Authors: Sue Bentley
Muddy Paws (4 page)
“It's really not fair to let Ella go on like this. She's in pain and she can barely move around. I think it's time we called the vet and put her to sleep,” he was saying.
“No! Please wait, Dad. Let's leave her for just a little longer,” Martin pleaded, sounding as if he was very close to tears.
“I'm sorry, Martin. I know you love Ella, but I'm not prepared to let any animal suffer, however hard it is for you to accept. We have to think what's best for Ella. Why don't we talk about it again tomorrow. All right?” Oliver Badby said gently.
“Okay. But I'm not changing my mind about calling the vet and you can't make me!” Martin said in a choked voice.
Beth didn't wait to hear the rest of the conversation. She already felt a little guilty for listening. “Come on, Storm,” she whispered, tiptoeing away.
Storm trotted at her heel as she went into the kitchen. Beth felt her anger drain away again, just like when they were in the field earlier. However annoying her cousin was, she wouldn't wish that on anyone.
“Martin was actually telling the truth this time. He really did want to talk to his dad about something important. Ella must be very sick if Uncle Ollie thinks the vet should put her to sleep. Poor old girl,” she said to Storm.
Storm nodded, his midnight-blue eyes sad.
Ella was curled up in her basket in the warm alcove. As Beth bent down to pet her, the old dog's tail thumped against the floor.
Beth felt tears stinging her eyes. “It's a shame that Ella's in such pain. If she wasn't, she'd be able to enjoy a few more months with Martin.”
Storm pricked his ears. “I might be able to help!”
Beth blinked at him. “Really? Can you use your magic to make her young again?” she asked hopefully.
“I am sorry, Beth. No magic can do that,” Storm woofed gently. He padded over and stood in front of Ella.
Once again, Beth felt the warm tingling sensation down her spine.
Big gold sparks ignited in Storm's fluffy black-and-white fur and the tips of his ears sparked with magical power. She watched as he huffed out a warm glittery breath.
A shimmering golden mist surrounded the old collie. For a few seconds, pinpricks of gold danced all around her like miniature fireflies and then they sank into Ella's dull fur and disappeared.
Beth waited expectantly, but nothing happened. Ella looked just the same, with her gray muzzle and faded eyes.
Storm's magic didn't seem to have worked.
“Never mind. You tried. I guess magic can't be expected to do everything,” Beth said to Storm, trying hard to hide her disappointment as the last golden spark faded from Ella's fur. “Let's go into the living room and find Martin. He's probably feeling really upset. Maybe we can cheer him up.”
Storm had a gleam in his eye, but he just nodded. “You have a very kind heart, Beth.”
“Anyone would do the same,” Beth said, blushing. She always got embarrassed when people gave her compliments.
Martin was lying on the sofa. Behind it, Beth could see the cabinet displaying the cups and trophies her uncle had won in plowing competitions.
Oliver Badby sat at the table, working at the computer. He looked up and smiled as Beth and Storm came in. “Hello. What have you two been up to?”
“We . . . I've finished cleaning up all the milk in the dairy. I thought Martin might like to go out with us or something,” Beth said.
Her uncle frowned and glanced at Martin. “What's that about milk?”
“Er . . . nothing!” Martin said hurriedly, getting up in a rush and pushing Beth out. “Come on, Beth. Let's go and see if Mom needs any help with her shopping.”
“But she's not even back yet . . .” Beth protested, shaking off his arm.
“Duh! I know that! But Dad doesn't, does he?” Martin scoffed. “And why did you have to mention the milk?”
But once in the hall, his shoulders slumped. “Dad's been talking about taking Ella to the vet, to . . . toâ”
“I know. I heard you talking to him,” Beth interrupted, feeling a lump rise in her throat. “I'm so sorry.”
Martin shuffled his feet. “Yeah, well. I know Ella's old and everything and I'm not ready to let her go, but Dad could be . . .” He lifted his head and looked past Beth into the kitchen. She saw an expression of complete amazement come over his face. “I don't believe it!”
“What?” Beth whipped around and saw Ella padding out of the kitchen. The old dog was moving easily. Her coat looked glossy and her eyes were bright and alert.
Ella trotted up to Martin and jumped up to be pet. “Woof !” she barked happily, wagging her tail and giving him a wide doggy grin.
“Look at her! It's like a miracle. She's not even limping!” Martin threw his arms around Ella and hugged her, burying his face in her fur.
Ella barked, licking him all over his face.
“Just wait until Dad sees her! There's no way he'll be taking her to the vet now!” Martin's face was lit up like a Halloween pumpkin.
Beth beamed with joy as she watched the two of them. She bent down to pet Storm. “Thanks again, Storm. This time from Martin and Ella. They're going to have a great summer together,” she whispered.
Storm wagged his little tail happily.
Chapter FIVE
“Ella seems to have found a new best friend since that puppy arrived,” Emily Badby said as she was clearing away lunch the following day.
Beth was helping her aunt load the dishwasher. She smiled, wishing that everyone knew just how true that was! But, of course, she would never tell them or anyone else how magical Storm was.
Oliver Badby was finishing a cup of tea and Martin had just come back into the kitchen after taking some food scraps outside to the pigpen.
Storm was stretched out under the table. Suddenly his eyes flashed with mischief. Leaping out, he ran around the huge farmhouse table, his ears laid back and his tail streaming behind him.
Across the room in her bed, Ella's ears pricked up. With a spring in her step, she shot toward the silly puppy and started chasing him. Storm suddenly swerved, leaped into her empty bed, and threw himself down. Ella jumped straight in after him. Seconds later, the two of them were curled up together, licking each other.
Everyone laughed.
“That's one way to sneak into a warm bed! You know, Ella and Storm could almost be a mother and her puppy,” Martin said fondly.
Then they heard the rumbling sound of a heavy trucks pulling up outside in the yard. Martin ran to the window and looked out.
“It's here, Dad! The Fergy's arrived!” he shouted, dashing outside.
Beth's uncle and aunt went outside to look. Beth followed curiously, wondering what was going on.
A large flatbed truck stood in the yard. On the back of it, there was a tomato-red tractor. Oliver went to speak to the truck driver and then they began the unloading. A few minutes later, the red tractor stood in the yard.
Martin walked around it, his eyes shining. “It's supercool, isn't it?”
“I guess it's okay,” Beth said, shrugging. She couldn't see what was so exciting about a boring old farm machine.
“Okay?” Martin gave her an incredulous look. “Are you kidding? That's a 1952 Massey Ferguson tractor.”
Beth wasn't impressed. “It's kind of old, isn't it? Does it still work?”
Her uncle chuckled. “Fergy's going to work very well. Wait until you see her pulling a plow. She's going to help me win the cup in the vintage class at the plowing competition in a few weeks.”
“Dad's county champion at plowing,” Martin said proudly.
To Beth, winning things for making straight lines down a field seemed like a very weird thing to do.
Don't they watch any TV around here?
she thought.
Don't they watch any TV around here?
she thought.
Martin saw the scornful look on her face. He blushed. “There's a lot of skill involved in plowing, you know. Dad lets me try sometimes and I'm getting really good at it,” he boasted. “I'm going to get a license when I'm fourteen. Then I can compete, too!”
“You're doing all right, but you'll need a lot more practice first,” his dad said.
“I know that,” Martin said in a sulky voice.
Oliver patted his son on the shoulder. “Fergy could use a wash and brush up. She's pretty dusty after her journey. Any volunteers?”
Martin's head came up. “Beth and I will do it. Won't we, Beth?”
Beth frowned. Cleaning a tractor was definitely not on the top of her “fun to do” list. It was right at the bottom, next to cleaning smelly sneakers. But Martin seemed in an unusually good mood, so she nodded.
“Okay. I don't mind.”
But if he starts bossing me around again, I'm leaving him to do it
, she thought.
But if he starts bossing me around again, I'm leaving him to do it
, she thought.
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