Puppy Pirates Super Special #3

by Erin Soderberg

  “Thank you,” said one of the pups at the front of the line. “Welcome to the North Pole, pups. My name is Blizzard, and this is my crew. Are you out on a training run?” Blizzard nosed at the ropes connecting Piggly and Puggly to the crate full of steaks. “Your tug lines are twisted.”

  “What’s a tug line?” asked Wally.

  The team of huskies laughed. Then Blizzard realized that Wally was serious. She barked for silence. “A tug line is the rope that connects your harness to the tow line.”

  “But what’s a tow line?” Wally asked.

  “It’s what you use to pull your sled,” Blizzard answered. “You’re not from around here, are you?”

  “No, we’re from the Salty Bone,” Wally explained. “That’s a pirate ship.”

  “A ship?” woofed Blizzard. “What are a bunch of sea pups doing out here in the snow?”

  “We sailed to the North Pole so we could enter the Great Ice Race. We are going to win the greatest treasure of all!” said Wally.

  The pack of huskies howled with laughter again. “I hate to break it to you, pups,” Blizzard barked, “but we win the race every year. The greatest treasure belongs to us. We are the North Pole Racers. Also known as the fastest team in the world.”

  Piggly and Puggly both took a step forward, growling. “Oh, yeah?” snarled Piggly.

  “Yeah,” snapped the huskies.

  “But everyone knows treasure and pirates go together like…” Puggly stopped to think.

  “Like salt and water!” Piggly shouted. “Like Henry and Wally! Like me and steak! That treasure will be ours.”

  Wally stepped between the pugs and the huskies. There was no use arguing. They would just show the North Pole Racers how good puppy pirates were at treasure hunting.

  It turned out the huskies had the same idea. “How about we show you how fast we are?” Blizzard suggested. “I’m guessing you need to get back up the hill to the docks? We could give you a ride in our sled.”

  This idea cheered up Piggly and Puggly. Without a moment’s thought, both pugs leaped into the wooden sled and got comfortable.

  “Oh!” Henry said, climbing in beside them. “Do we get to ride? I’ve always wanted to lead a racing team!”

  The huskies chuckled. “Oh, human,” said Blizzard. “No matter how loud you yell, it will be us leading you.”

  Wally hopped in beside his friends. The pugs untied themselves from the steak crate, and the huskies tied it to the back of their sleigh. Then they set off running up the hill.

  Henry shouted strange words at them: “Mush! Hike!” He turned to Wally and the pugs and explained, “In case you were wondering, those are commands for racing dogs. Mush! Let’s go!”

  Wally pawed at a pile of blankets. He was getting worried. “No wonder they always win the Great Ice Race,” he said. “If they can run this fast dragging a sled, think how fast they will race without it!”

  Suddenly, a small yip rang out from beneath the blankets. A tiny husky nose poked through. The little pup’s icy blue eyes peered at Wally and his friends. “They won’t race without it,” he said softly. Then he cocked his head and asked, “You know the Great Ice Race is a dogsled race, right?”

  “A dogsled race?” Wally barked.

  The husky pup nodded. “You can’t win the treasure if you don’t know how to drive a sled.”

  The pirate pups didn’t know how to drive a sled. They didn’t even have a sled. Wally and the pugs exchanged nervous looks. Wally was pretty sure they were all thinking the same thing: Uh-oh.

  The huskies raced toward the top of the hill. Wally could tell they were working very hard. Would the pirate crew be able to pull a sled like this through ice and snow? Where would they even get a sled before tomorrow’s race?

  “Thank you for telling us about the race,” Wally said to the tiny husky pup. “What’s your name?”

  “Frosty.” The husky shivered in a sudden gust of wind. He burrowed into his blankets. Soon only his nose and eyes were showing.

  “Hi, Frosty. I’m Wally.” He introduced Piggly, Puggly, and Henry. Then he asked, “Why are you riding back here in the sled? Shouldn’t you be training for the race with the rest of your crew?”

  “It’s too cold!” Frosty said. “I don’t like to be cold. But I love to explore. The pack sometimes lets me ride along in the sled so I won’t miss out on any of their adventures.”

  Before Wally could ask any more questions, the husky team slowed to a stop. Wally was surprised to see that they had already arrived back at the harbor! The North Pole Racers were very fast indeed. He and the Salty Bone crew would have some tough competition.

  Captain Red Beard and the rest of the puppy pirates raced over as soon as Wally and his friends spilled out of the sled. “About time,” the captain barked. “My race was half an hour ago! Where have you been?”

  Wally didn’t want to get the pugs in trouble with the captain. So he said, “We had a little trouble with, um, a slippery crate, sir.”

  “Slippery crate?” the captain said.

  “It’s a long story,” Wally said. The pugs both gave him grateful smiles.

  “I don’t like long stories,” the captain grumbled. “Unless I’m the one telling them. So let’s get on with our business. Congratulations to Walty, Recess, Leo, Spike, and Wayne. You were the fastest five, so you will join me in the race for the greatest treasure of all.”

  Wally wagged his tail happily. He couldn’t wait to race!

  “Who are you?” Red Beard barked, turning to the husky pups. “Why do you have my steaks? What are you doin’ with me crew? Are you spies?”

  “These are the North Pole Racers,” Wally explained. “They just gave us some very useful information about the Great Ice Race, Captain.”

  “Useful, eh?” said Captain Red Beard. “What kind of information?”

  “Did you know we need a sled if we want to race?” Wally asked.

  “Of course I knew that!” barked Red Beard. Quietly, he added, “But remind me, what is a sled?”

  “That,” Wally said, pointing at the husky sled. “It’s a kind of snow boat that we have to pull.”

  “Well, shiver me timbers,” Captain Red Beard growled. “Where are we going to get one of those before tomorrow?”

  “I know someone who might be able to help you,” Frosty said, poking his nose out of the blankets. “If you follow us into town, I can take you to her shop.”

  Henry hopped into the husky sled, along with Old Salt, a peg-legged Bernese mountain dog. Old Salt was a great sailor and a wise pup, but he didn’t do much running these days. The rest of the puppy pirate crew raced after the huskies into town.

  When they reached the village, Wally gasped. His eyes widened. There was so much to see! Dozens of colorful buildings framed the edges of a big snowy park. Bright lights and shiny balls hung from all the trees. Puppies wearing cheerful red hats jumped and played in the snow. It was the happiest town Wally had ever visited.

  Frosty squirmed out of his blanket in the back of the sled. “Follow me,” he told Red Beard and his crew. The little pup led them across the park to a bright red building on a corner of the town square. A red-and-white sign hung on the door.

  “North Pole Adventures?” Henry read. “Fun!”

  Henry, Wally, and the crew squeezed inside the shop. The shelves lining the walls were filled with toys and treats. A big open space in the center was covered with warm rugs and cuddly beds. But there were no sleds in sight.

  Spike and Humphrey curled up in front of a crackling fire. The pugs sniffed around and found a bowl filled with treat samples. The rest of the crew explored the treasures on the shelves.

  Within seconds, all the puppy pirates began barking about things they wanted—especially Captain Red Beard. “This is on my gift list,” he said, pointing at a light-up tennis ball. “And this
, and this, and this, and this. I want one of everything! ’Tis the season for getting stuff!”

  Wally looked around the shop. There were Frisbees and bouncing balls in every color of the rainbow. Stuffed toys that squeaked, squawked, and sang songs. Bones filled with cheese, peanut butter, and sausage. Ropes and tug toys and chew toys. Wally wondered if he might be able to find Henry the perfect gift. Though there were lots of great things, nothing seemed quite right.

  A few minutes after they arrived, a human woman stepped out from the back of the store. Her gray hair was twisted up into a messy bun that was held in place with a long paintbrush. She was wearing bright green pants, a red-and-white-striped shirt, and tall black work boots. She greeted the group warmly: “Hello! Welcome to the North Pole! Who do we have here?”

  “Ahoy,” Henry said, stepping forward. “My name is Henry, and these are the puppy pirates.”

  “Pleased to meet you, Henry. You can call me Mrs. C.,” she said with a smile. “Are you pups here for the race?”

  “I wish,” Henry told her. “But we don’t have a sled!”

  “That’s why I brought them here,” Frosty barked. “I thought you might be able to help the puppy pirates get ready for tomorrow’s race.”

  “Aye,” barked Captain Red Beard. “We need a sled so we can win the greatest treasure of all!”

  “At North Pole Adventures, we like to make sure every pup gets what they want out of their trip to the North Pole,” Mrs. C. said. She pointed at a wall covered in pictures. There were puppies skidding across frozen lakes. Puppies pawing up steep mountains. Puppies racing down snowy slopes. And there were puppies pulling sleds. Lots and lots of sleds.

  Wally’s heart thumped faster. Maybe Mrs. C. could help them.

  “Let me see what I can do for you,” Mrs. C. said, wrapping one strong arm around Henry’s shoulders.

  She waved for everyone to follow her through a doorway. Wally trotted along, into a garage at the back of the shop. It was huge…and empty.

  Well, almost empty. In the far corner, there was one sled. It had cracked sides and a broken rail. Wally’s hopes fell. This sled didn’t look like it could slide very far. Definitely not across the finish line of the Great Ice Race.

  “If I work all night, I think I can fix it,” Mrs. C. said. “Then it’s all yours.”

  Captain Red Beard cocked his head. “How much will this cost?” he asked.

  “In case you were wondering, we don’t have any way to pay you,” Henry told Mrs. C.

  “Don’t worry about that,” Mrs. C. said. “I told you, it’s my job to give pups a North Pole adventure, and the Great Ice Race is the greatest adventure of all. Besides, as my husband would say, ‘ ’Tis the season for giving.’ ”

  After the puppies thanked her, Mrs. C. shooed them all out. “Now leave me to it. You should get back to your ship. You’ll need lots of rest before tomorrow’s big race. Come back first thing in the morning. Your sled will be waiting!”

  To thank Frosty for all his help, Wally invited him to spend the night on the Salty Bone. The little husky pup was very excited. “My pack sleeps outside in the snow,” he told Wally. “I hate sleeping on the cold ground! It takes me half the day to warm up again.”

  “I sleep in a cozy bed,” Wally told him. “I can give you a tour of our ship, and then you can bunk with me and Henry for the night.”

  Wally showed his new friend every nook and cranny on the Salty Bone. He took him to the map room. He showed him how they worked the sails. He even let Frosty peek inside Steak-Eye’s kitchen. Frosty loved the kitchen, especially when Steak-Eye gave him a bowl of warm stew. After the tour, Frosty curled up in Wally’s bed and fell fast asleep. In the morning, he told Wally he’d had his best sleep ever.

  During breakfast, Frosty shared stories about life at the North Pole. He told the puppy pirates that his pack spent most of the year training for the Great Ice Race. “Sometimes the team takes trips that last for many days,” he said. “That’s when I bring extra extra blankets.”

  Wally loved Frosty’s stories. But he felt bad that the poor pup was so cold all the time.

  Once everyone was full of warm breakfast stew, the puppy pirates followed Frosty back into the village. The sun was just peeking over the horizon as they reached the town square. Mrs. C. was standing beside the simple wooden sled. It looked fixed! In fact, there didn’t seem to be a single scratch on it!

  “Perfect timing,” Mrs. C. said. Today, she was wearing a striped red-and-white snowsuit. “Are you sea pups ready to try out your sled?” She glanced at the sun and added, “You only have a little time to practice before the race starts. Would you like some help getting set up?”

  “Yes, please,” Henry said.

  “Walty! Spike! Recess! Wayne! Leo!” Captain Red Beard called his race team forward. “It’s time for us to show those North Pole Racers what we’ve got.”

  Before they could run, the race team had to put on harnesses. This was harder than it looked. There were dozens of straps and hooks on each harness. No one could figure out which end went where. Henry and Mrs. C. helped, but it still took forever.

  “I’ll tell you what’s not on my Christmas gift list,” Captain Red Beard grumbled. “A harness. This thing hurts my belly and feels icky-poo on my fur.”

  After all six pups had their harnesses on, Mrs. C. told them they needed to decide what order they would run in.

  “In case you were wondering,” Henry blurted out, “I’ve read a lot of books about dogsledding. If there are six pups racing, we want two lead dogs, two team dogs, and two wheel dogs. The lead dogs will be up front. The team dogs will be in the middle. Wheel dogs are usually the strongest dogs on a crew, and they run right in front of the sled.”

  Mrs. C. nodded. “That’s exactly right, Henry. You know quite a bit for a rookie!”

  “I will be the lead dog,” Captain Red Beard announced. “Walty, you can race up front with me. Wayne and Spike, you are the wheel dogs. My two Labradors, Leo and Recess, should take the middle.”

  “Aye, aye, Captain,” the pups barked.

  Once their team of six was organized, Mrs. C. helped attach their harnesses to something she called rigging. There were ropes that connected the dogs to each other and ropes that connected their team to the sled.

  It wasn’t long before a small crowd had gathered around the puppy pirate crew. The North Pole Racers and several other dog teams watched the Salty Bone racers with great interest. Millie and Stink—a pair of puppy pirates who called themselves the Weirdos—danced and sang pirate shanties to entertain the crowd.

  “Now,” Mrs. C. said to Henry. “I assume you’ll be riding in the sled?”

  “For sure!” Henry said.

  “Let’s go over your commands,” Mrs. C. said. “Gee is the command for a right turn. Haw is what you use to go left. You can start your team by saying mush or hike or let’s go or—”

  “I’m bored!” whined Captain Red Beard. “What’s the point of learning all these commands? I’m not letting Walty’s human order me around, so I say we just run. Ready, me crew? Let’s go!”

  The captain took off. He only ran a few short steps before coming to a sudden stop. “Graaaaw,” Red Beard choked out, fighting against his own harness. “The rest of ya forgot to run!” He backed up, then barked out, “Hike!”

  This time, all six pups began to run. Henry jumped into the sled, hollering, “Mush! Mush! Head straight across the square!” Following his best mate’s orders, Wally ran straight ahead.

  But after only a few seconds, the pups all caught a whiff of grilled sausages coming from somewhere to their left. “This way!” Red Beard woofed. “Haw! Haw!” He turned and ran to the left. Wally felt the tug on his harness and shifted, trying to stay in step with the captain.

  Behind them, Henry screamed, “Gee! Gee!”

  All this shouting cau
sed big problems! Recess went right. Leo went left. Their ropes crossed over each other and quickly tangled. In the back of the line, Wayne stepped on Spike’s foot. The chubby bulldog howled, then stopped running altogether.

  The ropes attached to the dogs’ harnesses tugged and pulled. The sled lurched to a stop. All six pups growled and barked at each other, while Henry shouted from the sled.

  Wally looked over and saw the North Pole Racers chuckling and whispering to each other. Mrs. C. shook her head as she helped untangle the ropes. “Oh, dear,” she muttered.

  Wally’s tail drooped. If they wanted to win, they needed to work together—and fast!

  But before they could take another practice run, a loud bell jingled in the center of the square. Packs of dogs raced toward a red line painted on the snow. They all pulled their sleds like pros. Mrs. C. clapped her hands and cried, “Gather round! This year’s Great Ice Race is about to begin!”

  The puppy pirates hobbled toward the starting line. They moved very slowly, trying not to tangle their ropes again.

  “Welcome!” Mrs. C. called as soon as all the teams were lined up. She had somehow managed to change out of her snowsuit and was now wearing white pants with a black-and-white-striped top. She had a whistle around her neck and was holding a checkered flag. “Welcome to the Great Ice Race! As I am sure you are aware, the winner of the race will win the greatest treasure of all.”

  “Gold!” Captain Red Beard guessed, pawing at the ground. “Jewels! Treasure, treasure, treasure, I want that treasure! Gimme, gimme, gimme.”

  Wally scoped out the competition. There were at least twenty teams at the starting line. One team was made up of giant Saint Bernards, who had small wooden barrels tied around their necks. They looked very tough.

  A group of Dalmatians pulled a bright red sled that looked like a fire truck. A crew of sleek greyhounds wore matching harnesses and blue booties. The North Pole Racers all wore pointed red hats with soft white trim.