Rascal's Festive Fun (5 page)

Chapter Nine

Mince Pies for Rascal

Ellie wrapped up most of her presents on Christmas Eve. She’d given Christy and Lucy their presents the day before, when they went over to Christy’s house. Luckily, Christy lived close enough to walk – Mum didn’t like driving in the snow. They’d made an enormous snowman in Christy’s front garden.

Ellie looked happily at the little pile of presents on her bedroom floor. She had made the wrapping paper herself, and used
glittery Christmas stickers instead of tape. She’d printed out some more photos of Rascal in his hat and used them as gift tags, with some glitter on the hat, and they looked gorgeous. She was ready to put them under the tree, just in time for tomorrow!

“Come on, Rascal!” She picked up the pile, and went to the door, but a worried yip behind her made her stop. Rascal was trying to follow her, but he’d been playing with the roll of ribbon, batting it around with his paws, rolling over with it, chasing it under the bed… Then he’d sat down for a little rest, and somehow the ribbon had wrapped around all four paws.

Ellie put the presents down on her bed. “Maybe I should put you under the Christmas tree!” She giggled. “You look just like a present, Rascal! You just need a bow on your head.” She undid him carefully, and rolled the ribbon up again, while Rascal pranced around her, happy to be free. The house was full of good smells, and interesting things kept arriving.

Ellie led him downstairs to put the presents under the tree. There were so many! And lots of them had her name on. She’d felt them, but she couldn’t tell what was inside. Proudly, she added hers to the pile, and then wandered into the kitchen to see what Mum was doing.

“Oh, yum, more mince pies.”

“Well, Max and Lewis between them polished off the rest of the last batch,” Mum explained, as she cut out the pastry circles, “and I thought you might want to leave some out for Father Christmas tonight.”

Ellie nodded. “And carrots. Have we got any?”

Mum nodded towards the vegetable basket. It was practically overflowing. “The reindeer wouldn’t like some sprouts as well, would they? I think your dad got a bit carried away in the supermarket.”

“Mum, no one likes sprouts. Not even reindeer. Or Dad! Why did he buy so many?”

“Sprouts are a Christmas thing. We’ll all just have a couple…” Mum sighed. “And who knows what we’ll do with the other fifty or so…”

There was a strange creaking noise from the living room, followed by a worried whine, and Ellie looked at Mum in horror.

“Rascal! I left him in there alone!”

Ellie raced back into the living room, to find the Christmas tree leaning at a very weird angle. Rascal had tinsel wrapped right the way round his middle, and one of the candy canes that Gran and Grandpa had sent was sticking out of his mouth.

“Oh, Rascal!”

“Is he all right?” Mum asked anxiously, as she hurried into the room. Then she saw Rascal crunching the last of the candy cane and sighed. “Of course he is. What’s he done to the tree?”

“Don’t worry, Mum. It’ll be fine,” Ellie said, trying to push the tree straight again. “It’s just a bit lopsided…”

“Mum, can we put out the mince pies for Father Christmas now?” Ellie asked. She was just about to go to bed, after staying up late to watch a film with Lila and Max.

“Oh, I already did, Ellie,” Mum called apologetically from the sofa. “Sorry, did you want to?”

“Where are they?” Ellie looked at the fireplace, and then noticed that there was an empty plate pushed behind the poinsettia plant Dad had brought home for Mum.

“Not again, Rascal!” Mum said crossly. “Oh, when am I going to stop forgetting about you? I just put them there like we
always do. And after the candy cane, as well. If you’re sick on Christmas Eve I’m going to take your present back to the shop!” She sighed and got up. “I’ll go and get some more. And this time I’m putting them in a tin, with a note! I’m sure Father Christmas won’t mind…”

Rascal burped loudly, and then jumped up, looking surprised at himself as though he wasn’t sure where the noise had come from.

Ellie giggled and picked him up. She had a feeling it was a good thing it was bedtime! 

Chapter Ten

Rascal's Christmas

“Urrgh…” Ellie rolled over, brushing at her damp cheek. “Rascal! What time is it?”

It was still completely dark in her bedroom, and it felt early. “Oh, Rascal! It's only half-past five!” But Rascal was scampering up and down Ellie's bed, whining excitedly. At last, he gave up trying to make Ellie do what he wanted, and seized something in his teeth, dragging it towards her.

“My Christmas stocking! I'd forgotten what day it was!” Ellie was suddenly wide awake. “I'm not sure you're going to want any of it though, Rascal,” she told the excited little dog, as she turned on her bedside light. “It'll be pencils and books, and maybe some chocolate…”

She tipped out a little pile of parcels, and Rascal swiftly seized the one he'd been sniffing out. Ellie laughed. “Dog chocolates! OK, I take it back. Shall I open them then?” She held them above his nose, teasingly. “OK, OK! Don't bark, Mum'll make us go back to sleep.” She opened the packet, and fed Rascal a few of the dog choc drops, while she ate a chocolate snowman and opened the rest of her stocking presents.

Then she snuggled down to look at one of the books, and the next thing she knew, someone was tickling her.

“I thought you'd slept late for Christmas morning!”

Ellie jumped awake, and looked up to see Dad laughing at her. “What time did you open those, then?”

“Half-five.” Ellie yawned. “Rascal woke me up – there was a packet of doggie chocs in my stocking.”

“I see! Get dressed now, Ellie. It's breakfast time, and Auntie Gemma, Liam and Grandad will be here soon.”

Ellie wriggled out of bed, trying not to tip her presents all over the floor, and dressed quickly. She was hungry, and before she reached the kitchen she could already smell the croissants that Mum had bought for a special Christmas breakfast.

“When can we open our presents?” Max asked.

“Not till everyone else is here,” Mum said firmly.

Max sighed and stuffed half a croissant in his mouth in one go. Lila groaned, but Mum pretended she hadn't seen him.

Rascal suddenly bolted down the bit of croissant Ellie had “dropped” for him – it was Christmas – and raced out into the hall.

“I guess people are arriving!” Mum laughed. “He must have heard them coming up the path.”

Grandad was at the door, and Auntie Gemma and her boyfriend Liam were just pulling up in their car.

“Happy Christmas, Grandad!” Ellie hugged him. “Come on, I want you to open my present!”

Everyone gathered in the living room. Dad started to hand out presents, and soon the room was full of bits of wrapping paper and ribbon.

“It's beautiful! Can I put it on now?”
Ellie asked, stroking the velvety fabric of her new dress from Mum and Dad.

“Let's open the rest of the presents first,” Mum said. “There's a pile here for Rascal. Oh, and this one is for you, Gemma, from all of us.”

“Oooh, that looks interesting.” Auntie Gemma took the squashy parcel, and started to undo it, while Ellie got Rascal to tear at the wrapping paper on one from his little pile.

“Did you make this, Mum? It's gorgeous!” Rascal sniffed at his first present curiously as Ellie opened it out.

“Well, I thought Hugo looked so nice in his red coat at the fair, Ellie. And it's so cold at the moment, I thought maybe Rascal could do with one.”

Ellie wrapped the little blue coat round Rascal, and did up the Velcro. “It's really smart. Thanks, Mum!”

“And this is beautiful!” Auntie Gemma had opened her present now, a lovely knitted red hat. “I need a hat.”

“To keep your other hats company?” Liam teased her. “It is nice, though. And thanks for the books, they look great.”

Grandad wrapped his new scarf round his neck, and kissed Ellie. “Lovely. Very cosy, Ellie, I love it. And look at Max's hat, that's very smart.”

“It's cool, Ellie, great teeth!” Max pulled it on. “That'll be good for when we go sledging again.”

“Have we really opened all that huge pile?” Mum shook her head in amazement. “Wow. Actually, I need to go and check on the turkey.”

Rascal trotted after her. The smells from the kitchen were so good, he didn't want to miss anything.

Ellie went and changed into her dress, then spent the rest of the morning nibbling chocolate snowmen, and playing Max's new PlayStation game with him. He beat her every time, which meant he was happy. Lila watched them, and painted one fingernail in each of the ten colours in the set Ellie had given her, to see which she liked best.

“Lunch!” Mum called eventually, and everyone squashed into the kitchen.

“Yay, crackers!” Max grabbed his, and waved it at Ellie. It went off with a huge bang when they pulled it, and Rascal yelped and scooted out of the kitchen.

“Oh dear…” Ellie got up to follow him, but Mum called her back. “He's better off out there, Ellie. There are more crackers, and I don't want him begging at the table.”

They were just having a little rest between the turkey and the Christmas pudding, when Auntie Gemma gave a cry of horror. “Oh no! My beautiful hat!”

“What is it? What's the matter?” Mum asked worriedly, looking where Auntie Gemma was looking.

“Oh, I just don't believe it…”

Rascal had come back into the kitchen. He was sitting on his cushion, staring back at Auntie Gemma in surprise as she pointed at him, with a shredded-looking red hat dangling out of his mouth.

Ellie put her hand over her mouth, horrified, but then she looked closer and burst out laughing. She stopped as Mum glared at her. “It's OK! It isn't your hat, Auntie Gemma. Honestly! It's the Santa hat I made Rascal.”

“The one in that lovely photo you gave me?” Grandad asked.

“Yes, it's his favourite thing. I gave him loads of new toys for Christmas, but he still wants to eat his tatty old hat!”

Auntie Gemma sighed with relief. “I'm sorry, Rascal, sweetheart. When I saw the red material… And you have to admit he's got a history, Ellie. My handbag's never been the same since Rascal got his paws on it!””

“Let's have the Christmas pudding,” Mum said hastily, bringing it over to the table. “Mind you don't eat the charms, everybody.”

She served it out carefully. 

“Oh!” Auntie Gemma went pink, as she held up the silver ring, and Liam gave her a hug, and whispered something in her ear. Everyone else stared at them hopefully, but they didn't say anything more.

Ellie beamed – maybe she might be a bridesmaid soon! She spooned through her serving, wondering if any of the little silver figures were in it. “I've got one!” she squeaked excitedly, spotting a strand of red ribbon. “Oh, it's the dog!”

Lila grinned. “So Ellie has to clear up after Rascal for the whole year!”

Ellie didn't mind. She scooped Rascal up and hugged him. The dog charm was just what she'd wanted – it meant a wonderful new year full of adventures with Rascal!