Page 56 - English Expedition Class 2

breathe. The ball was wet. The vet couldn’t take the ball out as his fingers slipped on
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the wet ball. He withdrew his hands, put his thumbs behind the dog’s lower jaw
15
14
and pushed. The ball shot forth , bounced on the frosty road and rolled on to the
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pavement . But Benny didn’t move, his eyes did not open. The vet touched Benny’s
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body and felt a very light flutter in his chest.
‘His heart is still beating,’ he said as he pressed hard on his chest every three seconds,
hoping the dog would breathe.
After about three minutes Dr Herriot noticed the slight movement of an eyelid and

the small lift of his ribs pulling the icy air into his lungs. Soon his breathing became
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regular. After a minute or two Benny staggered to his feet.
Four voices welcomed Benny joyfully crying out his name, ‘Benny . . . Oh! Benny.’
That was the vet’s greatest reward.

Adapted from All Things Wise and Wonderful by James Herriot

James Herriot (1916–95) was the pen name of British veterinarian
and writer James Alfred Wight. He authored a series of books based
on his experiences as a veterinary surgeon in the British countryside.
Wight wrote about his various animal patients and their equally
diff erent human owners. His best known work is If Only They Could
Talk.

Comprehension

A. Write whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F).

1. It was a cold December morning when Dr Herriot was
returning home.

2. There were three children in the car.

3. The dog had a ball stuck in his throat.

4. The ball was blocking the dog’s food pipe.

5. The doctor put his thumbs behind the dog’s lower jaw and pushed.

13 withdrew: took back 16 pavement: footpath
14 forth: outside; forward 17 fl utter: a quick, light movement
15 frosty: very cold; covered with a thin layer of ice 18 staggered: moved with weak, shaky steps
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