Bella the Runaway Rabbit Read online

  This series is for my riding friend Shelley, who cares about all animals.

  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  “But this is a puppy. She’s a living breathing creature – not a machine!” Heidi Harrison told the woman in Reception at Animal Magic.

  The visitor had marched in a few minutes earlier carrying a cardboard box containing a tiny black puppy.

  Eva sat at the computer, surprised by her mum’s angry tone.

  “They told me at the place where I bought her that this puppy was house-trained,” the woman complained in a whining voice. “But when I got her home, she started leaving puddles everywhere!”

  “That’s because Sasha is only about six weeks old,” Heidi explained more patiently. “It’s much too soon for her to be house-trained.”

  The woman frowned. She was fashionably dressed in a short skirt and pink flowered top. “They also told me that she slept through the night and that she’d be perfectly happy to be left at home during the day while I go out to work. But it’s not true.”

  “You leave Sasha by herself all day?” Heidi raised her eyebrows. She glanced at Eva, who pulled a face as she tapped at the keyboard to update the Animal Magic website.

  I don’t believe it! Eva thought darkly. Some people don’t deserve pets!

  Her mum took a deep breath. “OK, let me get this straight. The breeders told you that Sasha was a pure-bred Labrador, whereas in fact she’s a cross-breed – a mix of Labrador and collie by the look of it.”

  Eva turned to see the puppy raise her cute head over the top of the box and let out a faint whimper. Poor little thing!

  “Plus, she’s not house-trained. Plus she cries all night long?” Heidi added.

  The woman nodded three times. “So I don’t want to keep her,” she said firmly. “That’s why I brought her here. After all, you are a rescue centre, aren’t you?”

  “Cross-breeds are often very good-natured,” Heidi said quietly. “They can make better pets than pedigree dogs.”

  Definitely! Eva thought. No way are cross-breeds second best! But it was clear her mum was losing the argument.

  “So will you take her, or not?” the woman asked, tapping the side of the box and glancing at her watch.

  Sasha whined and scrabbled with her paws.

  Heidi succeeded in hiding her irritation. “Sure,” she said brightly. “She’s a gorgeous little thing. It shouldn’t take us long to find her a suitable new home.”

  Better than the one you gave her, Eva thought, glaring at the woman’s pink, flowery back as she turned to leave. Some people needed a big reality check before they rushed out and bought a pet!

  As Heidi showed the woman to the door, Eva came over and lifted the puppy out of the box and put her gently on the desk. “Hey, Sasha, she didn’t even say goodbye to you, did she?” she murmured.

  Sasha squirmed and yelped, weeing in panic as her paws slipped on the smooth surface.

  “Oops!” Eva smiled, lifting her carefully and cuddling her. “You’re gorgeous!” she murmured as the puppy snuggled close. Soft and silky, with big brown eyes and floppy ears, and a little pointed tail that wagged to and fro.

  “It makes me so cross when people dump their pets as if they were dropping off a bundle of old clothes at a charity shop!” Heidi sighed, coming back into Reception. “I’m also worried about that breeder passing off cross-breeds as pure pedigrees. I think it’s worth following up.”

  Eva nodded as Sasha licked her hand. “You’re totally gorgeous!” she sighed. “You’ll be snapped up the minute we put you up on our website – just wait and see!”

  “Eva’s in lurve!” Karl chanted. “She lurves the new puppy ‘cos she’s so cute and fluffy!”

  “Who’s cute and fluffy – Eva or the dog?” Eva and Karl’s dad asked, poking his head into Reception. Mark Harrison had just got home from a sunny day delivering parcels. He was in a good mood, ready to tease his daughter. “Or both?” he suggested.

  Eva ignored the joke and carried on tidying leaflets in the rack. “We admitted a new puppy called Sasha,” she told him. “Karl just took her picture and put her on the website.”

  “L-U-R-V-E – lurve!” Karl laughed, unhooking a dog lead and going to fetch Billy the boxer from the kennels. “I’m taking Billy for a walk by the river,” he told them.

  The boxer jumped up when he saw Karl’s lead, wagging his stump of a tail.

  “Down!” Karl ordered. “Sit, Billy!”

  The lean brown dog did as he was told.

  “Good boy.” Karl clipped on the lead and took Billy off across the yard.

  “Nice dog,” Mark said. “Pity about his habit of chewing people’s shoes to shreds.”

  “And chair legs and tables,” Eva reminded him. “But it’s not Billy’s fault. His owner used to lock him in a room and he was bored.”

  Billy was a chewer and it had landed him at Animal Magic and in need of a new home. So far they’d had two sets of people come to look at the lively two year old, but both had turned him down because of his bad habit.

  “Hi, Eva. Hi, Mr Harrison!” Annie Brooks said as she breezed in. Eva’s friend from next door had come to see the puppy that Eva had called to tell her about. “So where’s this cute pup?”

  “In the kennels. Come on!” Leaving the leaflets, Eva dashed ahead. “Sasha’s mega sweet, Annie. Honestly, you just have to take a peep!”

  “Karl’s out walking Billy, and Eva’s in the kennels with Annie,” Mark reported to Heidi, who had just finished talking with Joel, Animal Magic’s veterinary assistant.

  “Did Annie bring any news?” Heidi asked. “You know, from Linda – about the Council’s decision.”

  For more than a week now they’d been waiting nervously for a letter from the Council.

  “No news I’m afraid.” Mark shook his head. “I only know that Linda wishes she’d never got up that petition to have us closed down in the first place.”

  Heidi frowned. “Yes, well, a dose of guilt won’t do Linda Brooks any harm. Meanwhile, we’re living on tenterhooks, wondering whether we’re going to be shut down.”

  Mark put an arm around her shoulder. “Fingers crossed they let us stay open,” he said. “Anyway, forget that now, come and see what’s in the van!”

  “Hey, go and see who we’ve got in Reception!” Karl told Eva and Annie.

  The two girls had spent half an hour cuddling and petting lonely little Sasha. Karl was back from his walk and putting Billy in his kennel.

  “Who?” Eva demanded. It was early evening – a busy time for Animal Magic.

  “Put that puppy down and go see!” Karl insisted.

  “Just because you want to cuddle Sasha!” Eva grinned.

  “Yeah, Karl!” Annie joined in. “You won’t admit it, but really you do!”

  “OK then, don’t go!” he sulked. “But you’re missing something interesting.”

  “Here!” Eva said, making up her mind and handing Sasha to him. “Watch she doesn’t wee all over you!”

  Out in Reception, Joel and Eva’s mum and dad were gathered around a low table in the waiting area.

  “Who’s a cheeky boy?” a croaky voice asked. “Who’s a cheeky boy?”

  “What’s that?” Annie gasped, tumbling through the door with Eva.

  “Where’s Neville? Who’s a cheeky boy?” Chirp-chirp-croak!


  “It’s a bird,” Eva decided, though she couldn’t see clearly.

  Mark leaned close to the cage and made little kissing noises. Joel’s broad back hid the occupant from sight.

  “Is it a parrot?” Annie asked.

  “Cage is too small,” Eva muttered.

  “Bud-dy! Bud-dy!” the voice croaked. “Who’s a cheeky boy?”

  Heidi stood back to let Eva and Annie see. “Meet Buddy the budgie,” she said with a smile.

  Inside the cage was a small, sky-blue bird with a white head and a grey freckled ruff of feathers around his neck. He hopped up and down on his little perch, bobbing his head and repeating his favourite phrase.

  “Aah!” Annie said with a sigh. “He’s cute!”

  The budgie hopped from one perch to another, jingling a tiny silver bell above his head. “Who’s a cheeky boy?” he cried, cocking his head to one side.

  Eva crouched by the cage. She gazed into Buddy’s button-black eyes. “Cool!” she murmured.

  Buddy stared back at her without blinking. “Where’s Neville?” he croaked. “Poppety-poppety-poppety-pop!”

  Chapter Two

  “Who’s Neville?” Eva asked her dad the following morning.

  Buddy the budgie had been going on about Neville ever since he arrived.

  “Neville is Buddy’s owner,” Mark explained. “He’s left the bird with us while he goes on holiday to see his sister in South Africa. He’ll be back in three weeks.”

  “Cool!” Eva grinned. She laughed as Buddy hopped and poppety-popped like crazy in his cage. The talking budgie’s bright eyes and tiny sharp claws fascinated her.

  “Any post this morning?” Heidi asked as she dashed through Reception.

  “Not yet,” Eva answered.

  “I can’t stand this waiting around,” her mum sighed. “It’s driving me crazy!”

  For a while there was a stiff silence. Then Mark abruptly changed the subject. “How’s wee Sasha?”

  “Good,” Eva said with a smile. She’d checked the cute puppy twice already.

  “Wee Sasha – ‘wee’ meaning ‘little’, not the other…”

  Eva raised her eyebrows at the naff joke. “Da-ad! Anyway, why aren’t you at work?”

  “Day off. And why aren’t you at school, Evie-Bee?”

  “Summer holidays!” she told him. “As if you didn’t know! And what’s with the baby name stuff?”

  As they joked around, the main door opened and a tall, fair-haired man and a girl aged about six came in. They glanced round uncertainly, then walked to the desk.

  “Can I help?” Mark asked.

  Eva noted the small blue pet carrier under the man’s arm.

  “My name’s Francis Nicholls, and this is my daughter Grace. We hope we’ve come to the right place,” the man began.

  The little girl looked down at her feet with an unhappy frown.

  “This is Animal Magic, where we match the perfect pet with the perfect owner!” Mark announced with a smile. “At least, that’s what we try to do.”

  Mr Nicholls cleared his throat. “Good. Well, I mean, in one way, it’s good. But in another way it’s not good, is it, Gracie?”

  The girl shook her head.

  “We’re very sorry to part with Bella,” her dad went on. He placed the pet carrier on the desk and stood Grace on a chair alongside. “But we’re going abroad, so we don’t have any choice.”

  Intrigued, Eva came over to investigate.

  “How long will you be away?” Mark asked, thinking that the parting might not be for ever.

  “Oh, we’re not coming back,” Mr Nicholls explained. “We’re emigrating to New Zealand. That’s why we have to say goodbye to Bella.”

  “So who’s Bella?” Eva asked, carefully unzipping the carrier and peering inside.

  At first she saw only a soft, pale-blue blanket. Then, looking more closely, she made out a white shape huddled amongst the folds. It was round and furry, with long ears and enormous dark brown eyes. “A baby rabbit!” she murmured, reaching inside.

  But Bella didn’t want to be picked up. She turned her back and shrank further into the corner.

  “Bella’s very shy,” Grace’s dad explained. “We’ve only had her for a couple of weeks and we’ve not been able to coax her out of her shell, I’m afraid.”

  For the first time Grace spoke up. “She only lets me stroke her,” she said quietly. “No one else.”

  Gently the little girl put her hand inside the carrier and stroked Bella’s ears.

  “Does she take food from your hand?” Eva asked.

  Grace nodded. “She likes lettuce and rocket leaves and tiny bits of carrot.”

  “How come you took Bella on?” Mark asked Francis.

  “When we already knew we were emigrating, you mean?”

  Mark nodded.

  “It was a case of us or nobody, I’m afraid. We found Bella in our garden shed. She was obviously lost. We reckoned she’d given her previous owners the slip, so we took her in and looked after her. My wife put up ‘Found’ notices around the neighbourhood, but no one came forward to claim her.”

  Mark nodded and began to take down details. Meanwhile, Grace showed Eva how to stroke Bella.

  “You put your hand in front of her, like this. You wait for her to take a sniff. If she likes you, she’ll let you move your hand a bit closer, until in the end she lets you stroke her.”

  Patiently Eva copied Grace. “Poor little Bella!” she sighed. “Don’t be shy. I’m not going to hurt you.”

  The small white rabbit trembled as she sniffed Eva’s hand. But she no longer tried to hide in the corner. Instead, she came forward a fraction.

  “Lovely girl!” Eva soothed. “You’re beautiful, with your big, brown eyes.”

  Grace nodded and smiled.

  Sniff-sniff. Bella’s ears twitched as she edged forward.

  In the background, Buddy jingled his bell and poppety-popped.

  “We live at 23 Riverside Road,” Francis told Mark, as he filled in the form. “But we’re leaving first thing tomorrow.”

  “OK, well listen – I’m sure we’ll be able to find Bella a new owner,” Mark said, smiling kindly at Grace as her dad helped her down from the chair. “And once she’s settled in to her new home, we could send you a message to tell you how happy she is. Would you like us to do that?”

  Grace frowned then nodded.

  “So we’ll email you with the good news. Is that OK?”

  Another nod, then Grace blinked back a tear.

  “Come on, Gracie, let’s go,” her dad said briskly. He took her hand. “Say goodbye.”

  “Goodbye, Bella,” Grace whispered as her dad led her away.

  Inside the pet carrier, hidden from sight, shy Bella snuggled deep into the blue blanket.

  “Where’s Neville? Who’s a cheeky boy?” Buddy chattered from his perch.

  “Let me give you a guided tour of Animal Magic!” Eva said to Bella.

  Her mum had run a health check on the baby rabbit and declared her fit. “Very nervous though,” she’d warned. “It’ll take a while for her to get used to us.”

  Eva picked up the blue carrier with Bella inside, and made her way to the cattery, which was nice and quiet. “I’m going to read up about rabbit care,” she promised, placing the carrier next to a kitten unit and peering in at Bella. “I know you need plenty of clean water to drink, but I want to find out more stuff about a healthy diet and exercise.”

  Bella sat cosily on her blanket, her white fur fluffy, her ears long and silky.

  “This is where we look after cats and kittens,” Eva explained, pointing down the row of units. “We’ve got Bertie and Domino. Domino is the black and white cat. We’ve already found a home for him. These two kittens are called Missy and Petal.”

  Though she didn’t venture out of her cosy nest, Bella seemed to be paying attention. Her nose twitched and she flicked her long ears.

  “Mad!” Karl muttered as he passed thr
ough the cattery. “Crazy girl Eva, talking to the animals!”

  “And that’s my brother, Karl,” Eva told Bella. “Ignore everything he says, OK!”

  Eva showed Bella the kennels with the noisy dogs, including Billy the bad-boy boxer and Ellie, a calm, sweet-tempered German shepherd.

  But shy Bella hid in her dark corner, afraid of the barks and yelps.

  So Eva quickly carried her out of the kennels to the small pets section.

  “Meet Jimmy,” she said to the quivering newcomer. “He’s a gorgeous brown and white guinea pig with twinkly pink eyes. And this is Frankie the ferret, who was dumped in a pet shop doorway. He was practically starving. How can people do that? And next to him is Lucky, a Dutch rabbit. I’m sure you’ll soon make friends with him.”

  “Nuts!” Karl commented, coming in to play with Frankie. He took the ferret from his cage and let him run up his arm on to his shoulder. “Talk, talk, talk to the animals. That’s all Eva ever does!”

  As usual, Eva ignored her brother and carried on with her guided tour.

  “We’ve got new stables out in the yard. At the moment we don’t have anyone living there because it’s summer and Guinevere and Merlin stay out in Linda Brooks’s field at the back of their house, which is next door.”

  Bella sniffed the air and edged forward to the door of the carrier. She stared out at her new surroundings.

  Frankie ran down Karl’s other arm and jumped on to the table beside Bella. A startled Bella cowered back in her dark corner.

  “Hey, Frankie, don’t scare her!” Eva protested. She knew the ferret was too lively for the shy rabbit. So, with a fresh idea in her head, Eva ran to the kennels to fetch Sasha.

  “Now, Sasha, meet Bella. I want you to be nice to Bella. She’s new and she needs a friend. I’m relying on you!” Eva introduced the gentle puppy to the young rabbit.