Paws and Whiskers (37 page)

‘Just take a look, Micky,’ said Mum, giving him a little push.

So Micky had to go with them to the kennels at the back of the house. The howling got louder. It had a strange eerie edge to it. Marigold put her hands over her ears.

‘Which one’s making that horrid noise?’ she complained.

‘Yes, sorry. That’s a stray we picked up last night. He’s been making that row ever since, though we’ve done our best to comfort him. He’s only a puppy, but he’s a vicious little thing all the same. I certainly wouldn’t recommend him for a family pet, especially as the little boy’s so nervous.’

‘I bet I could tame him,’ Marigold boasted. She approached the pen in the corner, where a big grey puppy stood tensely, head back, howling horribly.

‘Nice doggie,’ said Marigold, and the puppy quivered and then stopped in mid-howl.

‘See that!’ said Marigold excitedly. ‘There, I’ve stopped him. He’s coming over to see me. Here, boy. You like me, don’t you? Do you want to be my doggie, eh? You can’t be Micky’s dog because he’s such a silly little wet wimp.’

Micky couldn’t stand the word wimp. It sounded so horrible and feeble and ugly and pimply.

‘Don’t call Micky silly names,’ said Mum.

‘Well, it’s true. He really
is
a wimp. Even Dad says so,’ said Marigold, reaching through the bars to pat the strange grey puppy. ‘Dad says I should have been his boy because I’ve got all the spark, while Micky’s just a wimp.’

Micky burned all over. He shut his eyes, his whole skin prickling, itching unbearably. He could still hear the howling but now it seemed to be right inside his own head. He ground his teeth . . . and then suddenly Marigold screamed.

Micky opened his eyes. He stared at his shrieking sister. The grey puppy had a fierce grip of her finger and was biting hard with his little razor teeth.

‘Get it off me! Help, help! Oh, Mum, help, it hurts!’ Marigold yelled.

A very naughty little grin bared Micky’s teeth – almost as if he was biting too. Then he shook his head and Marigold managed to snatch her finger away from the savage little pup.

‘
Bad
boy,’ said Miss Webb to the excited puppy. ‘I’m so sorry he went for you, dear. Mind you, I did try to warn you. You mustn’t ever take silly risks with stray dogs. Let’s have a look at that finger and see what damage has been done.’

‘It’s bleeding!’ Marigold screamed.

‘Come on now, lovey, it’s only a little scratch,’ said Mum, giving her a cuddle.

‘Still, it’s better not to take any risks. We’ll give it a dab of disinfectant and find you a bandage,’ said Miss Webb.

She led the wailing Marigold back into the house. Mum followed, looking a little agitated.

Micky didn’t follow. He stayed where he was, out by the dog pens. He took no notice of all the ordinary dogs, obedient in their pens. He didn’t even give the cute Labrador puppies snuggled in their basket a second glance. He only had eyes for the strange grey puppy that had bitten Marigold.

It ran towards Micky. Micky didn’t back away.
He didn’t feel so scared. And the puppy seemed to have perked up too. He didn’t howl any more. He made little friendly snuffling sounds.

‘You just bit my sister,’ Micky whispered.

The puppy coughed several times. It sounded almost as if he was chuckling. Micky started giggling too.

‘That was bad,’ Micky spluttered, his hand over his mouth so they wouldn’t hear back in the house. ‘But we don’t care, do we?’

The puppy shook his head. He came right up against the bars of his pen, sticking out his soft pointed snout. His amber eyes were wide and trusting now.

‘Are you trying to make friends?’ Micky asked.

The puppy snuffled.

‘Hello, puppy,’ Micky said, and he reached through the bars to pat the puppy’s head, though Marigold had just demonstrated that this was a very dangerous thing to do.

‘But you’re not going to bite me, are you?’ said Micky.

The puppy twitched his nose and blinked his eyes. Micky very gently touched the coarse grey fur. His hand was trembling. The puppy quivered too, but stayed still. Micky held his breath and started stroking very softly. The puppy pressed up even closer,
in spite of the hard bars. His pink tongue came out and he licked Micky’s bare knee.

‘We’re pals, right?’ Micky whispered.

The puppy licked several times.

‘Hey, I’m not a lollipop,’ Micky giggled, wiping at his slobbery knee.

The puppy licked harder, sharing the joke. He managed to get one paw through the bars. He held it out to Micky. Micky shook the hard little pad solemnly.

‘How do you do,’ said Micky. ‘I’m Micky. And that silly girl you bit was my sister Marigold.’

The puppy grinned wolfishly.

‘You didn’t half go for her, didn’t you,’ said Micky, and they had another giggle together, the puppy giving little barks of glee.

‘Micky! Get away from that dog!’ Mum suddenly cried, rushing out of the back of the house. ‘How can you be so stupid? Look what he just did to Marigold.’

‘He won’t bite me,’ said Micky calmly.

‘Do as your mum says,’ said Miss Webb, returning with Marigold. Marigold was still blotched with tears and she held her bandaged finger high in the air to show it off. ‘That puppy is much too unpredictable. I don’t know what I’m going to do with him.’

‘I’ll take him as my pet,’ said Micky, and the puppy stiffened and then licked him rapturously.

‘Don’t be silly, Micky,’ said Mum, trying to pull him away.

‘I’m not being silly, Mum. I want this dog,’ said Micky.

‘No!’ Marigold protested. ‘We’re not having that horrible mangy nasty thing. It bites. My finger hurts and hurts. I shall maybe have to go to the hospital to get it all stitched up.’

‘Marigold, I told you, it’s only a scratch,’ said Mum. ‘Now, Micky, leave that bad puppy alone and come and look at some of the other dogs.’

‘No, Mum. I want this one. Please. I must have this puppy.’

‘What about these other puppies over here? They’re half Labradors and they’re very gentle and docile. Look at the little black one with the big eyes. He’d make a much better pet. See, he’s much prettier than that puppy there,’ said Miss Webb.

‘I don’t mind him not being pretty. I like the way he looks,’ said Micky, and he had both arms through the bars now, holding the puppy tight.

‘Micky, will you leave go of him?’ said Mum. ‘You’re really the weirdest little boy. One minute you’re scared stiff of all dogs and then the next you make friends with the most vicious little creature. What is it, anyway? Alsatian?’

‘It’s certainly mostly German shepherd but it’s got something else mixed up with it. Something very odd,’ said Miss Webb.

‘I know,’ said Micky, nodding solemnly. ‘And I want him so. Oh, Mum, please, please, please.’

‘No, he’s not to have him, Mum! He’ll bite me again,’ Marigold protested furiously.

Mum dithered between the two of them, looking helpless. Micky looked up at her, his big brown eyes glinting amber in the sunlight.

‘You said it was going to be my pet. I had to choose him. And I’ve chosen,’ said Micky.

Mum sighed. ‘All right, then. You can have that one if you really must. Only I still think it’s a very silly choice.’

Micky knew it was the only possible choice. He had the most magical pet in the whole world. His very own werewolf. Well, not quite a werewolf yet. A werepuppy.

JACQUELINE WILSON is an extremely well-known and hugely popular author who served as Children’s Laureate from 2005-7. She has been awarded a number of prestigious awards, including the British Children’s Book of the Year and the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award (for
The Illustrated Mum
), the Smarties Prize and the Children’s Book Award (for
Double Act
, for which she was also highly commended for the Carnegie Medal). In 2002 Jacqueline was given an OBE for services to literacy in schools and in 2008 she was appointed a Dame. She was the author most borrowed from British libraries in the last decade.

Published in Corgi Pups, for beginner readers:

THE DINOSAUR’S PACKED LUNCH

THE MONSTER STORY-TELLER

Published in Young Corgi, for newly confident readers:

LIZZIE ZIPMOUTH

SLEEPOVERS

Available from Doubleday/Corgi Yearling Books:

BAD GIRLS

THE BED AND BREAKFAST STAR

BEST FRIENDS

BIG DAY OUT

BURIED ALIVE!

CANDYFLOSS

THE CAT MUMMY

CLEAN BREAK

CLIFFHANGER

COOKIE

THE DARE GAME

DIAMOND

THE DIAMOND GIRLS

DOUBLE ACT

DOUBLE ACT (PLAY EDITION)

EMERALD STAR

GLUBBSLYME

HETTY FEATHER

THE ILLUSTRATED MUM

JACKY DAYDREAM

LILY ALONE

LITTLE DARLINGS

THE LONGEST WHALE SONG

THE LOTTIE PROJECT

MIDNIGHT

THE MUM-MINDER

MY SECRET DIARY

MY SISTER JODIE

QUEENIE

SAPPHIRE BATTERSEA

SECRETS

STARRING TRACY BEAKER

THE STORY OF TRACY BEAKER

THE SUITCASE KID

VICKY ANGEL

THE WORRY WEBSITE

THE WORST THING ABOUT

MY SISTER

Collections
:

JACQUELINE WILSON’S FUNNY GIRLS

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THE STORY OF TRACY BEAKER
and

THE BED AND BREAKFAST STAR

JACQUELINE WILSON’S DOUBLE-DECKER

includes
BAD GIRLS
and
DOUBLE ACT

JACQUELINE WILSON’S SUPERSTARS

includes
THE SUITCASE KID
and
THE LOTTIE PROJECT

JACQUELINE WILSON’S BISCUIT BARREL

includes
CLIFFHANGER
and
BURIED ALIVE!

Available from Doubleday/Corgi Books, for older readers:

DUSTBIN BABY

GIRLS IN LOVE

GIRLS UNDER PRESSURE

GIRLS OUT LATE

GIRLS IN TEARS

KISS

LOLA ROSE

LOVE LESSONS

Join the Jacqueline Wilson fan club at
www.jacquelinewilson.co.uk

Battersea Dogs & Cats Home is one of the oldest and most famous animal rescue centres in the world. Founded by a Victorian lady, Mrs Mary Tealby, in 1860, Battersea’s dream is of every dog and cat enjoying a loving, permanent and safe home. Until that happens, Battersea aims never to turn away an animal in need.

Battersea rescues, rehabilitates and rehomes dogs and cats who are abandoned, neglected or unwanted, and looks after them while new homes are found. In 2012, 5,880 dogs and 2,760 cats were cared for at the Home’s three centres in London, Old Windsor in Berkshire and Brands Hatch in Kent. Over 1,000 volunteers and 300 staff make sure every animal who comes to Battersea’s gate gets the love, care and medical treatment they need.

Discover more about Battersea’s history and work at
battersea.org.uk

Help us care for lost and frightened animals by donating to Battersea at
battersea.org.uk/donate

Find out how to rehome a dog or cat at
battersea.org.uk/rehoming

PAWS AND WHISKERS
AN RHCP DIGITAL EBOOK 978 1 448 19403 2

Published in Great Britain by RHCP Digital,
an imprint of Random House Children’s Publishers UK
A Random House Group Company

This ebook edition published 2014

Foreword and introductions copyright © Jacqueline Wilson, 2014
LEONIE’S PET CAT © Jacqueline Wilson, 2014
Illustrations © Nick Sharratt, 2014

Published under licence from Battersea Dogs Home Ltd. Royalties from the sale of this book go towards supporting the work of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home (Registered charity no 206394). ® Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.

Text and illustrations © individual authors; see Permissions
here
.

The Permissions constitute an extension of this copyright notice.

First Published in Great Britain by Doubleday, 2014

The right of Jacqueline Wilson to be identified as the editor of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.