|
|
July
2004
 You
can tell summer’s coming – we’ve stopped getting twenty
minutes of maths homework a week (which usually takes me two hours, urggh!)
and gazillions of spellings to learn. So… thought I’d start
on another Brownie badge.
Decided not to do any badges that are anything like school work –
don’t want that kind of stuff when I’m on holiday. Then I
saw Friend to Animals – looked just right. When I told Mum and Dad
at dinner Mum was like ‘Lovely, dear’ but Dad started going
on about Saint Francis and how he was a friend to animals. So, now we
were doing an RE lesson! Asked Dad about his latest gadget and that got
him to change the subject…
Later, up in my room, I looked through my Brownie Badge Book. Wizard pushed
the door open and settled down across my feet. Mum always moans that my
feet pong – especially when I’ve been wearing trainers all
day – but it doesn’t seem to bother Wizzie.
Make a poster or leaflet about your favourite pet animal… Favourite?
I’ve only got one! I gave Wizzie a tickle-behind-the-ears and he
looked up at me with those big ‘butter wouldn’t melt’
eyes. Yeah, right! Anyway, this should be easy. I could make a really
good poster on my computer, and scan in some photos of Wizard.
…show – what it eats… Anything! Dad says he should keep
to a balanced doggy diet (well he should know, he does work for a dog
food company), but does that really include Mum’s spaghetti bolognaise…?
(Yes ‘cos it’s great!)
…where
it comes from… A special kennel near us, of course! Well, Wizard
is a pedigree dog. He’s a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel –
super-posh! He’s got a real pedigree name too – it’s
Maximilian Clouster Fitzroy Bramgate! I said it out loud – it sounds
so funny – and he looked up again and held his head up high. I’m
sure he thinks he’s royal, but it could just have been that he’d
heard Dad coming up the stairs.
 …what
kind of exercise it needs… A good walk around the block twice a
day even when it’s cold or wet. A good run around the park when
the weather’s fine - trying to NOT to mess about in football matches,
fall in the river or splash about in bird baths!
…how it likes to play…
‘Walkies, Wiz,’ called Dad from the landing, rattling the
lead. Wizzie jumped up and was about to go zooming out of the door when
he suddenly stopped. He was looking up at the window. Sun still shining…
perfect. Birds twittering on the washing line… even more perfect.
Wizzie began to pant with excitement but he still didn’t move. I
knew what was coming next – it’s his favourite pre-walkies
game!
‘Come on, Wiz. I haven’t got all day!’ said Dad, coming
into my bedroom. Dad grabbed his collar and, while he tried to clip the
lead on, Wizzie started spinning round and round on his back legs. I could
see Dad getting more and more annoyed, but Wizard just thought it was
a good game. With the lead finally clipped on, Wizard charged out of the
bedroom and down the stairs dragging poor Dad behind him. As the front
door slammed shut behind them, I could just hear Dad shouting:
‘If you don’t slow down I’ll have to put you down!’
Dad’s always threatening Wizard, but I know he doesn’t mean
it ‘cos he loves him just as much as I do.
Make a poster or leaflet about an endangered animal… where it lives…
The Com household!
…what it eats… Spaghetti bolognaise…?
If
you want to find out more about Brownies and Guides in your local area
why not visit their excellent web site:
www.girlguiding.org.uk |
