4 Under the Elephant Ears

Chapter 4 Under the Elephant Ears "Whoever is planning to steal the chicks will be back soon," said Paulo in a tight voice. "Probably when it gets dark." "Then we'll spend the night here," said Sofia. She planted herself in front of the tree, her arms crossed.

"We won't let anyone take them." Paulo shook his head. "It's too dangerous to wait in plain sight. We don't know who's coming... or what they'll do to get those chicks." "Then we'll hide!" said Max. "If someone comes, we can jump out to stop them. And if they look dangerous, we can run for help. There are plenty of places to hide around here, like... under one of these plants with those huge leaves." He reached out to stroke a waxy, heart-shaped leaf that was nearly as long as he was tall. "The elephant ear plant?" asked Paulo with a smile. "Hey, those leaves do look like elephant ears!" said Sofia, studying the plant. "Is there room for all three of us?" Max dropped to his knees to test it out. "Definitely," he decided. As moisture seeped through his shorts, he hurried back out. "But we might want to bring something to sit on." Paulo looked curious. "Are you two sure you can spend the night guarding the nest with me? I'm sure my mom won't mind. I camp out in the forest all the time. But what about you? Won't your families wonder where you are?"

"Our folks won't miss us," Sofia promised. Max raised an eyebrow at her, and she gave him a small shrug. I'm not lying, she reasoned to herself. "Okay, great," said Paulo. "We have a few hours before night falls. I'll take you to my mother's restaurant in town, not far from here. You can meet her and Antonio. And we can pick up some food there." Instead of leading them back the way they'd come, Paulo seemed to head deeper into the rain forest. He picked up his pace, pushing through the trees so quickly that Max and Sofia had to race to keep up. After a while, the trees began to thin out. Max's heart quickened when he spotted a small town up ahead. Wooden houses and buildings lined a single street. In a field nearby, a group of kids played soccer beside a large community garden.

As Sofia followed Paulo down the street, she noticed a group of people spilling off a boat onto a small pier. "Are those tourists?" she asked. Some had sunburned noses beneath their straw hats. Others wore binoculars around their necks. Paulo nodded. "I'm happy to see so many of them," he said. "My mother will be, too." But Max noticed that the tourists didn't seem quite as happy. They looked, well... bored. "What a disappointment!" one woman said. "So much of the forest just burned down." "I know," said another, shaking her head. "It's so

sad... And hardly any animals to be seen." Sofia glanced at Max. "Paulo did say that lots of animals were driven away from the forest," she whispered. "Like the flock of scarlet macaws. Where do you think they went?" Max shrugged sadly. "I don't know. But this is bad. We have to make sure we keep those chicks safe." "Here we are," called Paulo, waving them toward a small, run-down building near the water. A faded sign reading Juliana's was nailed above the door. Inside, the tables were nearly empty. Photographs of the rain forest hung on yellow walls whose paint was peeling, and the sweet scent of fried dough wafted from the back of the restaurant, making Max's mouth water. "Paulo!" called a woman who stepped from the back room. She swiped a strand of dark hair back into her bun and smiled warmly. "Hi, Mom," Paulo said, giving her a quick hug. "These are my friends Max and Sofia. They're visiting." "Welcome!" said the woman. "You can call me Juliana. Are you hungry? We've got lots of space." As she waved her arm around the restaurant, her face fell.

"We used to be much busier, but since the fire, well... there are so few tourists." Her eyes flicked back to Paulo and she forced a smile. "Have you come for some black bean stew?"