Dogs Don’t Have Webbed Feet #7

Description

With one bite of his magic bone, Sparky lands in the Amazon Rain Forest in Brazil among biting bugs and dogs with . . . webbed feet!? The Bush Dogs declare him their new leader when he saves their home from the metal machines that threaten to destroy the jungle. In fact, the machines have flattened so many other trees that Sparky can’t find where he buried his bone! Will Sparky ever be able to find his way home?Nancy Krulik has written more than 100 books for children and young adults, including two New York Times bestsellers. Her very first story (in first grade) was about how she wanted to be Mary Poppins so she could dance in the park with Bert and the penguins.

Sebastien Braun (www.sebastienbraun.com) studied fine and applied arts at Strasbourg University in France. Since his move to London in 2000, he has been illustrating children’s books.

Chapter 1

 
 
“Throw the ball!” I bark. “Throw the ball! THROW THE BALL!”
 
My paws bounce up and down in the cold snow each time I bark. They love playing fetch. My tail wags wildly. It loves playing fetch, too.
 
“Throw the ball!” I bark again.
 
My two-leg, Josh, finally throws the bright white ball across our yard. It is heading straight for Josh’s two-leg friend, Sophie. But I’m faster than she is. Before Sophie can catch the ball, I leap up, open my mouth, and grab it in midair.
 
Wiggle, waggle, weird. The ball is melting in my mouth. It’s not a ball anymore. It’s icy-cold water. This isn’t a fetch ball—it’s a snowball!
 
I don’t like this kind of ball. I can’t run it back to Josh. And he can’t pick it up and throw it again. Snowballs are definitely not made for playing fetch.
 
But Josh and Sophie are still playing with the snowballs.
 
Bam! A snowball hits Sophie. It explodes. Now it isn’t a ball anymore. It’s just snow.
 
Josh bends over and starts to make another ball.
 
Bash! Sophie throws a ball right at the place Josh’s tail would be—if he had a tail. It explodes all over him.
 
Josh smiles and laughs. But he doesn’t throw a ball back at Sophie.
 
I guess Josh and Sophie have gotten tired of throwing balls that can’t be fetched, because now they are walking toward the gate. I follow right behind them.
 
“Where are we going?” I bark to Josh. “Are we going to play a new game? Are we going to play fetch the stick? Are we going to play chew the sock?”
 
The last time I played chew the sock, Josh got angry. I don’t know why. It’s so much fun to chew on a sock. Especially one that smells like Josh’s feet.
 
“Sparky, stay!” Josh says. He holds up his hand. 
 
I know what stay means. It means I have to stand still, even though Josh and Sophie are walking away.
 
Josh and Sophie leave the yard. They close the gate. A minute later I hear a rumbling noise. The noise starts out loud. Then it gets quieter and quieter.
 
I know what that means. Josh and Sophie have gone away in his metal machine with the four round paws.
 
Sometimes Josh takes me to fun places like the park or the dog-toy store in his metal machine. But today I have to stay here while Josh and Sophie visit fun places.
 
Wiggle, waggle, boo! Two-legs have all the fun.
 
Well, not all the fun. I can go places, too. And I don’t need a metal machine to do it. All I need is my magic bone.
 
My magic bone is amazing. One big bite and kaboom! I go far, far away. Like that time my magic bone kaboomed me all the way to Tokyo, Japan. I got to eat squishy fishy called sashimi with some Ninja Dogs. And I got to fight like a sumo wrestler! 
 
Another time my magic bone kaboomed me to London, England. I played ball with a two-leg in Covent Garden, and I helped my friend Watson find a furever home, like the one I have with Josh.
 
Then there was the time I visited Zermatt, Switzerland. The wind and the snow were very, very cold. But the cheese was melty and hot. Really hot. It burned my tongue. Lucky for me, there was lots of icy-cold snow to lick. Here’s something I learned in Zermatt: Never, ever lick the yellow snow.
 
My magic bone has taken me many places. But the best place it takes me is right here—to my own house. I like going on adventures. But I love coming home again. I’m glad that whenever I’ve had enough adventuring, I can take another bite of my bone and come back here.
 
But Josh isn’t home right now. Which means it’s a great time for a magic-bone adventure.
 
I hurry over to my favorite digging spot, where Josh grows his flowers. There aren’t any flowers there now. Only snow. But under the snow, there’s lots of dirt. And that’s where I’ve buried my magic bone.
 
I diggety, dig, dig in the dirt. It flies everywhere.
 
There it is. My magic bone. My bright, beautiful, sparkly magic bone. Sitting right in the middle of the hole. 
 
Sniffety, sniff, sniff. My bone smells good. Like chicken, beef, and sausage all rolled into one.
 
I just have to take a bite . . . Chomp!
 
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!

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