24 July 2011

The Cat Food Crisis ::: Chapter Three


PREVIOUSLY: Ben and Pip's trip to the town proved fruitless, so it's back to the country for the finale...

~~~

By the time Ben and Pip had reached home again, they met Jack, who was as eager as ever to see them. “So, did anything cool happen?”

Ben answered him. “We were tricked. Dane wasn’t responsible for the delicious food that we had yesterday morn-”

“It was Fifi!” Pip butted in, unable to contain her excitement. “We have to stop her! Whatever she’s doing...”

Jack thought for a moment. “I suppose whatever she’s doing, it would be at that dog food factory up the road.”

“Jack, you’re a genius,” Pip shouted. “Let’s go!”

***

The factory was in sight. It was huge and vast in every way. It was very bright and airy with open windows. As Pip and Ben approached the building, they heard a bell. All the humans had disappeared, presumably for lunch. The dogs eyed the humans carefully and then made their move.

Then suddenly they heard barking and seen some small, tough terriers approached the production line. Ben and Pip quickly hid behind two barrels. The atmosphere was tense but they kept quiet. Everything was there to see.

The production lines were being sabotaged before their eyes. They watched as the terriers pulled in a bag of some sort, and another terrier arrived with a scoop. One of the dogs jumped on top of the machine with a scoop, and began putting the cat food flavouring into it.

“The swines,” Pip whispered.

“Do we really have to stop them, Pip? I mean, the food does taste like chicken – and that’s good,” Ben replied.

“We have to stop them! Not every dog likes chicken, you know!”

Pip didn’t realise she was shouting. And Pip didn’t realise that the cream Chihuahua, Miss Snuggly-Squeak Fifi III was watching her.

***

Two terriers sneaked up behind the two brown dogs and clipped a lead onto their collars and took to Fifi’s “Top Secret Lair” also known as one of those toilet rooms.

“No offence, Fifi, but you call this a base? Seriously? It’s terrible and it smells,” commented Pip cheekily.

Ben butted in. “Really Pip? I think it’s very impressive. Loving what you done with the place, Fifi.”

“Actually,” Pip asked, “What are you doing with the place?”

Fifi seemed very eager to explain. “I’ve been here for a week now, working on a plan to create the best dog food in the universe!”

“And how are you doing that?”

“I have some workers who put cat food flavourings into the machines every day during the lunch break. As you may already know.” She smiled. “You may also know that cat food is the most premium food humans can buy, and tastes delicious. I want to wake up every morning and have some cat food.”

“You know, Fifi, I’m starting to look at it that way too,” said Ben.

“But the thing is, you can’t stop me. No dog knows how to work those machines other than myself.”

“And how do you know so much?” asked Pip.

“I’m the factory manager’s dog.”

“You wouldn’t know that much about how the humans operate machines,” said Pip with a snap.

She was starting to get ever so slightly irritated about this scam. It was time to take action. While Fifi had been blabbering away about her master plan, Pip had been thinking hard. If the machines here were like anything back on the farm, they could easily be jammed with something thrown into them. With that idea in her head, she winked at Ben. And he knew exactly what she meant.

Suddenly, once again, Pip and Ben jerked forwards, taking the terriers by surprise.

Villains – they never learn.

***

Pip reached the machine in question just seconds before Ben. Pip ran over to what looked like a toolbox and grabbed a spanner from it in her mouth. The cold metal was a shock to her teeth, but she kept on running, and took a run and jump onto the top of the machine that the terriers were on earlier. She dropped the metal spanner, the machine clunked to a stop, and Ben whooped with happiness.

“You did it, Pip! You did it!”

***

Two hours later, at the local veterinary clinic...

“Well it looks like I’m going to take your temperature now, little dog...”

And the vet did wonder how a little cream Chihuahua ended up on his doorstep...

THE END

~~~

WRITTEN BY RUTH & JAMES ::: EDITED BY JAMES & RUTH ::: ILLUSTRATED BY RUTH

5 comments:

  1. Pip, you may be the youngest pup there, but you are very smart. Ben needs to start listening to you more:) We loved your story - can we hear some more?

    Woos ~ Phantom, Thunder, and Ciara

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  2. Well done..great story and awesome illustrations!

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  3. I really really love those illustrations! They are so beautiful!

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  4. Well done!!!!

    Looking forward to sequel. :)

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  5. Simply lovely, this would make a great Children book. Bravo!

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