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Lob's Girl | Joan Aiken | Summary | Neb English Support
Lob's Girl
ABOUT THE STORY
Lob's Girl by Joan Aiken
"Lob's Girl" is a short story written by Joan Aiken in the early 1890s. It takes place in Cornwall, a fishing town in southeast England. The story tells a story about Sandy and her German Shepherd, Lob. It was first published in 1981. It was one of the stories included in the compilation "A Whisper in the Night: Tales of Terror and Suspense." The story revolves around a young girl named Sandy Pengelly. She is the main character here in this story. She lives with her parents, Bert and Jean, and her three siblings: Don, Tim, and Tess.
MAIN PLOT SUMMARY
Lob's Girl by Joan Aiken
Lob's Arrival
At the start of this story, Sandy is five years old. Her brother, Don, is 12 years old, and the twins, Tim and Tess, are three years old. All of them are having a good time at the beach with their dad while their mom is at home making Christmas puddings. Jean is getting ready for the holiday, even though Christmas is still months away. Both Don and Mr. Pengelly are working on the father's fishing boat. Sandy is supposed to keep an eye on the twins, who tend to get into trouble. Just as she is about to check on them, a big dog arrives and tackles her.
Sandy doesn't seem upset by the surprise meeting. She feels happy about the big. The dog, an Alsatian, begins licking her quickly. A bit later, the dog's owner, Mr. Dodsworth, an old man with a limp on vacation in Cornwall, arrives. Since he is old, he struggles to control the energetic Lob. He apologises for Lob's behaviour. Lob invites Sandy to play fetch. As soon as she throws the stick, Lob gives his heart to her. From then on, she's been his favourite person in the entire world.
In this special moment of connection, Aiken describes, "He happily brought back the stick and gave it to Sandy. At that moment, he gave his heart, even though no one else realised it then. But for Sandy, it was also love at first sight." Even though Lob doesn't officially belong to Sandy, he decides that he wants to be with her forever, no matter what challenges come their way.
An Unexpected Visit
After playing with Lob on the beach, Sandy and her siblings go back to their home. While playing cards with their parents, they hear a loud crash from their kitchen. Lob somehow found their house. When Lob couldn't get in through the closed door, he decided to come in through the open kitchen window. This is the first sign of Lob's determination to be with Sandy. When he sees Sandy and the twins, he covers them with happy licks. Mr. Pengelly takes Lob back to the Fisherman's Arms, the hotel where Mr. Dodsworth is staying. Mr. Dodsworth thanks Mr. Pengelly for returning Lob and even scolds Lob for running away. Meanwhile, at home, Mrs. Pengelly tells her children to ignore Lob if they see him on the beach again.
Goodbye to Lob
The next day at the beach, the children try to do what their mom told them last night. But Lob really wants their attention. Eventually, the children give in and play with him. Botg Sandy and Lob have become close friends by now. When Mr. Dosdworth and Lob leave on the train for Liverpool the next day, Sandy secretly moves along to get one final look at Lob. She stays out of sight because she knows her parents wouldn't want her to make it difficult for Lob to leave. Aiken explains why she does this: "She didn't want to be seen, but she did want to see." Sandy wants to follow her parents' rules, but she also can't bear to stay away from the station. At the train station, Lob looks really sad. He unwillingly goes on the train with his owner and even howls as the train leaves.
Sandy is quite sad because she can tell Lob didn't want to leave. She feels down for the next week, which is unusual for her. This worries her mother too. One night, when her dad and brother Don were fishing, they heard a loud noise in the kitchen. Sandy rushes towards the kitchen and finds Lob standing there. He walked all the way from Liverpool back to Cornwall, which is more than 400 miles. Lob's feet are dusty, and one has a cut. Even though he's tired from the journey, Lob seems quite happy to be reunited with Sandy.
Sandy's parents decide that Lob will spend the night at their house. In the morning, they'll call Mr. Dodsworth and let him know that they found his dog. Lob sleeps at Sandy's feet. The next day, Mr. Dodsworth takes the train, arrives back in Cornwall, and picks up Lob. This time, it's even harder for Sandy to say goodbye to Lob. Mrs. Pengelly takes the children to the circus to distract them from missing Lob, but Sandy is still so sad.
A Second Reunion
Ten days later, Mr. Dodsworth took Lob again. Lob is back at the Pengellys' house. He looks more beaten up from the journey. It seems like he had a fight with another animal along the way. Mr. Pengelly calls Mr. Dodsworth again, and this time Mr. Dodsworth says the Pengelly family can keep Lob if they promise to take care of him nicely. He explains, "I'm too old for these ups and downs. I think we'd better face the fact, Mr. Pengelly, that it's your family he wants to stay with - that is, if you want to have him." In Lob's mind, he's supposed to be with them, and he's tired of fighting against it. Mr. Pengelly sees his children's hopeful faces and agrees to keep Lob.
Growing Up
For the next nine years, Lob is almost always with Sandy. They are often seen walking together in town. Aiken says, "Everybody loved him, and he loved them all. But there was never any question about who came first with him. He was Sandy's dog." Lob is friendly with everyone, but it's clear that Sandy is his favourite. Over the years, Lob has grown into a beautiful dog. Mr. Dodsworth visits him every year during his vacation in Cornwall. Lob also likes to see him. However, he doesn't show any interest in going back to Liverpool.
Sandy becomes a teenager. Over time, Lob starts to move more slowly, but he still follows Sandy whenever he gets permission. Don becomes a fisherman just like his dad, and the twins also start high school. It looks like the upcoming years will be as joyful as the ones before.
The Storm
On a cold October evening, a storm is brewing in Cornwall. It's that time of year when the tourists have all gone home, making the town feel vacant. Sandy's uncle, a fisherman named Will Hoskins, is out fishing, and Sandy's aunt Becky doesn't want to be alone. She calls Mrs. Pengelly and asks if one of the kids can spend the evening with her. Mrs. Pengelly asks Sandy to go to her aunt's house. Sandy doesn't really want to spend the evening there, but she's an obedient daughter. She asks if Lob can come too. Aunt Becky isn't a fan of dogs, but Mrs. Pengelly agrees to this compromise. With Lob by her side, Sandy leaves the house.
Soon after, the storm hits the town, with the wind howling loudly. The noise bothers Mrs. Pengelly very much, so she asks Don to play some music to cover the noise. Because of this, none of the Pengellys hear a loud crash when a truck crashes into the side of the town's post office. They carry on with their evening, not knowing that something bad has occurred.
Dr. Frank Travers and his wife, Emily, are driving down a steep hill into the town. Emily sees a girl lying in a ditch by the road. Dr. Travers stops his car and gets out. The girl has been hit by a car and is seriously hurt. While Dr. Travers tries to stop the bleeding, Mrs. Travers finds a house with a phone and calls for an ambulance.
After Sandy is headed to the hospital, Dr. Travers goes to the police station to report the accident. He finds out that the driver responsible for the accident is already in custody. The man didn't pay attention to the warning sign about the steep hill. Because he didn't slow down, he lost control of his truck and crashed into the post office. The police initially thought only the driver was injured until Dr. Travers arrived.
While Aunt Becky is anxiously waiting at home, curious about her niece's whereabouts, her neighbour rushes in and informs her about the accident. Aunt Becky quickly goes to the Pengellys' house and finds out that Sandy was hit by a car while on her way there. Sandy has been taken to the hospital in Plymouth. There's no sign of Lob.
Waiting for a Miracle
Sandy survives the night, but she's in a coma, and the doctors aren't certain if she'll wake up or not. Both Mr. and Mrs. Pengelly stay at the hospital for updates while Don takes care of the twins. Dr. and Mrs. Travers visit the Pengellys' home to check on Sandy. They're told she's still in intensive care. The twins are also upset about their sister's accident and Lob's being missing. Don moves around the house with a sad face. They all worry about Sandy's condition.
At the hospital, a big Alsatian is seen hanging around the doors, clearly trying to get inside. Each time he tries, the hospital staff catches him and sends him back outside. In the afternoon, Granny Pearce visits the hospital to see her daughter and son-in-law. She notices the dog and recognises him as Lob. The guard insists that animals aren't allowed inside, but Granny Pearce stands her ground. She says Lob should be allowed to see Sandy just like any other family member: "Now, see here, young man. That dog has walked twenty miles from St. Killan to get to my granddaughter. Heaven knows how he knew she was here, but it's plain he knows. And he ought to have his rights!" She tells the guard that Lob walked across the country twice to be with Sandy, and no one is going to keep them apart now.
The guard talks to the medical officer, who agrees that Lob can sit outside Sandy's room. They've done everything they can, but Sandy hasn't shown any sign of waking up. At this point, they're willing to try anything for the sake of Sandy's life. Granny Pearce and Lob go to Sandy's room, but Lob isn't allowed inside.
Lob sees Sandy through the doorway and whines, wanting to go to her. Sandy stirs and softly calls to Lob. The doctor says it's okay for Lob to be with her, so Granny Pearce and Lob enter the room. Lob goes straight to Sandy. Sandy pets him, saying he's a good boy, before falling asleep. Granny Pearce takes Lob out of the room so Sandy can rest. As soon as she releases his collar, he runs away down the hospital corridor.
Revelation
Mr. and Mrs. Pengelly join Granny Pearce in the hallway. Granny Pearce scolds both of them for leaving Lob behind when they came to the hospital. Mr. Pengelly says the dog she brought into the room wasn't Lob. Lob is no longer alive. Don found Lob's body near where Sandy was hit, and he was killed instantly by the truck. Don and Uncle Will buried Lob at sea. Granny Pearce, Mr. and Mrs. Pengelly look down the hallway at the wet pawprints, the only sign that the dog was there.
Even though Lob was buried in the sea, the Pengellys put a special stone in their garden as a memory of him. The stone has an engraving that says, "Lob. Sandy's dog. Buried at sea."
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