“Just gimme a reason, stray,” the old bloodhound said in a gravelly voice.
“Better not give him that reason, mangy mongrel,” Jock added.
Tramp almost laughed. It was hard to take a threat seriously when the dog doing the threatening was dressed up. “Keep your scarf on, killer,” he said.
Then Lady spoke. “It’s okay,” she said to her friends. “He was just leaving. Weren’t you…street dog?”
Tramp sighed. And there it was: the stereotype. Lady was just like every other dog—and human—he had met. Always assuming he was nothing but trouble. All he had been doing was trying to help her, give her a heads-up.
Turning to go, Tramp looked over his shoulder. “Just remember,” he said, “when a baby moves in, the dog moves out.” He began to trot away, but not before grabbing a bone that was lying in the grass. “I’m stealing this, by the way,” he said. Then, with a wink, he was off.
He had tried to do her a favor. He had warned her about what was to come. If she didn’t want to hear it, that was her problem. He had a bone to chew on, and Elliott was off his back. He was good to go. Lady was going to have to figure out her life on her own.
Something was different. Lady felt it—and smelled it. The house still looked the same. The front porch was still as lovely, the white latticework as bright as always against the cream-colored siding. The inside was still picture perfect, the rooms still cozy and the wallpaper—covered with birds and flowers—still cheerful. But somehow, while everything was the same, it had completely changed.
The baby had arrived.
Lying on her dog bed in the living room, Lady listened as Darling sang a lullaby to Lulu. The sound was soothing. Curious, Lady got up and quietly went up the stairs and to the door of the nursery. She peeked inside. Darling’s back was to Lady. She was rocking slowly back and forth, her long white gown shifting in the gentle breeze that blew from the window. Lady tried to get a glimpse of Lulu, but all she could see was a blanket. She gave a little yip to say hello.
Jim Dear, who had been standing by the crib, jumped at the noise. He rushed to the door. “Shhh,” he whispered. He leaned down and ushered Lady from the doorway. “Sorry, girl, not now.”
Sadly, Lady turned and walked along the hall. Through the window in Darling and Jim Dear’s room she could look down at Trusty’s house. She saw Trusty and his person eating at a table together in the kitchen. Trusty’s human still wanted him around. She continued down the stairs. Pausing at a window, she glanced at Jock’s house. The Scottish terrier was sitting on a stool while her human, Stephanie, took photographs of her. Finishing up, Stephanie clapped her hands and opened her arms for a hug. Jock leaped off the stool and ran to her. Stephanie still wanted Jock around.
But Darling and Jim Dear didn’t want Lady around at all. They only wanted Lulu.
Sighing, Lady walked down the rest of the stairs and into the living room. But as she headed for her bed, she heard a scratching noise by the living room window. Her ears perked up. As she looked at the window, the hair on her neck rose. Staring back at her was a pair of beady little eyes. The rat! It was back. Lady raced to the window, jumped up on her hind legs, and rested her paws on the windowsill. A low growl rose in her throat, and then she let out a bark.
The rat scampered away. But Lady kept barking. Hearing the sound of Jim Dear’s footsteps on the stairs, Lady turned, expecting him to look happy for her good protecting. Instead, he looked angry.
Confused, she let him pick her up and carry her through the house and out the back door of the kitchen. Placing her down on the back porch, Jim Dear shook his head. Then, without a word, he went back inside, leaving Lady alone.
Lady plopped down. “When the baby moves in, the dog moves out,” she said softly to herself. She didn’t want to admit it, but that stray dog might have been right.
The next few weeks, Lady found herself spending more and more time outside. She was still allowed to sleep on her bed in the living room. But she no longer got to cuddle with Jim Dear and Darling. Lulu got that spot. And long walks were over. If she was lucky, Jim Dear would take her for a quick walk down to the end of the street and back. She was beginning to think things couldn’t get worse.
And then Jim Dear and Darling packed their suitcase.
And the next day, Aunt Sarah arrived.
She burst into the house, a bag in her hand. Setting it on the hall floor, she moved inside as if she owned the place. Coming down to greet her, Darling held Lulu in her arms.
“Thank you so much for watching Lady while we’re gone,” she said, giving her aunt a quick kiss on the cheek.
“Just dog sitting?” Aunt Sarah said, clearly not pleased by the news. “I thought I’d be in the company of little Lulu.”
Ignoring the woman’s comment, Jim Dear gave her a strained smile. He turned from Aunt Sarah, walked over to Lady, and knelt down. Giving her a quick pat on the head, he added, “Bye, Lady.”
And then, just like that, they headed out the door. It shut behind them with a dull thud.
Lady raced to the window and watched as her people—her whole world—got into their Model T and drove down the street. “Don’t leave me,” she whispered. But it was too late. The car had already turned a corner and disappeared from view.
Lady was alone with Aunt Sarah.
Backing up so she was on the opposite side of the room, Lady watched as Aunt Sarah picked up her suitcase and headed upstairs. Aunt Sarah left behind a large basket, which, as Lady looked on, began to move. Curious, Lady walked over just as the lid on the basket popped open. A moment later, two pairs of eyes peered over the edge, and then, to Lady’s horror, a pair of identical cats slithered out. Lady quickly backed away as Devon and Rex moved into the room. They smiled slyly as they crisscrossed in front of each other, their steps in perfect unison.
“Ew…” began Devon, “this couldn’t be our…”
“New home,” finished Rex. He looked disgusted.
“Not much space to stretch…” Devon went on.
“Our legs,” Rex once again finished.
Ignoring Lady, the cats stopped, and then their lips pulled back over their teeth. Rex continued, “But I think we could make some…”
In unison, they hissed, “Changesss.…”
Lady cringed. That didn’t sound good. Then, as she watched, the cats began to destroy the living room. Devon jumped onto the couch and dug his claws into it. There was a ripping sound as the fabric tore. Rex went to the mantel. His eyes moved up and down the dark wood, stopping at the collection of knickknacks and dolls Darling had carefully put on the shelf. He leaped up smoothly and began to weave around the objects. Lady’s breath caught. He was going to knock them over!
“Be careful!” she warned.
But Rex didn’t hear her—or didn’t care. Lifting his paw, he swiped a porcelain figurine off the shelf. It fell to the floor, shattering into dozens of pieces. Helpless to do anything, Lady watched as the cats continued to move around the room. They ripped up the carpet and shredded the lovely curtains Darling had made. They tore at the wallpaper and clawed at the floors.
Lady had had enough.
Letting out a growl, she took off after the cats. She chased them into the dining room. Both cats jumped onto the long table, their claws digging into the wood. As Devon slammed into a vase, spilling flowers and water everywhere, Rex jumped onto the antique cuckoo clock. Trying to shove his large body into the small window of the clock, he managed to break the bird that announced the hour. A moment later, the whole clock fell.
Their job in that room done, the cats headed into the kitchen. Lady winced as she heard plates and glasses breaking. She faintly heard Aunt Sarah call out her name upstairs. But she didn’t pay attention. Her focus was on the cats. Careering out of the kitchen, they raced by her and back toward the living room. Lady followed. But just as they got to the fireplace, the cats veered off in separate directions. Lady didn’t have time to slow down. With a cry, she flew into the fi
replace, sending ash shooting up into the air.
Coughing and sneezing, Lady emerged from the fireplace. She looked up and froze. Rex and Devon were perched on top of the china cabinet. Inside, placed in the middle of all the other pieces, was the majolica vase Aunt Sarah had given Darling.
In horror, Lady watched as the cats began to rock back and forth. The cabinet began to move. Then, with a groan, it fell. As the china crashed down, the majolica fell and, miraculously, landed safely on a chair. But then it started to roll to the edge. Lady rushed over and lifted her nose, stopping the vase just before it fell. She let out a sigh of relief.
“Lady!”
Startled by the sound, Lady turned. Aunt Sarah stood in the doorway, her hands on her hips, fury in her eyes. The vase, without Lady’s nose to keep it stable, toppled to the ground. As Aunt Sarah screamed out, “My majolica,” the precious object shattered into a thousand pieces.
Lady lowered her head.
She was in trouble. Big, big trouble.
Inside the small carrying crate, Lady shivered. Aunt Sarah had wasted no time in shoving Lady into the metal contraption. Then she had stormed out of the house with it and headed toward town. The crate was swinging back and forth when Aunt Sarah shoved open the door to Richland’s Pet Shop and stomped inside.
Dropping the crate onto the counter, Aunt Sarah looked across at the owner, Mr. Richland. The man peered inside. Spotting Lady, he smiled kindly. “Who’s this precious little angel?” he asked.
Aunt Sarah let out a humph. She opened the door to the crate, and Lady gingerly stepped out.
“Her name is Lady,” Aunt Sarah said. “Although I dare say it doesn’t suit her.”
Mr. Richland looked surprised. “No?” He made a kissy face at Lady, who wagged her tail. From his expression, she could tell he didn’t agree with Aunt Sarah.
Rolling her eyes, the woman pointed at Lady’s thin gray collar. “I need something to keep her from terrorizing us any longer.”
Pulling his gaze from Lady, the pet shop owner reached behind the counter. He grabbed a thin harness and held it up. “A training harness?”
“She can’t be trained,” Aunt Sarah said.
Quickly, Mr. Richland offered several more options: obedience classes, training aids, chew toys. Each was met with a firm shake of the head from Aunt Sarah. Finally, she held up a hand, stopping him. “Don’t you have anything serious in this ‘establishment’? I need to stop her from acting out…for good.”
At that, Mr. Richland’s eyes narrowed. “Perhaps something—or someone—has been causing her to act out?”
Ignoring him, Aunt Sarah let her gaze travel over the wall of leashes and collars. Her eyes stopped on a wire muzzle hung low to the ground, barely visible. It was the only one of its kind, and from the dust on it, it was clear Mr. Richland had never had cause to move it—until then.
“You’re sure that’s necessary?”
Aunt Sarah nodded. Mr. Richland reached over and unsnapped Lady’s collar. He placed it on the counter and lifted the wire muzzle. Lady began to back away. But it was no use. Before she could do anything to stop it, Mr. Richland snapped the muzzle over her nose and clipped it to an ugly collar that wrapped tightly around her neck. Lady shook her head, the feeling of the wire on her face frightening her. As she wiggled and wormed, she moved closer to the edge of the counter. Then Lady fell to the ground.
Taking off, Lady careered around birdcages and over bags of food. She didn’t stop—not even when she heard things crashing and Aunt Sarah shouting angrily. She had to get out of there. Spotting the door, she raced toward it. To her relief, it swung open as a mother and son entered the store. She slipped out and sprinted onto the street.
Lady ran and ran. The noises of the passing carriages and trolleys scared her and made her move faster. She had no idea where she was going. She had never been to that part of town. There were only a few small trees, and she didn’t see any other dogs as she ran. Her heart pounding, she ducked into an alley.
Immediately, the sounds of the street faded, muffled by the high brick walls on both sides of her. Lady’s pace slowed. Taking a deep breath, she let her heartbeat return to normal as she made her way farther down the alley.
Then she came to a dead end. In front of her, a large fence rose between the buildings, blocking her path. Lady checked for a way through, but there wasn’t one. Sighing, she turned to head back to the street when she heard a deep, low growl.
Lady watched as a huge dog stepped out of the shadows. “Oh, thank goodness,” she said happily. “I am so glad to see another dog. It is crazy out there.” She nodded toward the street before adding, “I need some help.”
The dog raised an eyebrow. “You need some help?” he asked. “For what, to steal my stash?”
Lady looked around, confused. His stash? All she saw was a pile of leftover food and trash. “You mean this…garbage?” The dog let out an angry growl. Realizing she might have said the wrong thing, Lady tried to fix things. “It looks like stellar garbage. I’m just…not interested. Personally,” she said weakly. The dog wasn’t buying it. He began to stalk toward her. “I’ll just go, then.…”
“You’re not going anywhere,” he growled.
Lady gulped. She ran back, farther into the alley. But the fence was blocking her path. There was no way out. She was trapped. What was she going to do now?
“Stop!”
The word echoed through the alley, surprising Lady—and the other dog. Both looked up. There, standing on a rooftop, was Tramp. His dark gray face was in shadow, and his body seemed bigger with the sun behind him.
“Don’t make any sudden moves,” Tramp said. He sounded serious. “You’re dealing with a killer here.”
He hopped down from one fire escape to the next and landed on the ground in front of Lady.
Shooting her a look that clearly said, “Stay quiet,” Tramp moved closer to the big dog. Lady lay down, putting her head on her paws. She had no idea what was going on. But Tramp was there—and for some reason, that made her feel better.
The big dog puffed up his chest, clearly pleased to be called a killer. He let out a laugh.
It died in his throat as Tramp shook his head. “I’m not talking about you, Isaac,” he said. He nodded at Lady. “I’m talking about her. Don’t let those floppy ears fool you.” Walking closer to Isaac, he nudged him with his shoulder. “Aren’t you wondering why she’s wearing a muzzle? Why would she dare come near your stash?”
Isaac’s eyes narrowed. “You know, I was wondering about that.…”
That was just the opening Tramp wanted. “This dog is rabid,” he whispered. “You know what ‘rabid’ means, right?”
Isaac had no idea.
Neither did Lady. She had never heard of anyone being “rabid.” Did Tramp mean “rabbit”? Was her muzzle supposed to stop her from hopping? She shot Tramp a look, begging him silently to help her understand what was going on.
“Rabies,” Tramp said. He was talking to Isaac, but he kept his eyes on Lady. “You know, like when you act dangerous and contagious and scary. Like you’re going to kill someone…”
Oh! Lady got it! She knew what Tramp was trying to do. Jumping to her feet, she made herself look as wild and scary as possible. She lifted a paw and let her tongue hang out so that it rested on the muzzle. She began to wobble around the alley. “I have rabies!” she said, to make it clear. “I am acting dangerous. And contagious.”
Isaac nervously stepped back. “Easy, easy…” he said.
“And sometimes it’s even more subtle than that,” Tramp said, shooting her a look.
She was having too much fun to stop. “I have a really real disease,” she added. Then, as Tramp groaned, she let out a strange growl.
“Ahhh!” Isaac screamed. “She’s got it bad, doesn’t she?”
Lady stumbled around, rubbing her fur against the brick walls of the alley and the garbage pails. “I got rabies all over your garbage!” she cried.
; “Even the sausages?” Tramp said, perking up. He nodded at the stash of links.
Lady was confused—but only for a moment. Then her eyes widened as she figured it out. She moved toward Isaac’s stash of leftovers and slowly pressed herself against the food. “Oh, yes. Especially the sausages. They’re contagious now!”
Isaac had moved from slight nervousness to full-blown panic. He looked at Tramp. “What do we do? What do we do?” He turned and trembled as he met Lady’s gaze. “What about my stash?”
“Go! Just leave it, it’s covered in rabies!” Tramp shouted, a glint in his eye. At the same time, Lady rushed at Isaac. The combination was too much for the big dog. Screaming, Isaac hightailed it out of the alley, leaving Lady, Tramp, and the garbage. The duo dissolved into giggles.
Tramp turned to Lady. “Well, I never thought I’d see you here,” he said when he finally got his laughter under control.
“Well, I never thought I would actually be happy to see you,” Lady replied.
Tramp shrugged. Moving past her, he walked to Isaac’s abandoned garbage and picked up a sausage link. He bit down, letting out a happy little groan. It had been weeks since he’d had a good sausage.
“Do you think you could quit stuffing your face for one second and help me out of this muzzle?” Lady asked, moving her head up and down. “It’s the least you could do, really.”
Tramp lifted an eyebrow. He kept chewing for a moment. Then he swallowed. “The least I could do?” he repeated. “I just saved your skin.”
“Well, your ‘plan’ wouldn’t have worked without me,” she pointed out. She eyed the links lying in front of Tramp’s feet. “Which makes half of those sausages mine, by the way. But I’ll settle for help just getting this thing off my face, please.” She lifted a paw to the cold metal of the muzzle.
Tramp hesitated. Lady waited, her heart thumping. She needed his help. She didn’t want to tell him why she had the muzzle or that he had been right. She just wanted to get it off. Finally, Tramp nodded.
“Okay, fine. Yeah. I think I have a friend who can help you out.”
Lady and the Tramp Live Action Junior Novel Page 3
