The Pup Who Cried Wolf (10 page)

There is no answer, and I think the little guy must have fallen asleep. Then he coughs. “First of all,” he says, “call me Heckles. I can't deal with any more surprises tonight. Second of all, I did a little thinking out there and decided I'm not going to meet anyone out there as good as you and the bird, who were both going to face down the biggest
teeth on the continent just to save my smelly old self.”

I sit up and look at him.

His tail gives a little twitch.

“And last of all, somebody has to make sure Glory doesn't sleep the days away with too much peace and quiet.”

“Oh, for goodness' sake,” says Glory. “Somebody put a towel over my cage and let me have some rest!”

Hector winks at me.

I put my head on my paws. The night is quiet for the moment. Then from far off comes a long, high, lonely howl. I hear Glory stir in her cage, and Hector and I sit up.

“Back to sleep,” says Glory. “Just a family calling to itself. Everybody needs a family.”

“The trick is to make sure someone else's family doesn't eat yours,” says Hector.

I turn two and a half times and lie down. The sounds of the room settle all around me like the blankets Mona used to tuck me into when I was a lonely puppy. Heckles scratches himself, and his sawdust rustles as he tries to get more
comfortable. Glory makes her feather-fluffing sounds and then grows quiet again.

“Glory,” I say. I wait. I'm not sure anyone is listening. Then I decide to say it anyway. “You were wrong about one thing. I did find my pack in Yellowstone Park. I just didn't look for it in the right place. My pack lives in a place with air-conditioning, pizza, bright streetlights, and flavors from all over the world.”

No one answers, but I don't care.

I know that starting tonight, I'm working on a whole new favorite dream. Somewhere under the dark trees, a pack is gathering together. They might be sniffing each other and getting ready for their family run. But I'm dreaming of my big, bold city home together with my own brave pack—Glory, Heckles, Mona, and me.

Catch all the
ANIMAL TALES

Angus MacMouse Brings Down the House
Linda Phillips Teitel

The Pup Who Cried Wolf
Chris Kurtz

Text copyright © 2010 by Chris Kurtz
Illustrations copyright © 2010 by Guy Francis

All rights reserved. You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages

First published in the United States of America in May 2010
by Bloomsbury Books for Young Readers
Electronic edition published in October 2011
www.bloomsburykids.com

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, Bloomsbury BFYR, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kurtz, Chris

The pup who cried wolf / by Chris Kurtz; illustrations by Guy Francis. — 1st U.S. ed.
p.      cm.

Summary: Lobo, a Chihuahua from New York City who feels he is truly a wolf in an undersized body, goes to Yellowstone National Park with his mistress and dreams of running wild with his wolf brothers.

ISBN 9781599908861 (ebook)
[1. Chihuahua (Dog breed)—Fiction. 2. Dogs—Fiction. 3. Yellowstone National Park—Fiction. 4. Humorous stories.] I. Francis, Guy, ill. II. Title.

PZ7.K9626Pu 2010       [Fic]—dc22         2009038270