Danny Allen Was Here Read Free

like an explorer as they reached the top and looked out over the water. There wasn’t a ripple. The water was like a giant mirror; he could see the reflection of the darkening sky.
    To their left was the small creek that flowed into the dam when the rain came. The last time Danny had stood in its dry bed the creek’s sides only came up to his head. It was narrow and cut a twisted course down a gentle slope to the dam. A few scratchy bushes lined its banks. The thick forest of reeds at the mouth of the creek was where pools formed. Sam suddenly grabbed Danny’s arm and pointed to them. He spied sunlight glinting off water. ‘That’s where the tadpoles will be!’ he cried. ‘Let’s go!’

    Down the slope they ran. Sam led the way, his arms flailing, trying to keep balance. ‘Whoa! I’m going to fall!’ he laughed.
    Danny was right behind him. ‘Look out! I’m coming through.’
    Vicki couldn’t keep up. ‘Wait for me! Waaaiiiit!’
    Tippy left them and went to the edge of the dam to drink.
    They reached the reeds and ran up and down the bank of the dam searching for the best spots. From where Danny was standing it looked like a miniature canyon.
    Vicki slipped and trod in mud. Some splattered onto her dress. ‘Yuck!’
    Sam knelt at the side of a weedy pool. He put the tin by his side. Beneath his wide-eyed reflection he spied movement. He pushed his giant hand into the watery world and began hunting. ‘There are heaps in here!’ he said.
    Danny crouched beside him. The small pool of water was wild with tadpoles. Danny couldn’t believe his eyes. ‘Look at them!’
    ‘Don’t just look at them, catch them!’ said Sam.
    There was splashing, laughing and shrill cries of delight. Sam scooped up water with his hands. He was a good tadpole catcher.
    Danny caught a couple, but Vicki only caught blobsof mud so she gave up. She squatted by the tin and guarded the writhing prisoners. She stuck her hands in and let the tadpoles tickle her palms. Before long the tin was nearly full of water. When Danny looked in and saw the frenzy of trapped tadpoles stirring the water he thought they must have at least a million! But that was just a rough guess.
    The hunt was suddenly interrupted by a tremendous crack of thunder. Everyone jumped. They all stopped and lifted their heads. The sky had darkened suddenly. Wind pushed into their backs. The reeds swayed and crackled, then a flash of brilliant lightning forked in jagged streaks across the sky.
    Crack! Vicki cringed as the thunder rumbled away in booming echoes. She walked over to stand with Sam. ‘I want to go home,’ she whimpered.
    ‘Hang on,’ said Sam. ‘I’ll just get a couple more.’
    He stared at the water: hovering, waiting, hunting.
    Vicki hung on to his shoulder, her eyes rolling to the sky. Beyond the reflection of his little sister’s worried face Sam could see the tadpoles dodging and weaving through reed stalks and green slime. He placed his hands in the water and waited for a tadpole to swim into his trap. He was about to pounce when a huge drop of rain fell into the water and distracted him. Ploop .
    More fat raindrops fell, splashing cool on Sam’sback. His reflection crinkled as the pool of water he was peering into was rippled with rings.
    Danny had moved to stand halfway up the bank. He watched as the first drops bombed the dam and a million circles appeared. The splash of cool water on his neck and shoulders made him giggle.
    He spread his arms like wings and watched the huge droplets explode on his skin. Then he tilted his head back and looked up. Lines of rain came spearing down at him. Heavy droplets, cool and fresh, landed in his eyes. So he closed them and felt the weight of the rain on his eyelids. Cool water splashed on his cheeks. The best feeling was when he stuck his tongue out and tasted the rain.
    Then, another rumble of thunder, louder than the first, saw the rain come pounding down, drumming loud and hard. Tippy barked at the sky