Buffalo Before Breakfast Read Free Page B

Jack.
    â€œ
Ah-ah-CHOO!
” Black Hawk sneezed.
    â€œUh-oh,” said Annie.
    The huge buffalo jerked its head up. It made a low, moaning sound. Then it pointed its horns and charged!
    â€œWatch out!” cried Jack.
    Black Hawk threw himself out of the way of the charging buffalo.

    A ripple went through the herd as other shaggy animals looked up.
    Suddenly, Teddy jumped out of Annie’s arms. He landed in the tall grass and ran toward the buffalo.
    â€œTeddy!” shouted Annie.
    The dog tore down the hill. He bounded along the edge of the herd, barking furiously.
    â€œTeddy, come back!” cried Annie.
    She slid off her pony and ran after Teddy.
    Jack tried to see Black Hawk.
    The boy was still dodging the running buffalo. He looked tired.
    Jack took a deep breath.
    â€œGo to Black Hawk!” he said, nudging Sunlight with his knees.
    The golden pony charged down the slope. He ran between the buffalo.
    â€œBlack Hawk!” Jack shouted.
    Black Hawk started running toward Sunlight. The buffalo swerved behind him.
    Sunlight slowed as Black Hawk got near. The boy threw himself over the golden pony’s back. He held on to Jack as Sunlight veered away from the buffalo and ran back up the slope.
    â€œWhere’s Annie?” Jack cried as they reached the top.
    â€œThere!” said Black Hawk, pointing.
    Annie was surrounded by buffalo—
calm
buffalo. She was patting them and talking to them. The buffalo near her had stopped running, too.
    The ones beyond those started to calm down … then others … until all the buffalo had stopped running. They began grazing again as if nothing had happened.

“She has good medicine,” said Black Hawk.
    â€œAnnie doesn’t have any medicine,” Jack said. “She just has a way with animals.”
    Black Hawk was silent. He climbed back on his waiting pony. Then he rode down toward Annie.
    Jack followed. Annie’s pony trailed behind.
    Annie turned to Jack and Black Hawk as they rode up to her. On her face was a look of amazement.
    â€œYou wouldn’t believe what happened!” she said.
    â€œYou stopped the stampede,” said Black Hawk.
    â€œBut it wasn’t just me,” said Annie.
    â€œWhat do you mean?” asked Jack.
    â€œI was trying to find Teddy,” said Annie, “and I got in the way of the buffalo. I couldn’t escape. So I held up my hands and shouted, ‘
Stop!
’ Then, out of nowhere, a beautiful lady in a white leather dress came to help me.”
    â€œYou saw a lady in white?” asked Black Hawk. His eyes had grown wide.
    â€œYes!” said Annie. “She held up
her
hands, and the buffalo stopped running. Then she disappeared.”
    â€œWhere’s Teddy?” said Jack.
    Annie gasped.
    â€œI don’t know! I forgot about him!” she said. “Teddy! Teddy!”
    Arf! Arf!
    The little dog came bounding out of the grass toward them.
    Annie scooped him up. Teddy licked her face all over.
    â€œWhere did you go?” Annie asked him. “Did you see the beautiful lady, too?”
    â€œThat lady does not live on this earth,” Black Hawk said softly.
    â€œWhat do you mean?” said Annie.
    â€œYou saw the spirit of White Buffalo Woman,” he said.
    â€œWhat do you mean,
spirit?
” said Jack. “You mean like a ghost?”
    Black Hawk turned his pony around.

    â€œLet us go back,” he said. “We must tell Grandmother.”
    Annie put Teddy in Jack’s bag. Then she climbed on her pony, and they took off.
    Behind them, the buffalo grazed peacefully on the plains.

The sun was going down as the three ponies galloped for home. The deep blue sky was streaked with golden red light.
    Back at the Lakota camp, the circle of tepees glowed in the setting sun. People were gathered around a large fire.
    Black Hawk led Jack and Annie to the camp. They got off their ponies and went over to the fire.
    Grandmother