Iâll have to convince them itâs not me up here.â
With this, Selby put one foot out on the wire and the crowd roared.
âWhereâs that bloominâ two-humped camel?â Selby thought, putting another foot onto the wire and then another. âOne more foot on the wire and there will be no turning back. I think I can, I think I can â¦â
Fear gripped Selbyâs head like a vice as his fourth foot stepped onto the wire and sweat began to drip from his chin.
âIâll show them,â he thought as he began his walk across the wire.
Halfway across, Frieda motioned with her hands for him to stand on his hind legs.
âYouâve got to be kidding, lady,â Selby muttered to himself. âI was born with four legs and Iâm going to use every one of them.â
Just then Fred Ferguson jumped out on the wire and Selby lost his balance and dropped his balancing pole into the darkness below, narrowly missing a two-humped camel. He teetered back and forth on his hind legs as the audience screamed and Barnstorm Billy cried out, âGoody goody, heâs going to fall!â
Then, with a sudden burst of energy born of terror, Selby dashed along the wire on his hind legs and leaped into Friedaâs waiting arms.
On his way down in the basket the whole audience was on its feet cheering and stamping and Selbyâs fear turned to pride. He stood on his hind legs and bowed to the roaring crowd.
When he reached the ground he tore into the crowd to avoid the trainers and made his escape through a hole in the tent. As he passed Barnstorm Billy and the Trifles he heard Mrs Trifle say: âWhat a dog! What a brilliant and talented dog! He looks like Selby but he canât be.â
âI wouldnât count on it,â Selby said when he was safely at home lying in front of the TV watching
The Lucky Millions Quiz Quest.
âI may not have paws of steel but Iâve got more talent in my big toe than Billy has in his whole body.â
Too Many Cooks
In general, Selby liked his fellow dogs. But Aunt Jettyâs dog, Crusher, was nasty and pushy and â what was worse â was staying with the Trifles for the day.
âYouâre probably not to blame,â Selby said to Crusher, knowing that Crusher didnât understand any sort of people-talk or even dog-talk for that matter. âAnyone who lives in the same house as Aunt Jetty and her dreadful sons deserves a medal.â
But within fifteen minutes, Crusher had pushed Selby out of the way and gobbled all his food and then chased him around the house nipping at his heels until Selby fell exhausted ina heap on the lounge-room carpet. To make matters worse, Crusher fell on top of him like a sack of potatoes.
âAll right, all right,â Selby said. âGet up. You win. Youâre the boss. Just go away and leave me in peace.â
Crusher just lay there for a few minutes and when he did get up it was to give Selby another good chomp and then start chasing him around the house again.
âStop it now, you two,â Dr Trifle said as he stood in the kitchen making Mrs Trifleâs favourite dessert, Marshmallow Cream Cake, as a special birthday surprise. âIf you run around like that the cake will fall. You can play some more after I go out.â
âCrumbs,â Selby thought as he curled up at the doctorâs feet. âPlease donât leave me alone with this savage. Stay here and protect me.â
But soon the cake was finished and Dr Trifle put it on the kitchen counter next to an open window to cool. Then he left the house and the chase was on again.
âHeeeeeeeellllp!â Selby screamed as he tore through the dining room for the twenty-seventhtime, his hind legs bruised black and blue from Crusherâs nipping. âSomebody help me, please! I canât keep this up forever!â
âI know what Iâll do,â Selby thought as he tore over the top of the