Fritz’s ears droop as soon as he hears that. He knows it means that, once again, there’s no mistress for him. Pointers are far from small – and Fritz hasn’t been a puppy for quite some time. He lowers his head. ‘Good luck!’ he whispers to me, then trots off.

Of course I feel sorry for him – but maybe this is my big chance? I try out Fritz’s tactic once more, wagging my tail like crazy and barking in the friendliest tone I can come up with. Sure enough, the two women head straight towards me.

‘This one, for instance, is our latest addition. We just got him. He’s about six months old.’

She sticks her hand through the bars, and I race to lick it. Well, if that doesn’t make a good impression on her, I don’t know what will. The angel bends down to me.

‘Oh, what a sweetheart you are! Such a cute fellow!’

I jump up and down enthusiastically.

‘Yes, he’s quite adorable. A dachshund mix.’

Ouch! Mix? Damn, that hurt. I instantly drop the enthusiastic dog act. Not that what she’s saying isn’t true; it is. Miss Overalls is right. And that’s the humiliating truth, in a nutshell: I am a mutt. The product of Mummy’s affair with a very dashing terrier. And that’s exactly why I’m here. I may be Carl-Leopold von Eschersbach, but I’m not a pedigreed dachshund with the best papers. Absolutely unsuited for hunting – and for breeding, of course. That’s what the old lord of the castle said before he put me in a box and drove me here. Emilia cried, but she had already taken in my sister, and two dogs were certainly too much for her to handle.

I think I must have started to whimper, because now the angel sticks her hand through the cage and strokes me.

‘Oh, you poor thing, what’s wrong? Are you sad?’

How embarrassing! A von Eschersbach doesn’t cry – and certainly not in front of such a beautiful lady! Heavens, what are things coming to?

But it turns out that this was just the right thing to do, because the angel gets up, points to me, and says, ‘That’s the one I want. No doubt about it. Can I take him with me right now?’

The lady in the overalls nods. ‘Come in with me and we’ll take care of the paperwork. He’s had all his injections, and he comes from a reputable breeder. A little slip-up, you might say.’

These last words make her giggle. Which makes me want to nip at her hand, but I don’t, otherwise I’d wind up staying here.

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