Mr Dog Animal Adventures: Volume 1

Mr Dog assumed an innocent air. ‘My dear fellow, I’m so very sorry. I was trying to hunt those rabbits myself, but I’m afraid I’m not very good at it. Not like you – you seem to bea real expert.’

‘Well, yes, I am, since you happen to mention it.’ The lurcher looked at him suspiciously. ‘Why are you here? Where’s your owner?’

‘Oh, somewhere about,’ Mr Dog said vaguely. ‘He set me loose to catch a rabbit but, well – I’m no lurcher, am I? I nearly got one but it ended up getting caught in a trap! Then a man took it away through the Big New Fence.’

‘Yes, I’m sure,’ said the lurcher. ‘They’ve got dozens of rabbits caged up in there.’

‘Why do you think that is?’ Mr Dog asked him. ‘What are they up to?’

‘Digging, my owner says.’ The lurcher looked back as his owner called to him. ‘She’ll be cross with me now. All the rabbits have scattered and I haven’t caught a single one.’

‘I can’t say sorry enough,’ said Mr Dog, hiding his smile. ‘But I’m sure you’ll be back.’

‘Not for much longer,’ the lurcher said. ‘The people digging behind the fence are trying to control the rabbits with traps and scarers and clever hunting dogs like me, but it’s not working. My owner says they’re going to deal with them permanently.’

‘Permanently?’ echoed Mr Dog. ‘You mean for ever, for good, no turning back? Why, whatever could they be planning?’

But the lurcher had sprinted away at its owner’s call, leaving Mr Dog alone – and feeling very, very worried.

Chapter Four

DIGGING DEEP

It proved to be a busy evening for Mr Dog.

The lurcher and his owner ended up hanging around for hours, trying to catch rabbits or simply chasing them into nets. Mr Dog had to sneak about pulling the nets off or scaring the bunnies away without being spotted.

At last, the lurcher and his owner gave up and went away … through the same door in the Big New Fence.

Exhausted, Mr Dog went back to the burrow.

Socks nervously pushed his head out. ‘What happened back there?’

‘The people behind that fence have really got it in for rabbits …’ Mr Dog explained what he’d done and all he’d seen.

‘So, the rabbits are going to be dealt with p-p-permanently?’ Socks twitched his little pink nose in alarm. ‘That’s awful. What if my owners haven’t come back to me by then?’

‘And what about all the rabbits in these fields?’ Mr Dog lay down again, shaking his head. ‘Somehow I’ve got to find Mother Rabbit, put her back with her bunnies, and help all the other rabbits too—’

‘Including me?’ Socks said hopefully.

Mr Dog looked at him and smiled. ‘Yes, I’d like to help you too, Socks.’

‘Brilliant!’ Socks hopped up and down. ‘But why would you help us? You’re a free dog – you could go anywhere you like.’

‘And leave animals in danger without at least trying to help them?’ Mr Dog tutted. ‘That’s just not me. No, no, that wouldn’t do at all. What if I were the one in danger? I’d like to think other animals would help me if I were in trouble.’ He looked pointedly at Socks. ‘Animals like you – you’ll help me, won’t you?’

Socks looked nervous. ‘Er … What are you going to do?’

‘Isn’t it obvious?’ Mr Dog grinned. ‘The answers – and the rabbits – lie behind the Big New Fence. Somehow we have to get inside!’

The young bunnies and Socks needed their sleep. Mr Dog lay outside their burrow like a guard dog until the dawn scattered its light on the world. The birds began to call and, like the other beasts, the rabbits began to busy themselves with grooming and feeding.

Mr Dog could tell that Mother Rabbit’s bunnies were very hungry. They were too young to eat solid food – they needed milk. Mr Dog knew that if they went without it much longer they’d grow dehydrated and die.

‘My tummy hurts,’ said the older girl bunny.

‘Mine hurts more,’ said the boy.

‘Mine hurts most,’ squeaked their little sister.

‘I had hoped to leave you bunnies behind in your burrow and bring your mother back to you,’ said Mr Dog. ‘But that might take too long – you need her milk now. You’ll just have to come with us.’

‘Come with you where, Mr Dog?’ asked the boy, sleepy-eyed.

‘Where?’ Mr Dog struck a heroic pose. ‘Why, behind the fence, of course!’

‘Eeek!’ Socks jumped in the air. ‘That sounds scary!’

‘I think you mean exciting, Socks.’ Mr Dog gave him a stern look. ‘Now, young bunnies, we’re going on an adventure, and I may need to speak to you quickly. I can’t be saying, “Hey, there, boy bunny!” or “Watch out there, girl bunny!” What are your names?’

‘Mother hasn’t named us yet.’ The elder girl bunny wiggled her nose. ‘Why don’t you give us names, Mr Dog?’

Mr Dog considered. ‘Well, in keeping with the footwear theme started by Socks, how about I call you Sneaker, your brother Shoe, and your little sister Flip-Flop?’

The bunnies laughed. ‘Flip-Flop!’ squeaked Flip-Flop.

‘Sneaker!’ said Shoe.

‘Shoe!’ said Sneaker.

‘We had all better “shoo”!’ Mr Dog stretched, shook his fur to straighten the hanky round his neck and then padded over to the huge fence. Going over it was not an option … but perhaps they could tunnel under it?

‘Any good at burrowing, Socks?’ Mr Dog began scuffing at the turf around the base of the fence. ‘The quickest way to get in is to go right under here.’

‘Before the people wake up?’ Socks said, nodding. ‘Good idea. People stay asleep for ages.’

‘Right.’ Mr Dog began digging with his front paws, spraying dirt in all directions. ‘We can have a good nose about and won’t be noticed.’

Socks joined in the digging. Sneaker, Shoe and Flip-Flop tried too, but kept falling over clods of earth.

‘Something’s wrong.’ Mr Dog peered down at the hole they were making. ‘Our tunnel’s not getting any deeper.’

‘Something’s blocking the way down there.’ Socks jumped in and cooed. ‘Oooh! It’s like the front of my old hutch. Happy days …’

Mr Dog sighed. ‘It’s chicken wire.’

‘I didn’t know chickens made wire,’ said Shoe.

‘They don’t. They make eggs. Anything else would be eggs-tremely silly.’ Mr Dog nudged Socks out of the hole with his nose. ‘The builders of this fence have obviously put chicken wire underground to stop you rabbits digging underneath it.’

‘Sneaky devils.’ Socks clambered up a small hillock and looked towards the distant road. ‘Oh well. Let’s give up and wait for my owners to arrive.’

‘I think we’ll be waiting a long time,’ Mr Dog growled. ‘Besides, I don’t like giving up. Did Wellington give up? Did Lincoln? Did Churchill?’

‘Who are they?’ asked Sneaker.

‘These three Labradors I met once. When they got a bone, they never gave it up. Most inspiring!’ He gave an encouraging grin. ‘Come on, let’s go right the way round this fence, looking for a better way in. Perhaps they haven’t laid chicken wire all the way around …’

The curious-looking group made their way along the fence as the sun began its slow ascent into the sky. Mr Dog tried digging down at various points, but each time he came up against the same thing – more dreaded chicken wire.

‘I’m still hungry,’ said Flip-Flop.

‘Me too,’ said Shoe.

‘Try grass,’ said Socks, munching on a slender stem.

‘No, don’t!’ Mr Dog barked. ‘That could be bad for your tummies. Your mum’s milk is super-nutritious; it gives you all you need to get by. I don’t think you’re ready to start eating grass yet.’

Sneaker gave a little sigh. ‘How come you know so much about it, Mr Dog?’

‘Well, a doctor makes people well – and the D-O-G in my name is short for dog-tor!’ He licked his sore claw. ‘Well, maybe. Come along. We must stay busy – that will help keep your minds off your tummies.’

‘I thought my mind was in my head,’ said Flip-Flop.

‘What mind?’ teased Shoe.

Socks nudged all three bunnies along. ‘Come on, let’s speed this up.’

Following the fence, they came to another sharp corner. As they turned it, a shadow fell over them and Socks gave a loud squeak of horror. It was the shadow of a hunting bird!

‘Behind me, everyone!’ cried Mr Dog, standing up on his back legs. Socks gasped, squashed, as the little rabbits bundled up around him.

Snarling, Mr Dog studied the sky. There was no hunting bird to be seen – and yet the shadow was still visible on the grass by the fence.

Then he saw that the shadow was being cast by a flat metal cut-out of a bird hanging from a wire wrapped round a wooden post in the ground.

‘Phew!’ Mr Dog dropped back to all fours and turned to his party of rabbits. ‘It’s all right. It’s just a sort of scarecrow to scare you little furry foragers away.’

‘People are mean,’ said Sneaker sadly.

‘So mean,’ Flip-Flop agreed.

‘And my tummy still hurts,’ added Shoe.

‘After the way you charged into me, so does mine!’ said Socks.

‘Hush now, children.’ Mr Dog was eyeing the post. ‘If the scarecrow has been placed here, perhaps the chicken wire hasn’t? Let’s find out.’

His front legs were aching by now, but Mr Dog dutifully dug once again in the wavering shadow of the make-believe bird of prey. ‘Don’t be scared of the scarecrow,’ he panted as he worked. ‘Remember, it can’t hurt you.’

It wasn’t long before Mr Dog struck wire netting again. Feeling cross, he moved a few metres along and tried digging again. Surely there had to be some part of the Big New Fence that was unprotected? The shadow of the hunting bird flitted around him in a circle, but he took no notice.

For at least three seconds.

That was when he realised he had moved well away from the scarecrow silhouette of the bird of prey. So how could it still be hanging over him?

With a gasp of horror Mr Dog looked up. The silhouette had been joined by a real hunting bird. A red kite was swooping down towards the bunnies, its deadly talons outstretched to snatch them up!

Chapter Five

UNDER THE FENCE

Even as Mr Dog opened his jaws to bark a warning, he knew it was too late. The red kite was a swift and powerful hunter. As it dropped from the sky to make a catch, its curved beak opened, ready to bite down on the baby bunnies.

But Socks had seen the danger already. His powerful hind legs propelled him forward and he knocked Shoe, Sneaker and Flip-Flop flying. The red kite caught only grass in its talons and rose up again into the sky.

Mr Dog barked, ‘Quick! Hide in the hole!’

All four rabbits ducked into the dip in the ground and Mr Dog lay down over them, hiding them from view. The red kite circled once more, then tipped away, looking for easier prey elsewhere.

‘That was close!’ came Sneaker’s muffled voice.

‘Sneaker, you’re sitting on my head,’ snuffled Shoe.

‘Who’s sitting on mine?’ sniffed Flip-Flop. ‘I don’t dare open my eyes!’

‘I think I am,’ said Socks. ‘Sorry. I’m shaking all over.’

Mr Dog quickly got off and smiled down at Socks. ‘Well, if you stop shaking, I’ll shake your paw! You were very brave, Socks. You saved those bunnies’ lives!’

‘Did I?’ Socks seemed in a daze as he climbed out. ‘Well, I had to do something … We’re family, aren’t we?’

‘Right!’ Shoe hopped out of the hole with Flip-Flop and they both nudged up to him.

But Sneaker didn’t follow. ‘Hey, Socks,’ she squeaked from somewhere in the hole, ‘did you burrow further down?’

‘I did,’ Socks agreed. ‘I didn’t know what else to do.’

‘But how could you? The wire was in the way … wasn’t it?’ Mr Dog padded closer to the hole and smiled. ‘Well, well! Look what’s happened! You’ve found the edge of the netting. There must be a gap before the next stretch of chicken wire starts – that’s why the scarecrow’s here.’

Shoe hopped about excitedly. ‘So we can get under the fence?’

‘We can find our mum?’ asked Flip-Flop.

‘Let’s hope so,’ Mr Dog agreed. ‘Come on, everyone. Let’s get burrowing!’

So quietly, bravely, all four animals dug, delved and burrowed through the mud as best they could. The rabbits went first, making a narrow tunnel beneath the Big New Fence. Then they sat back and caught their breath while Mr Dog took a turn, shovelling with his paws to widen it so that he could fit through too. He kicked up a shower of mud – mud and something else …

‘Ow!’ said Socks. ‘Something just knocked me on the head!’

‘Hey, what’s that?’ said Shoe.

‘It’s shiny!’ said Sneaker.

Flip-Flop licked it. ‘Ugh! It doesn’t taste good.’

‘Let me see.’ Mr Dog turned and frowned at the sight of a small gold disc on the ground. ‘That’s a coin, isn’t it? I wonder what that was doing buried in the mud?’

‘I don’t suppose it was doing much at all,’ said Sneaker wisely.

‘A human must’ve dropped it.’ Socks sniffed at a clod of earth and it crumbled. ‘Look, there are more here.’

Mr Dog examined the coins. They looked to be gold, and very, very old: they were quite wonky.

If we were humans, we could buy milk for the bunnies with these, thought Mr Dog. But coins are useless for animals.

‘Is the tunnel nearly finished?’ asked Sneaker softly.

‘Won’t be long now.’ Mr Dog nibbled some mud from his fur. ‘One last push, and we’ll make it for sure. Here goes …!’

After digging and scrabbling and growling and pushing, Mr Dog finally broke through the ground, snout first.

He gulped down breaths as he looked all about.

He had emerged on the other side of the Big New Fence to discover … mud! Piles and piles of mud lay heaped all round the edges of what seemed to be the ruins of a very old courtyard – the craggy remains of drystone walls half buried in sandy soil. Several pits had been dug inside the crumbling walls, each marked out with lengths of string tied between tent pegs. Wooden racks held old cups and bowls, each carefully labelled. Beyond the mud and the stone ruins stood an old caravan connected to a squat black and green generator that was taking electricity to two large grey Portakabins, a couple of tents and an old snack van, its serving window closed.

‘This is what the humans built their fence round?’ said Socks, struggling through beside him. ‘What a dump!’

Sneaker agreed. ‘It’s just full of dirt and stones and stuff.’

‘There must be a point to this place.’ Mr Dog sniffed the air. ‘The humans wouldn’t go to the trouble of building that fence and trying to deal with you rabbits if it wasn’t important …’

‘Well, no rabbit would come here unless they had to!’ Socks declared. ‘There’s nothing to eat for a start!’

‘But, thank goodness, there is something to drink!’ Mr Dog had spied a small bowl of water on the ground beside the caravan. Perhaps it belonged to the lurcher? He trotted over with some relief. ‘My mouth is as dry as a hamster’s cheek pouch …’ He lapped thirstily at the water. ‘Ahhh, that’s better.’

‘I disagree!’

The voice, cold and supercilious, made Socks and the bunnies duck back into their hole.

Mr Dog froze. Who had discovered them?

Chapter Six

THE BLACK CAT

Mr Dog turned round quickly to find a black cat sauntering out from behind the wheel of the caravan. She was swishing her tail from side to side. Her green eyes glittered.

‘What is that thing?’ squeaked Shoe.

‘It’s a monster!’ Sneaker squealed. ‘Can it fly?’

‘No,’ said Socks, ‘but your fur will if it catches you. It’s a cat. A big horrible cat!’

‘My name is Kitty and this is my site.’ Her green eyes met Mr Dog’s. ‘Who are you?’

Now, Mr Dog didn’t care much for cats, but he tried to treat them with respect, the same as all the animals he met. He’d known some dogs who loved to chase cats, and known several cats who loved to fight back with a serious scratch to the nose. Mr Dog had the feeling that Kitty fell very much into that group – and since he was rather fond of his nose he decided it was best to be friendly. ‘Greetings, Kitty! My name’s Mr Dog, and my rabbity friends are Socks, Shoe, Flip-Flop and Sneaker. So, this is your site, is it? Congratulations – and may I say that your water dish is definitely a sight for sore eyes!’

‘You drank from my dish. Which means you’re a thief as well as an intruder.’ Kitty looked past him and stared at the rabbits. ‘The humans here would go mad if they saw you all running about. None of you should be here.’ Her eyes glittered as she licked her lips. ‘This place is a Site of Great Historical Importance, you know.’

‘A what of who?’ said Socks, baffled.

Kitty gave him a disdainful look. ‘Have you never heard of archaeology?’

‘Ark-ay-oll-oh-jee?’ Flip-Flop struggled to get her tiny bunny lips around the big word. ‘I’ve never heard of it. Any of you bunnies ever heard of it?’

‘Nope,’ squeaked Sneaker.

‘We’re only two weeks old,’ Shoe explained, ‘we’ve hardly heard of anything!’

‘But I have!’ Mr Dog yelped. ‘Of course. What a silly dog I’ve been!’

‘Keep your woofing down,’ hissed Kitty. ‘Or you’ll wake my servants. Some of them live here on site.’

Mr Dog swung round to Socks and the bunnies, still peeping wide-eyed from the mouth of the tunnel. ‘She doesn’t really have servants. This place is what’s known as a dig. The people in charge here are archaeologists – people who learn about ancient cultures by digging up the things they left behind. Buildings, tools, jewellery …’

‘And old coins! That’s why they were buried in the mud.’ Socks’s nose was twitching with excitement. ‘So, people used to live here long ago?’

Kitty nodded. ‘There was a fort here back in Roman times, so the ground is full of its ruins and old bits and bobs.’

‘But rabbits don’t care about stuff like that, do they?’ Mr Dog reasoned. ‘So why are your “servants” trying to get rid of them?’

‘Because rabbits mess up the whole dig site!’ Kitty glared at Socks, Shoe, Flip-Flop and Sneaker. ‘My servants moan about your lot all the time. Rabbits dig deep into the soil, making their burrows and warrens. That undermines the foundations of the ruins so that they fall apart faster. The different layers of old stuff get jumbled up so it’s harder to know just how things were left and who left them there …’

‘So that’s why they’ve been trying to keep rabbit numbers down.’ Mr Dog gave Kitty what he hoped was his most appealing smile. ‘I saw a rabbit being brought in here yesterday afternoon. Do you know where we can find her?’

‘How dare you ask me to help you!’ Kitty arched her back and hissed. Mr Dog stepped away and the rabbits squealed in harmony. ‘You have a nerve, you scruffy mutt.’

‘Scruffy?’ Mr Dog scratched his ear with his back leg. ‘I’ll have you know my neckerchief is the height of fashion!’

‘You break into MY site, drink from MY water dish, listen to MY explanations without even a thank-you, and THEN you expect favours!’ Kitty smiled and shook her head. ‘If you want to stay here a minute longer, it’s going to cost you … one bunny.’

Mr Dog flattened his ears to his head, horrified. ‘Excuse me?’

Kitty’s green eyes were sparkling. ‘Give me one of the bunnies to play with – just one – and perhaps I’ll tell you more.’

‘I’ll do it!’ Shoe jumped up and down. ‘I love playing!’

‘No,’ said Socks quickly. ‘This is one game you would never win.’

Mr Dog decided it was time to bare his teeth a little. ‘What if we don’t give you a bunny?’

Kitty hissed again and slashed at Mr Dog with her sharp claws. A red strip of fabric was torn clear from his neckerchief collar.

Mr Dog stared down at it and gulped.

‘Just do as I say, or you’ll be sorry. I’ll howl and yowl and wake everyone up.’ Kitty sat beside her water dish and grinned nastily at the rabbits. ‘By the way, if you try to run, remember that I’m faster than you. I’ll quickly catch up, and maybe then I’ll eat two rabbits … or even THREE.’

Mr Dog looked at Socks, Sneaker, Flip-Flop and Shoe, who had started to shiver.

‘I’m afraid we have no choice,’ he said softly. ‘Which of you wants to come and … play with Kitty the cat, here, hmm?’

‘None of us!’ Socks jumped up, appalled. ‘You can’t let this fleabag get her way.’

‘On the contrary,’ said Mr Dog. ‘I’m going to give her what she deserves.’ He winked carefully at the rabbits, then turned to Flip-Flop. ‘Hop over here, little one. Please?’

‘Okay, Mr Dog,’ said Flip-Flop, looking up at him with worried black eyes.

‘It’s all right.’ Mr Dog lifted her gently in his jaws. ‘Just remember – when I drop you, close your eyes.’ He turned and crossed back towards Kitty. ‘Here,’ he growled through a mouthful of fur, ‘will this one do?’

‘Yes!’ Kitty declared, licking her lips as she laughed. ‘It’s skinny and small, but I’ll still have some fun with it!’

‘Don’t forget, though, Kitty,’ Mr Dog added, ‘you should always wash your paws before a meal.’ (‘Get ready, Flip-Flop!’ he whispered.) ‘Here, let us help you out …’

And suddenly, with a flick of his neck, Mr Dog dropped Flip-Flop into the cat’s water dish.

The little rabbit made a big impact, sending cold water flying all over Kitty! Surprised, the cat jumped backwards – straight into the rack of old relics. She struck them hard enough to set the wooden rack rocking, and a bowl rolled off and cracked open on the hard ground. Kitty gave a yowl of horror as she saw shards of priceless pottery all over the floor.

And, just at that moment, a bolt scraped back noisily from the caravan door. Someone was coming out!