One afternoon, Jane , a seven-year-old girl whose parents went to their farm to harvest corns, was left home with their dog, Yeller.Feeling rather bored, she decided to go out for an adventure alone. With a toy gun in her hand and a whistle around her neck, Jane had crossed a large of grassland into the woods before she realized that she was lost.

Sitting on a rock and wondering what to do, Jane began crying. After a while, she decided to walk along a wide path lined with tall trees and thick bushes. It was getting dark, but she still couldn’t find her way home. Suddenly, she heard a strange noise, which was the sound of wind blowing leaves. She ran quickly in the woods until there was no road ahead but a river. She lost her toy gun while running. Cold and scared, Jane sat down near the river and fell asleep against a tree.

Her parents were back from work but could not find their daughter.Deeply worried about Jane’s safety, they locked the door and went out to search for her.

Their dog, Yeller, was left home.He noticed something was wrong because it was dark but there was nobody home. He sensed that Jane was in danger.He tried to get out, but the door was locked. He jumped through a window, looked in the fields but couldn’t find her anywhere. However, from the ground came a familiar smell as he lowered his head.He followed the smell and walked across the grassland until he found the toy gun.But Jane was not there. The dog circled around the woods, barking loudly into the air.

Jane opened her eyes and heard Yeller barking nearby.

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Weak and hungry, Jane walked back home with Yeller leading the way.

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It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops were dying. Cows had stopped giving milk. The streams were long gone back into the earth. If we didn’t see some rain soon we would lose everything. It was on this day that I learned the true lesson of sharing and witnessed the best miracle I have ever seen in my life.

I was in the kitchen making lunch for the family when I saw my six-year-old son, Billy, walking toward the woods. I could only see his back. He wasn’t walking with his usual steps. He was obviously walking with great effort, trying to be as still as possible. Minutes after he disappeared into the woods, he came running out again, toward the house. I went back to make sandwiches, thinking that whatever he had been doing was completed. Moments later, however, he was once again walking in that slow purposeful long step toward the woods. This activity went on for over an hour: walking carefully to the woods, then running back to the house. Finally, my curiosity got the best of me. I crept out of the house and followed him on his journey.

He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked; being very careful not to spill the water he held in them. I stepped close as he went into the woods. Branches and thorns slapped his little face but he never gave in. He might have a much greater purpose, I thought. As I came closer, I saw the most amazing sight. Several large deer stood in front of him. Billy walked right up to them, at the sight of which I almost screamed for him to get away. A huge buck was dangerously close. But the buck neither threatened him nor even moved as Billy knelt down. And I saw a baby deer lying on the ground, obviously suffering from heavy loss of water and heat exhaustion, lifting its head with great effort to lap up the water cupped in my boy’s hands.

When the water was gone, Billy jumped up to run back to the house. I followed him back to the tap(水龙头).

This time I joined him, with a small bottle of water from the kitchen.

Finding a Friend

Two years ago, a dog ran into my yard. When he started to wag his tail and bark, I thought he was nice. But when my hand got close to his forehead, he lashed out and bit me. The next day when I woke up I was lying in the hospital bed with stitches on my right arm from my wrist to my elbow. Even though the dog had to go to the pound, the fear and the scares he gave never left.

You can imagine with my fear of something like this I was an easy target for bullies. I didn’t want to become friends with anyone at my school.

I knew the day would come when the teasing would become too much and I wouldn't be able to take it any longer. On a Friday it happened and I ended up running to my house instead of taking the bus home. I went straight into the woods. I listened to the hush of the trees and admired the beauty of the falling leaves, letting all the frustration go.

Suddenly I heard whimpering (呜咽). I saw the last thing I wanted to see, a dog. From instinct I stood up, legs tense, but the dog didn’t move. Even with my fear of dogs, a part of me wanted to go and comfort the wounded dog. Eventually my heart overpowered my conscience. Carefully I reached out my right hand. My scar started to tingle, remembering the last time I was this close to a dog. Then, before I was ready the dog stretched out his neck, pushing his head into my hand. At that point I knew we needed each other.

The dog happily followed me home. Even after a few days with Scruffy (which is what I chose to name him), the statement “Dogs are man's best friend” was proven true.

One day, I was taking him for a walk when I noticed a sign on a telephone pole. The sign read:

Lost Dog

Medium height, brown eyes, male, scruffy light brown hair. Answers to the name Copper. If seen, please call me at 544-0222, or bring him to my house at 18 Sugar Hill Road, Easton, NH.

Thank you,

Annie Samson

Next to the writing there was a picture of Copper.

Undoubtedly, that was a picture of the dog sitting right beside me.

The next day I brought Copper to Easton to find his owner.