Oscar's Lonely Christmas by Holly Webb Read Free Book Online

“Oscar, which way did we come? I can only see our footsteps just here by the fallen tree, the snow’s covered the rest of them.” She shook herself angrily. “Oh, this is stupid, we can’t be lost.” She walked around the tree trunk, looking carefully at the little paths leading off between the trees.Which one had they come along? Panic was growing inside her, and her heart was racing. Every time she looked up, the sky was a deeper shade of eerie night-time blue.
    “It’s this one, I think,” she muttered uncertainly. “Come on, Oscar.” She didn’t notice Oscar looking back as they set off down the path. He sniffed at the tree trunks thoughtfully as they walked. Why were they going this way?
    “This isn’t right,” Hannah said anxiously, after a few minutes. “We ought to be coming out of the trees by now. We’ll have to go back.” She led Oscar down the path again, stumbling over the snow in the gathering dark. Back at the clearing by the stream, Hannah sat down again, for her legswere shaking. She had to admit that she didn’t know the way.
    They were lost.
    Oscar looked up at Hannah, confused. She was crying, and he didn’t know why. He leaned his head against her leg lovingly, and she looked down and patted him.
    “I’m scared, Oscar,” she murmured. “And it’s so cold. I just want to go home.”

    Oscar bounced up, wagging his tail. He knew home, and he could get there. Was that all Hannah wanted? He pulled gently on his lead, and gave a little whine. When she looked up, he barked, telling her to follow.
    Hannah blinked. “Home?” she asked. “Can you get us home, Oscar?”
    Oscar tugged his lead, and Hannah stumbled after him. The path he chose looked just like all the others to her, but he seemed so sure. Every so often he would stop to sniff at the bushes, then he’d wag his tail and pull her on.

    Hannah looked around doubtfully, but Oscar knew exactly where he was going. He trotted on through the wood, and at last she saw the riding school fields at the end of the pathway.
    “Oh, Oscar, you little star!” she murmured, crouching down to give him a hug. “But we have to hurry up and get home.” Then her shoulders drooped. “Actually, I suppose it doesn’t matter, except that I’m getting really cold, and I bet you are too. I shouldn’t think anyone will have noticed we’ve been gone.”
    They trudged home, past the school, and turned at last into their road. Oscar pricked up his ears as they came round the corner, and Hannah stopped in surprise. Someone wascalling her name. And there it was again. It sounded like Gran.
    “Hannah! Hannah!” And that was her dad.
    Hannah started walking again, Oscar pulling her down the road. Gran, and Granny and Grandpa, Dad and Uncle Mark, and even Auntie Jess were out in her road, all calling for her.
    They had missed her then! Her dad looked really worried, and Hannah slowed down a little, realizing that he was probably going to be furious.
    “Hannah!” Dad caught sight of her and ran up the road, swinging her into his arms and squeezing her tight. “Where were you? We were so worried, we had no idea where you were!”
    “I left a note!” Hannah said,surprised. “You and Mum were busy with Zak, and Oscar was so miserable… I’m sorry,” she added. “I didn’t mean to be so late. I got lost in the wood, and Oscar found the way home. He was really clever.”
    Dad was still holding her as though he thought she might disappear. “We didn’t find a note. Oh, Hannah, you should have told us.”

    “But Zak was screaming…”
    “It’s OK – we’re not cross. We were scared, Hannah. Please promise you’ll never go off like that again.”
    “I won’t. Promise.” Hannah nodded.
    Dad crouched down to make a fuss of Oscar. “He brought Hannah home,” he told everyone, as they came up the garden path. “Get inside, Hannah, you must be frozen.”
    “Oscar brought you back?” Auntie Jess asked in surprise. “But he’s still