Fang was a heroine. And yet although she was famous in the school, and everybody was proud of her, and Lucie’s parents were delighted with her, Lucie was in more danger of losing her than ever before.
Luckily Lucie had no idea of this — yet.
The next day there was a story in the local newspaper.
Super-Dog Rescues Baby!
There was drama at Acorn Primary School yesterday when toddler Grace Beamer, 3, was almost crushed under the wheels of a car. Grace had chased a cat onto the street just outside the school gates. As parents and children watched in horror, a huge hound leapt onto the street and dragged Grace to safety.
Grace’s mother said, “My attention was distracted for just a moment, but that was enough. I will never forget the dog that saved Grace. I will always be grateful to her.”
Grace and her mother had been waiting for Grace’s brother Alex to come out of school. Alex said, “Wolfie belongs to a girl in my school. Everyone loves Wolfie. They’ll love her even more now. She is the best dog ever.”
Head teacher Mr Dundas said, “We are all so relieved that Grace is unhurt. We will be reconsidering our safety policies for going-home time.”
Lucie read the story to Fang, who did not seem terribly interested. “You’re a hero!” Lucie told her. “I mean heroine. Or should I say wolferine —”
“Don’t you call me a wolverine!” said Fang, mishearing. “I’m not anything like one of those weaselly creatures. And stop waving that newspaper at me. We wolves aren’t like you humans — always hankering to get our picture in the paper.”
“That’s good,” said Lucie, “because your picture isn’t in the paper.”
But secretly Lucie thought it would be lovely if it was. And the newspaper editor must have thought the same thing, because the next day when Lucie came out of school a photographer was waiting. He rushed up and started taking pictures of Fang from all angles.
“My name’s Jeb Jevons,” he said, FLASH FLASH “from the Courier,” FLASH FLASH. “Thought we should get some shots,” FLASH “of the super-dog,” FLASH “that saved the little lass,” FLASH FLASH “don’t you think?”
Fang did not like the flashes. She kept turning her back or trying to hide behind Lucie. But the camera was clicking so quickly that Jeb Jevons must have got several shots.
Some parents and children came to watch.
“What sort of dog is it?” asked Jeb Jevons, as Fang pulled back her ears and showed him her teeth. “What a set of gnashers! Looks almost like a wolf!”
Alex was standing close by. “Well, there’s wolf blood in her,” he said proudly. “Isn’t there, Lucie?”
It was an unlucky remark. Lucie hesitated, not sure what to say. Some of the parents began to look nervous. They began grabbing their children, and pulling them away.
“Wolf blood, eh?” said Jeb Jevons. “That’s interesting. Very interesting.”
“Well, actually —” began Lucie. She was going to say it was all a misunderstanding — that of course Wolfie wasn’t a wolf. But it was too late. Jeb Jevons climbed into his car and drove away.
Alex and Lucie were left staring at each other on the empty pavement. “Wonder why they all ran off like that?” asked Alex.
“I don’t know,” said Lucie. “Come on, Wolfie. Let’s get home.”
* * *
Next day there was a huge picture of Fang in the paper. On the front page too. It was one of the ones where she was showing her teeth. Underneath was written:
Wolf-Dog At Large
You might not want to meet this creature walking down your street. Especially as we’ve been told it really is part wolf! But it was Wolfie the Wolf-Dog that pulled toddler Grace to safety from under the wheels of a car on Tuesday. Three Big Howls For Wolfie!
Fang just yawned when Lucie showed it to her, then started chewing the newspaper.
Others reacted differently.
That afternoon, when Lucie came out of school, there was an empty circle of pavement all around Fang. It seemed nobody wanted to stand too close to the “Wolf-Dog”. From a safe distance the grown-ups muttered amongst themselves.
The odd word floated over to Lucie. “Enormous” and “teeth” and “wolf blood” and “savage”. Then she heard somebody say clearly, “Really, it shouldn’t be allowed!”
Lucie ran to Fang and hugged her.
“Oh Wolfie!” she cried. “It’s not fair.” Then she turned on those around her. “Cowards!” she shouted. “She won’t hurt you!”
She was about to march off when she heard a stern voice behind her. “Lucie Firkettle! What is the meaning of this?” Lucie turned to see Mr Dundas, the Head of the whole school, glaring down at her.
Lucie swallowed. She had hardly ever spoken to Mr Dundas before. “What do you mean?” she asked.
Mr Dundas pointed at Fang. “Is this the dog that has been causing all the fuss?”
“Fuss!” Lucie was so furious she forgot to be shy. “Fuss? She saved Grace’s life, if that’s what you mean!”
“Lucie!” Mr Dundas frowned. “Don’t be impertinent! Now tell me: is it true this animal is part wolf?”
There was a long silence. All the parents and children waited to hear what Lucie would say.
“No,” she said, as definitely as she could. After all Fang was not part wolf. She was all wolf.
“But you said she had wolf blood in her,” said Marcus, who was hovering close by as usual. “I heard you tell Alex so, on the very first day of term!”
“You little creep!” said Alex, scowling. “Don’t take any notice!”
“But it’s true, isn’t it?” said one of the mothers nervously. “I heard this boy —” she pointed at Alex — “say exactly the same thing to that newspaper man yesterday.”
“But not to get Wolfie into trouble!” said Alex. “I think Wolfie’s great!”
“Hmm,” said Mr Dundas irritably. He was still frowning at Fang. Fang, meanwhile, was sitting peacefully on the pavement, as if all the commotion bothered her not at all.
Suddenly Lucie remembered how she had calmed everybody down in the playground in the park. It had worked then, so why not now? “My goodness!” she cried in a high, bright voice. “Do you really believe all these stories about wolf blood? How ridiculous! I mean, whoever heard of a wolf at school! Ha ha! Hee hee!”
But although she chortled and chuckled until she felt she was going blue in the face, this time it did not work. Nobody joined in. They just went on staring at Fang.
“Look at the size of its paws!” said somebody.
“And its teeth!”
“And its pointy ears!”
“And its tail!”
“Bite you soon as look at you.”
“Savage, that’s what it is —”
Fang began to get annoyed. She drew her lips back in a half-snarl. This did not help.
Lucie felt close to tears. “Come on Fang,” she said shakily. And although she could hear Mr Dundas calling her back, she paid no attention, but ran for home.