think it worked?’ Mrs Trifle asked.
‘Hard to tell,’ said Dr Trifle. ‘I think we’ll just have to wait and see.’
‘Wait? Wait for what?’ Selby thought. ‘What are they talking about? What are they looking at me like that for? Surely they don’t think there’s a curse on me.’
Selby munched a Dry-Mouth Dog Biscuit as the Trifles watched.
‘Something about him does look … different,’ Mrs Trifle said.
‘Yes, maybe it is working, after all.’
‘Cut it out, you guys,’ Selby thought. (He didn’t say it, he only thought it.) ‘You’re making me nervous. I’m getting out of here.’
Selby set out for a long walk.
‘The flies are terrible,’ he said to himself as he shook dozens of them off his back. ‘They’re never this bad. Hey, and look! The floral clockhas stopped. And it stopped exactly at midnight! Spooky dooky.’
Selby walked on as dark clouds gathered above the town. The wind picked up and a willywilly swirled along the street, gathering up dust and pieces of paper. Selby clung to a lamp-post as the willy-willy passed by.
‘That was a close one!’ he thought. ‘It could have picked me right up and carried me off! This is getting scary. I’m going home where I’ll be safe with the Trifles.’
Selby could feel the sweat running down his face as he headed for home.
‘Hey! There’s a big crowd at the sportsground,’ he said, breaking into a run. ‘There must be a cricket match on. I wonder who’s playing. I can see the scoreboard now. Poshfield 174. Bogusville 2. We must have just gone in to bat. Poshfield is pathetic. We can beat 174 easily. Whoa,’ he said, as he got closer. ‘They’re not playing cricket — they’re playing soccer! One hundred and seventy-four is the highest soccer score ever! Mr Sombra’s curse must be working!’
As the crowd started to leave the stadium, the sun came out. Selby saw a startled look on a little girl’s face.
‘Mummy, look!’ she cried. ‘That dog doesn’t have a shadow!’
‘What a strange thing to say,’ the woman said. ‘Good grief! You’re right! He doesn’t have a shadow!’
‘What are they on about?’ Selby thought. ‘Is this a trick? Maybe the kid has worked out that the Selby in the books is me. Maybe she’s trying to trick me into looking down at my shadow. Then, if I do, she’ll know that I can understand people-talk. She’ll know it’s me, Selby, the only talking dog in Australia and, perhaps, the world. Well, I’m not going to look down.’
Selby walked faster, keeping his head held high. The girl and her mother were following him now.
‘How does she know it’s me?’ Selby thought. ‘Did I give away too many clues in my stories?’
‘Look! Everyone look!’ the little girl yelled. ‘The doggy doesn’t have a shadow!’
Everyone looked at Selby.
‘Oh, no!’ Selby thought. ‘Get me out of here!’
Selby switched from a walk to a trot as people tried to catch up.
‘The little girl is right!’ a man cried. ‘It’s a shadowless dog!’
‘He’s some kind of devil dog!’ a woman yelled. ‘Look, everyone!’
Selby switched from a trot to a run and, as he did, he peeped over his nose towards the ground.
‘My shadow! It’s gone! The sun is out and they’ve all got shadows but I don’t!’ he thought. ‘The curse is working!’
‘Catch him!’ someone yelled. ‘I want a photo! Don’t let him get away!’
‘If they catch me, they’ll send me off to a science laboratory to be studied!’ Selby thought. ‘My life will never be the same! And it’s all because of that stupid Mr Sombra and his curse!’
Selby was running as fast as he could with the crowd gaining on him. Then, hearing the sound of a roaring car behind him, he shot off the road and through the trees.
‘Hey! Bogusville Creek’s up ahead!’ he thought. ‘I’ll just dive in and swim across. That’ll lose them.’
But, as he got to the creek, he suddenly remembered something.
‘What am I thinking? I
‘Hard to tell,’ said Dr Trifle. ‘I think we’ll just have to wait and see.’
‘Wait? Wait for what?’ Selby thought. ‘What are they talking about? What are they looking at me like that for? Surely they don’t think there’s a curse on me.’
Selby munched a Dry-Mouth Dog Biscuit as the Trifles watched.
‘Something about him does look … different,’ Mrs Trifle said.
‘Yes, maybe it is working, after all.’
‘Cut it out, you guys,’ Selby thought. (He didn’t say it, he only thought it.) ‘You’re making me nervous. I’m getting out of here.’
Selby set out for a long walk.
‘The flies are terrible,’ he said to himself as he shook dozens of them off his back. ‘They’re never this bad. Hey, and look! The floral clockhas stopped. And it stopped exactly at midnight! Spooky dooky.’
Selby walked on as dark clouds gathered above the town. The wind picked up and a willywilly swirled along the street, gathering up dust and pieces of paper. Selby clung to a lamp-post as the willy-willy passed by.
‘That was a close one!’ he thought. ‘It could have picked me right up and carried me off! This is getting scary. I’m going home where I’ll be safe with the Trifles.’
Selby could feel the sweat running down his face as he headed for home.
‘Hey! There’s a big crowd at the sportsground,’ he said, breaking into a run. ‘There must be a cricket match on. I wonder who’s playing. I can see the scoreboard now. Poshfield 174. Bogusville 2. We must have just gone in to bat. Poshfield is pathetic. We can beat 174 easily. Whoa,’ he said, as he got closer. ‘They’re not playing cricket — they’re playing soccer! One hundred and seventy-four is the highest soccer score ever! Mr Sombra’s curse must be working!’
As the crowd started to leave the stadium, the sun came out. Selby saw a startled look on a little girl’s face.
‘Mummy, look!’ she cried. ‘That dog doesn’t have a shadow!’
‘What a strange thing to say,’ the woman said. ‘Good grief! You’re right! He doesn’t have a shadow!’
‘What are they on about?’ Selby thought. ‘Is this a trick? Maybe the kid has worked out that the Selby in the books is me. Maybe she’s trying to trick me into looking down at my shadow. Then, if I do, she’ll know that I can understand people-talk. She’ll know it’s me, Selby, the only talking dog in Australia and, perhaps, the world. Well, I’m not going to look down.’
Selby walked faster, keeping his head held high. The girl and her mother were following him now.
‘How does she know it’s me?’ Selby thought. ‘Did I give away too many clues in my stories?’
‘Look! Everyone look!’ the little girl yelled. ‘The doggy doesn’t have a shadow!’
Everyone looked at Selby.
‘Oh, no!’ Selby thought. ‘Get me out of here!’
Selby switched from a walk to a trot as people tried to catch up.
‘The little girl is right!’ a man cried. ‘It’s a shadowless dog!’
‘He’s some kind of devil dog!’ a woman yelled. ‘Look, everyone!’
Selby switched from a trot to a run and, as he did, he peeped over his nose towards the ground.
‘My shadow! It’s gone! The sun is out and they’ve all got shadows but I don’t!’ he thought. ‘The curse is working!’
‘Catch him!’ someone yelled. ‘I want a photo! Don’t let him get away!’
‘If they catch me, they’ll send me off to a science laboratory to be studied!’ Selby thought. ‘My life will never be the same! And it’s all because of that stupid Mr Sombra and his curse!’
Selby was running as fast as he could with the crowd gaining on him. Then, hearing the sound of a roaring car behind him, he shot off the road and through the trees.
‘Hey! Bogusville Creek’s up ahead!’ he thought. ‘I’ll just dive in and swim across. That’ll lose them.’
But, as he got to the creek, he suddenly remembered something.
‘What am I thinking? I
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