4 Bully for You!

4 BULLY FOR YOU! "Greetings!" Annie said. "Did a newspaper send you kids to spy on us?" the cowboy asked with a grin. What's he talking about? Jack wondered. "No, sir!" said Annie. "My brother and I were running from a bear." "A grizzly bear," added Jack. "Oh, I'm sorry, but you can't fool us, sonny," the cowboy said. "No grizzlies in Yosemite now. The last one was spotted eight years ago. Right, John?" He looked at the older, bearded man. "That's right, sir," said John. His blue eyes twinkled as he smiled at Jack and Annie. "You must have seen a black bear. They won't hurt you if you leave them alone. They mostly eat plants, roots, and berries." "But it looked just like a grizzly," said Jack. "It

had shaggy brown fur and really long claws." "Sorry, son," said the cowboy. "You have to trust my friend—we all call him John of the Mountains. He knows this wild country better than anybody. For thirty years he's been studying the animals, trees, and rocks of Yosemite." "Cool," said Annie. "We're studying all that, too, and drawing pictures of it." "Good for you, young lady," said the cowboy. "Well, we must be on our way. If you're afraid of bears, take my advice: Walk softly and carry a big stick!" The cowboy laughed heartily at his own joke. The other riders laughed, too. "Wait, would you like to see our drawings?" said Annie. "Uh…no, Annie," said Jack. He could tell the riders wanted to get going. But Annie pulled out her sketchbook. She held it up to the cowboy. "Check it out!" she said. The cowboy took the book from Annie. He opened it and looked at her butterfly drawing. "You drew this?" he said. "Yes. Yes, sir," said Annie. "We're artists." "Well, bully for you!" said the cowboy. "Wait till you see my brother's drawings," said

Annie. "Show him, Jack." Jack shyly handed his sketchbook to the cowboy. "Excellent…," the man said, staring at Jack's squirrel drawing. "Here, John—take a look." The cowboy handed both books to John of the Mountains. The elderly man looked at the butterfly and squirrel sketches. His face broke into a wide grin. "Goodness! You two are serious artists," he said. "What are your names?" "Jack and Annie," said Annie. "Well, Jack and Annie, you perfectly captured the rare Alpine butterfly and the Douglas squirrel," John said. "Did you know that the Douglas squirrel is the spirit of the sequoia trees? When he eats a cone from a big tree, he scatters its seeds. From those tiny seeds, a few trees might sprout. Over hundreds of years, they'll grow into the mighty giants of Yosemite." "Wow," said Annie. "That shows how everything is connected, doesn't it?" John of the Mountains looked startled. "Yes, it does, Annie," he said. "One little thing in nature— like that squirrel—is hitched to the whole universe."

"Exactly!" said Jack, trying to join the conversation. John shook his head in wonder. "You two are remarkable," he said. "How did you get here? Who brought you?" "Um…our art teacher delivered us," said Jack. "Her name is Morgan," said Annie. "She dropped us off near the big trees." "Hold on," the cowboy growled. "Are you saying your teacher just left you alone in the woods?" "Uh…well…," stammered Jack. He looked at Annie. "It's okay. We asked her to leave us in the wilderness overnight," said Annie. "We told her we wanted to spend time in Yosemite to make our nature books. She thought it would be a great opportunity for us." "I don't agree," said the cowboy, scowling. "It's quite risky to leave two children in the wild." "Sometimes it might be," said Annie. "But not for Jack and me. We're actually tougher than we look. And smarter. And braver." John of the Mountains laughed. "I believe you, Annie," he said. He turned to the cowboy. "Sir, did

you not say you wished that nature artists could travel with us?" "I did," said the cowboy. "Well, two excellent young artists have just crossed our path," said John of the Mountains. "And they plan to spend a night in Yosemite. I call that a miracle." "I still think they're too young," said the cowboy. "Sir, I was out in the world, working for my family, when I was their age," said John. "Won't they be safer with us on our journey than wandering the woods alone?" Wait. Journey? Where are they going? Jack wondered. The cowboy looked at Jack and Annie. Annie stood straighter and held her chin up. "All right, you win, John," the cowboy said, chuckling. "Would you two young artists like to join us?" "Yes! We would!" said Annie. We would? thought Jack. He wasn't sure. "We will pay you for your work," the cowboy said.

Annie whispered Morgan's words to Jack, "Give help to others. Give it for free." "Um…no thank you, sir. We only work for free," said Jack. "But can you tell us where we're going?" "Of course!" the cowboy said with a toothy grin. "We're going nowhere, son! We're planning to get lost in the wild!"