Buddy (5 page)

Find out in this special sneak preview of
FLASH!

When Charles and Lizzie visit their cousins in the country, they make a special new friend….

As soon as dinner was over, Charles and his cousin Becky asked to be excused. “We’ll take Buddy for a walk,” offered Charles. The puppy jumped up as soon as he heard that word. He wagged his tail so hard that his whole body wriggled. “Hold on, hold on!” Charles laughed as Buddy licked his face while he tried to clip on the squirmy pup’s leash. Outside, Buddy pulled Charles this way and that as he ran to sniff all the new, exciting smells. It was already almost dark, and the air was cold and clear.

“Let’s pretend Buddy is a pirate and he’s leading us to where his treasure is buried,” said Becky.

“Because we captured his ship,” Charles added, getting into the game. “And now he has to show us the hiding place, or we’ll make him walk the plank.”

Buddy made a pretty silly pirate. He kept sniffing every bush and fence post he came across. His leash was getting all tangled as he darted here and there through the yard. “Wait up!” said Charles as Buddy circled back toward the house.

“Look! It’s another pirate ship!” Becky said, pointing to a car that was coming up the long dirt road that led to the farm. Its headlights lit up the house as it drew closer. It pulled right up to where Charles and Becky were standing, near the front door.

The car stopped, and a lady got out. She was holding a bundle in her arms, a bundle that wriggled and moved. It was something wrapped in a blanket. Charles couldn’t figure out what it might be.

The lady started talking —
fast.
“Sorry to drop Flash off in such a hurry, but we’re in a terrible rush,” she said, her words tumbling over one another. “Murray’s father got sick, so we’re leaving much sooner than we thought. We’ll be driving all night long as it is! Of course Flash has had all his shots and everything, as you can tell by his tags — oops! I forgot his collar. Oh, well. Anyway, I’m sure he’ll be a big help to you and we sure do appreciate that he has a good place to stay and all, and —”

“Dot! Let’s go already!” said a man’s voice from inside the car.

“Okay, okay!” The woman gave the bundle in her arms a big kiss. “We’ll miss you,” she said. Then she gently put it down on the ground and hopped back into the car. “He’s a little shy! Just give him time and you’ll see how sweet he is,” was the last thing the woman called out as the car turned around in the driveway. A moment later, the car was on its way back down the driveway, leaving Charles and Becky staring at each other — and at the bundle. Buddy strained at his leash, trying to get a sniff of whatever it was.

“What was
that
all about?” Charles asked.

“I have no idea,” said Becky. She stepped forward and unfolded the blanket.

“Oh!” said Charles.

There, looking up at him, was the cutest black-and-white puppy he had ever seen.

Flash wasn’t a small, roly-poly puppy like Buddy. He was a sleek, long-legged, pointy-nosed dog. But Charles could tell by the way he sprang to his feet when Becky unwrapped the blanket that he wasn’t a grown-up dog. He was black and white, with a silky coat and a long, feathered tail. His black eyes were shiny and bright. This puppy had obviously been loved and well cared for.

“Oh, my gosh!” said Becky. “He’s so cute!” She reached out a hand to pet him.

Charles saw the puppy’s tail droop down as he crouched, ready to run. “Hold on,” he said to Becky, putting a hand on her arm. “That lady was right. He
is
shy.”

Look for the next book in The Puppy Place, and find out if Flash finds his forever home.

THE PUPPY PLACE

Goldie
Snowball
Shadow
Rascal
Buddy
Flash
Scout
Patches
Noodle
Pugsley
Pricess
Maggie and Max

TAYLOR-MADE TALES

The Dog’s Secret
The Pirate’s Plot
The Cowgirl’s Luck
The Penguin’s Peril

SCHOLASTIC JUNIOR CLASSICS

Doctor Dolittle
The Pied Piper
The Twelve Dancing Princesses
The Wind in the Willows

Ellen Miles is crazy about dogs, and loves to write about their different personalities. She is the author of more than 28 books, including The Puppy Place and Taylor-Made Tales series as well as
The Pied Piper
and other Scholastic Classics. Ellen loves to be outdoors every day, walking, biking, skiing, or swimming, depending on the season. She also loves to read, cook, explore her beautiful state, and hang out with friends and family. She lives in Vermont.

If you love animals, be sure to read all the adorable stories in The Puppy Place series!

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permisson, write to Scholastic Inc., Attn: Permissions Department, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.

Copyright © 2006 by Ellen Miles
Cover art by Tim O’Brien
Cover design by Steve Scott

First printing, September 2006

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e-ISBN: 978-0-545-32442-7