麻豆约拍

by Tracey Hammet; read by Sarah Hadland

Once upon a time there lived Mr Flibbit, Mrs Flibbit and a younger Flibbit called Toby. The Flibbits had ten rooms in their house and in every room, there was a TV. Toby Flibbit liked watching sports programmes - but he never played sport. Mrs Flibbit liked watching dance programmes - 聽but she never danced. And Mr Flibbit liked watching cooking programmes - but he never, ever cooked anything except oven chips and pies.

One day while they were all watching telly, there was a knock at the door.

鈥淪omebody get that! I鈥檓 watching Strictly Come Disco!鈥� shouted Mrs Flibbit.

鈥淪omebody get that or I won鈥檛 know how to make a spinach bake!鈥� shouted Mr Flibbit.

鈥淪omebody get that 鈥榗os Cardiff might score a goal鈥�, shouted Toby.

Outside on the doorstep, sat Ralph, the stray dog. He could see some light through the curtains and he could hear the TVs blasting聽so he wondered why no one was answering the door.聽 He pressed the handle down with his paw and the door opened.

Ralph trotted into the lounge where Mrs Flibbit was watching her dance programme.

鈥淗ello dearie,鈥� said Mrs Flibbit, 鈥渨here did you come from? Nice to meet you too, now lie down and watch the dancing with me!鈥�

鈥淗mmm,鈥� thought Ralph, 鈥渄ancing looks fun.鈥� He tried out some dance moves: 聽a high paw kick, a furry head spin! But Mrs Flibbit was too busy watching telly to notice.

Ralph trotted into another room where Toby was watching the sport.聽

鈥淗ey fella鈥�, said Toby, 鈥渨here did you come from? Lie down, and we can watch the football together!鈥�

鈥淗mmm鈥�, thought Ralph, 鈥渇ootball looks fun.鈥� He sniffed out a football from the cupboard, dribbled it around the room, then practised some headers, but Toby was too busy staring at the telly to notice.

Ralph trotted into the kitchen where Mr Flibbit was watching a cooking programme.聽

鈥淥oooh, a visitor!鈥� said Mr Flibbit. 鈥淚 bet you鈥檙e hungry 鈥榠nt you!鈥� said Mr Flibbit. 鈥淛ust settle down here and watch this cooking programme for a bit, then I鈥檒l cook you supper!鈥�

鈥淗mmm鈥�, thought Ralph as he watched the TV chef, 鈥渢hose recipes look delicious. I wonder what鈥檚 for supper.鈥�

Supper was pie and chips, and Ralph thought it was yummy.聽

Once the Flibbits had finished their supper Ralph thought they might at least play ball or have a little dance before bedtime but they watched more telly.

Just before bedtime, Mr Flibbit said: 鈥淵ou can be our dog if you like!鈥� 聽So Ralph ran outside and picked up the suitcase he had hidden under the hedge and brought it in.

But after a week of living with the Flibbits, Ralph was very bored.聽Bored of watching the football and never playing a real game;聽bored of watching dancing programmes and never dancing a step;聽and bored of pie and chips.聽

鈥淭he Flibbits are not a healthy family. Things have got to change around here!鈥澛� thought Ralph.

The next morning, Mr Flibbit got a big surprise when he looked in the freezer.

鈥淲e鈥檝e beeeen robbbbed!鈥� he bellowed. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e taken every pie and chip in the freezer!鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檝e still got our tellies!鈥� said Toby, running round counting the tellies. He flicked one on, but it didn鈥檛 work. And then another - it didn鈥檛 work.聽 鈥淭hey鈥檝e taken all the plugs off the tellies!鈥� groaned Toby.

鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 burglars that took your pies, it was me,鈥� said Ralph. 鈥淚 buried them in the garden. Oh yeah, and I took all the plugs off the tellies too.鈥�

The Flibbits didn鈥檛 know what to say, they鈥檇 never met a talking dog before!

鈥淵ou鈥檝e been very kind to me, but I鈥檓 afraid you don鈥檛 know how to look after a dog. You don鈥檛 even know how to look after yourselves,鈥� said Ralph, picking up his suitcase.

鈥淎 dog needs a balanced and varied diet, just like a human. I need to play games and go for walks. I鈥檓 a dog not a furry cushion!鈥� said Ralph

鈥淏ut we love you!鈥� said Toby, 鈥渨e promise to change our ways!鈥�

鈥淩ight鈥�, said Ralph, giving Toby his lead, 鈥渨e鈥檙e going for a walk鈥�.

Ralph took the Flibbets down the High Street.聽 He stopped outside the dance studios.聽 鈥淒ance Classes!鈥� said Mrs Flibbit, 鈥渨hat fun鈥�. She disappeared inside.

Ralph, Toby and Mr Flibbit continued to the park where the local youth football team were playing.聽 Toby stopped to watch.聽 鈥淐ome and join in!鈥� called the coach.聽 So he did.

Then Ralph took Mr Flibbit to the local supermarket.聽 He led him to the vegetable section. Mr Flibbit stared at the broccoli and cauliflower in confusion.聽 鈥淧lants? We can鈥檛 eat plants!鈥� he muttered. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e vegetables鈥�, barked Ralph, 鈥渁nd they鈥檙e very good for you.聽 I particularly like spinach.鈥� said Ralph putting a big bunch in Mr Flibbit鈥檚 basket.

鈥淎nd while we鈥檙e here we might as well get some fruit.鈥� Ralph juggled two bananas, a pear and two oranges before dropping them into the basket.

That evening Mrs Flibbit taught everyone her dance moves, Toby showed off his football skills, and they all feasted on a tasty spinach bake cooked by Mr Flibbit with a little bit of help from Ralph.

鈥淎re you going to unpack your suitcase now?鈥� Mrs Flibbit asked Ralph.聽

鈥淎s long as you promise I will never have to eat another pie!鈥� barked Ralph.

And they all giggled.