The Dog Who Watched TV Read online

The Dog Who Watched TV

  Written by Rob Horlock

  Illustrated by Laura Vann

  Text copyright 2013 Rob Horlock

  Illustrations copyright 2013 Laura Vann

  Jasper lay in front of the log-burning fire, warming his tummy and his feet. His nose twitched and his back legs moved as if he was running. Annie, his human mum, looked across at Jasper and smiled. She could see that he was asleep and he was dreaming.

  Perhaps he was dreaming of chasing rabbits or squirrels. Or maybe he was dreaming about playing with his doggie friends, which he loved to do when Annie took him for a walk in the fields.

  Jasper was a West Highland White Terrier, or Westie, for short. His best friend was Barney the Black Labrador. Although Barney was twice the size of Jasper, Jasper was in charge. He barked at Barney, when his friend ran too quickly, ran too far away or played with other dogs. Jasper made sure that Barney stayed close to his owner.

  Yes, Jasper was in charge. ‘Perhaps that’s what he’s dreaming about’, thought Annie, ‘he’s chasing Barney in his sleep’.

  Annie sat quietly in her armchair, sipping her cup of tea and watching the television. Jasper began to snore. Just then, a large brown dog appeared on the TV. It ran across the screen and barked quite loudly. Hearing the dog barking, even though he was asleep, Jasper jumped up as if somebody had stuck a pin in his bottom and ran across the floor to the TV, barking at the top of his voice.

  ‘Bark, Bark, Bark.’

  He jumped up at the TV and tried to bite the dog on the screen. His tail quivered and he bounced around on the carpet in front of the TV.

  ‘Ruff, Ruff.’

  The big brown dog on the TV walked away and disappeared from view. Jasper continued to bark. ‘Bark, Bark, Ruff, Ruff.’

  ‘It’s gone Jasper’, said Annie, ‘the dog’s gone now’.

  Jasper sat down and continued to watch the television, hoping that the dog would return. His head moved from left to right and back again as he looked at the TV screen for any sign of the dog. But Annie was right, the large brown dog had gone.

  ‘Where did the big brown dog go?’ wondered Jasper. ‘One moment he was there, then he was gone and now I can’t see him. It’s very strange’.

  Jasper went back and lay down on his bed next to the fire. He didn’t understand that the dog on the television wasn’t really in the room.

  That night, Jasper lay on the end of Annie’s bed.

  He was very content to sleep at his mummy’s feet. Annie watched the television on the wall in her bedroom as she lay in bed before falling asleep. Jasper had one eye closed and one eye open as he also looked at the TV. He was almost asleep when a familiar shape appeared on the screen. His ears pricked up, he opened his other eye and lifted up his head.

  ‘Bark, Bark, Bark,’

  A small brown and white terrier ran across the screen followed by a large white shaggy dog that bounded along with his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

  ‘Ruff, Ruff, Ruff’.

  Jasper sat up and barked at the TV. He watched the two dogs running around in a field.

  ‘Bark, Bark, Bark.’

  ‘Quiet Jasper’, said Annie, ‘It’s just two dogs running around.’

  ‘Bark, Bark Bark.’ Jasper watched the dogs disappear out of the side of the screen.

  ‘I know,’ thought Jasper, ‘I’ll run downstairs and see if the dogs have gone down to the front room.’

  With that, he jumped off of the bed, ran out of the room, ‘Bark, Bark, Bark,’ down the stairs and into the front room.

  Jasper sniffed behind the sofa, under the table and behind the TV but he found no sign of the two dogs.

  ‘Where are they?’ he thought, ‘I can’t understand where they have gone.’

  After a while he gave up his search, hopped back up the stairs, jumped on to the bed and lay down again.

  Soon, he was sound asleep, his black nose twitching and his back legs moving. Jasper was dreaming of chasing squirrels.

  Next day, Annie took Jasper out for a walk in the fields. He ran around, a stick in his mouth, as happy as could be.

  Then he saw Barney on the other side of the field with his human mum, Emily.

  ‘Brrk, Brrk,’ he said. He realised that the stick in his mouth was stopping him from barking properly. He opened his mouth and dropped the stick on to the ground.

  ‘Bark, Bark,’ he shouted, running across the field as fast as his short legs would carry him towards his friend, wagging his tail, ‘Ruff, Ruff.’

  Barney bounded over and the two dogs sniffed each other, running round in circles.

  Annie and Emily greeted each other and chatted happily while the two dogs chased around.

  ‘Jasper watches the television’, said Annie, ‘It almost seems as if he can recognize the dogs on the screen.’

  ‘Really?’ exclaimed Emily, ‘Barney doesn’t do that. He just falls asleep when I watch the TV’.

  ‘Yes, Jasper really watches the television and he barks at any dogs that he sees.’

  Just then, Jasper appeared, his tongue hanging out of his mouth and looked up at Annie, ‘Yes, I do watch the dogs, don’t I’, he seemed to say.

  That evening, Annie’s husband Sam sat in the conservatory watching a football match on the television. Jasper lay on the floor snoozing peacefully.

  ‘Supper time Sam,’ called Annie, ‘come and get it.’

  Sam walked through to the kitchen. ‘Do you mind if I turn on the TV while we eat?’ he asked, ‘it’s a really good game’.

  ‘Oh, all right,’ sighed Annie, ‘if you must.’

  Sam walked to the other end of the kitchen/diner and turned on the TV, just as the game reached half time and the programme went to the adverts.

  ‘Bark, Bark’. The first advert was for dog food and featured three dogs eating happily and playing together.

  Jasper opened his eyes, realizing what was happening. He jumped up at the TV screen in the conservatory, ‘Bark, Bark, Bark.’ He wagged his tail excitedly and watched the three dogs eating their dinner.

  ‘Bark, Bark, Ruff.’

  As he watched the dogs, Jasper realized that he could hear them in the kitchen – the dogs were in the kitchen as well! He ran into the kitchen and looked up at the TV screen. Yes, it was true. The three dogs were also in the kitchen. So they were in the conservatory and in the kitchen at the same time.

  ‘Bark, Bark, Ruff, Ruff,’ said Jasper excitedly, as he jumped up at the screen.

  Jasper thought this was very confusing.

  As he watched the kitchen TV, the three dogs finished their dinner and ran off the side of the TV screen. Jasper watched them go and then ran back into the conservatory to see if they were still there. He looked up the TV on the wall but there was no sign of the three dogs. They had all gone. ‘Where are they?’ wondered Jasper, ‘I must find out where these dogs are hiding’.

  The next evening, Jasper could be found, once again, lying in front of the fire, snoozing peacefully.

  Sam and Annie watched TV together, trying not to eat too many of the chocolates that were left over from Annie’s birthday. A Black Labrador dog suddenly appeared in the programme that they were watching and after a few seconds, the black dog barked at its owner.

  Jasper leapt up off of the mat and ran over to the TV. ‘Bark, Bark, Ruff, Ruff, Ruff.’

  ‘It’s Barney,’ he thought, ‘Barney’s on the TV. Now I’ll find out where the other dogs have gone.’

  The Black Labrador wandered around for a few more moments then he disappeared off of the side of the screen. As usual, Jasper chased round the house looking for the missing dog.

  ‘Bing, Bong.’

  ‘Who is that ringing the doorbell?’ as
ked Annie as she stood up and walked towards the front door. She opened the door to see her friend Emily standing there with Barney, who was wagging his tail excitedly.

  ‘Hello Emily, hello Barney. Come on in, I’ll make a nice cup of tea.’

  Just then, Jasper appeared and saw his friend Barney. ‘There you are Barney,’ he said, ‘you must have gone outside when you walked off of the TV screen. That must be where all of the other dogs went when they disappeared from the television. How silly of me not to realize that they were there. Now I know.’

  Jasper and Barney sniffed each other energetically for a few moments, then Jasper settled back down in front of the fire and closed his eyes.

  ‘At least I can stop worrying about where the dogs go now when they disappear from the TV,’ he sighed contentedly, ‘they obviously go outside.’

  Happy that he had solved his problem, Jasper fell into a satisfied sleep.

  Silly Jasper. Where do you think the dogs went when they disappeared from the television?

  The End

  For further information, see: https://www.robhorlock.wix.com/creatureteachers

  Other Titles

  If you have enjoyed reading about Jasper and his friend Barney, look out for more titles in the ‘Creature Teachers’ range of children’s books:

  The Skylark Who Was Frightened of Flying

  The Cat Who Wore a Hat

  The Giraffe Who Couldn't Laugh

  And more to follow …

  Creature Teachers

  ‘Creature Teachers’ is a range of children’s books aimed at educating and amusing the young reader. Each book tells a short story, with illustrations. Each story is based around a particular creature and is told in a humorous yet educational manner and introduces words and phrases that the young reader wouldn't be expected to know.

  On one level the stories are simple stories with happy endings. At a higher level, the parent can expand on key words and phrases, increasing the child’s vocabulary and basic understanding of simple grammar.

  About Rob, the author:

  Rob grew up on a farm in Dorset and has lived in various parts of the UK, as well as working for a year in rural northern China. He has written a number of books for children, as well as compiling two volumes of people’s memories from the 20th century – The 1920s to the 1960s and The 1940s. In addition to writing, his interests include Art Deco, golf, (re)learning French, gardening, web design, travel, the sea and fresh air.

  About Laura, the illustrator:

  Laura is an Illustrator and designer working freelance from her studio in Long Eaton. She has completed a Masters level degree in Visual Communication (Illustration) from the University of Derby. As an illustrator she has a passion for visual storytelling and developing creative responses. Although she has worked alongside authors to create visual storybooks, she also thoroughly enjoys creating bespoke handmade craft pieces that respond to a given theme or request. Laura also delivers creative workshops and mentors students and graduates in delivering their own workshops.

  Laura's work can be seen at: https://www.lauravannillustration.com