Rainforest Rescue

by Jan Burchett

  With a sharp cry, Kawan raised the gun high over his head. He tossed the weapon. It disappeared into the undergrowth.

  Next, Kawan lurched toward Mr. Ostriander. Terrified, he scrambled to his feet and stumbled toward his four-wheeler. Kawan stopped and watched him roar away.

  Kawan threw back his head and let out a loud call. Creatures all around took up the cry.

  For a few seconds, the canopy was alive with harsh howls and squawks. Then the orangutan turned back to stare at Ben and Zoe. Kawan showed no sign of anger now. He squatted next to Mat, stroking his head.

  Mat smiled at his friend. “Good boy,” he said in a faint whisper. “Brave boy.”

  “We need to get out of here before Talib starts the fire,” said Zoe. She went up to Mat and slipped her hand underneath his arm.

  Ben reached for his BUG. Uncle Stephen needed to know the danger they were in. He was just pressing the WILD hot key when he heard a frightened shout.

  “Ben,” said Zoe. “I can smell smoke. The fire’s coming!”

  “Hello!” came Uncle Stephen’s voice.

  “Ostriander’s trying to sabotage the reservation!” Ben yelled into the BUG. “He’s burning the forest — with us in it!”

  “I’ve found your position using your signal,” Uncle Stephen’s voice said. “The fire’s west of you. Head east — as fast as you can!”

  Lifting him by the arm, Zoe helped Mat to his feet. “You’re coming with us!” she said.

  Mat painfully staggered a few paces, then swayed and leaned heavily on her shoulder. Ben came and supported Mat’s other side.

  Kawan gave a low, anxious cry and waddled away. Then he stopped, turned, and chattered at them urgently. Ben checked the map on his BUG. “I think Kawan’s heading for the plantation,” he said. “And it looks like he wants us to follow him.”

  Zoe nodded. They moved as fast as they could, half-carrying Mat between them. Roots and vines threatened to trip them with every step. Above their heads, they could see wind disturbing the tops of the trees. It was blowing toward them as they ran.

  “At least the wind’s not blowing the fire our way,” Zoe said through gritted teeth.

  Then the burning smell suddenly grew stronger. They tasted smoke on their tongues. Ben and Zoe took shallow breaths to prevent themselves from choking. They could hear Mat’s gasps for air as he forced himself forward. The trees above were filled with alarmed cries and scrabbling noises of animals as they fled their homes. Kawan urged them on with loud calls.

  “Uh-oh,” said Zoe. “The wind changed direction.”

  Zoe fell forward as her foot got caught in a thick exposed root. She landed in the middle of a brightly colored plant. The fleshy leaves parted, showering her with water and insects. Mat fell to his knees, but Ben was able to keep him upright. He helped Zoe to her feet with his other hand.

  “Can you feel how hot it’s getting?” Zoe asked.

  Zoe turned to look behind her. Her eyes went wide and she raised her shaky finger, pointing at an orange light flickering in the distance. “The fire’s coming this way!” she said in a horrified whisper.

  They lurched onward as fast as they could, following Kawan. CRACK! A terrible sound filled the smoky air. CRACK! Another noise rang out.

  “The trees are exploding!” yelled Ben. “We have to move faster.”

  The black smoke was making it almost impossible to catch their breath. Sweat poured into their eyes, blinding them. Ben wiped his hand across his face. Behind them, the flames were licking at the canopy of trees. Kawan stopped as they came to the edge of the plantation.

  The regularly spaced oil palm trees were just ahead. Kawan turned and chattered anxiously, urging them forward. Mat pulled back. “Can’t go that way,” he said weakly. “Oil palms burn very fast!”

  “We don’t have a choice,” Ben said, pulling Mat along a corridor of trees. “There’s no way back.”

  Trees and shrubs were becoming engulfed in a relentless wave of flame. Red-hot embers showered down on them, stinging their skin like vicious wasps. Zoe and Ben brushed the embers from their clothes. Kawan was giving frightened little cries as the sparks fell on to his fur.

  Zoe’s mouth was full of ash. The heat made her lungs ache. She glanced at Ben’s soot-streaked face. He was doing no better. Mat was barely able to shuffle along now.

  Zoe knew they couldn’t stop. The fire had reached the oil palms. The trees were devoured by flames faster than she could believe.

  As they pushed their way through the undergrowth, Mat collapsed to the ground. The children tried to pull him back to his feet, but he wasn’t moving. Kawan came to his side, whining softly.

  “We have to keep going,” cried Zoe, her voice cracking. “We’ll be burned alive!”

  “Leave me,” Mat whispered. “I can’t go any farther.”

  Then, all of a sudden, Ben felt something wet hit his hand. He looked up. All he could see was a swirl of thick, dark smoke. But through that smoke, drops of water fell on his face.

  Ben grabbed Zoe’s arm. He shook it to get her attention. “Look!” he whispered.

  Zoe lifted her face toward the sky. Soft wet drops splashed against her face. “It’s raining!” she cried.

  The next morning was bright and sunny. The smell of yesterday’s fire still hung in the air, but the smoke was gone. Bird and monkey cries could be heard in the canopy once again. Ben and Zoe stood on the walkway, looking out at Kawan’s territory.

  Ben grinned. “Listen to that racket,” he said. “It’s as if nothing even happened.”

  “It’s amazing that this part of the reservation was spared from the flames,” said Zoe.

  “If that rainstorm hadn’t come when it did …” Zoe trailed off. She looked down at her bandaged hands. The burns were painful, but it could have been a lot worse.

  Just then, Zoe’s BUG beeped. She pulled it out and read the incoming text. “Erika says she’ll be coming to get us this afternoon,” she told Ben.

  “It’s a shame we can’t stay to help Mat,” he said. “He has so much extra work to do now. He’s lost about half of his trees.”

  “Did I hear my name?” came a voice from behind them. They turned to see Mat slowly making his way along the rope walkway. Yasmin, with Biza hanging from her shoulders, followed behind.

  “He must have finished talking with the police,” whispered Zoe. The police had questioned the children first.

  Ben and Zoe told them they were frightened tourists, which wasn’t a lie at all. But they were also able to give a lot of details about Mr. Ostriander’s crimes.

  “I brought some cookies,” Mat said cheerfully. He steadied himself on the rope handrail. Like Ben and Zoe, he had burns on his hands. “This little troublemaker has been trying to steal them all day!” He carefully pulled the bag out of his pocket and gave one to little Biza.

  “Any sign of Kawan?” asked Yasmin.

  Ben and Zoe shook their heads sadly.

  “Kawan’s a hero now,” said Mat. “We’ve had telephone calls from television and radio stations all over the world asking to hear about the amazing rescue and how he led us away from the fire.”

  “And the best part is,” added Yasmin, “everyone’s all right. And it’s gotten us a lot of publicity. We’ve had people getting in contact wanting to know how they can help support the reservation. A company in Japan wants to sponsor us, and we’ve had students from colleges all over the world asking to volunteer their time here.”

  Zoe frowned. “But you’ve also lost a lot of trees,” she said.

  “That’s true,” said Mat. “But within a week, there will be new ones starting to spring up. There are many dormant seeds lying quietly under the cover of the other trees that have been waiting for the chance to sprout. It will take some time, but it will eventually grow back.”

  “Do you think the animals are safe?” asked Ben.

  Mat nodded. “They’re much better than we are at sensing danger,” he said.

  “
And the police have put out a warrant for Peter’s arrest already,” Yasmin said. “Although how they were able to do it so fast is a mystery.”

  Ben and Zoe caught each other’s eye but made sure not to smile. They knew that, once again, Uncle Stephen had gotten his messages through to the right people.

  “Talib confessed everything,” Mat said soberly. “Once they catch Mr. Ostriander, the case will be closed!”

  A knowing smile covered Mat’s face as he looked down at Ben and Zoe. “When I was hurt,” he said, “I thought I heard you call Kawan with some little device.”

  Ben and Zoe glanced at each other.

  Zoe grinned. “You must have just been delirious,” she said kindly. “You’d been knocked out in that balloon, after all.”

  Mat smiled. “Of course,” he said with a wink. “How ridiculous of me!”

  He put his hands on their shoulders. Tears were welling in the corner of his eyes. “In any case,” he said, “you two are heroes. I owe you my life. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”

  Ben and Zoe smiled shyly up at Mat. Just then, the branches in a nearby tree swished and Kawan appeared.

  “There’s the real hero!” Zoe said, pointing at Kawan. She tried to make the chirping noise that Mat showed them, but it sounded more like a squawk.

  “Let me try!” Ben said. He rolled his tongue and made a clicking sound.

  Kawan immediately responded and lumbered toward them. “Impressive!” Mat said to Ben. “You only heard it once or twice, yet you were able to copy it very well.”

  Kawan sat down in front of them with his head cocked to the side. Mat handed the paper bag to Zoe. “I think he’s waiting for something,” Mat said with a grin.

  Zoe removed a biscuit and held it out. With a low purring sound, Kawan reached out a long arm and took it in his fingers. He sniffed it for a moment, and then began to nibble at the edges.

  Ben laughed. “He’s being very polite!” he said.

  Kawan stared at Zoe as he ate. Then he froze, his eyes glued to something over her shoulder.

  Kawan pulled back his lips and let out a howl that made Ben and Zoe jump. A loud chattering began behind them. They turned to see Biza waving his hands above his head excitedly.

  Ben grinned. “I think Kawan’s saying hello to Biza!” he said.

  “I think he’s saying something to us all,” said Zoe.

  “What’s that?” asked Mat.

  Zoe smiled. “It’s obvious,” she said. “He’s saying, ‘I’m home.’”

  THE AUTHORS

  Jan Burchett and Sara Vogler were already friends when they discovered they both wanted to write children’s books, and that it was much more fun to do it together. They have since written over a hundred and thirty stories ranging from educational books and stories for younger readers to young adult fiction. They have written for series such as Dinosaur Cove and Beast Quest, and they are authors of the Gargoylz books.

  THE ILLUSTRATOR

  Diane Le Feyer discovered a passion for drawing and animation at the age of five. In 2002, she graduated with honors from the Ecole Emile Cohl school of design. Diane worked as a character designer, 3D modeler, and animator in the video games industry before joining the Cartoon Saloon animation studio, where she worked as a director, animator, illustrator, and character designer. Diane was also a part of the early design and development of the movie The Secret of Kells.

  GLOSSARY

  Borneo (BOR-nee-oh)—an island in the Malay archipelago

  canopy (KAN-uh-pee)—the ledge of trees that hangs over the rainforest

  endangered (en-DAYN-jurd)—at risk of going extinct

  intel (IN-tel)—information

  mission (MISH-uhn)—a special job or task

  operative (OP-ur-uh-tiv)—a secret agent

  plantation (plan-TAY-shuhn)—a large farm found in warm climates where crops such as coffee, tea, rubber, and cotton are grown

  rainforest (RAYN-for-ist)—a dense, tropical forest where a lot of rain falls

  reservation (rez-ur-VAY-shuhn)—an area of land set aside by the government to be preserved for a special purpose

  sanctuary (SANGK-choo-er-ee)—a natural area where animals are protected from hunters

  urgent (UR-juhnt)—if something is urgent, it needs quick or immediate attention

  THE ORANGUTAN

  STATUS: ENDANGERED

  Orangutans are found on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. In 1900, there were approximately 315,000 orangutans living in the wild. Now there are only about 60,000. Several threats have contributed to their dwindling numbers.

  LOSS OF HABITAT: In the last 20 years, orangutans have lost over 80 percent of their habitat. Tropical rainforests are being cut down for timber, and the land is being cleared for use as oil palm plantations and for mining. Forest fires also threaten orangutans’ homes.

  EXTERMINATION: Orangutans are sometimes killed for interfering with plantation operations by owners and farmers.

  LOW REPRODUCTION: In the wild, a female orangutan only gives birth every seven to eight years, with an average of four surviving offspring over her entire lifespan.

  PREDATORS: Humans, clouded leopards, tigers, and several other predators are all threats to the orangutan.

  ILLEGAL PET TRADE: In some areas, mother orangutans are killed after giving birth so their babies can be sold as pets.

  BUT THERE’S STILL HOPE FOR THE ORANGUTAN! In 2009, scientists discovered a large population of around 2,000 orangutans in the remote jungles of Borneo. Conservationists are hard at work trying to preserve and protect the area so the local apes can live happily and increase their numbers.

  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. Ben and Zoe are twins. Do you have any siblings? Do you think it would be good to have a twin? Talk about brothers and sisters.

  2. Out of all the things Zoe and Ben do in this book, which was the most exciting? Talk about their adventures.

  3. There are many illustrations in this book. Which one is your favorite? Why?

  WRITING PROMPTS

  1. Mr. Ostriander is this book’s villain. Write a story about a hero that battles a villain. What does your villain look like? What is his or her name? Who wins? Write about a battle between a villain and a hero.

  2. Mat trains Kawan to perform tricks and obey commands. If you had to take care of an orangutan, what kinds of things would you teach it? Write about your exotic pet.

  3. The orangutan in this book helps Zoe and Ben escape a forest fire. Imagine that you were trapped in a forest fire. How would you escape? Who — or what — would help you escape? Write about it.

  Wild Rescue books are published by Stone Arch Books

  A Capstone Imprint

  1710 Roe Crest Drive,

  North Mankato, Minnesota 56003

  www.capstonepub.com

  First published by Stripes Publishing Ltd.

  1 The Coda Centre

  189 Munster Road

  London SW6 6AW

  © Jan Burchett and Sara Vogler, 2012

  Interior art © Diane Le Feyer of Cartoon Saloon, 2012

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Burchett, Jan.

  [Forest fire]

  Rainforest rescue / written by Jan Burchett [and] Sara Vogler ; illustrated by Diane Le Feyer ; cover illustration by Sam Kennedy.

  p. cm. -- (Wild rescue)

  Originally published under the title Forest fire: London : Stripes, 2009.

  ISBN 978-1-4342-3768-2 (library binding)

  ISBN 978-1-4342-5992-9 (e-book)

  1. Twins--Juvenile fiction. 2. Brothers and sisters--Juvenile fiction. 3. Orangutan--Borneo--Juvenile fiction. 4. Wildlife refuges--Borneo--Juvenile fiction. 5. Logging--Borneo--Juveni
le fiction. 6. Borneo--Juvenile fiction. 7. Adventure stories. [1. Twins--Fiction. 2. Brothers and sisters--Fiction. 3. Orangutan--Fiction. 4. Wildlife refuges--Fiction. 5. Logging--Fiction. 6. Borneo--Fiction. 7. Adventure and adventurers--Fiction.] I. Vogler, Sara. II. Le Feyer, Diane, ill. III. Kennedy, Sam, 1971- ill. IV. Title.

  PZ7.B915966Fo 2012

  823.914--dc23 2011025561

  Cover Art: Sam Kennedy

  Graphic Designer: Russell Griesmer

  Production Specialist: Michelle Biedscheid

  Design Credits: Shutterstock 51686107 (p. 4-5),

  Shutterstock 51614464 (p. 148-149, 150, 152)