Murphy and the Great Surf Rescue
Page 3
People lined the shore and watched as Boris fought his way through the waves. He had almost reached the boy when the boy suddenly stood up. Boris soon found himself walking in shallow water too. They were on a sandbar, and the water was only ankle deep. The boy had been pretending to be in trouble.
The boy started laughing and pointing at Boris, but Boris just turned and headed back to the shore. His fur dripped with water and seaweed, but he looked too angry to even shake himself off.
Back at the lifeguard hut, Boris shook himself dry. “It’s very dangerous to distract the emergency services like that. His silly game could have cost the lives of others.”
Murphy glanced back out to sea. The surf dog competitors were lined up on the sand, and a large golden retriever with sun-bleached fur looked ready to announce the start of the competition. “What about my Surf Rescue badge?” asked Murphy.
Boris shook his head. “I’m afraid we won’t have time now, Murphy. The competition is about to begin, and it will be too late afterward to try.”
Murphy sighed. He had wanted to earn his Surf Rescue badge today. He followed Boris down to the shore and helped him move the black-and-white checkered flags along the beach to show where the surfing competition would take place.
Murphy passed Rodrigo. “I hope you win.”
“Thanks,” said Rodrigo. “I hope so too, but look over there. That’s Aliikai, the world champion.”
A small Chihuahua was polishing a pink surfboard.
Murphy patted Rodrigo on the back. “Good luck, amigo! Do your best.”
* * *
Murphy didn’t sit with his friends. He stayed on duty with Boris to watch over the competition and make sure none of the competitors got into difficulties.
Murphy watched Rodrigo take his turn. All the pups at the academy cheered for him. Rodrigo paddled out and caught a wave, slicing down its breaking edge. He put in a couple of good turns. It was good, but was it good enough to win?
Dog after dog went up to surf.
Alfonso the affenpinscher from California wiped out under a big wave.
Lara the lurcher from Cornwall tipped the front of her board into a wave and went flying through the air.
All the time the waves were getting bigger and bigger.
“Look,” said Boris. “It’s Aliikai’s turn now.”
Everyone on the beach clapped and cheered as Aliikai made her way down to the water’s edge. Excitement rippled across the crowd. They were about to see the world champion in action. No one wanted to miss this. All eyes were on the small Chihuahua and the pink surfboard as Aliikai paddled out into the waves.
Murphy surveyed the beach. No one else was in the water. Everyone had gathered to watch the competition. The sea was empty. Empty—except for one boy … the boy in the red baseball cap.
The boy was in the water at the far end of the beach, waving his arms in the air.
“Look,” said Murphy. “That boy’s calling for help again.”
Boris stared across the beach.
“Hmmph!” he said. “The nerve of him. He’s fooling around again, wanting attention. Best ignore him. He’ll come out when he’s bored.”
Boris trotted away to make sure he was in a position to help Aliikai if she needed it.
But Murphy couldn’t ignore the boy. He was waving his hands wildly above his head. Murphy was sure he was calling out too, although the wind was blowing away from him, carrying the boy’s voice farther down the beach in the other direction.
A colder wind was blowing, ruffling Murphy’s fur.
The boy kept yelling. His head bobbed under the water and up again. The waves were getting bigger, and the tide had come in. Murphy felt a knot of worry tighten in his stomach. He glanced back at the surf competition. Maybe he should stop the competition and call Boris and the lifeguards. But Boris had said the boy was trying to fool them again. Surely Boris was right.
Murphy felt uneasy. He felt it deep down in his chest. His paws twitched. Maybe he would just take a walk along the beach and check if the boy was okay. He could be back before Aliikai had finished her turn.
Murphy trotted to the far end of the beach. The waves were different here. They didn’t curl in a soft line but reared up in messy waves that thumped down on the sand. But where the boy was, the ocean was strangely flat. As Murphy watched, the boy seemed to be drifting farther and farther out, as if invisible hands were pulling him away from the shore.
Murphy knew the boy wasn’t fooling around anymore. This boy was in deep, deep trouble.
This boy was in a rip current and being sucked out to sea.
* * *
Murphy didn’t even think about it. He plunged into the water.
The first wave hit him, rolling him over, but he got up again and bounded farther into the water. He remembered Rodrigo telling him to keep his head down and let the waves pass over him. He plunged through the water, diving underneath each mountainous wave. When he broke past them, he could feel the rip current take hold of him and pull him too. He glanced back and watched the beach disappear farther and farther away.
Keep calm, he told himself. Don’t panic. He had to find the boy. The boy was underwater again. Murphy couldn’t see him, but he felt him with his paws. The boy held on to Murphy and pulled himself up again.
He took a huge gasp as his head burst above the water.
“Woof,” Murphy barked. The boy’s hand reached up and grasped the handles on Murphy’s jacket. Together they spun in the rip current, heading out to sea.
Murphy knew it was hopeless to swim against the rip current. He had to swim out of it, parallel to the shoreline.
He could see people running along the beach toward them, Boris in front and all his friends not far behind.
Murphy turned and swam parallel to the beach. His legs ached. Water rushed up his nose and into his eyes, but he kept swimming until he felt the pull of the rip current weaken. Now all he had to do was swim to the shore. It was harder with the weight of the boy, and the waves seemed even bigger.
Murphy looked behind him to see a huge wave rise up. Everything slowed down. He thought of Rodrigo and how he had told Murphy not to fight the ocean but to become part of it. He didn’t feel frightened anymore.
“Hold on,” Murphy woofed. He pushed his paws in front of him and prepared to bodysurf as the wave curled over and raced them to the shore.
“ARRRRRRROOOOOO!” howled Murphy.
People were cheering along the shoreline. Boris bounded in and helped Murphy and the boy onto the sand.
“Well done, young pup,” woofed Boris. “Well done.”
The boy’s mother rushed up and held her son in her arms.
Murphy’s friends crowded around him. He was wet and cold and plastered in sand and seaweed.
“You’re safe, Murphy,” cried Scruff.
“We thought we’d lost you,” said Pip.
“You’re our hero,” said Rodrigo.
Murphy smiled.
He smiled because he knew it didn’t matter if he was a hero or not; his friends were there for him, and that meant more than anything in the world.
7
There was a buzz of excitement at the puppy academy.
All the puppies filled the hall and waited. It wasn’t every day that a world-famous celebrity visited the academy. Murphy sat next to Rodrigo and his friends and waited for Boris of Bognor Regis.
“Here he comes,” woofed Star.
The pups howled with excitement as Boris walked into the hall.
“WELCOME, WELCOME, EVERYONE, TO THE FRIDAY AWARD CEREMONY,” barked Professor Offenbach. “TODAY WE WELCOME BORIS OF BOGNOR REGIS TO PRESENT SOME VERY SPECIAL BADGES. WE ALSO SAY A VERY SAD FAREWELL TO OUR STUDENT FROM MEXICO, RODRIGO LOPEZ. I KNOW MANY OF YOU HAVE BECOME GREAT FRIENDS WITH HIM AND WILL KEEP IN CONTACT. WHO KNOWS, MAYBE SOME OF YOU WILL EVEN GET THE CHANCE TO VISIT HIM IN MEXICO ONE DAY.”
Murphy looked at Rodrigo. “I don’t want you to go,” he said.
Rodrigo wagged his tail. “Amigo, come and visit me anytime. The surf is great in Mexico!”
“AND…,” continued Professor Offenbach, “I WOULD LIKE TO CALL UP RODRIGO TO THE GIANT SAUSAGE PODIUM AND GIVE HIM A BAG OF SURFBOARD-SHAPED CRUNCHIE MUNCHIES IN CELEBRATION OF HIS FIFTH PLACE AT THE WORLD JUNIOR SURF DOG CHAMPIONSHIPS.”
All the pups cheered and thumped their tails on the floor for Rodrigo, but none more loudly than Murphy.
“I WOULD NOW LIKE TO ASK BORIS TO PRESENT RODRIGO WITH THE SURF RESCUE BADGE.”
Murphy watched Boris fix the badge to Rodrigo’s collar. He sighed. He wished he’d been able to take the test too.
“AND I WOULD LIKE TO CALL UP MURPHY TO THE SAUSAGE PODIUM, TOO, TO RECEIVE AN AWARD.”
Murphy didn’t move.
“Go on,” prodded Star.
“But I didn’t take the test,” said Murphy.
Boris faced all the puppies. “Murphy made a few mistakes during his training. We all make mistakes. The important thing is to learn from them. I made the mistake of thinking a boy was fooling around again in the water. It was Murphy who trusted his instincts and did something incredibly brave. He risked his own life to save someone else’s.”
Silence fell across the hall.
Boris cleared his throat. “Because of his bravery in the face of extreme danger, I would like to present Murphy with the highest honor.…”
Murphy looked up to see Boris holding a gold medal in his paw.
“The Gold Medal for Gallantry.”
All the puppies thumped their tails and howled.
Murphy’s legs were shaking, but he made his way onto the podium. He looked into the Newfoundland’s brave eyes. “You’re my hero,” Murphy whispered.
Boris of Bognor Regis placed the medal around Murphy’s neck and smiled. “You’re my hero too.”
* * *
“One last swim in the river,” woofed Rodrigo, jumping into the water with Pip and Scruff.
Murphy sat with Star on the riverbank.
“I’m going to miss him,” said Murphy.
“Me too,” said Star.
Major Bones sat down beside them. “Well done on your medal for gallantry,” he said. “You were very brave indeed.”
Murphy stared at his feet. “Anyone would have done the same,” he said.
“Maybe,” said Major Bones. “It was brave to swim out into those waves and save that boy. But courage comes in different forms. It was brave to get back up and go out into the waves when you were scared to try again. Not many would have given it another go.”
“Rodrigo helped me with that,” said Murphy. He sighed. “I feel so bad about being unfriendly to him when he arrived.”
Star looked up at him. “You said you were sorry.”
“Yes.” Major Bones smiled. “And it can take even greater courage to say sorry and to admit that you were wrong.”
Rodrigo splashed water at Murphy and Star. “Hey! Amigos! Aren’t you coming in?”
“We’re coming,” yelled Star.
“WATCH OUT,” woofed Murphy.
A huge brown blur whizzed through the air …
“ARRROOOOOOOOOOO!”
PUPPY PLEDGE
I promise to be honest, brave, and true and serve my fellow dogs and humans too.
In peril, I will be your guide, walking with you by your side.
I am your eyes, your ears, your nose, through wind and rain and sun and snow. I’ll be with you until the very end, your wet-nosed, waggy-tailed best, best friend.
Meet Whizz, a real-life water rescue dog!
Name: Whizz
Occupation: Water rescue and therapy dog
Likes: Company and cuddles
Hates: Hot weather (because he has a really thick double coat)
Whizz is lively and excited when leaping to the rescue, but as soon as he spends time with a sick child, he changes into a lovely, calm, cuddly friend.
Water Rescue Dog Facts
Leonbergers like Murphy and Newfoundlands like Boris make great water rescue dogs because of their size, stamina, and love of water!
Water rescue dogs sometimes have to tow boats.
DID YOU KNOW?
They also have to practice jumping off different types of boats.
The handle on a water rescue jacket has two uses: for the person being rescued to hold on to, and to help lift the dog back into a lifeboat.
DID YOU KNOW?
Leonbergers and Mexican Hairless dogs have flaps of skin between their toes, giving them webbed feet like a duck! This means they are excellent swimmers.
Another name for a Mexican Hairless dog like Rodrigo is Xoloitzcuintli (say “show-low-eats-queent-lee”).
DID YOU KNOW?
Leonbergers have a double coat–long, oily hair covering soft, dense hair–which helps keep them warm in water.
About Murphy and his owner, Gill Lewis
I’m MURPHY, a Leonberger just like Murphy in this book. He’s named after me. I LOVE people and I LOVE water, which is why Leonbergers make such great water rescue dogs. Sometimes when I meet people, I get so excited that I forget just how big I am. But I’m a big dog with a big heart, and people seem to find me very huggable.
If you want, I’ll come on all your adventures. I’ll climb mountains and swim across rivers with you. I’m so strong, I’ll even carry your picnic basket!
Crazy about puppies?
Ready for daring water rescue?
Want to know about real-life assistance dogs?
Surf’s up!
“A must for any children hooked on animals or school stories.”
—THE TELEGRAPH
About the Author
Gill Lewis spent much of her childhood in the garden. When she grew up, she became a vet and a children’s author. She lives in Somerset, England, with her husband and three children and writes from a tree house in the company of squirrels. Visit her online at gilllewis.com, or sign up for email updates here.
About the Illustrator
Sarah Horne is a versatile illustrator whose work has appeared in children’s books, advertisements, and newspapers throughout the UK. She has also written and illustrated two books in her original series Molly & Mimi. Sarah lives in London. You can sign up for email updates here.
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Puppy Pledge
Meet Whizz
Water Rescue Dog Facts
About Murphy
About the Author and Illustrator
Copyright
Text copyright © 2016 by Gill Lewis
Illustrations copyright © 2016 by Sarah Horne
Henry Holt and Company, Publishers since 1866
Henry Holt® is a registered trademark of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010 • mackids.com
All rights reserved.
Originally published in the UK in 2016 by Oxford University Press
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition of this book as follows:
Names: Lewis, Gill, author. | Horne, Sarah, 1979– illustrator.
Title: Murphy and the great surf rescue / Gill Lewis.
Description: First American edition. | New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2017. | Series: Puppy Academy | Summary: Murphy wants nothing
more than to be a surf rescue dog like his hero, Boris of Bognor Regis, until he becomes jealous of a new puppy with the same goal.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016038705 (print) | LCCN 2017018436 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781627798006 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781627798044 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781627798013 (ebook)
Subjects: | CYAC: Heroes—Fiction. | Leonberger dog—Fiction. | Dogs—Fiction. | Animals—Infancy—Fiction. | Working dogs—Fiction.
Classification: LCC PZ7.L58537 (ebook) | LCC PZ7.L58537 Mur 2017 (print) | DDC [Fic]—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016038705
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eISBN 9781627798013
First American hardcover edition, 2017
eBook edition, August 2017