Rain fell on Jack's head and on Joey's head. Rain fellon Annie's head and on Teddy's head and on thekoala's head.
Annie opened her mouth and drank the rainwater.
Jack did the same. The water tasted better than anywater he'd ever drunk.
'When Jack looked back at the woods, misty steamwas rising from the charred ground and burningbushes.
The heavy rain was putting out the wildfire.
"You'll be safe now," Annie said to the koala. "I'llput you back in a nice gum tree. Then you can finishyour nap.""I see a tree that's not burned," said Jack. Theywalked over to the unburned gum tree. Annie placedthe koala in the fork of two branches.
"Go back to sleep now," she said softly. "Pretend thefire was all a dream.""Good night," said Jack.
The koala seemed to smile at them. Then he closedhis eyes and went to sleep, as if he'd never beendisturbed at all.
Jack sighed and looked around.
"Man," he said, "we were lucky that a storm came." Annie smiled.
"It wasn't just luck," she said. "It was magic.""Magic?" said Jack.
"Yeah.. .the glowing hands and the snake," saidAnnie. "Somehow they brought the storm.""That doesn't make sense," said Jack.
Joey stirred in his pack. Suddenly, Jack rememberedsomething.
"Hey, we have to get Joey back to the place wherehis mom left him," he said. "Or she won't be able tofind him.""Where was that place?" said Annie.
"I don't know," said Jack.
He looked around at the rainy gray forest.
Everything looked the same.
"Teddy can find the spot!" said Annie.
Without even a bark, the little dog took off acrossthe wet, muddy ground.
Once again, Jack and Annie followed him. Jack'sback was beginning to hurt from carrying Jocy.
Arf! Arf.'
Jack and Annie caught up with Teddy. He stoodover the Australia book! It was wet, but not burned.
"Hurray, we found it!" said Annie.
"That's right!" said Jack. "I left our book in the spotwhere we found Joey!""Once again, Teddy helped us out," said Annie.
She patted the little dog's head. "Thanks, Teddy,"Jack said.
He picked up the Australia book. The cover waswet, but the pages looked okay.
The little kangaroo peeked out of his pack as Jacktucked the book under his arm.
"Don't worry, Joey," Annie said. "We'll stay righthere till your mom comes back for you."If she hasn't already come... Jack thought worriedly.
Jack and Annie stood in the Teddy and Joey andwaited.
They waited and waited.
The rain turned to a drizzle. drizzle turned to a lightsprinkle.
Still, they waited...
Jack grew sadder and sadder.
Maybe the mother kangaroo had come and left. Ormaybe she had been caught by the dingoes. Or maybeshe had been killed by the wildfire.
Jack was afraid to look at Annie, afraid to sayanything.
"I know what you're thinking," she said finally.
Jack patted Joey's head and sighed.
"Let's wait a little longer," he said. "If she doesn'tcome back soon, we'll take him home with--"Arf! Teddy barked softly.
"Listen," said Annie.
Jack listened.
The sound was very faint at first. But then it grewlouder.
It was a squishy sound. It was a squashy sound. Itwas the sound of big feet slapping through mud! |