Chapter 1
Too excited to sleep Ruby kept still and listened.
Tomorrow would be her 10th birthday, one reason for her excitement and something
even more exciting would soon be happening in the kitchen downstairs. Dad’s
sheepdog Meg’s puppies had started to arrive and, if she kept quiet and still,
she could hear muffled squeaks which meant at least one puppy had already been
born. There’d been puppies born at the farm before, and she loved to see them
cuddled up with their Mum in the straw of the barn. This time things were
different; Ruby and her younger brother Nick had been promised a puppy each for
themselves and allowing them to be born in the kitchen meant they would see
more of them and know them better when the time came to choose.
Ruby had wanted a dog for as long as she could remember. The
dogs on the farm were lovely and friendly and she loved them, but they weren’t
her dogs, they were working dogs, and didn’t hang around for a fuss or a
cuddle; they were always much too busy. They’d rush off and leave her at the
first sign of any work to do. She knew these puppies wouldn’t be pets either,
they’d be expected to work with the sheep and earn their keep, as all farm dogs
must. However, Ruby would make sure her dog would like cuddles as well as sheep.
Living on a sheep farm in the hills of Cumbria with her Mum
Pamela, Stepdad Gary, and 8 year old brother Nick, Ruby didn’t remember a time
when her real Dad lived with them. Mum and Gary had married before she could
remember, and so she thought of him as her Dad. They’d always told her the
truth though, so she knew her real Dad came to take her out from time to time,
and sent her birthday and Christmas presents. Ruby used to enjoy these outings,
especially as Nick didn’t go with them, so they made her feel special. Nick
could be annoying, but he wasn’t a bad brother, and they both needed company
living where they did. Nick had a talent for inventing new games, which were
always lots of fun. They were the same height and despite being two years
younger than her, Nick wasn’t much like a ‘little’ brother, being much stronger
and thicker set. He took after his Dad Gary and had the same dark curly hair
and olive skin, which always looked as if he had a suntan. Ruby’s pale skin
burned rather than tanned, and her light sandy hair and small frame looked much
more like her own father. She thought Dad must like Nick, looking so much like
him, and wished she wasn’t so different, especially as she didn’t even look
like her Mum.
This was a new feeling for Ruby and she didn’t know why.
She’d always thought of Gary as a good Dad. He’d been there as long as she
could remember and always looked after her. He’d taken her to school in the
Land Rover and come to her open days and sports. He’d sat with her when she’d
had nightmares, listened to her problems, and stuck plasters on her cut knees.
In Ruby’s opinion he did everything a proper Dad should, and yet she couldn’t
help thinking he must like his own son better. He’d never shown any preference
though, and she really had no cause to be jealous of Nick. He always had time
for them both, even when busy on the farm, he’d take time to explain things to
them and show them how things worked. Ruby had learned everything she knew
about animals from him. She often watched him take care of a poorly lamb or a
dog’s cut paw and loved his kindness to animals and people. He made them laugh
with his jokes and funny antics and always listened to them and answered their
questions. They both loved him very much, and Ruby knew he loved them too, and
yet she still believed he must love Nick best.
Her real Dad wasn’t anything like Gary, although he’d always
been kind and caring to Ruby. After breaking up with her Mum he’d wanted to
keep seeing Ruby and had made the effort to even when she was a baby. At first,
she wasn’t sure what to call him. Her Mum had explained about him being her real
Dad and yet she’d always thought of Gary as Dad. She didn’t know what to call
this second Dad and, as she didn’t know his name, she called him ‘man’ which he
didn’t seem to mind, in fact he found it quite funny. As she got older, he
suggested she called him John which made things much easier. John would take
her swimming or to the park, and then on to McDonald’s for tea. A real treat for
Ruby as she’d never been there before and felt pretty sure Nick hadn’t either,
she’d have scored one up on him when she got home. Ruby looked forward to John’s
visits and got on very well with him. She looked just like him, and no one
could doubt they were father and daughter, which made her feel special when they
were out together. She looked forward to his visits and loved to tell Nick all
about them when she got home. She wasn’t trying to boast she told herself, she
just wanted Nick to know how much her Dad loved her.
Life changed when John met and married Jenny and started his
new family. Although he still came to see her, it wasn’t as often, and it
wasn’t the same. She’d just go round to their house with Jenny and the new baby
and watch TV or play in the garden. It wasn’t a very big garden, and they
didn’t have any pets or anything else to play with, so there wasn’t much to do.
She didn’t go swimming or to McDonald’s anymore, just to tea with John and
Jenny, and then home. Jenny tried her best to make Ruby feel welcome, although
the baby took up most of her time and Ruby felt in the way. In the end she
asked Mum if she had to go, and Mum said she’d speak to John. She supposed she
must have done as he hadn’t come round for ages, she felt guilty and yet
relieved she didn’t have to go anymore. She didn’t miss the visits, as she
planned for her new puppy and tried to think of names for it. She wouldn’t have
time to visit John once she had her pup anyway.
Gary loved the children taking an interest in the farm and
the animals, especially the family’s sheepdogs. There were usually four of
them, although sometimes more, as Gary trained dogs for other farmers, and
they’d stay with them while they were learning. He also enjoyed competing with
his own dogs in sheepdog trials and often won. Ruby knew he must be a good
trainer, as people were very keen to bring their dogs to him. There were no
extra dogs at the moment though, just Meg, the mother of the puppies, Jack,
their father, and Gary’s best sheepdog, Betty, who at twelve years old had
retired but still helped out around the yard. Also there was Dad’s two year old
Bryn, one of Meg and Jack’s last litter, showing lots of promise.
Ruby and Nick both loved sheepdog trials for different
reasons. Nick had already decided his dog would be competing and winning at
events like these, and he spent his time watching and picking up tips. While
Ruby really enjoyed their days out as a family, meeting up with friends, and
watching her Dad work his dogs; she never quite understood what they were
supposed to be doing or if they were right or wrong. As well as the serious
classes for the grown-ups, where they could qualify to work their dogs for
their country in international competitions, there were also classes for young
handlers. Nick loved to watch these and dreamed of the day he’d walk on the field
with his own dog, while Ruby just dreamed of having a puppy to play with and love.
Dad had taken them both out with the dogs since they were
small, to show them how the dogs worked the sheep, and try to teach them the
commands and the whistles. Even at only 8 years old Nick had begun getting the
idea; Dad called it ‘reading’ the sheep which meant trying to work out what
they would do before they did it. Nick had a natural talent for this, which
pleased Dad, not least because he could say Nick must take after him. However,
try as she might, Ruby just couldn’t seem to get it right. She thought the
sheep were tricky things, and although she never said as much, she didn’t like
them. It seemed to her they were determined to make her look stupid, and when
she gave the wrong command to one of the dogs Dad took over so as not to
confuse the dog. She supposed she must take after John, as he’d never had
animals, so it wasn’t her fault, it just made her feel even more of a
disappointment. Nick didn’t help, and found it funny when Ruby got it wrong, so
she stopped going out with them and played in the yard with Betty instead.
Although Betty had only ever been a sheepdog, Ruby managed
to show her how to play with a ball, and whenever Dad and Nick went out with
the dogs to tend the sheep she went in search of Betty and soon had her
retrieving the ball and finding it when she hid it for her. Betty started
waiting at the back door for Ruby to come and play, and they’d go out to the
front meadow together, so they had more room. This pleased Ruby who thought,
even if she wasn’t any good with sheep, she could do ordinary dog training.
This worked OK until the day Dad needed to separate some ewes and lambs in the
yard and Betty couldn’t be found. Later, when the whole family came in, Dad
reminded her working dogs weren’t pet dogs, and she mustn’t play with Betty
anymore.
Ruby felt cross which made her rude. ‘Everything here is
about stupid sheep,’ she said and stomped off upstairs, even though, deep down inside
she knew the rules of farming, every animal must have a purpose. Then she
started to worry what would happen if she couldn’t train her new puppy to work
the sheep. Would she be able to keep it?
The puppies were due to be born around the same time as her birthday
and, as it got closer, she stopped worrying and started getting excited. Now they
were being born and she’d see them for the first time the next day; her birthday.
The best birthday present ever!
After a very restless night Ruby rushed downstairs in the morning
and saw Meg, lying contentedly with six black and white bundles of fur all
tucked up beside her fast asleep. Although Meg’s tail thumped slowly, welcoming
Ruby when she came into the kitchen, she made no attempt to get up and
continued lying with her head laid proudly and protectively across her babies.
Nick hadn’t come down yet and Mum had gone to lay the table for breakfast,
leaving Ruby for a few moments with them all to herself, lost in wonder. Gazing
at these little miracles all lined up and content, the butterflies in her tummy
took flight.
Mum returned, wished her a Happy Birthday, and told her to
go up and get dressed. When she came down again ready for school, the whole
family were in the kitchen. Even with all the excitement of the puppies no-one
had forgotten Ruby’s birthday and, as well as cards from her family with a £10
note in the one from her Nan and Grandad, she also had a new pencil case and
pencils from John, a red jumper, a book on sheepdog training from Mum and Dad,
and a picture frame from Nick, which he said she could use for a picture of her
new pup. Thrilled with her presents Ruby hugged all her family, even Nick!
After breakfast she and Nick headed off to school, and with a last glance at
the pups before they left, they went out to wait for the school bus to pick
them up.
Lots of Ruby’s school friends wished her Happy Birthday,
gave her cards and sweets, and generally made a fuss of her. A new girl called
Emily, who used a wheelchair, had joined her class and their teacher asked them
to help her when they could, as she might find things difficult. Ruby made a
special effort to get to know her, and much later when the girls had become great
friends Ruby told Emily she’d been her extra birthday present. Emily’s curly
ginger hair and freckles made her look very pretty and Ruby thought this so
much better than her own sandy colouring. Emily only had one proper leg, and a
bit of the other one which she told Ruby had never worked. She’d been born with
a shrivelled and twisted leg which the doctors couldn’t save, and they’d
decided to remove the bad part, and leave her with a stump. She said she could
get about on crutches as well as the wheelchair, although it made her other leg
ache if she did too much. By using her arms and good leg on the floor, something
she couldn’t easily do at school she could get around quite quickly without her
crutches or wheelchair at home. Both Emily and Ruby laughed at the thought of
trying this at school. Emily said she’d moved to the area with her family
because the local hospital made groundbreaking prosthetics and were making
Emily’s new leg. Living closer made it easier for all the fittings she had to
go to, and she told Ruby she’d been glad to move as some of the kids in her
last school weren’t very nice to her and called her names. Ruby felt sad for
Emily, and decided she’d make sure no-one called her names at this school or
they’d have her to deal with. She already admired Emily for staying so positive
and couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to be unkind to her.
From their first conversation it became obvious the two
girls were going to get along, they had the same silly sense of humour, liked
the same music and could both talk for England. They didn’t agree on everything
though, and when Ruby discovered Emily’s fear of dogs, she didn’t understand
it. She’d never imagined anyone could be afraid of dogs; it didn’t make any sense.
What could they be frightened of? It all came out when Ruby told Emily about
the puppies. She didn’t at first notice Emily’s look of horror. She’d pulled back
in her wheelchair at the very mention of the dogs and now sat quietly round
eyed, as though listening to a scary nightmare. It took Ruby a couple of
minutes to notice, ‘Whatever’s the matter?’
‘I don’t like dogs,’
she said in a quiet voice, ‘I’ve been frightened of them since one knocked me
over. They all seem to come at me and I’m sure they’re going to bite me.’
‘Well, none of ours would bite you,’ said Ruby, a little
indignantly, ‘they’re all very friendly.’
‘Yes, I’m sure they are,’ said Emily, ‘People always say
their dogs are only being friendly, when they push me over.’
Clearly the girls were never going to see eye to eye on this.
Ruby thought it best to change the subject and they were soon giggling again.
Once school finished, they set off home to see the puppies
and find out which were boys, and which were girls. Emily went off in a
specially adapted taxi where her wheelchair just pushed on the back, and once
Ruby had waved her off, she went to find Nick and the school bus. Emily had
told her she lived in a cottage at the end of the village, where Ruby’s Mum did
the shopping, and the dogs went to the vet. So, as they passed her house on the
school bus Ruby decided it wasn’t too far away and started hatching a plan to
get Emily over her fear of dogs. All the way home on the bus they talked about
the puppies, and Nick boasted about how his pup would be the best sheepdog in
the world, even though he hadn’t even chosen it yet. They were both trying to
think of names and went through every boy dog name they could think of. Neither
of them thought about girl’s names as they’d always been told the best
sheepdogs were boys and so they didn’t consider having a girl. The journey home
felt much longer than usual, and they became more impatient as it stopped at
all the drop off points. Once it cleared the village and started to climb the
hill there were very few stops and they eventually arrived home.
They both ran straight into the kitchen dropping their bags
in the hall. Although very pleased to see them Meg wasn’t yet ready to have her
puppies handled, and so gently pushed away any hands reaching for them and
nuzzled them closer. Mum said she’d managed to look at them briefly when she’d
cleaned the bed and changed the bedding after persuading Meg to go out. There
were four boys and two girls she told them, so plenty of boys for Nick and Ruby
to choose from.
Surprisingly all the puppies were black and white, and yet both
Meg and Jack were tricolours, which is black and white with brown patches on
the faces and legs. Ruby asked her Mum why none of them looked like their
parents, and Mum told her the brown wouldn’t show up until later. Some if not
most of the pups would be like their parents when their brown markings came
through. Ruby didn’t mind about colours; they were all so pretty.
As the days and weeks went by the puppies grew and opened
their eyes, and the children got involved in the feeding and cleaning. As they
started to develop personalities, they were also able to play with them and
they found lots of ‘toys’ for them. These weren’t bought toys, things like jam
jar lids, kitchen roll middles, yogurt pots and plastic bottles were much more
fun. All these various household things made super toys which would roll and
squash, and could be picked up by little mouths, so the puppies were soon
really enjoying them. Even though Ruby knew Emily didn’t like dogs, she chose
to ignore it and reported on the pups’ progress every day in school. After a
few days she noticed Emily really starting to take an interest and ask
questions. She laughed at the antics Ruby described and listened fascinated
when Ruby talked about her feelings for the little black and white girl. As
predicted all the others had developed brown patches over the eyes, on their
cheeks and their legs, only the smallest little girl remained firmly black and
white and, as she told Emily later, looked a bit plain next to her tri-colour
brothers and sister, which might have been what made Ruby notice her. She
always seemed to see her first when she looked at the pups. Even though her
bigger brothers and sister were more robust and chunkier, Ruby just loved the
small graceful little black and white girl. Emily couldn’t see any problem with
this, until Ruby said her Dad had told her this pup wouldn’t do at all. He
called her the runt of the litter, not strong enough to be a working dog,
although he said she’d probably make a nice pet. He encouraged Ruby to look at
one of the lovely strong boys instead.
Emily thought this unfair. Although she knew nothing about
dogs, she thought they couldn’t be so much different from people, and little
children didn’t necessarily turn into little adults, so the little black and
white girl might grow up every bit as big and strong as her brothers and sister.
Ruby smiled to herself when she heard Emily defending her pup, when a few weeks
ago she didn’t want to know anything about them. Nick had already chosen his
pup, the biggest, most handsome boy in the litter. Dad, obviously pleased with
Nick’s choice, proudly told Mum, Nick already had an eye for a dog.
After this conversation, and with Emily’s encouragement,
Ruby decided to stick to her guns, and it looked like the pup had the same
idea, as no sooner had she found her feet she only wanted Ruby. There appeared
to be an instant bond, and even Mum and Dad couldn’t deny there seemed to be
something special between them. Dad resigned himself to making the best of it.
Although she wouldn’t be his choice for a working dog, he knew Meg and Jack
were both good sheepdogs, so all the pups should be good workers. He’d promised
the children their own choice, and it didn’t look as if Ruby would be changing
her mind.
When it came to choosing names for the pups Nick had no
problem, he had already decided his pup would be called Ben after Dad’s best,
prize winning working dog. Nick could hardly remember Ben, although he did
remember how pleased Dad had always been with him, and how he still talked
about him long after he’d died, so Nick thought Ben might be a lucky name. Ruby
on the other hand had thought long and hard about a name and discussed the
matter at length with Emily. Because she’d always assumed she would have a boy
pup she’d spent a lot of time thinking of male dog names and had settled on Zac,
which clearly wouldn’t do for her little girl, so she had to start thinking
again. Emily came up with several suggestions and then had a bright idea, ‘What
names have you liked in books you’ve read?’ she said, and Ruby remembered the
dog in the book she’d read a while ago. It told the story of Lucy a little girl
who had many adventures along with her dog called Libby. She loved the story
and, as soon as she remembered it she knew it felt right; Emily agreed and, once
again Ruby smiled at Emily struggling to think of a name for the creature she
feared most in the world. She pointed this out to Emily who found it hilarious.
The decisions were made, Ben and Libby joined the family and the other pups all
went off to their new homes.
About the author
Writing about a sheepdog wasn’t difficult for Wendy
Beasley as she’s owned bred and competed with Border
Collies for over fifty years. The one thing this has taught
her is that not all dogs, or indeed children, can follow
their pre-destined path; some just don’t fit the mould.
Such was the case for Ruby, who had to make her
own adjustments to her life in a stepfamily with a
younger half-brother, and living on a farm, knowing
she was never going to be a farmer. This helped her
understand how her puppy felt and drew her to
Emily, who didn’t let disability stand in the way of
what she wanted to do.
Wendy had to wait until later life to follow her
own dream, which is why her first work of fiction
was published in her seventh decade, and she
continues to make up for lost time with four books
published and two more waiting in the wings.
As a mother, grandmother and now great
grandmother, as well as a one-time classroom assistant
she has a deep understanding of children, and her
books reflect this, highlighting their struggles with
being different and trying to fit. Animals, especially
dogs feature in all her books as she believes an
understanding and empathy with animals helps
children better understand themselves.
Wendy hopes to continue writing tales for children,
not only to encourage them to read, but to see the world
in all its diversity and learn it’s OK to be different.
