Ziggy Read Free Page B

at how fast Ziggy could run when he didn’t have his leash on. He made Buddy look like a plodding elephant.
    Mom came out on the back deck to watch. “Look at him go,” she said.
    “Do you think it’s okay if I invite David and Sammy over to meet him?” Charles asked. “I think he’s getting used to everything here okay.” He couldn’t wait until his two best friends saw Ziggy. They were going to love the new foster puppy.
    “Sure,” said Mom. “I’ll bring you the phone so you can call them from out here, while you watch Ziggy. Now that I see how much energy that pup has, I think playing outside is a great idea. It won’t be easy to tire this little guy out.”
    Sammy got there first, since he lived right next door. He rode his bike over. He and Charles and David had practically been living on their bikes lately. David rode up a few minutes later. They both loved Ziggy right away, even though he kept squirming out of their arms when they tried to hold him. All that puppy wanted to do was run, run, run.
    Sammy, as usual, came up with an idea. “Maybewe can tire him out better if we ride our bikes around,” he said. “Ziggy’s so fast that running with Buddy barely makes him pant.”
    Charles and David looked at each other. Sammy’s ideas were always exciting. And maybe a little risky, too. But really, what could go wrong? The three boys buckled on their helmets and began to ride in circles around the edges of the yard, right along the Petersons’ side of the fence. Buddy couldn’t quite keep up as they peeled out around the corners and took off flying down the straightaways, but Ziggy
loved
the game. He barked and yipped as he galloped along after them. His short legs churned through the grass so fast that they were nothing but a blur.
    Charles, David, and Sammy laughed and yelled. What a great game. Then Mom came out onto the deck. “Boys,” she called.
“Boys!
Do you really think it’s a good idea to teach that dog to chase someone on a bike? Charles, you know your aunt
    Amanda always says that dogs who run after bikes or cars often get hurt. Anyway, I think this game is just a little too wild for Ziggy’s first day.”
    Charles got off his bike. He knew that what Mom said was true. And he had promised Rosie that he would take good care of Ziggy. “Come on, guys,” he told his friends. “Let’s take Ziggy inside for a while.” He looked around. “Ziggy?”
    In the far corner of the yard, Buddy began to bark. Charles recognized that bark. It was Buddy’s “I-see-a-squirrel” bark. He would sit and bark all day at the squirrels who climbed on the big old oak tree in the Galluccis’ backyard, across the fence.
    Ziggy wasn’t barking. But when the boys ran over to the corner of the yard, Charles saw why. Ziggy wasn’t sitting, either. Ziggy was very busy digging a tunnel underneath the fence. He was already halfway through, and all Charles could see were Ziggy’s rear end, his back paws, and acrazily wagging tail as Ziggy’s wild digging sent showers of dirt flying through the air.
    “Hey,” said Charles. “Hold on there, Houdini!” He ran to grab the puppy, but just then, one of the squirrels chattered loudly down at Ziggy. With a sharp bark, Ziggy squirted right through the tunnel he’d dug.

CHAPTER FIVE
    On the other side of the fence, Ziggy glared up into the tree. That annoying squirrel had disappeared. And now that Ziggy could no longer hear or see it, he pretty much forgot all about it. Squirrel? What squirrel? It was exciting to be on the other side of the fence. That yard, and the boys on those fast machines he could chase, and that other dog — they had all been quite interesting for a while. But now he was ready for some new adventures. He looked around. Which way should he go? Hmmm … so many choices. And it was hard to concentrate with that boy yelling his name over and over. Then something caught his eye. Hey, was that a cat?Ziggy couldn’t be sure, but there was