Book excerpt: The son of a Gypsy woman, Sebastien is found as a newborn baby in the Alps and brought up by Guillaume and his grandchildren Angelina and Jean. Born on the same day, Belle is a beautiful white Pyrenean Mountain Dog who has been neglected and passed on from owner to owner, until one day she escapes from a kennel. When Sebastien rescues the runaway Belle from the wrath of the villagers, the boy and the dog form a lifelong friendship and embark on exciting adventures in the mountains.First published in 1965 to coincide with the internationally successful television series of the same name, Belle and Sebastien is a heart-warming story of camaraderie, adventure and freedom.