It was a happy day for Shireen because it was her birthday. Her father had promised to get her a puppy as a pet.
Shireen was delighted to see so many puppies at the pet shop. One puppy, however, was different. It was trying to get up but could not. It just looked pitifully at Shireen. The pet shop owner explained that it was crippled.
Shireen immediately decided to buy the puppy. She named it Tommy. Her father tried to persuade her against it as taking care of a crippled puppy was not an easy task. Shireen, however, was adamant. Shireen fed Tommy, combed its fur and played with it every day after school. They became inseparable. The puppy soon grew bigger.
One night, Tommy suddenly heard a soft swish in the grass. It sprang into action. There was a snake! Tommy confronted the snake and growled. The snake did not want to retreat either, so they fought. Shireen’s father switched on the verandah lights to see what all the commotion was about. Tommy caught the snake by its head and kept swinging it around until it was dead.
By then, everyone was downstairs. Shireen rushed out and embraced Tommy. She noticed that Tommy was bleeding, so they took it to the veterinarian. Fortunately, it was nothing serious.
They went home that night and gave Tommy an east fit for a king. The crippled dog which was considered useless had saved its beloved mistress and her family.
spring into action To start performing necessary activities quickly
retreat to go away from a place in order to escape from fighting
verandah a raised, covered, sometimes partly closed area, often made of wood, on the front or side of a building