Describe a contest between two girls that are trying to win ownership over a dog.
The day was clear and bright. They should have met at dawn because Hannah said that was the correct time for duels, but Bella refused to get up so early. The duel was, therefore, set for nine o'clock. Neither Hannah nor Lizzie slept that night, but each was quietly sure she would win. Hannah had been practicing calling Vanilla to her for weeks, and Vanilla was pretty good at it now. She knew that when Lizzie had had the puppy, it was too young to train - Vanilla couldn't possibly go to Lizzie. But Vanilla could sometimes be naughty. Could she be sure? 

At the corner shop, Hannah bought a pouch of aniseed balls and put them in her pocket where the smell would surely be carried on her hands: dogs were supposed to find aniseed irresistible. 'I did want some anyway,' Hannah told herself. But it wasn't true - she would never have bought aniseed balls for herself. Hannah was really cheating. 

Lizzie wished she hadn't agreed to a duel, but she couldn't get out of it now. She let Hannah take Fudge - her name for the puppy - home that night because she reckoned that Fudge would rush to greet her and not go to Hannah. But she had no qualms about putting a piece of raw steak in her pocket. It felt horrible, and she knew she would get into trouble with Bella over it. Well, too bad; this was an emergency. 

Hannah had written out the rules carefully on a bit of paper. She read them out in her thin, clear voice. One or two people stopped to watch, but when some children ran into the dueling area, Bella shoed them away. The two girls would stand forty paces apart, with Bella in the middle holding the puppy. Then, when they were ready, Bella would give the signal and let go. Neither Lizzie nor Hannah was allowed to move, but they would each call the puppy's name. Whichever of them she ran to would be the winner and the puppy's owner. Bella was the judge, and her decision was final. 

'Twenty paces, then,' said Hannah. They counted out the steps and turned to face each other. Bella looked at both the girls to check they were ready. First one, and then the other nodded. 'Now!' Bella said and let go.