Selby's Stardom by Duncan Ball

go.’
    â€˜I’m glad about that because I’ve already said yes. It will be a nice change for the little fellow,’ Dr Trifle said. ‘Oops, we’d better pack Selby’s bag straightaway. I think they’ve come to get him.’
    Selby looked out to see a long white limousine pull up and a man in a suit get out and make his way to the front door.
    â€˜Hello, Dr and Mrs Trifle,’ the man said, ‘I’ve come for Selby. I’ll be escorting him to Hollywood. And don’t worry about a thing, we’ll give him the star treatment.’
    â€˜I can’t believe this!’ Selby thought. ‘I’m going to be acting with the biggest acting megastars in the world! Dino diSwarve and the lovely and gorgeous Bonnie Blake. Oh, I can’t wait! I feel like I’ve died and gone to Heaven. Even better: it’s like I’ve died and I’m on my way to Hollywood. Yesssssssss!’
    And so it was that Selby left Bogusville in the huge, long limousine.
    â€˜I feel like a star already,’ Selby thought as he sat in the back. ‘This thing has its own TV and telephone and it’s even got a computer if I want to check my emails! Of course, if I use any of them he’ll know that I’m not an ordinary, non-talking, non-computer-using dog — so I can’t.’
    The limousine drove Selby to the airport and then he flew first class all the way to Hollywood.
    â€˜This is the life!’ Selby thought as people looked around and wondered what a dog was doing in a people-seat. ‘Goodbye Bogusville, and Hollywood here I come!’

    When they arrived at the film studio, Selby was led to the back lot where a whole town had been built.
    â€˜Bogusville!’ Selby thought. ‘They’ve made it look exactly like Bogusville. It’s almost as big as the real Bogusville! This is fantastic!’
    On one side of the set was a movie camera and, behind it, a group of people. In front were two actors.
    â€˜Bonnie Blake and Dino diSwarve!’ Selby thought. ‘Here they are again. It’s like meeting old friends.’
    Bonnie came running over to Selby and picked him up.
    â€˜Oh, Selby, you’re here!’ she squealed and kissed him on the head. ‘It’s so good to see you! You’re going to be my dog so let’s get to know each other.’
    â€˜Gosh,
her
dog,’ Selby thought. (And that’s all he thought because he was blushing madly.)
    â€˜Bonnie, darling,’ the director called out, ‘could we finish this scene now? Your scene with Selby will be next, okay?’
    Selby stood quietly behind the camera watching Bonnie and Dino.
    â€˜This really is magic,’ Selby thought. ‘Now I know why
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calls Hollywood “Dreamland”. I just love movies and actors and directors. I love everything about them. They make dreams come true.’
    â€˜Print that one,’ the director called out. ‘Now that we have Selby we’re going to skip to the scene where you two confront each other. Dino, remember that you want to buy up all the houses in Dumsville and turn it into a theme park. The people of Dumsville are going to go about their business as usual but the whole town will be a theme park. People will pay money to see what life is like in this backwards little country town.’
    â€˜Dumsville?’ Selby thought. ‘Backwards little country town? What is this? Oh, well, it’s only a movie. It’s only make-believe.’
    â€˜And, Bonnie,’ the director continued, ‘you’ve just moved to Dumsville and you love it there even if the people are a bit simple-minded. You want to protect them from Dino and his theme park, got it?’
    â€˜Got it, Artie.’
    â€˜Okay, now call Selby and see if you can get him to sit on the footpath next to you.’
    â€˜I think I can handle that,’ Selby thought. ‘But