Ruff and Tumble - Invasion of the Goblin Horde

by Royston Wood

  *

  Much later in the day, at the end of a long walk through the countryside, the Pack was making its way back to the Noisy Metal Box that Transports. Ruff was dragging his claws, plodding along at the back of the Pack. He was feeling sad because they hadn’t found any of his missing toys.

  Tumble was feeling happy, though. She was trotting ahead of the Pack when she came to a farm with a very large heap of slurry outside it. Slurry is a particularly splendid mix of cow plops and wee. Mmmm? Maybe ‘heap’ isn’t the best description. Pool would be better.

  “Hey! dragon poo!” Tumble shouted back to the Pack as she trotted over to it, attracted by its wonderful smell. Actually it smelt terrible but dogs have funny ideas. They like rolling in all sorts of nasty things.

  Tumble closed her eyes and breathed in deeply through her nose. She quivered in delight. Stepping up to the pool she dabbed a paw into the flop and stirred the glistening, almost oily, surface. Fresh waves of smell surged up and smacked her in the nose.

  The Pack Leader and Lead Female rounded a corner of the path to see Tumble dabbing a little bit of dragon poo behind each ear. Seeing what she was doing, they both started shouting at her at the tops of their voices and running towards her, waving their arms about.

  Hoorah! They’re cheering me on. I knew this stuff smelt good. They must want me to put some more on. A dab behind the ear isn’t enough for them.

  “Here I go!” she shouted back.

  She leapt into the pool.

  Fortunately it wasn’t too deep.