Читать книгу Щенок Элли, или Долгая дорога домой / Ellie the Homesick Puppy - Холли Вебб, Tomasz Hipsz - Страница 4

Packing up had been an adventure to start with, but by the second day, everyone was starting to get grumpy[46]. It was such a huge job. The removals van was coming early the next morning, and everything had to be packed up by then. Megan could tell that her mum was panicking that they wouldn’t be ready in time.

She was trying to stay out of the way as much as possible, but it wasn’t easy with Ellie. Mum and Dad were far too busy to take her for a proper walk, and Megan wasn’t allowed to go out on her own, so Ellie was full of energy, and she couldn’t work it off properly. Already that morning she’d chewed[47] a roll of bubble wrap into tiny pieces all over the living room floor, and she kept managing to be in everyone’s way.

‘Mum, stop!’ Megan yelled, as her mum lowered a box of books on to the hall floor.

‘What? What is it?’ Her mum straightened up, red-faced with effort, and peered worriedly over the top of the huge box.

‘You were just about to squish Ellie with that!’ Megan helped her mum put the box down on top of another one, then pointed to the space she’d been aiming for. Ellie was sitting there, wagging her tail and looking very pleased with herself.

Mum sighed. ‘You’re going to have to take her into the garden. I’m sorry, Megan, but Ellie’s going to get hurt in a minute. She’s better off outside[48].’

‘Come on, Ellie!’ Megan tried to sound enthusiastic as she led Ellie out into the garden. She’d found the red-and-white-striped knotted rope toy that Bella had given Ellie for Christmas in her basket, so at least they could play.

Ellie loved racing up and down the garden after the rope, it was her favourite toy, although she didn’t see why she always had to give it back to Megan after she’d fetched it. It was much more fun to chew it to bits. She shook her head vigorously as Megan tugged at the toy, laughing.

‘Give it here, you silly girl! I’m going to throw it again!’

‘Megan, can you come here a moment!’ It was Mum, calling from inside. With everyone already a bit grumpy, she knew she’d better go and see what Mum wanted, rather than pretend she hadn’t heard.

‘I’ll be back in a minute,’ she promised Ellie, and dashed inside.

Ellie shook the toy a few more times and growled at it, in case it was thinking of fighting back. At last she dropped it on the grass, nosing it hopefully. Where was Megan? This game wasn’t as much fun without her. Ellie left the toy and trotted up the garden to the back door.

The door was closed, but Ellie scrambled up the back step, anyway. The door didn’t always shut properly, and sometimes she could open it, if she nudged it hard with her nose at just the right place. Ellie pushed at the door. She wagged her tail proudly as it swung open and trotted inside.

Ellie wandered along the hallway, listening for Megan. Ah! That was her voice, coming from upstairs. She bounded up the stairs to find her.

Unfortunately, Megan’s dad was coming down the stairs, with his arms full of pictures from the bedrooms that he needed to bubble-wrap.

Ellie yowled as he accidentally trod on her paw, and tried to shoot off[49] through his legs.

Megan’s dad stumbled down the stairs, twisting his ankle. He landed painfully at the bottom.

Clutching his ankle, he looked up to see Ellie staring down at him.

‘That stupid dog!’ he yelled. ‘Megan! Ellie just tripped me up on the stairs. You’re supposed to be watching her! I thought Mum told you to put her outside.’

Megan and her mum had heard the crash, and they were already running along the landing.[50]

‘She didn’t mean to!’ Megan protested, hurrying to pick up Ellie, who was whimpering in fright. ‘I’m sorry, Dad, she was outside. I can’t have shut the back door properly[51] – it wasn’t her fault. Are you OK?’

‘No,’ her father muttered crossly, stretching his ankle. ‘Take that dog outside, now. Ow!’

Megan carried Ellie back into the garden. The little dog was shivering. She wasn’t used to being shouted at[52], and she’d never heard Megan’s dad sound so cross. Megan sat down on the garden bench and cuddled Ellie, whispering soothing words. ‘Ssshh, he didn’t mean it. I’m sorry, Ellie, I should have made sure[53] you couldn’t get back in.’

Ellie snuggled into her fleecy top, still shaking. At least Megan wasn’t angry with her. She whined with pleasure as Megan stroked her ears.

She knew Megan would always be there to look after her.