Ch10-Caught in the Wild

CHAPTER TEN Caught in the Wild Instantly the straw carriage felt small and cramped. Jack and Annie sat up and looked at each other. "We're big again," said Annie. "Yeah," said Jack, dazed. "Where's the emerald?" said Annie. Jack opened his bag. The jewel looked tiny again, but it was there. "No problem. I have it," he

said. "It was kind of fun being so little, wasn't it?" said Annie. "Yeah, until we nearly got killed by humongous, superpoisonous snakes," said Jack. "Thanks for saving us, Morning Breeze!" called Annie. She reached out from the carriage and patted the elephant's wrinkled skin. "Yeah, thanks," said Jack. Morning Breeze made a trumpet sound and swayed from side to side as she tramped through the low, scraggly brush. "I wonder where she's going," said Jack. The elephant slowed down. She sniffed the air with the tip of her trunk. Then she stopped near a clump of bushes and made a low purring sound. A snuffling noise came from behind the bushes. Branches and leaves shook and parted. "Ohhhh, wow!" breathed Annie. A baby elephant bumbled out into the open. He had a fuzzy head and bright, shining eyes. Morning Breeze lowered herself onto her knees. She stretched out her trunk and stroked her baby. The little elephant nuzzled against her.

"So that's why Morning Breeze had to escape the fort!" said Annie. "When they captured her in the wild, they took her away from her baby. She was desperate to get back to him." "Yeah," said Jack, "and after she found him, she came back to help us." Annie climbed out of the straw carriage and carefully slid down off the elephant's back. Jack followed her. Annie patted the elephant's back. "I guess you'll be staying here now that you've found your baby." Jack rubbed his hand over Morning Breeze's skin. Her huge, wrinkled body smelled of grass and heat and trees. The elephant actually looked as if she were smiling. "I don't think you need to wear this stuff anymore," said Annie. She reached up and lifted the rope of silver bells off the elephant's neck. The bells jangled as Annie dropped them into the grass. "Or this," said Jack. He took the fringed cloth off the elephant's head.

"And especially this," said Annie. Together she and Jack unbuckled the strap that held the straw carriage in place on Morning Breeze's back. They pulled the carriage off and set it on the grass. "Doesn't that feel better?" said Jack. Morning Breeze stared at Jack and Annie. Her eyes were bright and clear. She trumpeted and rose to her full height. "Before you go, can we pet your baby?" asked Annie. The large elephant didn't seem to mind as Annie reached out and stroked the baby elephant. "Whoa," Annie breathed. "Pet him, Jack." Jack rubbed his hand slowly over the baby's head. The elephant's fuzzy hair felt coarse and tickly. Jack laughed. "Enjoy being home in the wild again," Annie said to Morning Breeze. "Jack and I have to go back to our home now."

"Thanks, Morning Breeze," said Jack. "Good luck." "We love you," said Annie. Morning Breeze flapped her ears and waved her trunk at them. Then she turned and lumbered off with her baby at her heels. The two of them kicked

up grass and dirt as they disappeared into the brush. "Wow," said Annie. "Yeah," said Jack. Annie turned to Jack and laughed. "We look like we've been in a train wreck," she said. "No kidding," said Jack. They'd both lost their pointy shoes, and their coats were torn and dirty. "At least we have our emerald rose," said Annie. "And Morning Breeze is back with her baby." "Mission done," said Jack. "So let's go back to the tree house," said Annie. "Yeah," said Jack. He looked around. "But… where the heck are we?" "I think the big field we came through is over there," said Annie, pointing. "I hear a lot of bug noise. Let's look." Jack and Annie headed for the field. "Oww! Oww!" Weeds and rocks jabbed their bare feet. Jack just missed stepping on a large anthill. He and Annie picked their way through the scrubby forest, until they came to the edge of the yellow field.