"Come on, Jack!" Annie called. She was almost tothe river.
"Just a minute!" he shouted. He wanted to study thegiraffes and zebras.
He pulled out the Africa book and found a pictureof giraffes. He read:
The giraffe is the tallest animal in the world. Itslegs alone can be six feet tall, and its hooves can be asbig as dinner plates. The giraffe has a very powerfulkick, which makes it dangerous to attack. For thisreason, lions tend to avoid giraffes.
Jack pulled out his notebook and wrote:
Notes on Africa:
Lions avoid giraffesHe turned the page and read more:
Zebras live in family groups. As no two zebras haveexactly the same pattern of stripes, every baby zebramust learn its own mother's pattern.
Jack studied the zebras, trying to see their differentpatterns. But in the hazy afternoon light, all thestripes made him dizzy.
He blinked to clear his head, then read more;Zebras are the first to cross the river because theyeat the coarsest grass. After they've thinned down thetop layer, the wildebeests arrive and eat the nextlayer. They prepare the grass for the gazelles, whocome last.
Wow, thought Jack. Each animal depends on theone that goes before.
He wrote:
Animals all connected.
Jack heard Annie shouting from the river bank.
"Jump, beasts! Jump! You can do Don't be afraid!
Come on!"He looked up. Annie herself was jumping as shecalled to the wildebeests.
Jack sighed. I'd better stop her .before there'strouble, he thought.
He put away the Africa book and his notebook.
Then he jogged toward the river. His pack was heavyand lumpy, bumping against his back. He'd forgottento take out the jar of peanut butter and the loaf ofbread.
Jack decided to leave them at the tree house. Heturned to go back.
But just then, Annie's shouting stopped. Jack lookedat the river.
She had vanished. "Annie?" he called. No answer.
Where was she?
"Annie!" Jack shouted.
She had completely disappeared. "Oh, man," saidJack.
Their trip had barely begun, and already disasterhad struck!
He forgot about the stuff in his pack. He just ran asfast as he could.
He wove his way between the grazing zebras andgiraffes as he raced to the river.
"Help!" called Annie. |