My Secret Dog. Tom Alexander

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      MY

      SECRET

      DOG

      Tom Alexander

      I always wanted a dog, but Mum said we didn’t have enough room.

      I love dogs though, and would say hello to any I saw.

      That’s all I was going to do with this one. Just say hello.

      He was such a funny little thing, with stumpy little legs, sticky-uppy ears and this daft look on his face.

      I didn’t mean to take him home with me.

      Honest, I didn’t.

      He just started following me as I walked away.

      At first it was a game.

      When I walked faster, he walked faster.

      When I slowed down, he slowed down.

      When I stopped still, he stopped still.

      And when I got to my front door, I was going to say goodbye. Really, I was.

      But instead, I said,

      “Come on, then.”

      So he came inside and made himself right at home.

      Mum was out, so my plan was just to give him something to eat. The dog didn’t have a collar on and he was really hungry. I knew I was supposed to tell him to go, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

      It was so nice having the dog, but I knew that when Mum saw him she would say he had to go.

      So I took him to the cupboard and hid him in there.

      And that’s when he became my secret dog.

      He settled down and was really well behaved.

      When Mum came home, she never even knew my secret dog was there.

      I pretended to go to sleep, but then when it got really late, me and my secret dog went out to play.

      I told myself that it was just for one night and that tomorrow I would say goodbye to him.

      But when morning came, I just couldn’t do it.

      He didn’t want to leave me and I didn’t want to leave him. So I decided that we should stay together.

      I had to go to school and we’re not allowed to take pets in, so I came up with a plan.