Mr Dog and the Seal Deal. Ben Fogle

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      ‘Clever boy!’ the girl said, grinning. ‘You’re Mr Tregeen’s new dog, aren’t you?’

      You’re almost right, thought Mr Dog with a woof. Mr Tregeen’s my new person!

      ‘Do you think he’s a hunting dog?’ the girl’s friend wondered. ‘If he is, maybe he could find Ditzy.’

      ‘I wish someone would.’ The girl shrugged sadly, and they walked away to pick up some more rubbish. ‘The harbour simply isn’t the same without Ditzy splashing about …’

      More locals missing Ditzy, thought Mr Dog, watching them go. That girl called me clever, which is quite true … But am I clever enough to solve the mystery of the missing seal? He paddedver to a plastic coffee-cup lid and picked it up in his teeth. I suppose there’s only one way to find out. Once this clean-up is out of the way, it’s time for an adventure!

      That summer evening, as the blue sky drifted into grey, Mr Dog lay in the ramshackle old kennel in John Tregeen’s garden. He’d worked hard on the beach, enjoyed a delicious meal of rice and fish afterwards and now he was napping to keep up his energy levels. Tonight, while it was cool and quiet, he would begin his expedition to find the missing Ditzy!

      John Tregeen opened the back door of his cottage and peered out at the kennel. ‘You there, boy? Coming inside?’

      Mr Dog rose, stretched and went over to the fisherman. He pressed himself against John’s legs to say thank you for his lodging, then turned and padded away to the garden gate.

      John smiled. ‘Is it time to say goodbye?’

      For now, thought Mr Dog. He gave a quiet woof of farewell to the man in the moonlight, then turned and trotted away on to the footpath that ran alongside the row of fishermen’s cottages. Ahead of him, the sea was silvery dark as it stirred and shifted in the breeze, bobbing the boats in the harbour. The cries of night birds sounded in the distance.

      Mr Dog was heading for the estuary, where the river merged with the sea. Then he would follow the course of the river inland. The search for Ditzy had begun!