Bella was not just any puppy. At six months old, she had already earned a reputation for being an unstoppable force of escape artistry. No matter what her owners, the Thompsons, did to keep her in their back garden, Bella always found a way out. And every time she did, she turned up in the most unexpected places—usually in the bewildered next-door neighbours’ garden.
It all started with the hedge. Thick and seemingly impenetrable, the Thompsons had assumed it was a perfect natural barrier. But one day, Mrs. Jensen from next door shrieked when she found Bella cheerfully digging up her flower bed. The puppy had somehow wriggled through the dense greenery, emerging on the other side with nothing more than a few leaves stuck to her fluffy ears. The Thompsons sighed and reinforced the hedge with wooden panels.
For a week, Bella appeared to be contained. But just as they started to relax, Mr. Jensen walked up the driveway, holding a very pleased-looking Bella in his arms. “I believe this belongs to you,” he said, shaking his head.
This time, Bella had executed an acrobatic leap over the low part of the garden fence. The Thompsons immediately raised the height of the fence and even added a bit of wire mesh to the top, convinced that this was the end of Bella’s mischief.
But Bella had other plans.
The next morning, Mrs. Jensen nearly dropped her watering can when she saw Bella happily trotting around her lawn, tail wagging. “Not again!” she cried.
This time, Bella had discovered that persistence was key. She had pushed her way between a loose fence panel and squeezed through. More repairs followed, with the Thompsons reinforcing the fence with nails, bricks, and a hopeful prayer.
Surely, that was it. Surely, she couldn’t escape again.
Oh, but she did.
A few days later, Mr. Jensen, now an unwilling participant in Bella’s escapades, found her snoozing under his garden bench. “I give up,” he muttered, but the Thompsons weren’t so easily defeated.
Wire mesh was installed at the base of the fence. Stakes were driven into the ground. Bella watched with interest, her little tail wagging as if she were taking notes. And for three whole days, she stayed put.
Then, on the fourth day, Mrs. Jensen opened her back door to see Bella standing triumphantly in her vegetable patch. “Oh, come on!” she groaned.
This time, Bella had dug underneath the wire mesh, emerging victorious on the other side like a tiny, furry mole.
Finally, the Thompsons had to admit that they were up against a genius. They installed a new, deep-set fence with buried concrete at the base, and Bella’s escapes finally came to an end—much to the relief of the Jensens, who had started to wonder if they were going to end up co-owning a dog.
But Bella, ever the escape artist, simply started planning her next great adventure. After all, she had yet to see what was beyond the front gate…
I hope you enjoyed Bella’s mischievous adventures! Let me know if you’d like to hear about her other adventures.
