Читать книгу The Dachshund Who Wore Spectacles - Lora Thomas - Страница 9

A New Friend Arrives

Frank awoke. “Where am I?” He looked around for his glasses, found them, and put them on. “Oh, that’s right. I’m at the lake. I can’t wait to chase more birds! I better get boy up.”

Frank started barking. “Darn it, Frank,” said Spencer. “It’s me.”

I know it’s you, thought Frank. “We must get up. There are birds to chase.”

Being woken by Frank’s barking, Spencer got out of bed. It was almost noon.

“Good morning,” Spencer called out to his parents.

“Good morning,” they called back to Spencer. “Remember, today your brother, his wife, and Puma are coming. They are going to stay a couple days with us at the lake.”

Spencer was excited. Frank decided he was very excited. Frank knew that Spencer’s brother was Tyler. And Tyler’s wife was Kinga, but who was Puma?

Frank’s question was soon to be answered when a car was heard coming down the driveway. Tyler, Kinga, and Puma had arrived! Everybody went running out of the house, including Frank.

Frank saw Tyler step out of the car, then Kinga. Where was Puma? Just then, out of the corner of his eye, Frank saw a flash of black. Something went running by him so fast that he didn’t have time to blink. “Could that be Puma?” questioned Frank.

And Puma it was. Puma, as it turned out, was a dog. He wasn’t just a dog. He was a beautiful, long-legged Border collie. The only strange thing, thought Frank, is that Puma is a cat’s name. I wonder if Puma knows that.

Puma came to a screeching stop just inches in front of Frank. “Hi, I’m Puma. You must be Frank.”

“Finally, someone that I can understand,” said Frank. “Can you understand me?”

“Yes, of course I can,” said Puma.

Puma was very intelligent. So intelligent in fact that Frank was sure he was the smartest dog he had ever met. Frank thought for sure that Puma probably could read and write.

“Puma? Isn’t that a cat’s name?” asked Frank.

“Why, yes, of course it is,” answered Puma. “My people thought that would be the perfect name for me. I am quite proud of it.”

“I’m proud of my name too,” said Frank. “My full name is Franklin Marshall, but you can call me Frank.”

“Let’s go swimming, Frank,” Puma said as he went running toward the trail to the lake. “The water will be warm.”

Frank had never been swimming. He wasn’t sure he could do it. But he headed toward the lake anyway. “Just another great adventure,” said Frank gleefully. “Puma is going to be my best friend. I just know it!”

They reached the bottom of the trail, and splash, Puma leaped into the water. “Come on, Frank. The water’s fine,” Puma called out from the water. With his long legs, Puma was a graceful swimmer.

Frank moved slowly toward the water. He put his front foot in and pulled it right out. “Puma, that’s not swimming. That’s a b-a-t-h,” said an alarmed Frank.

“Frank, what is a b-a-t-h?” asked Puma. “Wait, b-a-t-h. That spells bath. Oh, Frank, you are so silly!”

Frank was amazed. Puma could spell! Frank thought he could, but now he knew for sure. He also felt very sorry for Spencer because Spencer had called it a b-a-t-h. He will need to get back to school as soon as we get home, thought Frank.

“Come on in, Frank,” urged Puma.

Frank set his glasses down on the dock, took a deep breath, and leaped into the water. “I can swim, Puma. I can swim!”

Meanwhile up near the house, Spencer was asking Tyler where the dogs had gone. Tyler figured that they probably went down to the lake because Puma loved to swim. Tyler and Spencer went down toward the lake; they had grabbed some towels and put on their swim trunks. Once down at the water, they saw Puma swimming lazily in the water, but where was Frank?

“Puma, where is Frank?” called Tyler. “Find Frank, Puma.”

Frank heard someone say his name. He swam around the end of the dock. “Here I am!” barked Frank.

“Look, Tyler! Puma taught Frank how to swim!” Spencer beamed proudly.