Dogs Don't Have Webbed Feet #7

by Nancy Krulik; Illustrated by Sebastien Braun

  Uh-oh!

  I turn my head. And that’s when I see a spotted cat. Even though she’s standing far away, I can see that she’s nothing like Queenie. This cat is huge.

  The cat opens her mouth. Even from back here, I can tell she’s got the biggest, sharpest teeth I’ve ever seen.

  Maria’s right! I have to get out of here before that big cat eats me!

  I twist and turn harder and harder inside the net. But I can’t break free.

  I punch at it with my paws, but the sticky string won’t budge.

  The spotted cat opens her mouth. Then she lets out a noise. It’s not a purr like Queenie makes. This is a loud, angry growl.

  “HELP!” I shout. “Somebody get me out of here!”

  The next thing I know, Eduardo is at my side. He’s using his bush-dog teeth to tear away the net.

  Why didn’t I think of that? I start to bite at the sticky net, too.

  Yuck! One of the creepy crawlers creepy-crawls right into my mouth. Then it creepy-crawls all the way down my throat and into my belly. I feel all of its eight legs tickling my insides.

  But I don’t stop tearing at the sticky net. And neither does Eduardo.

  GRRRRR . . . I hear the giant spotted cat growl again.

  But Eduardo doesn’t leave me. He just keeps tearing and tearing at the net.

  And then . . . the net breaks! There’s a huge hole.

  Eduardo runs off. I follow close behind. I have to. Now I’m hearing leaves rustling behind me. The cat is running. And, boy, is she fast.

  Eduardo and I run. Fast. Faster. Fastest.

  The leaves rustle, rustle, rustle behind me. The cat is getting close. She runs a lot faster than we do.

  Suddenly, Eduardo stops running.

  “Eduardo, what are you doing?” I gasp. “Don’t you hear the cat?”

  Eduardo doesn’t answer. He looks down at a big, fat piece of tree that has fallen down . . . and crawls inside!

  Uh-oh! Eduardo is smaller than I am. I don’t know if I can fit inside a tree. I’ve never tried.

  Rustle, rustle, rustle.

  From the sound of the leaves, I can tell that the big cat is almost here! I have to try to get inside the tree. I squish my belly up as tight as I can. I fold my paws under me. I crawl and squish myself inside, too.

  I sure hope the cat can’t hear my heart thumpety, thump, thumping. Because it’s thumping louder than it ever has.

  Quietly, we listen for the cat. We don’t hear anything.

  And then . . .

  HOWL!

  That howling is so loud. It can only come from one creature—a howler monkey!

  PLUNK!

  Just then, something plunks down on top of our hiding place. I wonder if it’s that big cat.

  PLUNK.

  I hold my breath. I don’t want that cat to even hear me breathing. I want her to keep going away. Far, far away.

  HOWL!

  The howler monkey lets out another loud noise.

  Rustle, rustle, rustle. Leaves are rustling all around the fallen tree in which Eduardo and I are hiding.

  I wonder if that sound is being made by the cat running past. It’s scary not being able to see what’s going on out there.

  Rustle, rustle . . .

  And then, the rustling stops. So does the howling. I don’t hear anything at all.

  Pushity, push, push.

  Suddenly, I feel something pushing at my nose.

  Gulp. What’s going on now?

  Pushity, push, push.

  Oh wait. I know what that is!

  It’s Eduardo’s rear end backing up into me. Does he want me to sniff hello? NOW? This is no time for sniffing!

  But Eduardo keeps pushing. My paws start moving backward.

  Now I get it. The cat is gone, and Eduardo wants to get out of this tree.

  Slowly, I back out. My tail goes first. Then my belly. Then my head.

  I take a big gasp of fresh, wet, hot air. It feels good to be out of the inside of a fallen tree.

  Eduardo seems happy to be outside, too. His tail is wagging.

  “Thank you,” I whisper to him.

  Eduardo smiles and nods his head. I guess he’s saying, “You’re welcome.”

  “THERE YOU ARE!”

  That voice is loud. And a little scary. But I’m not afraid. I know it’s Maria.

  She, Anahi, and Tito all peek out from behind some trees.

  “Sparky, you’re all right,” Anahi says. She nuzzles me with her nose. “I’m so glad!”

  “Thanks to Eduardo,” I tell her. “He kept me from being a cat’s dinner.”

  I can’t believe I’m saying that. Everything is so strange here in the rain forest.

  The logs have sharp teeth. The dogcatchers have eight legs and they build their own sticky nets. The cats are bigger than the dogs. And the two-legs are mean.

  “It’s getting dark,” Maria says. “We should probably go home.”

  “Yeah,” Tito agrees. “Maybe we can catch a nice dinner. Everyone knows the tastiest treats come out when it’s dark.”

  Maria is right. The sun is disappearing. The day is almost over.

  I wonder if Josh is home yet.

  I wonder if he’s sad that I’m not there to bark hello and lick his face.

  I wonder if he feels as scared and all alone as I do.

  Except I’m not alone. I have my bush-dog friends.

  I haven’t been a very good friend to them, though. I almost got Eduardo eaten by a cat. I can’t ask them to help me find my bone. It’s too dangerous.

  “Come on, Sparky,” Anahi says. She nudges me with her nose. “Let’s go back to the lair.”

  I nod. I start to follow her back to the house with no windows or doors. I will live in the bush dogs’ house. But I don’t know if it’s ever going to feel like home.

  CHAPTER 8

  “Uh-oh. Not again,” Maria groans as we walk through some bushes.

  We’re almost at our lair. But we’re not alone. The giant metal machines with huge round paws are here, too.

  That can only mean one thing: The two-legs are going to knock down more trees—and maybe destroy our home.

  Those metal machines are big and scary. We’re just little dogs. I don’t think we can stop them.

  “It’s not going to be easy finding another abandoned armadillo nest to live in,” Anahi says.

  Eduardo shakes his head. He starts walking into the jungle.

  “He says we better start looking,” Tito explains.

  We walk a few feet. Then Anahi stops in her tracks. “Will you look at that?” she says.

  “What are they doing?” Maria wonders.

  Eduardo cocks his head. I guess he’s wondering the same thing. We all are.

  A group of two-legs stands right in front of a big tree. They’ve linked their paws together. The way they are standing kind of makes them look like the fence that goes around the backyard I share with Josh.

  They’re a great, big two-leg fence!

  Not far from the two-leg fence surrounding the tall, tall tree, there’s a field. It’s covered in soft green grass.

  I know that field. I played ball with two-legs on that field. Which can mean only one thing!

  This tree—the one surrounded by the two-legs—is the tree near where I hid my bone.

  I race over to the tree.

  “Sparky, where are you going?” Maria asks. “Stay away from the two-legs!”

  But I don’t listen. I just start diggety, dig, digging. Dirt flies everywhere. Some of the two-legs cough when dirt hits them. But they still don’t move.

  And I keep digging until . . .

  THERE IT IS! My bone. My beautiful magic bone. It’s right there—waiting to take
me home.

  But before I can take a big bite, the two-legs in the metal machines leap out. They yell at the two-legs who have formed a fence.

  The two-legs who are surrounding the tree do not move. They just stand and stare at the two-legs who were in the metal machines.

  The two-legs who were in the metal machines stare back at them. They yell some more. And then . . .

  The yelling two-legs get back in their metal machines! They go away. They won’t be knocking down any trees or destroying any dog lairs today!

  “Wow!” Anahi exclaims. “Those two-legs standing there just saved our home.”

  “I’ve never seen two-legs do anything that nice,” Tito says.

  “See?” I say. “Some two-legs are really great.”

  “I guess so,” Maria agrees.

  Just then, Eduardo walks right over to the two-leg fence.

  “Eduardo, what are you doing?” Tito asks him nervously. “Come back here.”

  But Eduardo keeps walking. He stops in front of them, cocks his head, and smiles. And then . . .

  “Thank you, two-legs,” he says.

  I can’t believe my ears. “I didn’t know you could talk,” I tell him.

  “I can,” Eduardo says. “I just don’t unless I have something important to say. And that was important.”

  “It really was,” I say.

  Just then, the two-legs start hitting their paws together. Clap. Clap. Clap.

  Then some of the two-legs pull out tiny boxes. They aim them right at Eduardo.

  Oh no! What are the two-legs doing?

  “Don’t hurt my friend,” I shout to the two-legs.

  Flash! Flash! Flash!

  Flashes of light pop out of the boxes.

  Flash! Flash! Flash!

  The lights hurt my eyes. I’m seeing spots, like the ones on the giant cat. The spots are scary.

  Maria, Anahi, and Tito run and hide behind a big bush. But Eduardo doesn’t move. He just stands there, smiling at the two-legs.

  Finally the clapping stops. The flashing stops. And the two-legs start to walk away.

  Once the two-legs are gone, the other bush dogs come out from behind the big bush. They walk over to where Eduardo and I are standing.

  “Wow! Eduardo, you were really brave,” Anahi tells him. “I never could have walked up to the two-legs like that. I would have been too scared.”

  “Me too,” Tito agrees.

  Maria shrugs. “You took a chance,” she says. “You were lucky.”

  “Maybe,” Eduardo tells her. “But it had to be said.”

  None of the bush dogs can argue with that.

  We’re all quiet for a minute. Then I tell them, “I’ve got to go home and see my two-leg. He’s going to be sad if I’m not there to lick his face and chew his socks.”

  The bush dogs look at me.

  “What are socks?” Tito asks. “Is that some sort of food where you come from?”

  I laugh. Tito sure loves to eat!

  Anahi looks sadly at me. “You can’t go,” she says. “You’re our leader!”

  “You’ll be okay,” I promise her. “Your house is safe. And maybe you won’t be so afraid of all two-legs, now that Eduardo has led the way.”

  I stop for a minute and thinkety, think, think.

  “Eduardo would make a great new leader of your pack,” I say finally. “He’s the bravest of any of us. He saved me from that big cat. And he wasn’t afraid to go near the two-legs, either.”

  Eduardo puffs up his chest.

  “That would work,” Anahi says.

  “A leader doesn’t have to talk a lot. He just has to be brave, keep us safe, and help us find food.”

  “Yeah,” Tito agrees. “Eduardo is a really good hunter. He knows where all the best food hides. I’d follow him on a hunt.”

  We all look at Maria. She shrugs. “Okay,” she says finally. “Eduardo’s the leader.”

  “Great!” I look down at my magic bone. It’s ready to take me home. “Good-bye, bush dogs,” I say. “It was nice meeting you.”

  “Good-bye, Sparky,” Tito, Maria, and Anahi all say at once.

  Eduardo just nods. I guess he’s done talking.

  I take one last look at the Amazon Rain Forest. And then I chomp down on my magic bone. Hard!

  Wiggle, waggle, whew. I feel dizzy—like my insides are spinning all around—but my outsides are standing still. Stars are twinkling in front of my eyes—even though it’s daytime! All around me I smell food—fried chicken, salmon, roast beef. But there isn’t any food in sight.

  And then . . .

  Kaboom! Kaboom! Kaboom!

  Wiggle, waggle, woo-hoo! My kitchen! I’m back in my kitchen. In my house. A real house. With windows. And doors.

  I run out of my door—the doggie door—and into the yard. I have to bury my bone to keep it safe.

  I rush right over to Josh’s flower garden. Then I start to diggety, dig, dig. I dig fast. It’s cold. I don’t want to be out here long.

  That’s a big hole. I drop my bone in. Then I pushity, push, push the cold dirt back over my bone until it’s completely hidden.

  Vroom. Vroom.

  I hear something! It’s a metal machine. And it’s getting closer to my house. That can only mean one thing.

  JOSH IS HOME!

  I zoomity, zoom, zoom back into the house through my doggie door. Then I run to the front of the house and wait for Josh to open the big door.

  My tail is wagging, hard. It can’t wait to see Josh. Which is strange, because my tail doesn’t have eyes.

  The door opens, and there he is!

  “JOSH! JOSH! JOSH!” I bark. I leap up so I can lick his face. “JOSH! JOSH! JOSH!” I’m so happy to be back with my two-leg.

  Josh smiles and walks toward the kitchen. I follow close behind. There’s food in the kitchen. Maybe he will give me some.

  Josh stops suddenly. He looks down at the floor.

  I look down at the floor.

  There’s a little green creature with a long tail and four little legs crawling in our kitchen! Where did he come from?

  Josh bends down and picks up the little green four-leg. He looks at him. Then he looks at me.

  “Don’t look at me, Josh,” I say. “I didn’t bring him here. I’ve never seen him before.”

  Josh smiles at the little green four-leg.

  Uh-oh. That means he likes him. Does he like him more than me?

  I watch as Josh puts the green four-leg in a big, clear bowl.

  Then he reaches into a bag on the counter. I love the sound of a bag being opened. Crinkle, crinkle, crinkle.

  That sound means TREATS!

  I jump up and grab the treat from Josh’s hand.

  The bush dogs might love to eat their agoutis in the jungle. But I’ll take a tasty treat from a bag anytime.

  Especially if that treat comes from Josh. Because he’s the best there is.

  Fun Facts about Sparky’s Adventures in the Amazon Rain Forest

  Amazon Rain Forest

  The Amazon Rain Forest is the largest rain forest in the world. It is home to one-tenth of all mammals, and one-fifth of all plant and bird species. There are also two and a half million different types of insects! Many animals in the rain forest have become endangered because of people cutting down trees, which destroys the homes in which the animals live and the food they eat. Today, thanks to action from people all over the world, laws are being put in place to stop the cutting down of trees in the Amazon Rain Forest. This will save the lives of many animals.

  Bush Dogs

  These South American dogs are rarely seen by people because they spend at least half their days in underground burrows. Their paws are webbed, which makes it easier for them to swim and dig for prey. Bush dogs a
re endangered because for many years people have been destroying the rain-forest habitats in which they live and hunt.

  Howler Monkeys

  There’s no sound in the rain forest quite as loud as the howl of the howler monkey. Its call can be heard three miles away! Howler monkeys use their loud voices to scare off other monkeys and animals who might want to climb or eat in their trees. Howler monkeys’ tails are so strong, they hang by them alone. The underside of a howler monkey’s tail has no fur. The howler can use that part of its tail to feel things, the way humans use the palms of their hands.

  Social Spiders

  Lately, groups of spiders have been causing a lot of trouble in Brazil. Thousands of spiders have been joining together to make massive webs that can be as big as nine feet wide! When the wind blows, the spiderwebs are carried away in the air. Then, when the wind dies down, the spiders fall to the ground. That makes it seem like it is actually raining spiders!

  Ocelots

  These members of the cat family are not often seen because they are awake at night, when they can do most of their hunting in the dark. They spend their days sleeping in trees or hidden in bushes. Ocelots like to eat rodents, small deer, birds, snakes, and fish. Until recently, ocelots were in danger because the trees in which they live and the bushes in which they hunt were being destroyed. Hunters also killed these beautiful cats for their spotted coats. However, Brazil has begun planting more trees and creating nature preserves where ocelots can roam freely without fear of being hunted.

  About the Author

  Nancy Krulik is the author of more than 200 books for children and young adults, including three New York Times Best Sellers. She is best known for being the author and creator of several successful book series for children, including Katie Kazoo, Switcheroo; How I Survived Middle School; and George Brown, Class Clown. Nancy lives in Manhattan with her husband, composer Daniel Burwasser, and her crazy beagle mix, Josie, who manages to drag her along on many exciting adventures without ever leaving Central Park.