PeeWee and Plush Read Free Page A

important not to be seen by humans,” Lexi instructed Plush.
    â€œWhy? In the pet shop I saw dozens of humans every day. It was a human who cleaned my cage and fed me. Humans were always good to me and none ever hurt me,” she said.
    Was that another crack?
    â€œThese humans will be surprised to see aguinea pig in the park. They’ll want to catch you and take you away to their home,” Lexi explained patiently.
    â€œIs that bad?” asked Plush. “All guinea pigs want a warm, clean, safe home.”
    She’s saying my hole is damp and dirty, I thought. How could I have lost her trust so quickly? I felt miserable.
    Just then a child’s rubber ball came flying through the air and landed inches away from us. We all froze in our spots. Then clever Lexi ran around in a circle near the ball while I pushed Plush under a thick hedge. A moment later two small children, followed by an adult, came to retrieve the ball. We kept still until they turned away.
    â€œI hope I didn’t hurt you,” I said to Plush. “I wanted to help you hide quickly.”
    â€œJust keep your paws off me,” she said coolly. “I can hide or not hide as I choose.”
    I sighed. To think this day had begun with such joy. Now it was turning into a nightmare.
    We walked on toward Turtle Pond. I knew our slow pace was frustrating for Lexi. From time to time he would rush up a tree and greet a cousin or two on a high branch. Then he would make a huge leap and return to us.
    â€œHow much farther?” asked Plush.
    â€œWe’re halfway there,” said Lexi. “Do you want to rest for a bit?” he asked hopefully.
    â€œNo,” Plush said firmly. But her small steps grew even smaller as we continued.
    To get to Turtle Pond we had to cross awide road built for cars traveling through the park. “Keep to the edge under the leaves,” Lexi told Plush. “I’ll tell you when it’s safe to cross.”
    Squirrels are lucky enough to have two choices. They can run quickly across the road, or they can jump above it on tree limbs. But it’s
never
safe for a guinea pig to cross a road. We have to wait until there’s no traffic and then move as fast as we can. That’s why I usually only cross the road very, very early in the morning or very, very late at night when the fewest cars are driving through the park.
    Lexi climbed a tree to get a better view. “Wait till I tell you to go,” he called down to us. Plush and I stood ready at the edgeof the road and hid in some tall grass. Suddenly Lexi called out, “Now! Go for it!”
    Plush and I raced as fast as we could. We had just made it to the other side when I heard the sound of car tires whizzing past. It would be so easy for us to be beneath them. But thankfully, we weren’t. We lay on the grass panting for breath.
    â€œWe did it!” I said to Plush. “That was good running you did.”
    â€œThanks,” she said. And for the first time that day I felt as if we were a team.
    â€œReady?” Lexi called to us.
    I looked at Plush. She seemed exhausted, but I knew she was too proud to admit it. We were very close to Turtle Pond, but I didn’t think she could make it. “I need a break,” I shouted to my squirrel friend. “Let’s rest here for a few minutes.”

    Nearby there was a deep shrub and I urged Plush to hide in its shaded safety with me. She came willingly enough but still made a point of settling down as far away from me as possible. It was better than nothing, I thought.
    Lexi stuck his nose under the shrub. “I’ll be back in a while,” he said. “Now you know why squirrels like to travel alone.”
    By the time Lexi returned, Plush and I felt refreshed by a long nap. The sun was moving westward in the sky, and we could see the feet and legs of many people walking across the area. There seemed to be hundreds andhundreds of people all heading