The Pup Who Cried Wolf by Chris Kurtz

lazy mutt. Your ancestors are waiting for you and you’ll never find them lying on your back.”
    Good advice. I scramble up. Take one step. Hit the dirt again.
    â€œIt’s the princess necklace,” shouts Glory from the nearest tree. “It’s caught.”
    I crane my neck and see she’s right. The loop in the end of my golden princess necklace has hooked the root, and I’m stuck fast.
    Thud. Thud.
    Alexandra’s footsteps.
    I moan and close my eyes.
    Then I feel Hector at my neck and hear the
snick, snick
of his yellow teeth. The yarn falls from my neck and lies in pieces in the dust.
    â€œRun,” he says. “Hurry up. Go make us proud, wolfy junior.”
    I feel rather than see Alexandra’s hands reaching. I scramble up, teeter a moment, then run. Just behind me comes the mighty thump and wail of girl falling into dust.
    I streak for the road following Hector’s fast feet.
    â€œDon’t go too far.” Glory flaps over my head. “Hector, stay out of sight. Your white fur is like a flag calling every predator in the park. And behave yourself with the ladies.”
    I find my wolf legs and race by Hector. “Find a hole and run down it,” I shout over my shoulder. “And thanks.”
    â€œYou don’t have to tell me twice,” squeals Hector. “Where’s the rodent hangout around this place? Because here comes the party man.” He disappears into a bush and doesn’t come out the other side.
    I run with Glory above me until I can see we’re safe. She lands on the branch of a tree and I stop.
    â€œThanks for your help back there,” I say.
    â€œStay right here with me.” She tips her head to one side. “You’re not as big as you think you are.”
    â€œStay here?” I say. “I can’t. This is my chance for the wild life. You should run for it too. Or fly for it.”
    â€œOh, no.” She shakes all her feathers, and little bits of sawdust fly off. “I’m a city girl. I don’t need any of that kind of trouble. I’m just going to hang around here for a while and play it safe. You should too.”
    â€œThanks, Glory.” I stare up. “After I find my pack, I’m sure we won’t meet up again, but you’ve been a great friend.”
    She looks sad. “Lobo, listen to my advice just this one time. Go and take a peek around if you have to, but stay out of sight. Get this wild thingout of your system and come right back. It’s too dangerous out there, Lobo. It’s no place for a pup like you.”
    I grin. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. Think about yourself for once. You can get back to the wild life of your childhood.”
    She snorts. “I’m going right back to my cage just as soon as the little kidnapper gets what she deserves, and the coast is clear.” Then she fluffs her feathers and tucks her neck down into her shoulders. “It’s cold out here. I just hope Mona wakes up soon.”
    â€œWell, bye then.” I can’t wait to be on my way. I head down a track in the direction I heard the howls coming from last night.

13
My Destiny
    After a little bit of sniffing, I find a trail through the brush. It has footprints and droppings and all the stuff a wild trail should have, including dust.
    I’m so happy, I pick up one of my hind feet and skip down the path on three wheels. Then I remember that wolves probably don’t do too much skipping.
    Just in case someone is watching, I decide it’s time to start fitting in. Skipping will never do for an alpha wolf. But neither will my usual run. It’s more like a skitter.
    Somewhere down the line I got into this bad habit of skittering. Since I never had a true wolf role model, there was no one to correct me or show me how to run properly. I was going to have to figure this one out on my own.
    Loping
, I think.
That’s how wolves run.
Legs high,