Bedtime Story (8/4/2015)

It's Wednesday and that can only mean one thing - it's time for another original bedtime story!  If you're new to this feature, you can catch up with previous bedtime stories here and here.  Once I work out how to file all of the stories together to make it easier, I promise I will do.  You'll have to bear with me; I'm something of a technophobe...

Apparently this month is "National Pet Month" (or at least Twitter tells me it is and Twitter is never wrong...), so I thought what better than a story inspired by my favourite animal and one of the most common pets found in the UK - the dog.  Hope you enjoy it!

Albert Saves The Day

Albert was always getting into trouble.  He couldn't help it, really.  He just wanted to have fun and play with everyone, but somehow, he always ended up making a mess.

Albert had joined the Barnaby family as a small puppy, with big eyes and cute, fluffy ears that flopped over his face.  Over the next year or so, he'd grown into a huge dog, with far too much fur, a waggy tail that was always knocking things over and a habit of getting into mischief.  The Barnaby family - mum, dad, Alice and little Gregory - loved Albert to bits, but his naughty ways were forever catching up with him.

If you dropped anything on the floor, Albert would try to eat it, whether it was edible or not.  Letters, school homework, jumpers, even mum's pink, frilly knickers weren't safe from Albert's jaws!

If Albert thought he was going for a walk, he'd come bounding through the house so fast that he'd knock flower pots and crockery flying as he went.

And once you were on a walk with Albert, he'd drag you along at such a pace, it was a wonder that everyone in the Barnaby household didn't have one arm longer than the other!

One day, mum could finally take no more.  "Enough!"  She cried, as she watched Albert dash into the garden with her morning slice of toast.  "That dog has got to be trained, otherwise he's going to have to leave!"

Gregory's mouth hung open.  "Mum!  You can't send Albert away.  He can't help being big and a bit silly..."

From outside in the garden, Albert's ears drooped and he blinked sadly at Gregory, as the little boy rushed to throw his arms around Albert's furry neck.

"Gregory and I will train him," Alice insisted.  "There's no school today, so we'll take him up to the park."

Their mother sighed.  "Well, you can try," she said.  "But he's on his last warning."

After the breakfast things were cleared away, Alice and Gregory put Albert on his lead - after something of a struggle - and walked, well, jogged, to the park.

"Okay, Albert," Alice commanded.  "Sit.  Sit!  SIT!"

Albert jumped up and put his front paws on Alice's shoulders, knocking her onto the ground and covering her brand new dress in grass stains.

Gregory shook his head.  "What about teaching him to stay?"  He gingerly took off Albert's lead and took a step back.  "Alright, Albert," he told the dog.  "Stay."

Albert went off in a mad dash, whizzing around the park, sending children, other dogs and old ladies running for cover.

Gregory groaned and sat down in the grass beside his sister.  "This is no use," he sighed.  "He's hopeless."

Alice fished a tennis ball out of the pocket of her dress.  "We could try fetch?"  She suggested, as a last resort.  "Albert," she called, as she threw the ball as hard as she could.  "FETCH!"

The ball shot across the park and landed in the river with a plop.  Albert sat on his bottom, scratching his ear and letting his long tongue hang out of his mouth.  He didn't move an inch.

"Oh, Albert," Gregory sighed as he scrambled to his feet.  He and Alice wandered over to the riverbank.  "I can see the ball," Gregory told his sister.  "It's right by the edge,  I think I can reach it."  He turned to his sister.  "You try to get Albert back on his lead and I'll get the ball."

Alice hesitated.  "Are you sure you can reach it?"  Before Gregory could answer, there was a loud bark and the pair spun round, to see Albert chasing a terrified squirrel across the grass.  Alice shook her head.  "Okay," she said.  "I'll try to get Albert.  Just promise you'll be careful?"

Gregory nodded and turned his attention to the ball.  It was just a little way out, floating gentling as the sun dappled the water.  He crouched on his hands and knees and leaned forwards.  It was just out of his reach.  Gregory sighed and leaned a little further...

SPLASH!

Quick as a flash, Albert span round and darted across the grass to the river, with Alice in hot pursuit.  "Come back," she screeched.  But Albert wouldn't stop.  When Alice realised what had happened, she screamed for help, but Albert leaped straight into the water, grabbing Gregory's shirt collar in his mouth and tugging the little boy to the riverbank.  He nudged Gregory out of the water and, once they were both back on dry land, he barked and barked until help arrived.

When the pair got back home, their mother could barely believe what had happened.  She hugged Gregory tighter than ever before.

"Albert saved me," Gregory told her, as he sat in front of a warm fire, with a cosy blanket around his shoulders.  "He was a Super Dog."

His mother nodded, stroking Albert's fur.  "He's more than proved himself," she smiled.  "He's going nowhere; he's a hero and he's right where he belongs."

Albert rose to his feet, wagged his tail and knocked mum's cup of tea all over the carpet, before swiping a biscuit from the coffee table.

"I think he might still need some training, though..."  Mum sighed, as Albert darted out into the garden before anyone could catch him, leaving Gregory and Alice breathless with laughter.  Through the window, they watched him rolling around in the grass, covered in biscuit crumbs.  Albert - the most mischievous hero of them all!