Poppy and Ereth Read Online Free PDF Page A

explain,” said Poppy, looking down at the darkening earth. “Do you think you could just put me on the ground, gently?”
    â€œSorry,” said Luci. “I can’t. I’m late.”
    â€œLate for what?”
    â€œMom told me to take my first flight, grab a snack if I could, and then get back home. I know. Hard to believe that at my age I actually have a curfew—but I do.”
    â€œHow old are you?” Poppy asked.
    â€œThree weeks.”
    â€œAnd did you say this was your first flight?”
    â€œReally exciting, isn’t it?” said the bat as she made a sudden sharp turn, abrupt enough to startle Poppy.
    Poppy, resigned to being carried along, caught her breath and looked down and about. The last rays of the setting sun were cutting across Dimwood’s treetops so that the whole forest seemed edged with gold. The sky had been transformed into a panoramic, multihued rainbow of blue, orange, and pink. How huge the sky is! thoughtPoppy. How beautiful. This is certainly a lovely way to see the world!
    As always, seeing something lovely made Poppy think of Rye, who would have written a poem about such an extraordinary sight. But these pleasant thoughts were cut short when Luci abruptly plunged to a lower altitude. They were now just skimming over the treetops.
    â€œOh my!” exclaimed Poppy, almost breathless.
    â€œAm I flying poorly?” Luci asked.
    â€œJust fine,” Poppy managed. She tried to determine where she was, telling herself she would need to return home on her own. Luci, however, was going so fast it was hard to pick out landmarks. Besides, the sun was all but down. The only light was coming from the far west.
    Luci dipped deeper among the tall, dark trees, darting around them with such sharp turns and shifts, Poppy became giddy. “Do you live in a tree?” she asked.
    â€œOh no, we live in a cave.”
    Even as she spoke, the young bat broke away from the trees. Flying swiftly if somewhat erratically, Luci was now heading right toward a high cliff. As far as Poppy could see, it was a wall of solid stone.
    â€œLuci!” cried Poppy. “There’s a rock cliff straight ahead! Shouldn’t you turn?”
    â€œI don’t think so,” said Luci, continuing to fly straight toward the face of the rock.
    Poppy had no doubt the young bat was about to crash. She closed her eyes and said, “Good-bye, world!”

CHAPTER 9
What Ereth Thought He Saw
    â€œI ’ M SAFE !” Ereth shouted when he plumped down from the branch and landed on the creek bank. With a quick shake of his head, body, and tail, he flung off the mud that coated him. Only then did he look around for Poppy. He was actually going to thank her.
    Poppy, however, was nowhere to be seen.
    Puzzled, Ereth peered up at the branch that Poppy had managed to pull down. That was when he saw his friend streaking straight up into the twilight sky.
    â€œ Poppy? ” he gasped, watching with disbelief as the mouse soared upward. “Is that… you ?”
    Ereth stared into the sky until the mouse appeared to stop rising and then began to fall.
    The porcupine held his breath.
    The very next moment something —Ereth wasn’t surewhat it was or even if it was something—appeared out of the sky, snatched Poppy away, and then— vanished .
    Astonished, Ereth could not move. Instead, he continued to study the darkening sky where Poppy had been. Was that truly Poppy? If it was Poppy, how did she get up there? And if she did get up there, what happened to her?
    Baffled, Ereth continued to stare at the sky, not sure he could—or should—believe what he had seen. Did I imagine everything? Ereth asked himself. Was I missing Poppy so much I just dreamed she saved me? No! He had seen Poppy rising into the sky, only to disappear!
    No! That was impossible. But then, where was she?
    Utterly mystified, the porcupine searched about the creek bank. He studied