Читать книгу The Boy Who Wanted a Dog - Enid blyton - Страница 5

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It was not until the next morning that Donald found a chance to slip down to the shed to see the kitten. He took some more milk with him, and a few scraps.

“It will be so hungry!” he thought. “What a good thing I left it some milk!”

But the milk had hardly been touched, and the kitten was lying very still in its box. It gave a faint mew when Donald bent over it, as if to say, “Here’s that kind boy again!”

“You don’t look well, little kitten,” said Donald, surprised. “What’s the matter? You haven’t lapped up the milk I left!”

He knew what the matter was when he saw the kitten’s tail. It was very swollen, and the tiny creature had torn off the bandage with its teeth! It was in pain, and looked up at the boy as if to say “Please help me!”

“Oh dear—something has gone wrong with your poor little tail!” said Donald. “Perhaps the wound has gone bad, like my finger did when I gashed it on a tin. Now what am I to do with you?”

The kitten lay quite still, looking up at Donald. “I can’t take you indoors,” said the boy. “My mother doesn’t like cats. I think I’d better take you to the vet. You needn’t be frightened. He’s an animal doctor, and he loves little things like you. He’ll make your tail better, really he will!”

“Mew-ew!” said the kitten, faintly, glad to see this boy with the kind voice and gentle hands. It cried out when he lifted it up and put it under his coat.

“Did I hurt your poor tail?” said Donald. “I couldn’t help it. If we go quickly I’ll have time to take you to the vet’s as soon as he’s there. It’s a good thing it’s Saturday, else I would have had to go to school.”

There were already three people in the vet’s surgery when Donald arrived—a man with a dog, whose paw was bandaged; a woman with a parrot that had a drooping wing—and a small girl with a pet mouse in a box. One by one they were called into the surgery—and at last it was Donald’s turn.

The vet was a big man with big hands—hands that were amazingly gentle and deft. He saw at once that the kitten’s tail was in a very bad state.

“It was bitten by a dog,” said Donald. “I did my best—put ointment on and bound it up.”

“You did well,” said the vet. “Poor mite! I’m afraid it must lose half its tail. It’s been bitten too badly to save. But I don’t expect it will worry overmuch at having a short tail!”

“Perhaps the other cats will think it’s a Manx cat,” said Donald. “Manx cats have short tails, haven’t they?”

The vet smiled. “Yes. Now you’ll have to leave the kitten with me, and I must deal with its tail. It will be quite all right. It won’t be unhappy here.”

Donald liked the vet very much. His big hands held the kitten very gently, and the little thing began to purr.

“Do all animals like you, sir?” he asked.

“Oh yes—animals always know those who are their friends,” he said. “That kitten knows you are its friend. It will let you handle it without fear. I’ll keep it for a week, then you can have it back.”

“Er—how much will your bill be?” asked Donald.

“Oh, you needn’t worry about that!” said the vet. “I’ll send the bill in to your father.”

“But, sir—my father and mother don’t know about the kitten,” said Donald. “You see—I kept it in my shed. It isn’t mine, it’s a stray. My mother doesn’t like animals very much—especially cats. I’d like to pay your bill myself, sir. The only thing is—I haven’t much money just at present.”

“Well, now, would you like to earn a little, by helping me?” said the vet. “You could pay off the bill that way! My kennel-maid is away for a few days—she looks after the dogs here for me—feeds them and brushes them. You could do that, couldn’t you, for a few evenings?”

“Oh YES! Yes, I could,” said Donald, really delighted. “I’d love to. But would you trust me to do the job properly, sir? We’ve never had a dog at home. But I love dogs, I really do.”

“I’d trust any boy with any animal here, if he handled a kitten as gently as you do,” said the vet. “It isn’t everyone who has the gift of understanding animals, you know. You’re lucky!”

“My Granny says that anyone who loves animals understands them,” said Donald.

“She’s right,” said the vet. “Now look—I’ve more patients waiting for me, as you saw. Leave the kitten in that basket. I’ll attend to it as soon as I can. Come back tonight at half-past five, and I’ll introduce you to the dogs. Right?”

“Yes, sir,” said Donald, joyfully, and put the kitten gently into the basket on the floor. Then out he went, very happy.

The kitten would be all right now. He could pay the bill by taking the job the vet offered him—and what a job! Seeing to dogs—feeding them—perhaps taking them for walks! But wait a bit—what would his parents say?

He told his father first. “Daddy, the vet wants a boy to help him a bit while his kennel-maid is away,” said Donald. “I thought I’d take the job—it’s in the evenings—and earn a bit of money. You’re always saying that boys are lazy nowadays—not like when you were young, and went out and earned money even while you were at school.”

“Well! I didn’t think you had it in you to take a job like that!” said his father. “I’m pleased. So long as you don’t neglect your homework, you can help the vet. Well, well—and I thought you were such a lazy young monkey!”

Donald was delighted. He could hardly wait for the evening to come! Looking after dogs! Would they like him? Would he be able to manage them? Well—he would soon know!