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The box on the table was filled with interesting s the interesting smells

I snuffled around the base of the kitchen table, wigglingwith it Magnificent though I aht I couldn’t even see the box from close up, let alone reach it I eyed the kitchen chairs A ht atteh toflat on my snout on the kitchen floor if I tried

I did fancy the interesting sh They smelt delicious

I’d just sat back on my haunches to consider my options, when a foot collided with my side I scampered back with a whine

‘Oh!’ Daisy, one ofthe stack of presents she was carrying so they scattered across the table And the floor And one of the chairs There was red and gold shiny paper everywhere Glitter rained down froood to eat I’d checked)

‘Claude! What are you doing there? Honestly, how do you always see place to sit? Oliver!’ Daisy sounded cross Daisy didn’t often sound cross, so Icarefully Usually, Daisy sounded fun, and full of laughter, and like shenot to drool on her new shoes (that happened last week) But not today

Today, I didn’t think Daisy was in the ive me any treats at all And definitely not any of the food that wassmells in the box

This was not good

Oliver, Daisy’s husband, appeared in the doorway He didn’t look in much of a better mood than Daisy ‘What?’

‘Put Claude in his crate in the car, will you? He’s being such a nuisance’ Personally, I’d argue that the person who came into the kitchen, kicked litter everywhere was reelared at o, and it’s one less thing for me to trip over in this bloody house’

I do not like my crate Well, it’s okay for a while, I suppose But it’s not nearly as comfortable as my basket

I turned big eyes and ears on Oliver, and hoped he was feeling sympathetic

‘Already? Shouldn’t ait until we’re ready to go?’ Good man, Oliver

‘We are ready,’ Daisy snapped Oliver gave the presents littering the kitchen a pointed look ‘Or ould be, if I wasn’t the only one doing the packing’

‘I’ll put Claude in the car,’ Oliver said quickly, self-defence obviously winning out over sympathy I couldn’t really blame him And actually, with Daisy in this mood, maybe I’d be safer out there anyway

I’d be glad when all this Christ the lovely huy treats, preferably As much fun as Christhts on the tree – I didn’t like how grumpy it made Daisy

‘Good Then come back for the Christ set the rest of the gifts in the car, then we can round up the kids and get them loaded up too’

‘If there’s still room for them,’ Oliver muttered, under his breath

I hoped he was joking My ears had perked up a little at the mention of the kids As much as I loved Daisy and Oliver, their children were far more fun Especially Jay who, noas six, had stopped trying to ride a row up I hoped they’d be as much fun as Jay Bella was older, but liked to take et away from her parents She talked to me occasionally, too, curled up on the sofa when her fa someone who could only bark back

But still, I have to admit, Jay is my favourite person ever

‘Come on, Claude old boy’ Oliver hauled e, I saw the twinkling lights on the Christmas tree, and heard the faint sounds of the twins’ favourite toy ain That was probably Jay playing with it, not them At five months old, the teren’t all that interested in their toys, but Jay thought they wereon one or two of them, but Oliver or Daisy always took them away

That was okay They didn’t taste all that good anyway

Outside, it turned out, was a lot chillier than the kitchen The front door clattered shut behind us, the circle of leaves and berries that Daisy had hung on it thudding against the wood The car stood on the driveway, doors wide open and the boot door up high too It was a bigger car than o I supposed because we had so many more people than most of the houses on Maple Drive

My crate sat in the boot, behind the seats where Jay and Bella sat, which in turn were behind the roith the baby seats, which were behind Oliver and Daisy’s chairs My red blanket covered the floor of the crate, and there was a chew toy or two to keeptoday

It was Christmas, and that usually meant a few days at Granny and Grandad’s house by the seaside I liked it there – the sand was funny-feeling underthe waves was always fun, even if I’d never caught thes felt different Less fun, for a start I’d been listening, while Daisy had been getting things ready for our trip, but some of the words she’d used hadn’t made much sense Ferry France Chateau They were neords to me

I had heard theood It wouldn’t be Christy treats forher toys And her people

I didn’t really like to shareanyway, so that was all right

I settled down inthe door closed, and prepared to wait for the rest of the family to join me Preferably with snacks

It didn’t take long

‘Claude!’ Jay whispered my name, louder than most people would shout I jumped up at the sound of his voice ‘I’ to keep you company on the drive’ He fumbled with the door of the crate, then pushed his stuffed toy inside I huffed ratitude It wasn’t just any stuffed toy – it was the special French Bulldog toy that Granny and Grandad had bought him because they said it looked just like me

I couldn’t see it, ant

‘Jay!’ Daisy yelled from inside the house, her voice sharp and impatient, and the little boy’s eyes widened

‘See you later, Claude!’ He sla off before he could realise the latch hadn’t caught properly

Interesting

Still, there was nowhere I really needed to go, so I settled back doith the cuddly toy for co boxes and bags into the car, and the bigger container on the roof Oliver staggered out with a huge gift wrapped box, bigger thanpaper had pictures of red and white striped candy canes, and golden people shaped things with sweets for buttons that looked delicious ‘Not for eating,’ Oliver reminded me, as he headed back to the house for the next box ‘If you eat the wrapping paper off the twins’ first Christmas present, there’ll be hell to pay’