1

2
3
4
5
I was inspired to write this book by my two dogs,
Simba and Rusty. One day many years ago, Simba was
sitting on a rock, and it reminded me of the Lion King.
They have given me love and comfort and are my most
enjoyable company. They bring me sunshine and when
they see me, they always wag their sweet little tails and
give me a big smile and kiss. They are so precious.

6
 The King of the Mountain
Chapter 1

Cairns, Queensland

Simba was sitting on top of a rock looking out at the

sunrise with his brother Rusty, the Speedy Gonzales of
dogs. They were checking out the chicky babes going
for walks and hoping to kiss them on their cheeks. They
jumped down and ran after them and introduced
themselves to Juliette, a chocolate brown golden
retriever, and Rapunzel, a Staffordshire terrier like
Rusty, at the park. They swam in the lake together and
played with the ball, then they walked back home
together happy as ever.

They had their lunch and an afternoon nap then ran up

and down the garden with
sticks in their mouths, barking at all the other
neighbourhood dogs.

Olivia McGregor, the dogs’ owner, put Simba, a dark

brown Labrador cross bull mastiff, and Rusty Speedy
Gonzales into the four-wheel drive and buckled them
in. Olivia put on her red and white bikini, grabbed her
beach bag, towel, sunscreen and ball and they were off
to the beach at Surfers Paradise to take a dip in the
ocean. After their swim, they had a nice icy pole as it
was a hot summer day. Then they went home to eat
7
dinner and watch their favourite movie The Lion King
while eating honey popcorn and snuggling under a nice
warm blanket. They fell asleep and missed the end of
the movie.

8
Chapter 2

When Olivia woke up, she let Simba and Rusty out into
the backyard to play while she got their breakfast ready
and made her morning coffee and slice of toast. She
then called them in for their breakfast and took them
for their morning walk to the park to meet up with
Juliette and Rapunzel, their puppy friends, and to play
fetch the ball.

Olivia chatted with Marissa Danielson and Katie

Thompson while they watched Simba and Rusty
chasing Juliette and Rapunzel around the park. Later
that day, Olivia decided to take her two puppies for a
drive to the mountains to watch the sunset.

The next day, Olivia, Simba and Rusty Speedy

Gonzales went to the park and met up with Marissa and
Katie and their two precious dogs Juliette and Rapunzel
when along came Lily Claire and Rocky Mitchell with
their two bull mastiffs, Bobo, a dark brown male and
Winnie, a beige female. The owners and their dogs had
a barbecue of steaks and pork chops, with icy poles for
dessert. The naughty puppies went for a swim in the
fishpond while the adults talked about their darling
dogs. It started to rain so they quickly packed up their
stuff, buckled their dogs into the cars and drove home
to watch the family movie, Cinderella, with hot
chocolates and marshmallows. Olivia, Marissa and
Katie washed the dogs in the backyard, dried them with

9
the hairdryer and brushed their now fluffy hair. Then
they were allowed on the couch to drink their hot
chocolates and watch the movie.

Olivia asked Lily Claire, Rocky, Marissa and Katie to

stay for dinner and let the dogs play with their toys so
that they could talk about the day they were planning.

10
Chapter 3

Sunshine Coast, Queensland

The next day, Olivia, Marissa and Katie with Lily

Claire and Rocky drove with their dogs to the Sunshine
Coast to Noosa Beach to let the dogs run on the beach
and to have a picnic. The dogs ate their dog biscuits and
sunbathed with their groovy sunglasses and hats on,
and the adults sunbathed nearby to keep an eye on the
mischievous puppies. Then Rocky decided to go for a
swim in the ocean, and Lily Claire joined him in the sea
while Olivia, Marissa and Katie watched from a
distance, laughing at Rocky’s cheekiness.

They stayed in a fancy hotel and took the dogs out for
dinner at the Shangri La, where they feasted on
sausages and chicken breast. The adults had the all-
you-can-eat pasta buffet. They were celebrating
Rapunzel’s and Juliette’s second birthday with a gooey
honey popcorn cake, their favourite. After dinner, they
went for an evening swim and had a nice massage at
the spa with a mud bath and a pedicure. The girl dogs
had their nails painted rose pink. The boy dogs had
their hair cut and their moustaches trimmed, while
Rocky had his hair waxed. They changed into their line
dancing outfits and cowboy boots for a night of line
dancing. The dogs drank blueberry and raspberry
slurpies, and the adults had mocktails to quench their
thirst.
11
They went to bed at one o’clock in the morning and the
next day went for a walk on the beach before going
back to their room to pack up their stuff and drive back
home. Bobo, Winnie, Simba and Rusty did not want to
leave the beach, they wanted to stay for one more night
to line dance the night away. So, the adults decided to
book the rooms for one extra night and to buy the
movie Garfield. That night after dancing, they had ice
cream sundaes with Fanta for the dogs and lemon and
lime mocktails for the adults. Back in their rooms, they
all had a relaxing splish splash in the spa with bubble
gum bubble bath. In the early morning, they decided to
drive back home. They stopped at the lookout to look
at the sunrise and arrived home at about nine o’clock
that morning.

12
Chapter 4

A bit later, Margaret and Lachlan Alexander with their

dogs, Lacey Lucky Rainbow, a female boxer, and
Racey the Powerful Puppy, a male boxer, went to the
National Park
Belair and met up with Olivia, Marissa, Katie, Lily
Claire, Rocky and their puppies for camping. That
night all the dogs sat up in their sleeping bags with
beanies on staring up at the stars and enjoying toasted
marshmallows and hot Milo, while the adults made
their dinner of roasted pork belly with crispy crackling
and apple sauce. Dessert was a sticky chocolate mousse
topped with whipped cream. Margaret and Lachlan
made some raspberry and mango mocktails for the
adults to go with their barbecue prawns and roasted
potatoes. Rocky, who played in a band had brought his
guitar for a singalong of Shania Twain’s I’m Gonna
Getcha Good and Jake Owens’ Barefoot Blue Jeans, his
favourite songs. They sang into the early hours of the
morning until the birds started chirping.

13
Chapter 5

In the morning, they woke up and brushed their doggy

teeth with bubble gum toothpaste on their toothbrushes
and sponged their faces. The owners put the dogs in
their little kits of jeans, t-shirts, cowboy hats and boots.
Then the adults got ready for a walk in the national park.
Rusty Speedy Gonzales and Racey the Powerful Puppy
raced each other in a challenge to see who could reach
Winnie and Juliette first. Simba and Bobo went for a
stroll over a bridge and waited for Rusty and Racey to
come. Lacey and Rapunzel waited patiently for Juliette
while she sniffed her butt. Later, the owners found the
dogs in a pool of mud and decided they had to throw
them into the lake to wash. The dogs made a big splash,
wetting the adults in the process. Lachlan and Rocky
picked the girls up and threw them into the water then
jumped into the lake themselves.

14
Chapter 6

Santa Monica, USA

After their camping trip, everyone jumped on an

American Airlines plane and went to Santa Monica for
a holiday. They went shopping at Santa Monica mall to
buy the boy dogs black leather pants, black leather
jackets, bandannas and black polarised sunglasses, and
the girl dogs red leather pants and pink leather jackets
with tassels, and they all got their hair combed back.
The girls also bought leopard print skirts and tops and
the boys bought blue blazers and blue leather pants.
The owners picked up rental motorbikes, strapped the
dogs on, and went for a ride down Route 66 to Santa
Monica pier. They stopped for doggy chinos, cafe lattes
and a nice piece of chocolate mud cake. They rented a
houseboat floating just off the pier. Lachlan and Rocky
went fishing to catch their dinner of bluefin tuna and
snapper, while the girls made honey and lemon roasted
asparagus, baby carrots and sweet potatoes. Meanwhile,
their dogs relaxed outside on the pool lounges with
their sunnies on watching the ducks paddling in the
water. While the vegetables roasted, the girls read the
book Cinderella to Rapunzel, Juliette, Winnie and
Lacey Lucky Rainbow. Lachlan and Rocky caught the
tuna and snapper and cleaned them ready for baking in
the oven with lemon and rosemary. The boys took
Simba, Rusty, Bobo and Racey the Powerful for a walk
along the pier until the food was ready. They bought

15
root beer for themselves, mocktails for the girls and
lemon, lime and bitters for the dogs.

While they were in America, they met up with Olivia’s

brother, Tommy and his wife Heather, who had two
German shepherds called Kacey the Sweetheart and
Timothy the Top Gun. They all rode together on their
motorbikes to Venice Beach and let the dogs run around
and go for a swim in the ocean with their owners. They
brought a picnic of camembert and edam cheese and
biscuits and some cool raspberry lemonade for the dogs
as well. After the picnic, the group dropped their
motorbikes back to the rental office, returned to the
houseboat to pack their bags and got the dogs strapped
into the car to drive to the Santa Monica Airport.

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Chapter 7

Byron Bay, New South Wales

Oliver Shelton who had two female Dalmatians called

Sparkles Diamond and Chocolate Sprinkles, fell in love
with Olivia McGregor. They met in Byron Bay at
Whites Beach, and he played his guitar and sang
Sangria to her. Simba and Rusty met Oliver’s two dogs,
Sparkles Diamond and Chocolate Sprinkles. Oliver
asked Olivia out for dinner with their dogs to an Italian
restaurant to have pasta. They both had tagliatelle with
seafood of clams, mussels and scallops. The male dogs
munched loudly on spinach and ricotta ravioli and the
two females slurped up their spaghetti Bolognese.
Oliver ordered a bottle of sparkling San Pellegrino.
After the meal, Oliver asked Olivia to dance, and
Simba and Sparkles Diamond and Rusty and Chocolate
Sprinkles danced romantically under the moonlight to
Love Is In The Air. Oliver and Olivia kissed under the
stars… and so did the dogs. Simba kissed Sparkles
Diamond and Rusty kissed Chocolate Sprinkles. They
all left the restaurant for a stroll along the shoreline
holding hands and paws.

The couple Oliver and Olivia, who were staying in a

beach house for a week-long holiday, went to the pool
with their dogs. They enjoyed the spa while they
watched their dogs swimming. After their swim, Oliver
and Olivia dried the dogs and tucked them into their

17
water beds in their pyjamas, Simba and Rusty in boxer
shorts and t-shirts and Sparkles Diamond and
Chocolate Sprinkles in nightgowns. Oliver and Olivia
relaxed on the sofa to watch a movie, The Notebook.
During the movie, Sparkles Diamond, Chocolate
Sprinkles, Simba and Rusty heard the movie theme
coming from the lounge room.

They snuck out of bed into the lounge and gave their
owners a serious look, saying, “You’re watching this
movie without us?”

Oliver and Olivia relented and let the dogs join them
on the sofa. After the movie, the adults took the four
dogs to brush their teeth with peppermint toothpaste for
the boys and strawberry for the girls and sponged their
faces with warm water. Oliver had a shower while
Olivia tucked the dogs back into bed. Oliver kissed
Sparkles Diamond and Chocolate Sprinkles on their
cheeks, said goodnight and turned off the light.

Olivia gave Simba and Rusty a hug and said, “See you
both in the morning.”

Olivia and Oliver then went to bed.

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Chapter 8

Thredbo, New South Wales

Friends of Olivia’s, Carlos and Sarahbeth McAllister,

and their huskies, Tucker the Cheeky and Strawberry
Kisses, drove to Thredbo for the winter holidays from
their home in Canberra. The dogs and their owners
went ice skating on a frozen lake. Carlos put ice skates,
goggles and a scarf on Tucker and Sarahbeth helped
Strawberry Kisses with her skates. The owners and
their dogs held hands and paws and skated around the
lake. Then Tucker took Strawberry Kisses and did a
triple axel and took a bow. Carlos and Sarahbeth were
stunned at their talent and applauded. After skating,
they sat in front of the fireplace with a hot Milo and
cookies, and the owners enjoyed a sparkling lemonade,
heated for two minutes in the microwave, to warm
them up on the inside. Carlos took Tucker and they had
a nice bath together. After their bath, Carlos dried them
both while Sarahbeth and Strawberry Kisses got ready
for their bath. Strawberry Kisses who didn’t like a bath,
ran off and hid under the bed. Tucker tried to bribe
Strawberry Kisses into the shower and offered to get in
with her, his second wash.

Sarahbeth and Carlos watched in astonishment, and

then Sarahbeth said to Carlos, “I think if they have a
shower together, they will enjoy it more.”

19
Chapter 9

San Antonio, Texas

Philip and Gabrielle McGregor, Olivia’s younger

brother and his wife, lived in San Antonio Texas on a
five-acre ranch with their two mature Staffordshire bull
terriers, Tyson the Strong Boy and Trixie Belle the
Queen, with some goats, horses and chickens. They
lived in a two-story timber house. On their ranch was a
lake with a bridge that crossed over, and one day they
took their dogs for a picnic on the bank of the lake.
They enjoyed salami, blue cheese, mozzarella with
some biscuits, apples and pears. The dogs had their
own meals; Tyson had pepperoni pizza with anchovies
and Trixie Belle had rigatoni pasta with pork belly
ragout. Trixie Belle wore her tiara and pink princess
dress. Tyson wore a singlet and bike shorts.

After eating, they walked back home. Philip took

Tyson to the gym in his gold Hummer for a workout
session with his trainer. They walked on the treadmill
and rode exercise bikes. Then Philip did his own
workout. Gabrielle and Trixie Belle drove to the spa in
her BMW for a facial and to have their nails done. They
then went to buy a new tiara and red silky lace dress
and a handbag. When Philip and Tyson returned home,
they found no one was home, so Philip called Gabrielle
to find out where they were. Gabrielle told him they
were at the spa. They got back into the Hummer and

20
drove to the spa for Tyson to have a haircut and Philip
to have a facial and hair wax. After the spa, they went
to a game arcade to play some games. Tyson and Philip
rode motorbikes and played Out Run and Gabrielle and
Trixie Belle did Dance Dance Revolution.

They went home and Philip gave Tyson a bath and

Gabrielle gave Trixie Belle a shower, dressed them in
their night clothes and watched the movie Casper the
Friendly Ghost. When the movie finished, Philip and
Gabrielle tucked Tyson and Trixie Belle into their little
dog bed, kissed them goodnight then went to bed
around eleven o’clock. But… Tyson woke up and went
to the kitchen to rummage in the fridge for cheese and
ham. Trixie Belle heard him and got up to eat some
potato chips. Gabrielle woke up and thought she heard
a noise so asked Philip to go and check the house.
Philip found the dogs eating ham, cheese and potato
chips and watching TV at midnight.

He told Gabrielle, “Don’t worry it’s just our two

ratbags being a little bit mischievous.”

Gabrielle and Philip looked at the dogs and said, “OK

you two, you’ve had some fun now go to bed.” Tyson
and Trixie Belle refused to go and together threw a
tantrum in protest.

Philip gave in and said, “OK you can sleep in our bed
with your favourite curvature pillow and blanket.”
21
“But,” said Gabrielle, “because they were naughty,
they don’t get to sleep with us, they should sleep in
their own bed as punishment.”

Philip replied, “But look at their sweet innocent faces,

how can you say no to them?”

She said, “OK this time they can sleep with us but next
time they are naughty they can sleep outside on the
patio.”

Philip agreed that next time they would sleep outside

on their hammock if they went into the kitchen again
and rummaged through the fridge and cupboard. They
WOULD be put outside and not be able to go on their
next adventure.

Philip said to the dogs with a firm tone, “That will be

your punishment.”

22
Chapter 10

Ben Lomond National Park, Tasmania

Olivia’s cousin Anna-Marie and her husband Gerard

Jackson and their two Staffordshire terriers, Sweet
Honey and Oscar the Wild Child, lived in Tasmania in
a lovely warm cottage with a small acreage for the dogs
to run around. They would often go skiing down the
mountain range and stop at an eatery to have macaroni
and cheese and a nice warm Swiss chocolate milkshake.
On this day, the adults enjoyed a cheese fondue with
ciabatta bread, carrots, celery, capsicum and turnips for
dipping and a warm gluhwein. Then they continued to
go skiing and Anna-Marie and Gerard took the dogs'
skis off and put them on a bobsled and Gerard pulled
them along the snow. Anna-Marie watched her
husband and their two dogs having fun.

They returned to their cosy cottage and warmed

themselves up in front of their fireplace, eating
chocolate marshmallow biscuits. Gerard and Anna-
Marie enjoyed a nice hot coffee to warm them up from
the inside while the dogs enjoyed another warm
chocolate milk. Oscar was wearing his blue and white
checked jumper and Sweet Honey wore her pink and
red cardigan over her honey yellow jumper. Gerard put
on his long blue jeans and green and blue jumper and
Anna-Marie was dressed in her lavender and orange
jumper and beige leggings.

23
Later, Gerard and Anna-Marie washed their faces with
lukewarm water, cleaned their teeth and tucked the
dogs into their king-size bed with Sweet Honey’s love
heart pillow and Oscar’s pillow with a picture of his
face on it. They both dreamt of digging up bones in the
backyard. Gerard and Anna-Marie went to their king-
size bed and dreamt of riding in a cable car. Oscar The
Wild Child, true to his name and unable to sleep, ripped
up his pillow and his blanket.

Sweet Honey smacked him on the head and said, “You

silly dog, mummy and daddy won’t be happy with you.”

In the morning, when Gerard and Anna-Marie went

into the bedroom to find the pillow and blanket
destroyed, Oscar was sent to the naughty corner
without breakfast. He had to watch Sweet Honey eat a
breakfast of pancakes with maple syrup and French
toast, and he cried like a baby.

Anna-Marie went to Oscar and said, “Have you learnt

your lesson? Then you can go to the table and eat with
your sister.”

Gerard smiled, “Well done Sweet Honey for smacking

your brother on the head.”

After they ate breakfast, they drove to the Crystal

Cascade waterfall and had a picnic of prosciutto and
blue vein cheese, dried apricots and peaches. Oscar and
24
Sweet Honey munched on roasted duck with asparagus
and broccolini. They finished with a gooey chocolate
mousse and sipped on cherry coke for the dogs and
Anna-Marie and Gerard enjoyed a bottle of sparkling
water. They all went for a swim under the waterfall and
snorkelled and searched for angel fish and clownfish.
Then they sat on a rock under the waterfall and
sunbathed.

25
Chapter 11

Paris, France

Shaun Richardson worked as a chef in a French

restaurant called C’est Bon in Paris and his wife
Monica, Olivia’s younger sister, was the restaurant
manager. One evening they decided to try a rival
French restaurant called Jacque Suzette in the Latin
Quarter. They sat at a table outside on the cobblestones
with candlelight, eating their entrees of Coquilles St
Jacques for the adults and beef tartare for their dogs.
Mocha, a female Staffordshire terrier, ordered a
mocktail called Le French Kiss, and Scooby, a male
Labrador, decided on lime and soda, while Shaun and
Monica had a bottle of pinot grigio. Mocha and Scooby
were given to Shaun and Monica as a Christmas gift
from Shaun’s uncle Lachlan and aunt Margaret. The
main meals arrived with beef cheeks and potatoes, peas
and spinach for the dogs and black Angus eye fillet
with potato bordelaise sauce for the adults. They
finished their dinner with crème caramel and lemon
meringue for dessert.

After dinner, they went for a stroll and looked at

boutiques and Monica decided to go into one and buy
a pink scarf for Mocha and a groovy hat like a sombrero
for Scooby. For her husband, Monica bought a pearly
white leather jacket with studs on the shoulders and
some groovy black sunglasses. Monica bought herself

26
a lavender scarf. They wandered to Moulin Rouge to
watch the magic and dancing.

In the morning, Shaun made scrambled eggs with

grated gruyere, bacon, porcini mushrooms and slices of
roasted tomato. They sat outside watching the water
flowing down their creek sipping their cappuccinos,
and the dogs enjoyed cigar-shaped dog biscotti. After
coffee, they decided to go for a morning stroll along the
river to throw the ball, play fetch and have a dip in the
creek.

When they returned home, they dried off and dressed

in their work uniforms. Scooby and Mocha put on their
waiter and waitress uniforms complete with hats then
left for the restaurant. Shaun went into the kitchen to
prep for the lunch rush and peeled onions and potatoes
to accompany the beef cheeks and asparagus. Mocha
and Scooby started setting up the tables while Monica
got the menus ready. When customers arrived, the dogs
took their coats and jackets and hung them on the coat
stand, walked them to their tables, laid the serviettes on
their laps and asked what they would like to drink.
They went to the bar and prepared margaritas and
brought them to the customers on silver trays and took
their lunch orders of Moreton Bay bugs, clams, mussels
and prawns with tagliatelle. They took the orders to the
chef who gave them the just-prepared beef tartare
entrees. After the meal, Mocha went and grabbed the
coats and jackets for the customers while the gentlemen
27
paid the bills to Scooby and gave him a one-hundred-
dollar tip. The customers told him that it was a lovely
lunch and Shaun and Monica were so proud of Mocha
and Scooby for the way they handled themselves
during the busy rush hour. Monica and Shaun took the
dogs for a treat of gelato for a job well done.

28
Chapter 12

Whitsundays, Queensland

Olivia’s nephew Greg Jackson, and his wife Gina, lived

near Rockhampton on their luxury sailing yacht with
their two dogs, Butterscotch, a Labrador, and Buttercup,
a Staffordshire terrier. One day, they sailed from the
coast near Rockhampton to the Whitsundays and
moored their yacht at Daydream Island. They went for
a walk in the rainforest to feed the birds in the bird
sanctuary and have lunch on the beach. Greg and Gina
ate rockmelon and honeydew melon and the dogs
munched on watermelon and passionfruit with soft-
serve ice cream.

They returned to the boat and sailed to Hamilton Island

and stayed on their yacht. They went onto the deck to
watch the whales and dolphins splashing in the water
while sipping on tonic water. The dogs slurped crushed
watermelon sodas, bubbles going up their noses.
Butterscotch and Greg were dressed in speedos and
Buttercup and Gina wore bikinis, and they dove into
the ocean and swam with the dolphins. Greg and
Butterscotch collected abalone, oysters, crayfish, crabs
and scallops and returned to the boat to fish for tuna
and barramundi. Buttercup and Gina had an afternoon
nap in the posh master suite looking up at the
chandelier.

29
In the middle of their nap, they heard the boys
screaming, “We caught a barramundi and snapper, let’s
get cooking on the barbecue!”

Gina prepared some broccolini, pumpkin and swedes

and they sat outside on the deck at the table looking out
at the horizon and eating their abalone and oyster entree.
The main course was crayfish, barramundi and scallops
with burnt butter and sage. Orange and almond cake
with whipped cream completed the meal.

The next day, they sailed to Green Island and went

snorkelling. Greg took Butterscotch for a ride on the jet
ski while Gina and Buttercup went for a walk on the
beach and watched the boys having a fun time. Later,
they had lunch and enjoyed some prawns, smoked
salmon and calamari followed by some apricots,
smoked Dutch cheese and goat cheese. The adults
sipped on lemon and peppermint tea and the dogs
lapped up espresso iced coffee frappes. Gina and
Buttercup had a swim in the ocean and fed the dolphins
small sardines, then went surfing and watched the
sunset as they floated on their surfboard. Later, Greg
took Butterscotch kite surfing.

They sailed back and moored the yacht at the pontoon,

then hopped into their Lexus SUV and drove home to
Rockhampton. Once they arrived, they sat outside in
front of the fire wearing their little puppy cardigans,
sipping on flutes of iced tea. Greg and Gina rugged up
30
too and enjoyed a glass of green tea. Greg helped
Butterscotch with his Bananas in Pyjamas kit, and Gina
put Buttercup in her little purple nightdress. They
tucked them into their luxurious king-size bed with
their favourite pillows, gave them a hug and kiss,
turned off the light and said goodnight to Butterscotch
and Buttercup. They then retired to their grand master
suite.

31
Chapter 13

Fremantle, Australia

At 77 Tuckerfield Street, Fremantle, lived Patrick

Wilkinson, Olivia’s uncle, and his pointer, Yogi. One
day, they went for a walk and bumped into the lovely
Penelope Clarkson and her pointer, Yoghurt, when their
dogs decided to get their leads tangled up. Penelope
tripped over and fell on Patrick who promptly kissed
her. Yogi licked Penelope on the cheek to check that
she was alright then the dogs dragged them along the
muddy track all the way home, coating them in dirt.
Being mature dogs, they knew that this was love at first
sight. Once they got home, Patrick and Yogi took a bath
to get all the dirt off, and Penelope and Yoghurt went
home for a warm shower. Penelope walked back to
Patrick’s house, and he asked her to stay for dinner. He
cooked lamb racks with Gorgonzola cheese inside,
cranberries, Swiss chard and roasted beetroot with
cranberry sauce. Dessert was strawberry sorbet topped
with mint leaves. Chilled tonic water complemented
the meal perfectly.

At the end of the meal, they relaxed with a nightcap.

Patrick asked Penelope to move in with him and after
she said yes, they lived together. One day, Yogi,
wanting to go shopping, dragged Patrick to a jewellery
store and pointed to a diamond and sapphire ring.
When they got home, Patrick put a sign on Yogi saying,

32
“Penelope Clarkson will you marry me and be my
darling wife?” Yoghurt nodded at Penelope to say yes
to marrying Patrick.

After the wedding, Penelope found out that she was

pregnant with quadruplets, two girls and two boys.
They named their children Ruby, Angel, Lucas and
Mason. Patrick brought Penelope home from the
hospital with the babies and Yogi and Yoghurt were
ecstatic and overjoyed to meet their new friends to play
with when they grew up a bit. Patrick told Yogi and
Yoghurt to get on the couch and to sit nice and still. He
put Mason into Yogi’s paws and Yoghurt held Angel in
her little paws and they rocked them from side to side
to stop them from crying. Patrick prepared to change
their diapers and sent Yogi to the nursery to fetch some
clean ones. Yoghurt went to get the babies’ milk,
warmed it up in the microwave and brought it to
Penelope to feed Ruby. Yogi heard Mason crying and
brought him one of his toys to settle him down but all
of a sudden, all four babies started crying. Yoghurt
went to fetch their dummies and put them in their
mouths to help them go back to sleep.

Patrick had two older twin boys, Troy and Aiden, and
Penelope had an older daughter called Cassandra.
Aiden and Troy were so excited to meet their new little
siblings for the first time and Cassandra was so happy
to be an older sister to Ruby and Angel and the boys.
When they came over, they hugged their dad and mum
33
to say congratulations for giving us four more siblings
to look after as they grow older.

Troy asked, “Where are those two cheeky dogs of ours,

Yogi and Yoghurt?”

Their dad said that they must be getting up to mischief

in the baby playroom. When Patrick went to see where
Yogi and Yoghurt were, he found them sleeping on the
floor with their baby sisters and brothers wrapped up in
their blankets with Yogi’s paws over his brothers and
Yoghurt copied her brother with the girls. So, Patrick
slowly closed the playroom door and told the older kids
to be quiet as the babies and mischievous pups were
sleeping. Penelope and Patrick took Troy, Aiden and
Cassandra outside to play in the pool, and they sat on
their swinging sun lounge.

Suddenly, they heard the baby playroom door opening

and saw Yogi standing there growling at them and
saying, “What about us?”

The older kids saw the dogs and started splashing

around in the pool. Troy got out and let Yogi and
Yoghurt out into the backyard while Penelope went to
check on the quadruplets and found them awake. She
put them in their stroller and brought them outside to
see their older siblings and Yogi jumping into the pool
making a big splash. The quads started laughing at their
siblings acting like rambunctious monkeys. Aiden
34
played peek-a-boo while sitting on the pool steps and
made Mason and Lucas start jumping around in their
stroller wanting to get out and crawl over to him. Angel
and Ruby copied their brothers, wriggling around like
little scallywags. Penelope decided to put Angel and
Ruby into their little swimsuits and handed them over
to Cassandra. Troy got out of the pool and helped his
mum put the boys’ board shorts on and took them to the
pool. Aiden handed Troy little Mason and they slowly
got into the water and played. Mason started kicking
his legs against Troy’s stomach and they laughed
together. Cassandra and Ruby babbled in their own
language asking each other how they were doing.

Patrick got some sausages and steak and cooked them

on the barbecue while Penelope made potato salad,
sweet corn and garlic bread.

He called them out of the pool and said, “Go and dry
off, get dressed and help us put the babies into their
bouncers.”

Cassandra fed the girls their lunch of mashed potato,

corn and sausage. Angel and Ruby poked their tongues
out and their brothers and babbled in their baby talk.
Cassandra took her two sisters, wiped their mouths and
faces, changed their clothes that were covered in food
and put on clean diapers. She then put them in their
playpen for tummy time so they could watch their
siblings playing Pokemon video games. Lucas and
35
Mason started screaming like ratbags because they
wanted to sit with their brothers and hold the controls
and play Pokemon. Ruby and Angel poked their
tongues out at them for making such a fuss. Aiden put
the two boys in their bouncers so they could watch the
game until they fell asleep. Cassandra looked in on the
two baby girls and they had fallen asleep with Yoghurt
next to them holding their hands. She put a blanket over
them to keep them nice and warm and snug. Yogi
fetched Mason and Lucas’ blanket for them to snuggle
into to stay nice and warm.

Cassandra said, “Let me have a turn at Pokemon, I’m

going to kick your butts.”
Patrick and Penelope walked in from the kitchen to see
Yoghurt, Ruby and Angel fast asleep and Mason and
Lucas asleep in their bouncers with Yogi sleeping at
their feet. Penelope and Patrick told the older kids to be
extra quiet so as not to wake their siblings. They
returned to the kitchen to wash the dishes and to make
a cup of coffee to sip on in their lazy boys, watching
their children play games and their darling quads
sleeping soundly.

36
Chapter 14

North Shore, Sydney

One rainy day, Joseph and Jasmine Armstrong, distant

relatives of Olivia’s, and their twins, Billy and Becky,
were driving on the M1 freeway to go and see the twins’
older sister Rachel at her country cottage for their
birthday party. Rachel had called her parents to tell
them that she had a surprise for the twins and to not tell
them… it was two Labrador puppies named Saffron
and Sapphire. When they arrived at the cottage, Joseph
blindfolded the twins and took them to the backyard
where the whole family waited.

Their father said, “We have a surprise for you.”

Billy and Becky said, “What is the surprise?”

“You can take off your blindfolds,” Joseph replied.

When they saw their whole family, they were so so

surprised. There was a big vanilla and chocolate cake,
balloons and presents, and then Rachel came out to the
backyard with a big box with two Labrador puppies
inside.

“What’s in the box?” Becky asked.

Rachel replied, “It’s something you really really

wanted for your birthday.”
37
When Becky and Billy opened the box together, they
were surprised by the two dogs licking their faces.

Rachel said to her two younger siblings, “This is your

birthday present, and these are your two new puppies.
But you’ve got to be responsible for your pets, it’s not
mum and dad’s job to do.”

Becky and Billy thanked their mum, dad and sister

Rachel for the two dogs, then they blew out the candles
on their cake and made a wish for twin baby siblings.
They only whispered their wish to their sister Rachel,
so their mum and dad didn’t hear. But their parents did
hear them whisper what they really wanted. Their dad
Joseph asked Becky and Billy why they wanted
mummy to have two more babies.

Billy said, “Dad because I want another two siblings to

play with and cuddle up to sleep with, and someone to
watch me play with my toys.”

Becky added, “So we can play dress up together, that’s

why.”

So, Joseph told Jasmine what the kids had wished for,
and Jasmine said, “OK that’s cool we can try but we’ve
also got two puppies to care for so let’s see how that
goes first. We can have two more children, but you
need to promise us that you will look after the

38
Labradors and promise to do everything your sister
tells you or your wish won’t come true.”

Becky promised, “We will do everything you ask us to

do. Billy won’t do anything it will be all me. He’ll just
play games, I’ll be doing all the walking and bathing,
and he’ll do nothing. So, he has to help, or he doesn’t
get his wish of a baby brother, I’ll just get my baby
sister. He has to be our slave, get our clothes and get
the dogs’ food and water. He can also paint our nails,
Rachel too, or he’s in big trouble with Daddy.”

After the party, the whole family went out to see the
movie The Smurfs and then had a nice dinner at a
restaurant.

Joseph and Jasmine said to the twins, “You can choose

whatever you like for dinner, it’s your day.”

Rachel kindly paid for the movie and dinner. So, they
enjoyed a lovely meal and chatted about their future
family plans.

After a while, Jasmine said, “Excuse me, I’m feeling a

bit uncomfortable, I’ll be back soon.”

While in the bathroom, she discovered that she was

pregnant and wrapped up the test in a towel, returned
to the table and said to her husband and children “I’ve

39
got a surprise for you. I’m pregnant! Your wish has
come true.”

Joseph replied, “Are you kidding me?” The kids

jumped for joy. Joseph looked at his wife with a
shocked expression.

Jasmine said, “I’m telling you the truth, I am pregnant.”

Rachel asked, “How long have you known?”

“I suspected last night,” said Jasmine.

Once the younger kids went to bed, Rachel and her

mum and dad had a little talk about how they would
juggle two babies and two puppies.

In the morning, Joseph and Jasmine went to see the

doctor and found out how many months along Jasmine
was.

Dr Carlos said to Jasmine, “You’re five months

pregnant, would you like to know the sex of the babies?”

They replied that yes would love to find out. They were
having triplets, two girls and one boy! They decided to
call them Molly, Holly and Joshua Armstrong. They
drove back to the cottage to tell the children that they
were having triplets.

40
Jasmine said to Becky, “You will have twin sisters and
Billy you will have a brother.”

Joseph said, “Great, I’m going to be a father of six.” He

went and sat down on his lazy boy and laughed to
himself thinking, our house will be so noisy with
triplets, puppies and the rest of us.

The parents asked Rachel if Becky and Billy could stay

the night while they went home to plan how they would
tell the rest of the family that they were expecting
triplets. The next day, they went shopping for three of
everything; diapers, bottles, a pram for three, bassinets,
tiny clothes, cots, rocking chairs and a change table.
They drove home and arranged the babies’ room with
one side painted pink and the other side aqua blue.
They put their names on the wall and positioned the
cots away from any leads. The change table sat in the
corner, and the clothes were hung in the wardrobe with
girls and boys placed separately.

Joseph and Jasmine returned to the cottage to pick up

Becky and Billy.

When Rachel opened the door to her parents, she said,

“You’ve got to come and see this in the backyard.
Becky and Billy are teaching the dogs new tricks; sit,
roll over, come and wait.”

41
Joseph and Jasmine were very surprised at how quickly
the twins were becoming mature and responsible for
their two darling dogs.

Rachel remarked, “I have not helped them with

anything. They taught the dogs on their own and I think
it’s time to see if they can do this at home with you
watching them. Then you’ll know that you can check
on the babies and you won’t need to check that they’re
doing the right thing and have to remind them to feed
the dogs and give them a bath.”

When Jasmine was at the end of her last trimester, she

told Joseph that it was time to go to the hospital to
welcome their three beautiful gifts from God. Dr Carlos
delivered the two precious baby girls and baby boy, and
Joseph was ecstatic. When they got home, they opened
the front door and the whole family was waiting with a
sign saying “Congratulations!”

Becky, Billy and Rachel went and kissed their mum on

the cheek and said, “Thank you mum for giving us the
best birthday gift of all time.” They hugged their dad
and said, “Not a bad job Dad, but Mum did all the
work!”

The three kids sat on the couch ready to hold their new
siblings Molly, Holly and Joshua for the very first time
with Saffron and Sapphire happily wagging their tails.

42
Chapter 15

Barossa Valley, South Australia

In the Barossa Valley in South Australia on a vineyard

that grew grapes to produce still and sparkling wines,
lived Olivia’s relatives, a family of four with their one-
year-old Alsatians, Bruno and Luna. One day, Gavin
and Michelle Robinson and their two kids, Annabel and
Amber, went out into the field to pick grapes and fill
their baskets. They let the dogs run up and down
between the grape vines while they put the baskets in
the ute and trailer. The grapes were put into oak barrels
to ferment, some with cherries and peppercorns, giving
the red a peppery flavour. Also on the property was an
orchard with seedless oranges. Gavin had built a tree
house in a grand oak tree for the two kids to climb up
into and play while the parents worked.

One day, Annabel and Amber took Bruno and Luna for
a walk in their backyard and watched them chase the
frisbee around. Then they sat in their swing laughing
and watching their mum and dad throwing grapes at
each other.

Annabel called out, “Mum and Dad, grow up and stop

behaving like children! Act like adults.”

Gavin said, “Why can’t we be kids for once and you be

the adults?”

43
Annabel replied, “OK you climb up to the tree house
and we’ll pick grapes and I bet we do a better job than
you guys. It’s a piece of cake to pick grapes and
oranges.”

The two kids picked faster than their parents and Gavin
reminded them to not eat any grapes as they were for
the wine to be sold to liquor stores.

Annabel said, “Mum you need to grow taller because I

can reach the top vine, but you need a ladder.”

Amber and Annabel told their dad Gavin, “Don’t make

a mess in our tree house or we’ll eat all the grapes that
we pick and won’t do our chores.”

Little Amber said, “Mama, ha ha” to Michelle.

Michelle replied, “You cheeky kids, that’s not fair, you

make a mess in the house, and we clean up. You don’t
do it, I do. So, we can make a mess in your cubby
house.”

Annabel found out that her dad had fallen asleep in the
tree house and had broken the ladder and the window
by accident.

Annabel said to her mum, “I hope you made us

lemonade; we need it more than you and we’re thirsty.”
The two kids said, “Chop chop with our lemonade!”
44
Gavin, awake now, responded, “Hold your horses, you
haven’t finished picking all the grapes and oranges.”

Amber asked, “Daddy bring some dried biscuits for

Luna and Bruno.” Bruno and Luna started barking at
their owners to hurry up and bring their biscuits and a
bone.

The parents said, “Stop ordering us around, we’re not

your servants, we are your parents, so you have to do
what we tell you.”

Amber said, “No we don’t, we don’t have to do what

you say, you have to do what we say, or we’re not
picking any more grapes and oranges even if you ask
us nicely.”

Gavin replied, “I’ll bribe you; we will go to Disneyland,

and you can choose whatever ride you want to go on
but only if you pick the remaining fruit for us.”

Annabel told her mum and dad, “Pay us one hundred

dollars to do it and we won’t bug you for anything else.”

Amber added, “Mummy thank you for giving us one

hundred dollars each.”

Michelle told Annabel and Amber, “If you kids keep

your rooms tidy and do your homework when we ask

45
you, your dream will come true, and you’ll get to go to
Disneyland in the school holidays.”

The children said, “Thank you Mum for the best gift of
all.”

46
Chapter 16

Wellington, New Zealand

In a kitchen on an acreage in Wellington, New Zealand,

Claudia Lyn and Mackenzie
Johnston were standing on stools grabbing chewy
peanut butter dog treats for their two cheeky
Pomeranians, Starky the Domino and Sasha the Sassy,
and some chocolate chip cookies for themselves before
their mum Ashley, Olivia’s aunt, walked in from the
back patio to find the two toddlers feeding the dogs and
gobbling cookies. They ran off to their rooms laughing
their heads off.

Skylar Rose, the toddler’s older sister, walked into the

kitchen and asked, “Mum what's wrong?”

Ashley replied, “Your naughty siblings have given

those two cheeky Pomeranians more biscuits when
they already had some and have eaten cookies right
before dinner.”

“Mum they are kids, I used to do that too. You need to

hide the biscuits.”

Jeff, Ashley’s husband, came in from working with the

sheep and cows that they ran on their acreage and asked,
“What have the kids been up to now?”

47
“Your two toddlers have given the sneaky dogs more
food when I’d already fed them breakfast,” said Ashley.

Jeff responded “Don’t worry, they have to eat. The kids

will learn their lesson.”

Claudia and Mackenzie heard their father’s voice and

ran out of the room to see him standing at the kitchen
bench. They hugged him and said, “Welcome home
Daddy!”

“Have you two been feeding the dogs more treats

again?” he asked.

“Yes Daddy but they were pouting with their sweet

eyes asking for dog biccies.”

“Good on you kids, learning to know when the dogs are

hungry. You’re maturing learning from your older
brother and sister” replied Jeff.

Ashley gave Jeff a dirty look and said, “Why are you
undermining me when I said they shouldn’t be getting
more treats?”

“Aren’t we wanting them to be grown up and look after

their dogs?” asked Jeff.

48
Skylar Rose said to her dad, “I’m on Mum’s side on
this, she’s teaching them to not feed the dogs too much,
so their tummies don’t get too bloated.”

Dylan her brother added, “I’m on Dad’s side.”

Starky the Domino and Sasha the Sassy came running
in and looked at the family with their puppy eyes and
blinking their eyelashes as if to say, “We didn’t do
anything wrong.”

Ashley said, “Alright, I see your point. You’re right,

these two are learning to be responsible. Let’s teach
them how to feed the dogs responsibly so they don’t
overfeed them, and only give them treats for good
behaviour.”

Skylar Rose agreed, “That’s a great idea, I can teach

Claudia and Mackenzie how to fill up the water bowl
and Dylan can show them how to call them when
dinner is ready.”

Ashley and Jeff wanted to find out why Ashley had

been so nauseous lately, so they went to see Charlie
their doctor. Dr Charlie sent them for an ultrasound to
see what was causing her symptoms.

They got the shock of their lives when the doctor said,
“You are expecting a baby girl!” They were unsure how
to tell their four children that they were getting a new
sibling; a little girl called Isabella Grace.
49
They went home and announced to the kids, “We have
some exciting news. Our news to tell you is there will
be a new addition to our family but it’s not a dog, it’s a
little baby girl named Isabella Grace.”

Mackenzie gave his mother a dirty look, “Not another

little girl. I’ve got two sisters, now I’ll have three to
deal with.”

But Dylan said, “Yay! I’ll have another little sister to

cuddle and teach how to play football outside and
swim.”

Skylar agreed, “Yippee! Hooray! I get another sister!”

and poked her tongue out at Mackenzie.

Mackenzie stormed into his room and slammed the

door and yelled, “It’s not fair, I don’t get what I want.”

Jeff knocked on his door, walked in, sat on the bed next
to Mackenzie and said, “I know that really you’re
happy that mummy is pregnant, and you’ll get used to
it and love Isabella Grace the same as you love Claudia.”

Jeff called his parents, David and Suzanne, who lived

far away in Christchurch to tell them, “Mum and Dad
guess what, you are going to be grandparents again!”

Ashley gave birth to Isabella Grace in the spring of that

year.
50
Chapter 17

Springvale, Melbourne

At the MCG, Richard and Annabella Jameson and their

four children, Bella Rose, Ricky Tyler, Ella May and
Richie Tyler, and their three Rottweilers, Chai Latte,
Espresso and Macchiato (dressed in Bulldogs colours)
were watching the AFL match between Western
Bulldogs and Richmond Tigers. Richard and the babies,
Ella and Richie, went for the Bulldogs and Bella Rose
and Ricky supported the Tigers with their mum. They
snacked on popcorn, corn dogs and bubblegum
milkshakes. Richard and the babies cheered loudly
when the Bulldogs kicked a goal.

Annabella nudged her husband saying, “Richard stop

cheering so loud you’ll scare the babies.”

Richard replied, “They’re not scared, they’re cheering

every time there’s a goal scored.”

Bella Rose and Ricky sat moping because their team

was getting their butts kicked.

Richard and Annabella took the kids home and Richard

ordered pepperoni and anchovy pizza to cheer up the
two older kids who were still moping because their
team lost. They forgave their dogs but not their father
for cheering for the wrong team. Annabella folded her

51
arms and gave Richard the dirtiest dirtiest look and
pleaded with him to please support Richmond instead
of his beloved Bulldogs.

Richard said, “But I’ve been cheering for the Bulldogs

ever since I was a child. I won’t change sides; you’ll
have to get used to it.”

The following day, the whole family went to Mount

Bulla to ski and snowboard. They stopped at a cafe to
have hot chocolate with marshmallows. The dogs had
chinos and cafe lattes with raspberry mousse. Ella May
and Richie had frothy baby chinos and marshmallow
biscuits. They spent the afternoon skiing and making
snowmen and snow angels. That night, they watched
the snowflakes falling in the moonlight. Bella Rose and
Ricky rugged up and slept under the moonlight and
stars while the rest of the family slept in the cabin. They
drove home early the next day back to Springvale.
Daddy was still happily riding on the coattails of his
team beating Richmond.

They let the dogs out to go and lie in the sun and Bella
Rose and Ricky got ready for kindergarten while
Richard got ready for work. He dropped the kids off
and Annabella, at home with the babies, tidied up while
they had a morning nap. When they woke up, she put
them in the SUV and went grocery shopping then went
to the park. She pushed them up and down in the baby
swings and took lots of photos of them laughing and
52
giggling to show her husband. After the park, they went
home for some tummy time in the playpen while
Annabella put the groceries in the pantry, milk in the
fridge and diapers and wipes in the nursery. She made
afternoon snacks for Bella Rose and Ricky for when
Richard brought them home from kindy.
Ella and Richie woke up from their afternoon nap and
Richard heard Ella May say “Dad Dad and Bella” for
the first time and Richie said “Mum Mum.”

Bella Rose went to Ella and said, “Good girl.”

She picked her up, took her into her room and blew
raspberries on her tummy to make her laugh. Annabella
gave Bella Rose a bottle of milk to feed Ella. Ricky
gave Richie his bottle then fed the three dogs and
freshened the water in their bowl. He sat in the playpen
with little Richie and played roll the ball. Richard went
into his office to do some work that he’d brought home
and Annabella cooked spaghetti Bolognese for the kids.

On the weekend, Annabella and Richard took the kids

to Luna Park, leaving the dogs at home, and went on
the ferris wheel while eating fairy floss and drinking
mango slurpies. While carrying one baby each in
harnesses, Annabella and Richard enjoyed strawberry
slurpies. The older kids had their faces painted and they
all tried to put the ball in the clown’s mouth to win a
huge teddy bear for Ella May and Richie. They had

53
some lunch and finished their day with a ride on the
merry-go-round.

54
Chapter 18

Mataranka Springs, Northern Territory

Peter and Rosalie Williamson, second cousins of

Olivia’s, ran the outback cottage at Mataranka Springs
in the Northern Territory with their two wolfhounds,
Cherry Ripe and Rumball. They also kept a farm
nearby with horses, cattle, camels and alpacas. Peter
ran a small school in the area as the principal and
Rosalie managed the cottage. Cherry Ripe and Rumball
kept an eye on the farm from the barn where the alpacas
and horses slept.

One morning, Peter, Rosalie, Cherry Ripe and Rumball

decided to go for a hike in Kakadu National Park, take
a swim in Jim Jim Falls and have a picnic. The couple
munched on apricots, almonds and hot dogs with
rockmelon, honeydew and coconut milkshakes, while
the dogs enjoyed French fries and fish bites washed
down with raspberry and strawberry milkshakes.

After their picnic, they followed the trail to Barramundi

Gorge and Maguk Falls through the monsoon rainforest,
taking photos of the birdlife as they walked with the
dogs bouncing from rock to rock.

The next day, Peter and Rosalie and the wolfhounds

went to the farm to brush the horses and feed the
alpacas carrots and watermelon, the horses and camels

55
some hay and the cattle grazed on grass. They milked
the cows for fresh milk and returned to the homestead.
After changing clothes, Peter got ready for work and
Rosalie gave Cherry Ripe and Rumball a shower and
some dried food, had her morning cup of coffee and
prepared for the day at the homestead. Rosalie, who
sometimes taught at home, tidied up the house before
Peter brought ten students home for maths and English
lessons.

The following day, they went on an adventure with

some of their students to Litchfield National Park and
their favourite dog-friendly area so they could run
around. Peter and Rosalie took some sausages, potato
salad, lamb chops, pork chops and cornbread for a
barbecue. Dessert was fresh fruit salad. They cooked
food as they watched their two rambunctious ratbags
racing around the park. Peter had some students who
he was teaching about geology and artefacts, and
Rosalie taught two students English.

After the lesson, Peter asked them to do a project on the

artefacts, by studying the rock formations. Rosalie gave
the two English students an essay to write about the
history of the national park. They found a cave to
explore to learn about crystals, the formation of the
sandstone and the evolution of how it formed. The
group returned to school and did an exam on their
Litchfield National Park adventure with Cherry Ripe
and Rumball sleeping soundly at their feet.
56
Chapter 19

Albany, Western Australia

Frankie and Ashley Sky (Olivia’s stepsister) O’Lachlan

lived in a mansion with seven bedrooms and four
bathrooms in Frenchman Bay, Albany with their one-
year-old sextuplets, Gabriella, Abigail, Anika, Leanna,
Ella and Angelina and their three mischievous French
Bulldogs, Sponge Cake, Lemon Cake and Chocolate
Cake. The three dogs had their own master bedroom
with clothes and slippers in their walk-in wardrobe.
The adjoining bathroom contained a spa with jet water
sprays. The sextuplets had six bunk beds with pink
Barbie sheets and red doonas. They also had a walk-in
wardrobe filled with princess clothes, little high heels,
gloves and tiaras. Frankie worked as an IT specialist
and Ashley Sky was a stay-at-home mum. She also
babysat other children in their home.

One morning, Ashley Sky woke up to noises coming

from the kitchen. She went to investigate and found the
six girls had discovered the baking flour and had
poured it all over themselves and the kitchen floor.

Ashley Sky exclaimed, “What have you done you

cheeky mischievous sextuplets of mine?”

57
Sponge Cake, Lemon Cake and Chocolate Cake had
found the biscuits, which they were happily munching
on.

Frankie woke up and joined the chaos and Ashley Sky

looked at him and said, “What have you done? You
showed them where the flour was when you were
making pancakes. They remember everything and now
look!”

Frankie replied, “It’s not my fault that they watch what

I do, they are such inquisitive little girls, and they know
that when we’re not looking, they can go into the
kitchen and play with what they want.”

Frankie gave Ashley Sky a kiss and went off to work

leaving his six delightful daughters and their three
boisterous dogs. Ashley Sky decided to go shopping
and have a spa day with her daughters. They all had a
facial, pedicure and manicure. At work, Frankie found
that his credit card was missing which he later
discovered had been used by the girls at the spa and had
created a thumping bill. That’s nothing new to me he
thought, my wife and girls are out for the day spending
all my hard-earned money. After the spa, the girls went
shopping for beautiful princess dresses, stiletto high
heels and luxurious faux fur coats.

Frankie came home and found the three frisky dogs

rolling around and playing with their ball and his six
58
beautiful daughters and wife sleeping like princesses in
the master bedroom. He decided to go and make a
dinner of gnocchi and spinach with a mushroom and
cheese sauce. He made the dogs lamb shanks in a
barbecue honey sauce. Dessert was a decadent three-
layer chocolate cake with three different types of
chocolate. He prepared chai cappuccinos for the girls,
chilled a bottle of Prosecco for him and Ashley Sky and
frothy lemonades for the dogs.

The next day, Frankie took his precious daughters

Gabriella, Abigail, Leanna, Ella, Anika and Angelina
with Lemon Cake and Sponge Cake to the drive-in to
watch the Cinderella movie. They ate pretzels cuddled
up together and Frankie looked around to see his
spectacular daughters laughing and loving the movie.

59
Chapter 20
Launceston, Tasmania

Olivia’s uncle, Steven McIntyre, a veterinary surgeon

at the Small Animal Specialist Hospital (SASH), and
his wife Elizabeth, a veterinary nurse, and their four
therapy border collies, Cleopatra, Zeus, Aphrodite and
Hercules lived in Launceston.

One day, a Labradoodle called Sally came into the

surgery for acupuncture. Sally was scared about the
needles, so Aphrodite snuggled on the bed with her
while Elizabeth held her paw. Her owners sat in the
waiting room with Hercules and Zeus the two hungry
hippos.

After acupuncture, Sally relaxed on a king bed in the

wellness recovery room and turned around to see
Cleopatra and Aphrodite sitting on either side of her
with their paws on her hands as if to say, “It’s OK
you’re safe.” Elizabeth came in with Steven to check
how she was doing. Hercules and Zeus were too busy
eating cheesy cheezels to worry about patients.

Elizabeth patted Cleopatra and Aphrodite and said,

“Well done you two, you came in and waited with Sally
until we arrived.”

Elizabeth stayed with Sally while Steven went and

spoke to her owners.
60
Steven said to Hercules and Zeus, “You are naughty
hungry hippos.”

Elizabeth gave Aphrodite and Cleopatra some chewy

toys and a bone for a sensational job of keeping Sally
calm. Elizabeth helped Sally stand back up and
Aphrodite and Cleopatra walked alongside her to
encourage her.

Steven said, “See how Aphrodite and Cleopatra are

doing their job and you two are eating like greedy
gluttons. You should be doing your therapy dog job and
go and help our patients instead of eating all the time.
And stop whining and do what you’re told.”

Elizabeth said, “When we get home, we’ll take you

girls to the beach for a swim and dig in the sand while
Hercules and Zeus stay at home.”

Hercules and Zeus decided to pay back their parents for

not taking them to the beach. They destroyed the carpet
and leather couch and broke some pots and spilt their
water bowls all over the kitchen floor. They chewed on
the front door and Steven’s luxurious lazy boy control
and ripped apart Aphrodite’s and Cleopatra’s beds,
scattering fluff everywhere. Steven, Elizabeth,
Aphrodite and Cleopatra came home to find a massive
disaster that the terror twins had created. Aphrodite and
Cleopatra saw their beds and barked at Zeus and

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Hercules and said, “Mum look what they’ve done to
our mattresses and pillows.”

Elizabeth and Steven had a day off from the SASH and
decided to go for a leisurely drive to go skydiving with
the dogs. Aphrodite and Cleopatra, in their skydiving
suits, jumped with Elizabeth, and Hercules, Zeus and
Steven stayed on the ground as they were scared of
heights and watched them float down in their
parachutes.

Then Steven told Zeus and Hercules, “I’ll take you on

a hot air balloon ride later.”

They cheered as the girls finally made it safely down.

The boys went up in a hot air balloon and feasted on

caviar and tuna with a glass of cherry lemonade while
they floated and watched the sun go down. When they
descended, they went for a drive to the skateboard park.
The dogs showed off their skateboarding skills and
tricks, somersaulting, and Hercules did a triple jump
landing in a handstand. The girls, in their leotards, were
pirouetting like ballerinas. Elizabeth and Steven,
sipping on cappuccino frappes, watched their dogs
perform.

Hercules and Zeus said to Steven, “It’s Elizabeth’s

birthday, why don’t we take her to a fancy restaurant
and buy her a present from the five of us?”
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Elizabeth was unaware of the dinner, she assumed they
had forgotten.

Steven said to her, “Why don’t you go and have a

shower and dress in something spectacular, we are
going out to dinner with our dogs for a lovely evening.”
At the restaurant, Steven said, “Surprise! Happy
birthday my darling wife!”

Their dogs gave her their gifts and Elizabeth said, “You
didn’t forget my birthday!”

The adults enjoyed entrees of oysters with caviar on top

and ceviche and mains of char-grilled steak with
pancetta and halloumi and a goat cheese sauce. The
dogs ate char-grilled prawns and scallops with blue
vein cheese and mozzarella sauce. To accompany their
meals, the dogs had banana and chocolate milkshakes
and Steven and Elizabeth had a dry Moscato. For
dessert, the dogs ate coconut panna cotta and the adults
had semifreddo. After dinner, they went for a relaxing
walk on the esplanade while the moonlight beamed
down on them.

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Epilogue

Olivia invited all her family members to a grand pool

party for a reunion that included a jumping castle for
the kids and dogs. She organised appetisers of smoked
salmon and caviar and for the dogs, creamy mashed
potato and lobster. They sipped French champagne and
the dogs had pink lemonade. The main course was
crispy pan-fried salmon for the adults, beef cheeks with
roasted pumpkin for the children and fish and chips for
the dogs. Balloons and streamers were strung around
the courtyard with a banner saying, “Welcome to the
McGregor family reunion to celebrate being all
together with our loving dogs.”

Simba and Rusty sat on their favourite rock in their

King of the Mountain crown and Speedy Gonzales
cape looking out over their relatives with big smiles.
Juliette and Rapunzel came and sat alongside them in
their tiaras with wands. Olivia took a photo of the four
friends who looked forward to their next adventure.

THE END

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