no one noticed him scraping, and digging. Finally, he wriggled underneath the wire, and out on to the path.

  He trotted away, sniffing the long grass and wondering which way to go. He could hear people talking – their voices carrying through the quiet evening, as children were called back into the tents, and their parents settled down to chat for a while before going to bed.

  He sniffed again carefully. He couldn’t smell Daisy yet, but perhaps she would be where he could hear all those voices. He hurried down the path, his tail wagging a little, head down, searching. He could smell the river, although he wasn’t sure what it was. It smelled different and exciting, full of the scents of mice and water rats. Then he spotted some ducks, swimming slowly along the far bank, and went faster, eager to get a closer look.

  It was as he was hurrying over the little bridge that he caught Daisy’s scent. He stopped dead, sniffing the air and looking around hopefully.

  She was there! Lying by the water, as though she were waiting for him! He was so desperate to see Daisy that going the whole way to the end of the bridge seemed too slow. With a joyful bark, Barney jumped through the railings, landing just on the bank, his back paws scrabbling in the damp mud at the water’s edge. Kicking up the mud, he raced along the grassy river bank, and threw himself at Daisy, who stared at him in amazement.

  “Barney! It’s you!” Daisy hugged him, laughing. She’d heard the bark, and the mad scuffling and splashing, but she’d never thought it would be Barney coming to find her. “How did you get here? I wonder if Julie’s looking for you – did you sneak out somehow?”

  Barney laid his head on her lap, and sighed contentedly. She wasn’t cross. Whatever had happened to make her stop coming, she still loved him. He could tell from her voice.

  “Oh Barney, I’ve really missed you.” Daisy ran her hand gently through the thick fur on his back. “I think you’ve got bigger, and it’s only three days since I last saw you.”

  Barney wasn’t sure what she was saying, but he liked listening to her. He wriggled himself closer, so that his paws and shoulders were on her lap too. He wasn’t going to let her disappear again.

  Daisy frowned. “I’m not supposed to be around you. Mum says.” She swallowed, feeling a lump rising in her throat. “And she’s probably right. She thought it was just going to make both of us miserable. I’m going home soon, you see…”

  She knew she ought to take Barney straight back to the farmhouse and tell Julie he’d got out somehow. But she couldn’t. Not just yet. She wanted to cuddle him a little bit longer. Only till Mum and Dad came back from doing the washing-up…

  But then they might say it was time for bed, and Dad would take Barney back instead. Daisy shook her head suddenly. She knew she couldn’t let that happen. Mum was right – she was just making it harder for herself, but she didn’t care. Being away from Barney hadn’t stopped her missing him. It didn’t look like he’d forgotten about her, either; he’d obviously come to find her. Would another day of being around him really make it any worse for them both?

  Daisy gathered Barney into her arms and stood up. “You’re so heavy,” she whispered to him lovingly, and Barney licked her ear. He liked being carried. “Come on. Mum and Dad will be back soon. And Oliver. We’re going to have to be a bit sneaky.”

  For just one night she could pretend that Barney was her dog… Daisy carried him round to the back of their tent, to her own secret door, and put him down beside her while she unzipped it. Then she crawled inside, beckoning Barney after her.

  He pattered in happily, sniffing around the funny little room, before slumping down on her sleeping bag.

  “Good idea,” Daisy muttered. “I’ll tell Mum and Dad I’m tired. Are you hungry, Barney?” she whispered, remembering the nearly full pack of dog treats that was still in her pocket. She hadn’t been able to throw it away. “Julie said she usually gives you supper at about nine. Did she leave the gate open afterwards?” Daisy frowned. She couldn’t imagine Julie doing that. She was so careful. “I know I ought to take you back, but I can’t. Not yet. I’ll take you first thing tomorrow.”

  She fed Barney a handful of treats, and watched him gulping them down while she put on her pyjamas, and slipped into her sleeping bag.

  Barney sniffed thoughtfully round the walls of the tent, and then lay down next to Daisy, staring up at her, his dark eyes glinting in the dim evening light.

  Daisy rubbed his head and Barney wriggled, his ears twitching. Then Daisy heard what he’d heard – voices. Mum and Dad were on their way back. They mustn’t see him!

  Quickly, she arranged her fleece blanket half over her sleeping bag and half over Barney, so he looked like some of her stuff. In this light, when Mum looked in to check on Daisy, she’d never be able to tell he was a dog.

  “Sssh…” she whispered, feeding him another treat. “You’re my secret, OK?”

  Barney snuffled up the treat, and then snuggled closer to her. He didn’t mind being quiet, as long as he was with Daisy.

  Daisy woke up early, blinking in the soft sunlight that was coming through the side of the tent. She felt deliciously warm and very happy, but she couldn’t quite think why.

  Then Barney wriggled and yawned next to her, and she remembered.


  “Are you awake, Daisy?” her mum called. “You went to sleep really early last night, are you feeling OK?”

  “I’m fine,” Daisy called back, twitching the blanket over Barney, in case her mum decided to look in and check on her. “Can I go for a walk before breakfast, Mum?”

  “I suppose so…” Mum sounded surprised.

  “We’re going home tomorrow,” Daisy added. “I just want to make sure I – um – see everything…”

  “You’re mad,” Oliver muttered from deep inside his sleeping bag. He hated getting up in the morning.

  “I’ll be back soon,” Daisy promised, flinging on some clothes and unzipping her secret door. Barney stuck his nose out as soon as she’d opened the zip enough, sniffing happily at the damp grass.

  “Come on,” Daisy whispered. “Julie gets up early to feed you lot. She’ll probably have noticed you’re missing by now.”

  She hurried over the bridge, with Barney pattering after her, his little shiny black claws clicking on the wood.

  “Ugh, it’s cold.” Daisy shivered, wishing she’d looked at the weather before she’d put on her denim shorts. At least she’d brought a hoodie. “I think it might rain,” she added sadly. “On our last proper day.” She swallowed. Her last day at Riverside. After tomorrow, she wouldn’t be able to see Barney again.

  For a moment, she was tempted to run back to the tent and try to hide him, somehow smuggle him into the car and take him home. But she knew it would never work. It was just a silly daydream.

  “Barney!” she called, hurrying down the path. She wanted to get this over with.

  Barney trotted behind her, his head hanging a little. He could tell where they were going. He didn’t want to return to the pen with his brothers and sisters. He’d liked being with Daisy much more.

  Daisy had decided she’d better take Barney to the front door of the farmhouse, as the door in the yard would still be locked. She wasn’t quite sure what she was going to say – just that she’d found the puppy. Which was true, even if it wasn’t the whole truth. She slowed down as she came up the path, suddenly worrying that Julie might ask her difficult questions.

  Barney hung back at the gate and whined, wishing he was still in the tent. He wanted to snuggle up next to Daisy and have some more of those treats. There was a strong wind blowing, and he didn’t like the feel of it whistling round his ears at all.

  Daisy came over and picked him up gently. “I know,” she muttered in his ear. “I don’t want to leave you, either. But you’re not mine, Barney.” She sniffed and knocked on the front door.

  It flew open almost at once, and Julie was there with a phone in her hand.

  “Oh! He’s here, it’s all right! Yes, Daisy’s got him! I’ll call you again in a minute.” She ended the call, and hugged Daisy and Barney. “That was Amy, she’d gone to look along the road for me; we were worried he might have got out there. Oh, Daisy, you star, where did you find him?”

  “Um, he found me,” Daisy told her. “By the river.”

  “Thank you so much. I went in to feed the puppies this morning, and realized he was gone. He’d dug a little hole under the wire of the run; I don’t know how he squeezed himself out.” She patted Barney gently. “I really thought we might have lost you. I’m going to have to block up that hole, aren’t I?” She looked Barney over anxiously. “He’s all right? He wasn’t limping or anything?”

  Daisy shook her head. “He looks fine to me.”

  “His new owner’s coming to see him today, which just made it all worse – can you imagine having to explain that we’d lost him!” Julie sighed. “At least, I hope she’ll be his new owner. I’ve not actually met her yet, but she sounds very keen.”

  Daisy nodded, and tried to blink away the tears that had suddenly filled her eyes. “Is she going to take him today?” she managed to ask.

  Julie put an arm round her. “No. She just wants to meet him. I’m sure she’ll be nice, Daisy. He’ll have a lovely home. And you’ll get a dog of your own soon. I told your mum and dad how helpful you were, and how you’d be a brilliant dog owner.”

  “Thanks,” Daisy said quietly. But it wasn’t the same. She wanted Barney, and she knew she couldn’t have him. Blinking away her tears, she passed the fat furry bundle to Julie, and Barney whimpered, wriggling back towards her. “I’d better go. I just went for a walk before breakfast. Mum doesn’t know where I am.”

  “Come and see us later,” Julie suggested. “I want to give you something to say thank you.”

  Daisy nodded, and hurried off up the path.

  Barney stared after her, whining miserably. He’d gone and found Daisy, and she’d been pleased to see him. Why was she leaving him again?

  “That’s really nice of Julie,” Mum said, when Daisy explained about going over to the farmhouse later. “You just found Barney wandering along by the river?”

  “Yes.” Daisy nodded. She had. She just hadn’t been very clear about when, that was all. “And so I took him back.”

  Mum eyed her thoughtfully, and Daisy tried not to go red as she ate her cereal. She was pretty sure that Mum thought there was more going on than she was telling.

  “I’m supposed to be going canoeing on the river this morning,” Oliver said dismally, staring out from under the canopy at the dark grey sky. As Daisy walked back from the farmhouse, it had started to rain.

  Dad shrugged. “Well, you’re going to get wet anyway…”

  Oliver made a face. “I know. It just doesn’t feel like holiday weather any more, that’s all.”

  “Maybe it’ll blow over,” Mum said. But it didn’t look like it would.

  Daisy walked down to the canoe shed with Oliver and Dad later that morning, while Mum nipped to the village shops. Daisy was going to go over to the farmhouse once she’d watched Oliver for a little while. It was nice of Julie to want to give her something, but it was making her feel a bit guilty.

  It took ages for the canoeing to get started. Oliver had to be kitted out with waterproofs and paddle, and told all the safety rules. The instructor kept suggesting that Daisy join in, too. In the end, she told Dad she was going to the farmhouse, just to get away before she was forced into a canoe.

  When she went back up to the farmhouse, Julie was already talking to someone – and Daisy gulped, remembering what she had said.

  It was Barney’s new owner.

  Daisy didn’t really like the look of her. That might be because she was jealous, Daisy thought, trying to be fair. But it seemed strange that the woman was in a smart dress, when she was coming to see a litter of muddy-pawed puppies. Her frilly umbrella kept trying to turn inside out, too. Daisy hung around by the gate, trying not to get in the way, but now it seemed the woman was leaving.

  Julie folded her arms and watched as the woman went down the path. She looked a bit annoyed. Daisy wondered whether Julie had discovered that Barney had stayed in her tent all night. But Julie smiled when she saw her.

  “Was that Bar— I mean, the puppy’s new owner?” Daisy asked her, in a small voice.

  Julie shook her head. “No. It should have been. But she’s decided she doesn’t want him after all.”

  “Why not?” Daisy stared at her. How could anybody not want him?

  “Because of his floppy ear. She’s looking for a show dog, you see. It would disqualify him in the show ring.”

  “But you said he’d grow out of it.” Daisy frowned.

  “Yes, he probably will. But he’s the only one of the litter whose ears haven’t straightened up, and she thinks it won’t. So – she doesn’t want him.”

  Daisy’s eyes widened, as thoughts swirled around her head. “But … does that mean he’s still for sale?” she stammered, looking up at Julie in sudden hope.

  “Well, yes – there’s no one else on the waiting list at the moment, so he is, I suppose. Oh! Daisy, come back, I’ve got some sweets for you!”

  But Daisy was gone, racing back along the path to the river, to tell her dad they
had to give Barney a home.

  “Dad! Dad! You have to come!” Daisy dashed up to where her dad was huddled in his waterproof, watching Oliver, who was out on the river now.

  “What’s the matter?” Dad looked worried, but Daisy laughed.

  “Nothing! Nothing’s the matter, it’s a good thing! Barney’s new owner doesn’t want him. We can buy him! We could take him home with us tomorrow! You have to come and talk to Julie.”

  “What? Slow down, Daisy, I don’t understand.” Dad was frowning, and for the first time since Julie had told her the news, Daisy stopped to think. She’d been so excited that Barney was for sale again that she hadn’t even considered whether her parents would say yes.

  “Barney… The German shepherd puppy – the one I really like. I had to stop going to see him because he was going to belong to someone else, and it wasn’t fair on him. But he isn’t anyone’s now, Dad!”

  “What are you two talking about that’s so important?”

  Daisy jumped. Mum had come up behind her without her even noticing.

  “Daisy says that the puppy…” Dad began. He sounded worried.

  “It’s Barney, Mum.” Daisy’s words were tumbling over each other as she tried to explain. “The lady who was supposed to buy him changed her mind. So we can have him – can’t we? You said you were seriously thinking about getting a dog. Please, please can it be this dog?”

  “But Daisy, a great big German shepherd?” Her mum sighed. “I know he’s cute and little and fluffy now, but think how big Lucy and Sally are! We couldn’t have a dog like that.”