Читать книгу Vets and pets: Jamie and the magic whistle - Helen Brain Nicky Webb Rico Schacherl - Страница 6

Family dinner

It was a week later. The family were sitting down to dinner. Jamie wrinkled her nose at the dish of overcooked cottage pie with limp vegetables.

“So what’s happening with the dog competition?” she asked her mother, hiding her Brussels sprouts under the gem squash shell. “Did Dr Knight agree to be the judge?”

Arabella frowned at Jamie’s brother, nine-year-old Tick. His monkey, Bieber, was perched on his shoulder, taunting Fungi, who was barking madly.

“Be quiet, Fungi,” she ordered. “Tick, you know the rule. No monkeys at meal times.”

“It’s not fair,” said Tick. “Jamie’s allowed HER pet. Why can’t I have mine?”

“Because yours is vermin,” said Professor Waine, coming out of his daydream. He shovelled a mouthful of cottage pie into his mouth. Most of it fell on his beard, but he didn’t seem to notice. “Nasty animals, monkeys. I can’t imagine what you see in them.”

Bieber clung to Tick’s hair and gibbered angrily at the professor. Fungi barked even more frantically. Under the table the ancient old labrador, Rupert, let out another noxious fart.

The monkey shook his fist at the professor and bared his teeth.

“Geez, Dad, it’s freakish the way that animal hates you,” said Jamie’s older brother, Toby.

“I assure you the feeling is entirely mutual,” said the professor.

“If you didn’t let your dog in the house at mealtimes, this wouldn’t happen,” sighed Arabella. “And eat your vegetables. Don’t give them to Rupert.”

“Good Lord, Jamie, you didn’t give a Brussels sprout to Rupert, did you?” grumbled the professor, looking at the old dog under the table. “He’s going to pass even more flatus.”

“All dogs out,” said Arabella. “Jamie, take them out, please.”

“That’s so unfair! He’s only barking because that stupid monkey’s sitting on Tick’s head. And poor Rupert’s old,” Jamie cried.

“Right now, please,” Arabella said more firmly.

I wish I lived with Pan, Jamie thought as she pushed the dogs through the kitchen door. Her best friend, Pandora, was an only child. She lived in a beautiful house with leather furniture and no clutter, and their housekeeper was a gourmet cook.

“So did he agree?” Tick asked Arabella as Jamie came back to the table. “Did the famous Dr Knight agree to come to the dog competition?”

“Ilona used to work for Dr Knight,” grinned Toby. “Has she mentioned it?”

Arabella threw her napkin at him. “Don’t be naughty, Toby. Sadly,” she said to Jamie, “Dr Knight said yes. We will never hear the end of it now.”

Through the kitchen window Jamie could see Fungi digging in the vegetable patch. Baby carrots were flying in all directions. Fungi was adorable, but he really did need some discipline. He didn’t listen to a word anyone said. He was like Tick, but worse.

“I’m going to enter Fungi,” she said. “He’s going to win the R1 000 first prize.”

“Yeah, right,” Toby grinned. “I’d like to see you train that dog.”

“Don’t be so nasty to your sister,” said Arabella. “Jamie, I think that’s a wonderful idea. You go ahead and train him. The money will be useful anyway.”

“I’ll turn him into a champion,” said Jamie. “Just you see.”