Wildfire! Read Online Free PDF

him to Elliot soon, but he wanted to hold him a little longer.

    When the Lortons came, there were more explanations, more scoldings, more anger and joy.
    â€œWell, we’ll get on home,” Mr. Lorton said finally. “Take your puppy, Elliot.”
    â€œI don’t want the dog anymore,” Elliot said. He turned his weary face to Miss Alice. “You were right—it’s a big responsibility. Too big for me.”
    Ben stared at him. Did he really mean it?
    â€œYou’re sure?” Mrs. Lorton asked her son.
    â€œI’m positive ,” Elliot said.
    â€œThen I guess—I guess you’ll have to give him back to Miss Alice,” his mother said. “I’m sorry, Miss Alice. I hope you can find another home for him.”
    She answered helplessly, “Oh, dear.”
    â€œ No, ” Elliot said. “I want to give him to Ben. He cares more about him than I do. He’ll watch out for him better.” Elliot added, “He already has.”
    Ben’s feelings seemed to form a lump in his throat, choking him.
    Goomby glanced at the boys. She said firmly,
“ We’d like to have a dog.” Practical as ever, she added, “They catch rats.”
    Grandma and Grandpa offered brightly, “Well, that’s true. They do.”
    â€œSo if it’s agreeable to Miss Alice, we’ll take him,” Goomby said.
    Miss Alice sighed and smiled. “I’m very relieved. Of course it’s agreeable.”
    The grownups murmured goodbyes. Elliot left with his parents. At the doorway he turned, gave Ben a grin, and joked, “We must take a walk in the woods again sometime.”
    Ben smiled and returned the joke. “Okay, but not anytime soon.”
    Soon everybody was gone except the family.
    Grandpa and Goomby consulted privately for a minute. Then Grandpa said to Ben, “This is a very serious thing you did. You understand that?”
    â€œYes, sir.”
    â€œThe police chief and the chief of the Carville fire department want to talk to you. I’ll come home early from work to take you to see them.”

    â€œYes, sir.”
    â€œThen for a week you’re not to play with the dog or take him out or feed him. Goomby and I will do that, starting tomorrow.”
    â€œOkay.”
    Goomby said firmly, “That’s for tomorrow. This is tonight, and Ben’s home again.”
    Grandpa nodded.
    Ben went out to the porch with the puppy. Goomby turned off the light and left them alone.
    Ben felt guilty and ashamed, and he knew he deserved to feel like that. But after some quiet time, the bad events of the day seemed to slip away. He sat in the porch chair, brimming with happiness.
    He patted the sleepy puppy in his lap. His thoughts spun into the future … their walks together, the Frisbee games.
    He said aloud, “You belong with us. You’re our dog.”
    The pup wagged his tail. Ben knew he didn’t really understand—but in a way, maybe he did.

Also by Elizabeth Starr Hill
    Bird Boy
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    Chang and the Bamboo Flute



Text copyright © 2004 by Elizabeth Starr Hill
    Pictures copyright © 2004 by Rob Shepperson
    All rights reserved
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    www.fsgkidsbooks.com
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    Designed by Nancy Goldenberg
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    eISBN 9781466806139
    First eBook Edition : November 2011
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    First edition, 2004
    Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
    Hill, Elizabeth Starr.
    Wildfire! / Elizabeth Starr Hill ; pictures by Rob Shepperson.—1st ed.
    p. cm.
    Summary: Living with his great grandmother in rural Florida, ten-year-old Ben looks forward to the Fourth of July celebrations, but the day becomes complicated by the presence of a new neighbor boy, a stray puppy, and local wildfires.
    ISBN-13: 978-0-374-31712-6 ISBN-10: 0-374-31712-7
    [1. Self-perception—Fiction. 2. Country life—Fiction. 3. Orphans—Fiction. 4. Fourth of July—Fiction. 5. Forest fires—Fiction. 6.