here!
I begged silently.
Please don’t jump down into this pit!
The yellow eyes glowed in the sunlight. The silvery whiskers twitched as the tiger snarled its toothy warning.
And then I saw a little yellow-and-black cat face appear at the top of the pit. One of the tiger cubs. It peered down at me over the edge of the grass.
The other cub popped up beside it. It leaned over the pit edge. Leaned so far, it nearly fell in!
The tiger moved quickly. It lowered its head — and bumped the cub away from the edge. Then it picked up the other cub in its teeth and carried it away.
I swallowed hard. I didn’t move. My back pressed against the cool dirt, I stared up to the top. Watched the square of blue sky. And waited for the tiger to return.
Waited.
And waited. Holding my breath.
Silence now. So silent I could hear the wind rushing through the tall grass.
A chunk of dirt broke off the pit wall and toppled to the bottom, crumbling as it landed. I kept my gaze on the opening, listening hard, watching for the tiger.
After what seemed like hours, I let out a long whoosh of air. I stepped away from the dirt wall and stretched.
The tiger isn’t coming back,
I decided.
It only wanted to protect its cubs from me. By now, it has taken them away. Far away.
I stretched again. My heart was still thumping hard in my chest. But I was starting to feel a little more normal.
How do I get out of here?
I wondered, gazing at the steep dirt walls.
Can I climb out?
I tucked the shrunken head back into my pocket. Then I dug both hands into the soft, cool dirt and tried to climb.
I pulled myself up about a foot or two. But then the dirt broke off under my sneakers. It crumbled and fell, sending me sliding back to the bottom.
No. No way. I can’t climb out,
I realized.
I reached for the shrunken head.
I’ll have to use Jungle Magic,
I decided.
The magic got me down here. Now I can use it to get me out.
I raised the head in front of me. But before I could call out the word, darkness fell over the pit.
Is the sun setting already?
I wondered.
I gazed up to the top.
No. It wasn’t evening. The square of sky that I could see was still bright blue.
Someone stood up there, blocking the sunlight.
The tiger?
A human?
I squinted hard, struggling to see.
“Who — who’s there?” I called.
22
A face leaned over the edge, peering down at me. Squinting into the bright sunlight, I saw straight blond hair. Pale blue eyes.
“Kareen!” I shouted.
She cupped her hands around her mouth. “Mark — what are you doing down there?”
“What are
you
doing here?” I cried.
Her hair fell over her face. She brushed it back. “I — I followed you. I was so worried about you!”
“Get me out of here!” I shouted up to her. I tried climbing again. But the dirt slid out from under my sneakers.
“How?” she called down.
“I guess you didn’t bring a ladder with you?” I shouted.
“Uh — no, Mark,” Kareen sniped.
I guess she doesn’t have much of a sense of humor.
“Maybe I could drop a rope down or something,” she suggested.
“Rope isn’t too easy to find in the middle of the jungle,” I reminded her.
She shook her head. Her face tightened into a fretful frown.
“How about a vine?” I called up. “See if you can find a long vine. I could climb up a vine.”
Her expression brightened. She disappeared. I waited impatiently. And waited. “Please hurry,” I murmured out loud, my eyes on the square opening at the top. “Please hurry.”
I heard the squawk of birds somewhere up above. Fluttering wings. More squawking and cawing.
Are the birds frightened?
I wondered.
If they are,
why?
Has the tiger returned?
I pressed against the dirt wall, watching the sky.
Finally, Kareen reappeared. “I found a vine. But I don’t know if it’s long enough.”
“Lower it over the side,” I instructed her. “Quick. I have to get out of here. I feel like a trapped animal.”
“It was hard to pull it out of the
I begged silently.
Please don’t jump down into this pit!
The yellow eyes glowed in the sunlight. The silvery whiskers twitched as the tiger snarled its toothy warning.
And then I saw a little yellow-and-black cat face appear at the top of the pit. One of the tiger cubs. It peered down at me over the edge of the grass.
The other cub popped up beside it. It leaned over the pit edge. Leaned so far, it nearly fell in!
The tiger moved quickly. It lowered its head — and bumped the cub away from the edge. Then it picked up the other cub in its teeth and carried it away.
I swallowed hard. I didn’t move. My back pressed against the cool dirt, I stared up to the top. Watched the square of blue sky. And waited for the tiger to return.
Waited.
And waited. Holding my breath.
Silence now. So silent I could hear the wind rushing through the tall grass.
A chunk of dirt broke off the pit wall and toppled to the bottom, crumbling as it landed. I kept my gaze on the opening, listening hard, watching for the tiger.
After what seemed like hours, I let out a long whoosh of air. I stepped away from the dirt wall and stretched.
The tiger isn’t coming back,
I decided.
It only wanted to protect its cubs from me. By now, it has taken them away. Far away.
I stretched again. My heart was still thumping hard in my chest. But I was starting to feel a little more normal.
How do I get out of here?
I wondered, gazing at the steep dirt walls.
Can I climb out?
I tucked the shrunken head back into my pocket. Then I dug both hands into the soft, cool dirt and tried to climb.
I pulled myself up about a foot or two. But then the dirt broke off under my sneakers. It crumbled and fell, sending me sliding back to the bottom.
No. No way. I can’t climb out,
I realized.
I reached for the shrunken head.
I’ll have to use Jungle Magic,
I decided.
The magic got me down here. Now I can use it to get me out.
I raised the head in front of me. But before I could call out the word, darkness fell over the pit.
Is the sun setting already?
I wondered.
I gazed up to the top.
No. It wasn’t evening. The square of sky that I could see was still bright blue.
Someone stood up there, blocking the sunlight.
The tiger?
A human?
I squinted hard, struggling to see.
“Who — who’s there?” I called.
22
A face leaned over the edge, peering down at me. Squinting into the bright sunlight, I saw straight blond hair. Pale blue eyes.
“Kareen!” I shouted.
She cupped her hands around her mouth. “Mark — what are you doing down there?”
“What are
you
doing here?” I cried.
Her hair fell over her face. She brushed it back. “I — I followed you. I was so worried about you!”
“Get me out of here!” I shouted up to her. I tried climbing again. But the dirt slid out from under my sneakers.
“How?” she called down.
“I guess you didn’t bring a ladder with you?” I shouted.
“Uh — no, Mark,” Kareen sniped.
I guess she doesn’t have much of a sense of humor.
“Maybe I could drop a rope down or something,” she suggested.
“Rope isn’t too easy to find in the middle of the jungle,” I reminded her.
She shook her head. Her face tightened into a fretful frown.
“How about a vine?” I called up. “See if you can find a long vine. I could climb up a vine.”
Her expression brightened. She disappeared. I waited impatiently. And waited. “Please hurry,” I murmured out loud, my eyes on the square opening at the top. “Please hurry.”
I heard the squawk of birds somewhere up above. Fluttering wings. More squawking and cawing.
Are the birds frightened?
I wondered.
If they are,
why?
Has the tiger returned?
I pressed against the dirt wall, watching the sky.
Finally, Kareen reappeared. “I found a vine. But I don’t know if it’s long enough.”
“Lower it over the side,” I instructed her. “Quick. I have to get out of here. I feel like a trapped animal.”
“It was hard to pull it out of the
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