Chapter 1 GEORGE IS RATHER DIFFICULT
'Mother! Mother, where are you?' shouted George, rushing into the house. 'Mother, quick!'
There was no answer. George's mother was out in the garden at the back of Kirrin Cottage, pickingflowers. George yelled again, this time at the top of her very strong voice.
'MOTHER! MOTHER! Where are you? IT'S URGENT.'
A door was flung open nearby and George's father stood there, glaring at her.
'George! What's this row about? Here am I in the middle of some very difficult...'
'Oh Father! Timmy's hurt!' said George. 'He went...'
Her father looked down at Timmy, standing¹ meekly² behind George. He gave a little snort.
'Hurt! He seems all right to me. I suppose he's got a thorn in his paw again - and you think it's the endof the world or something, and come yelling in here and...'
'Timmy is hurt!' said George, with tears in her voice. 'Look!'
But her father had gone back into his study again, and the door slammed. George glared at it, lookingexactly like her hot-tempered father.
'You're unkind!' she shouted, 'and ... oh there's Mother. Mother!'.
'Dear me, George, whatever is the matter?' said her mother, putting down the flowers. 'I heard yourfather shouting, and then you.'
'Mother - Timmy's hurt!' said George. 'Look!'
She knelt down by the dog, and gently pulled forward one ear. Behind it was a big cut. Timmywhined. Tears came into George's eyes, and she looked up at her mother.
'Now don't be silly, George,' said Mrs. Kirrin. 'It's only a cut. How did he do it?'
'He tried to jump over a ditch, and he didn't see some old barbed wire there,' said George. 'And arusty piece caught his ear, and ripped that awful cut. I can't stop it bleeding.'
Her mother looked at it. It certainly was quite deep. 'Take him to the vet⁴, George,' she said.
'Perhaps it ought to be stitched. It does look rather deep. Poor old Timmy-boy - well, it's a good thingit wasn't his eye, George.'
'I'll take him to the vet at once,' said George, getting up. 'Will he be in, Mother?'
'Oh yes - it's his surgery hour,' said her mother. 'Take him along now.'
2So Timmy was hurried along the country lanes to the pretty little house where the vet lived.
George, very anxious indeed, was most relieved to see that the vet seemed quite unconcerned.
'A couple of stitches and that cut will heal well,' he said. 'Hold him, will you, while I do the job?
He'll hardly feel it. There, old boy - stand still - that's right.'

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