It was early evening and mum and dad had been invited to the little house next door. Of course, the invitation also included yours truly. You will remember from The Big Adventure how Lewie, that very naughty fox terrier, got me into loads of trouble. After going through the small gate between the two gardens, I spotted him hiding behind a large oak tree. I needed to have a serious word and so made my way over to his hiding place. Our little dog chat didn’t last long because he assured me that his naughty days were over and that he would behave himself in the future. He seemed to be very upset and I felt sorry for him.
The Morning Walk
The next morning mum and the lady next door went shopping quite early. I think dad was still in bed. Shortly afterwards, Lewie’s dad John suggested that we all walk to the river which was about a mile away. Dad agreed and we all walked out of the garden and down the bumpy road. After the road, we walked down a long winding path and Lewie and I were allowed to continue without our leads. This enabled us to run and play all the way to the river. The water was magical and reflected the sunlight as it moved constantly forward. There were small boats on the surface moving up and down the river and I could hear human voices and laughter everywhere.
Little wooden boat
John was calling us down to a little shed on the riverbank. He was sitting in a boat holding two long poles, one in each hand. Dad put both of us into the boat first and then got in himself. John used the poles to pull away from the bank and move us slowly through the water. It was very exciting. There were all sorts of different animals and birds living near the river and I didn’t want to miss a moment. After a while, John got tired of rowing and asked dad to take over and row us home. They decided to change places and made for the bank.
Naughty Tricks
As we approached the bank, Lewie turned toward me with a look that said he could beat me to the shore. I felt sure he was going to jump out of the boat and onto the bank because he crouched back and was ready to spring. We couldn’t have that! I am a Lhasa Apso and we are great at jumping. Unfortunately, I jumped just as the boat shifted sideways away from the shore. I was in the air and knew I would not make it.
There was an enormous splash and I was in the water up to my neck. This time my paws could not feel the bottom. I thrashed about in the water moving my legs one way and then another but amazingly kept my head above the water. I heard a noise and saw dad jump out of the boat onto the grass and then step into the water to save me. It only took seconds before I was back on dry land, cold, wet and bedraggled.
Home again
As I looked back at the boat I saw Lewie still aboard but with a sparkle in his eyes and a sort of smile on his little face. He had tricked me again. I was drenched and shivering with cold and he was still dry and very smug. However, the sun soon warmed me up and I started to feel better. As soon as I was dry, dad put me back in the boat and rowed us all home.
For a change, I wasn’t told off and dad gave me a cuddle and a nice treat. At home in the little house, dad got told off for being irresponsible and not keeping me on a lead. Well, mum is right really. I fell asleep that night thinking of ways I could outwit that naughty little fox terrier but nothing came to mind. He was still my friend but he needed watching.
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