Free Max the Missing Puppy by Holly Webb Page A

something smaller would be better…”
    The bravest puppy, who had a mostly white face, with cute black ears, and a pirate-style eyepatch, was creeping up to Molly again. This time he jumped up so his paws were on her lap, and gave her a quick little lick.

    Molly gasped delightedly. She’d been listening to her mum and hadn’t noticed him. She tickled him under the chin. “I don’t mind it being hard work,” she said earnestly.
    Another puppy, who had just the same gorgeous pirate look, bounded over and jumped into Molly’s lap. Then he sat with his tongue hanging out, looking very pleased with himself.
    Mrs Hughes smiled. “It’s not all work. They’re incredibly affectionate dogs, and very playful and good with children. Your daughter will have a friend for life.” She crouched down next to Molly. “Those two are the boy puppies, they’re a real pair of rascals, into everything. The girls are a little bit more shy.”
    But now that their brothers had proved that this girl wasn’t scary, the other puppies came crowding round to be stroked and petted too. Soon Molly was covered in a heaving black and white puppy blanket. She caught sight of Silkie watching her, one big dark eye peering out from behind her gorgeous long fringe. The big dog sighed happily, and Molly was sure she was glad that someone else was being climbed on for once.
    Molly’s parents had been talking quietly. Molly tried to listen, but the puppies kept licking her ears, which made it a bit tricky. Oh, she did hope they hadn’t changed their minds! When they’d spotted the advert in the local paper saying Puppies for Sale , and seen that the house was only half an hour’s drive away, it had seemed so perfect. It had taken ages to persuade Mum and Dad that she was old enough to have a dog. They’d been saying, “When you’re older,” for years! Molly didn’t think she could bear it if she had to wait any longer. These puppies were so lovely, and Jackson and Silkie were gorgeous. Molly could just imagine running along the beach after school every day with a huge silvery-furred dog like Jackson galloping beside her.
    At last Dad came over and squatted down next to the puppies too. Molly and all the puppies stared seriously at him. Then one of the bouncy boy puppies leaned over and biffed him onthe arm with his head, looking up at him with twinkly dark eyes.
    Dad gently picked up the puppy, and smiled over at Molly. “So, you think you can manage to keep one of these little rascals exercised?” he asked.
    Molly gasped in delight. “You mean yes? We can have one?” She wrapped her arms round the other boy puppy, who was trying to burrow under her jumper.
    “Yes. But you’ll have to look after the puppy, Molly. And it won’t be a puppy for that long, either – soon it will be a great big dog the size of Silkie and Jackson over there.” Dad tickled his puppy, who wriggled happily. Then he looked down at the puppies romping all round them. “Now we just have to choose one…”
    One!
    Molly knew she ought to be over the moon about having a puppy at all, but she hadn’t imagined quite how difficult it would be to pick just one. The puppies were all so sweet she wanted to take every one of them home! How could she choose one – when it meant leaving all the others behind?
    The two cheeky boy puppies were scrapping over a chew-toy now, pulling it to and fro with mock-fierce growls. The fight looked even funnier because they were so alike, the same size and with almost identical markings. The only noticeable difference was that their eyepatches were on the opposite eyes – sitting side by side they were like mirror images. 

    “You like those two, don’t you, Molly?” Mum asked, watching them and laughing as one of the puppies let go, leaving his brother rolling on to his bottom, still clutching the toy. “Shall we have one of the boys?”
    “Oh yes, they’re really sweet. But they both are, Mum, how are we going to choose just